News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

2006 graduations may move to Nokia

District trying to avoid Monday ceremonies at The Potter's House

By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas - Irving school officials are negotiating to move the 2006 high school graduation ceremonies to Grand Prairie's Nokia Theatre and hold all four graduations on one day.

None of the negotiations would impact this year's graduations, planned for June 3-4, a Friday and Saturday, at The Potter's House, 6777 Kiest Blvd. in Dallas.

But Midlothian school officials reserved Potter's House, where graduations have been held for the last couple of years, for Friday, June 2, 2006. Potter's House allows only two graduation ceremonies per day and none on Sunday because of worship services.

If Irving continues to use Potter's House, the district would have to hold graduations on Saturday and the following Monday, said Lane Ladewig, director of campus operations.

"Monday's the start of the work week, and I mean getting time off, that's tough," said trustee Randy Stipes, echoing concerns from other board members about Monday afternoon and evening graduation ceremonies.

"I tried to talk to a few parents ... anything but a Monday," Nimitz principal Sam Bean said. "Their whole interest was friends, family, relatives who come to attend."

Other principals echoed that sentiment.

"Obviously Potter's House is a great venue. We keep going back, though, to being able to graduate on Saturday. It gives our parents a much better opportunity," said Irving High principal Carolyn Dowler.

As a result, officials began eyeing Nokia Theatre, where Grand Prairie and Arlington hold graduations, Mr. Ladewig said.

"It is closer to home," Mr. Ladewig said. "It is a nice venue ... they all gave a very positive report as to their experience."

Irving could hold four ceremonies there on June 3, 2006, at 8:30 a.m., noon, 3:30 and 7 p.m. The theater holds about 6,300, so with about 400 seniors, each could be given up to eight lower balcony tickets and seven upper level tickets. Seating would be assigned.

"I don't have any reservations whether we could seat the crowd," Superintendent Jack Singley said.

The district would have to discuss how tickets would be issued. Other districts treat the additional tickets differently, Mr. Ladewig said.

Some offer a handful of tickets and then allow students to purchase additional tickets. Others hand out tickets and allow families that won't use them all to give them back so others can use them.

Parking could be an issue, Mr. Singley said. Nearby paved parking includes about 1,900 spaces, so others would have to park on grassy areas or paved spaces at Lone Star Park.

"If we have bad weather, we can't park all of our people on asphalt pavement," he said. "Well, that's not so bad until you have a torrential rain; then you have another issue to deal with shuttling them up to the front."

One day's rental there would be comparable to the two-day rental of Potter's House, officials said.

A bigger problem is that local officials don't know when school will end in 2006. The calendar hasn't been adopted, and even if it is, some state legislation mandating start and stop dates could pre-empt any local decisions.

"If the state mandates a certain calendar, then we'll all be graduating on the same weekend, and it'll be a real struggle," Mr. Singley said.

[rainstorm]

sounds like a good idea

[TexasStooge]

2 found stabbed in Wilmer trailer

By JOLENE DeVITO / WFAA ABC 8

WILMER, Texas — Two people were found stabbed at a house trailer in Wilmer early Tuesday. A woman died; a man was in surgery for treatment.

Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Don Peritz said officials were alerted to the incident when two people walked in to the Wilmer police station shortly before 3 a.m.

"At this point, we don't consider them suspects," Peritz said. "However we still need to learn more about what happened inside the trailer."

Peritz said the two who reported the stabbings apparently lived in the same trailer at the River Oaks Mobile Home Park in the 1600 block of Millers Ferry Road.

The victims' identities were not released. The man was last reported in surgery and in critical condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

[TexasStooge]

Fire destroys Plano residence

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas — A two-alarm fire destroyed an expensive home and created some very tense moments in a West Plano neighborhood Monday night.

Neighbors in the 1600 block of Manor Lane in the Steeplechase subdivision quickly became worried about flying embers from the burning house.

They climbed ladders and sprayed water on their roofs with garden hoses.

No one was home when the fire started in the house, valued at nearly half a million dollars. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Plano firefighters managed to save a pet cockatoo.

[TexasStooge]

Fort Worth police seek holdup suspect

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth police are asking for the public's help in identifying a robbery suspect.

The incident took place on March 5 just minutes after the victim cashed a check at a Texaco gas station in the 2700 block of Rosen Ave. on the city's north side.

A store surveillance camera caught the suspect in the striped shirt, standing to the right of the victim.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, 5'-11" tall, 200 lbs. He had short-cropped black hair, a mustache and a tattoo on his neck.

The wanted man was wearing a black jacket and a black-and-white striped shirt.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect is requested to contact Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477.

[TexasStooge]

DNA database seeks match for child's remains

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

LIPAN, Texas — Forensic investigators say human remains found in rural Hood County belong to a girl who died long ago. Scientists will use a new DNA database to try to identify the child.

Riders on horseback found the bones along Kickapoo Creek back in December just outside Lipan, about 45 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Now, this child no one knew is on everyone's mind.

"Who might that have been?" asked Danny Hartman. "What's going on out there?"

"Got to be something bad happened," said Jack Norris.

Forensic investigators believe the skull and a the other bones discovered belonged to a girl 11 to 14 years old. They say she was probably African American.

Hood County Sheriff's investigators are poring over old cases and missing persons reports. They don't know how the girl died, or where.

Analysts believe the remains had been exposed for a dozen years—maybe more.

DNA specialists at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth will extract a genetic fingerprint from the bones. They'll look for a DNA match in the new Texas Missing Persons Database.

"We have received over 200 sets of unidentified remains," said Steve Gammon, who administers the database. "Here's the thing: We're giving families a certainty that their loved one who's been lost for years and years and years has been found."

Back in Lipan, where strangers stick out, they'd like some answers, too.

"No one's come up claiming someone missing in their family, and it's right here in our back door," Hartman said.

"That's different. And it's scary, in a way."

[TexasStooge]

Questions raised on Dallas ISD search firm

Exclusive: Leader of superintendent hunt has overdue taxes

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A firm once owned by the woman hired to find Dallas' new school superintendent has not paid a tax bill for more than a decade, an official with the California Franchise Tax Board told The Dallas Morning News.

Ruth B. Love, who is listed as the owner of the now-defunct Ruth B. Love Enterprises LTD of Oakland, Calif., had her corporation's status suspended in March 1991 for not filing tax returns and not paying taxes, said Denise Azimi, a spokeswoman at the California tax board.

Dr. Love said Monday that she is now the sole proprietor of RBL Enterprises LTD, which was described in her application to conduct the district superintendent search as "a comprehensive consulting firm" that was "formed in 1986."

Dr. Love told The News on Monday that she started RBL Enterprises LTD in 1995 – shortly after dissolving Ruth B. Love Enterprises LTD while she was ill.

Sole proprietorship allows an individual to solely operate and be responsible for taxes and liabilities for the business. DISD's requirements specified that the firm applying for the contract had to be a "corporation" or a "limited liability company." The firms that applied also needed to meet certain requirements, such as being "duly organized," "validly existing" and in "good standing."

When asked for comment Monday, interim Superintendent Larry Groppel would say only that: "We'll ensure that the contract is administered appropriately."

Trustee Jerome Garza said he was disappointed to hear about questions involving Dr. Love's finances. He said the board should consider using another firm as it moves forward to conduct background searches on candidates who are finalists for the superintendent job.

"I would think that we wouldn't use her services," Mr. Garza said.

Trustee Lew Blackburn said the board will have to discuss the issue at Thursday's meeting.

"I'd like to hear from Dr. Love," Dr. Blackburn said.

Board President Lois Parrott would only say, "I'll have to check into it."

The DISD's original contract with Dr. Love's firm allows payment up to about $55,000. Under the agreement, the district can terminate the contract with Dr. Love for any false statements.

Ms. Azimi would not discuss Dr. Love's overdue taxes in California, other than to say that Ruth B. Love Enterprises LTD was suspended for not filing a tax return in 1989. She added that there are two liens against the company, totaling about $5,800, filed in 1997.

Dr. Love said she doesn't know anything about the liens.

"If there were liens on my company, I would know that," she said.

Dr. Love, a former school superintendent in Oakland and Chicago, began operating her company in Chicago in 1986. She left the Chicago superintendent position in 1984 after the board refused to renew her contract. In 1990, the Illinois secretary of state's office dissolved Dr. Love's company's status because she did not file an annual report.

Meanwhile, Dr. Love was relocating her business to California. The company she headed also changed names. When Dr. Love helped conduct a Dallas superintendent search in 1993, her company was called Ruth Love Enterprises.

In her proposal to DISD, she claimed that her company – by then RBL Enterprises LTD – employed 10 workers and had an annual sales volume of $500,000. The firm has conducted searches in Atlanta, Rochester, N.Y., and Rialto, Calif., according to the application.

The assumed name for the RBL Enterprises LTD expired in 2000, according to records from Alameda County in California.

Some trustees balked when it came time to vote on whether to hire Dr. Love's relatively unknown firm for the superintendent search. The vote was 6-0, with trustees Nancy Bingham, Ken Zornes and Jerome Garza not voting. The three trustees – and some DISD administrators – had favored Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates Ltd., a powerhouse of superintendent searches.

Some of the trustees who voted to hire Dr. Love's company said they did so because of its diversity. Dr. Love, who is black, is the search team leader. She is assisted by Victor Rodriquez, a former Hispanic school superintendent in San Antonio, and Nolan Estes, a former Dallas school superintendent who is white.

[TexasStooge]

Fake drug filing is fumbled

Prosecutors filed new indictment incorrectly, face greater burden

By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A misstep by special prosecutors on the eve of Mark Delapaz's fake-drug trial complicates their task of securing a conviction against the former narcotics detective linked to the 2001 scandal.

Days before the start of the trial last week, special prosecutor Dan Hagood revised the felony indictment against Mr. Delapaz, who prosecutors say broke the law by lying to a judge and swearing that a police informant was always reliable.

The revised indictment would have given the trial jury more leeway to reach a guilty verdict by not requiring the 12 jurors to unanimously agree which informant Mr. Delapaz was referring to in a sworn statement he submitted to get a search warrant.

But that amended indictment was not filed correctly. Mr. Delapaz's attorneys noticed the problem but did not reveal the flaw until the start of the trial March 14.

Because the defense waited to raise an objection – which was sustained by District Judge Mark Nancarrow – special prosecutor Dan Hagood had to press on with the trial using the original indictment.

The difference between the two indictments centers on Mr. Delapaz's relationship with a group of crooked informants who worked together planting fake drugs on innocent people.

Under Judge Nancarrow's interpretation of the original indictment, prosecutors must prove that Mr. Delapaz was referring to a specific informant when he penned a sworn affidavit saying his suspicions about drug dealing at a west Oak Cliff house were based on an informant who was always reliable.

Records show that the two now-discredited informants each worked with Mr. Delapaz on the deal.

Under the amended indictment, the 12 jurors could have reached a guilty verdict as long as they determined the informant in question was one of those two men.

"It has potentially a great effect on the outcome of this case," said attorney Cynthia Barbare, a defense attorney connected to several fake-drug cases but not directly involved with the trial. "It's a much greater burden on the prosecution."

Mr. Delapaz's attorneys – who include former U.S. attorney Paul Coggins and at least two others from the Fish & Richardson law firm, plus local defense attorney David Finn – now are focusing their defense on raising doubt among jurors about the informant's identity.

A gag order forbids trial participants from discussing the case outside the courtroom.

Last week, Mr. Hagood worked to build a case indicating that the source of the information leading to the drug bust was the self-described lead informant, Enrique Alonso. Mr. Coggins maintains that it was a close associate, Jose Ruiz, who supplied the information.

"He [Mr. Hagood] said Enrique Alonso was the confidential informant ... he made that choice. We're arguing it's Ruiz," Mr. Coggins said Friday during a court argument outside the jury's presence. "The identity of the informant is the key issue in this case."

According to Mr. Delapaz's records, the officer paid both men at different times for their help on the case. At the time, Mr. Delapaz was under orders to stop using and stop paying Mr. Alonso, the officer's former supervisor testified Friday.

Former Lt. William Turnage testified that even though paperwork indicates that two informants had roles in the operation, he believes that Mr. Alonso had the most contact with Mr. Delapaz and supplied the information used to obtain the warrant.

"Enrique Alonso touched everything that these other people touched," he said.

So far none of the informants have testified in the trial.

Both men have admitted stealing $2,500 in police money that Mr. Delapaz had given Mr. Ruiz to purchase drugs in a sting operation at the house in the 5900 block of Marine Way.

The two men said they hid 4 kilograms of fake methamphetamine inside a car that Mr. Ruiz left outside the house. An FBI agent testified that Mr. Alonso then met with Mr. Delapaz nearby and relayed information to him about drug activity at the house before the search warrant was obtained.

Although Judge Nancarrow initially ruled that the indictment referred to one specific informant, more arguments are likely before the trial concludes. The specific instructions that guide jurors in their deliberations will not be drafted until the guilt-innocence portion of the trial is finished.

Mr. Delapaz, a 10-year police veteran at the time of the scandal, faces punishment ranging from probation to 10 years in prison if convicted.

[TexasStooge]

New trial in drug case may be long shot

New evidence suggests mistake in drug case, but verdict may remain

By MATT STILES / The Dallas Morning News

FORT WORTH, Texas – A federal judge told Hector Vazquez that he deserves a new trial on his 2004 cocaine-dealing conviction based on new evidence that suggests authorities made a mistake.

But there's a problem: U.S. District Judge John McBryde says longstanding legal precedent might not allow it.

He isn't convinced that a jury would be swayed by two new witnesses who contradict federal agents by saying Mr. Vazquez wasn't involved in a May drug deal.

"In fairness, he ought to have a jury hear these people," Judge McBryde said, before adding that he doesn't believe the new evidence would make any difference.

Still, the judge gave Mr. Vazquez's attorney more time to persuade the judge to grant a new trial. If not, a conviction built solely on agents' eyewitness accounts could send Mr. Vazquez, 28, to federal prison for life.

"It's like your worst nightmare," said Mr. Vazquez's attorney, Ruben Gonzalez. "The jury convicted the wrong man."

The judge's decision, which could be weeks away, comes after he heard two men testify last week that someone else committed the crime that Mr. Vazquez was convicted of last year.

But the Drug Enforcement Administration task force agents who arrested Mr. Vazquez said last week – as they did at the trial – that the conviction is just. He was there, they insist.

Depending on who tells the complicated story, Mr. Vazquez's conviction comes from mistaken identity or solid law enforcement.

The case involves a large attempted deal monitored by the DEA task force. The task force, working with an informant, planned to arrest the men selling about 20 pounds of cocaine in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

As the dealers arrived – in a black Ford F-150 and a blue Ford Expedition – they noticed the undercover agents. The two drivers fled to nearby freeways.

The agents followed the pickup to Irving, where they also noticed the sport utility vehicle. Two of the agents say they saw a man they later identified as Mr. Vazquez run across a parking lot and jump in the pickup, which sped off "dangerously," according to court records.

The agents didn't give chase. But inside the sport utility vehicle they found the drugs.

Drawn in

Mr. Vazquez became involved when agents found a dry cleaning receipt in the vehicle.

The clothes, it was later learned, were too large for him. But printed on the slip of paper was Mr. Vazquez's sister's telephone number.

They went to her Old East Dallas home, saw Mr. Vazquez on the porch and thought they recognized him. He was later charged with intending to distribute cocaine – a felony that, given his criminal record, was punishable by life in prison.

No fingerprints or other physical evidence connected Mr. Vazquez to the crime, but the agents' memories convinced a jury during a one-day trial in November.

Mr. Vazquez was tried alone, but three other men were charged with him. One of those men had an alibi, his attorney says, and the charge was dismissed on the eve of the trial. Two others – who were fugitives until this year – later pleaded guilty. Their deals require truthful cooperation with prosecutors.

That's when Mr. Vazquez's conviction, according to his supporters, began to fall apart.

One of the men, Fidel Aguilera, had recently broken off a live-in relationship with Mr. Vazquez's sister, Veronica. Those dry-cleaned clothes in the sport utility vehicle were his, Mr. Aguilera has said, explaining the phone number.

The other man, Ruben Contreras-Mendoza, had no connection to Mr. Vazquez.

Both men said he wasn't involved. Instead, they testified in court last week that two others, Jaime Delbosque Sr. and his son, Jaime Jr., were there.

Other evidence also backs this contention.

For example, the black pickup is registered to the elder Mr. Delbosque, a convicted drug dealer who was never charged in the case. He reported it stolen days after the deal. He could not be reached for comment.

The blue sport utility vehicle – the one an agent said he saw Mr. Vazquez in – is connected to the younger Mr. Delbosque, 20, who also was never charged in the case. Facing an unrelated murder trial, he declined an interview request from jail.

Grand Prairie police arrested Jaime Delbosque Jr. in the Expedition last March, two months before the deal, records show. Federal prosecutor Fred Schattman also acknowledged last week that a receipt with the signature "J. Delbosque" was found inside.

Mr. Vazquez's supporters say he and the younger Mr. Delbosque resemble each other. Both are young, thin and have dark complexions. They also wear their black hair closely cropped.

The DEA declined to comment about whether agents had since tried to talk to the Delbosques.

The request

Hearing these new revelations, Mr. Vazquez's attorney asked Judge McBryde for a new trial – a request rarely granted.

At the hearing, Mr. Schattman didn't directly argue, as prosecutors often do, against a new trial. He agreed that the evidence was new, and that Mr. Vazquez didn't have access to it before – part of the legal test for granting a new trial.

But he remained neutral on a key point cited by the judge – whether the two men's accounts would probably lead to an acquittal.

The judge recalled the agents' testimony about seeing Mr. Vazquez and how they repeated their accounts at the hearing. He said the two men's testimony "raises questions," but might not meet the legal threshold, as he interprets it, for granting a new trial.

The judge's conundrum appears to be an example of how rare and difficult it is for a criminal defendant to be freed after a conviction, said Karl Rupp, a Dallas defense attorney.

"The system values finality over truth," he said. "If something's already been decided, the system precludes you from getting a fair result based upon information you've found later."

That Mr. Vazquez has a criminal history – he's been convicted three times on drug charges, twice receiving probation before being sentenced to eight years in prison – isn't relevant, said Robert Montserrat, who represented the man initially charged in the Vazquez case who was later released.

"The issue here is the integrity of the process," he said.

Mr. Gonzalez acknowledges that he faces an uphill battle convincing the judge that the law allows a new trial. But he's trying.

"I really believe that this guy is innocent," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Canseco finds support in Denton visit

Fans credit ex-Ranger for helping to stir steroids investigation

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON, Texas – Jose Canseco has faced some pointed questions in the last few weeks, from members of Congress and from former teammates.

Monday night at Hastings Books, however, he received only admiration.

About 75 fans of the former Rangers star lined up to receive autographed copies of Canseco's book, Juiced, and to share a moment with the controversial author who has helped stir a national investigation into steroids in Major League Baseball.

"I think it's great what he's doing. I think some good things are coming out of it," said Paul Hemmert of Southlake, who used to play golf with Canseco when the two lived in Florida.

Hemmert brought his family and walked out with nine autographed books.

"I have a lot of friends," he said.

At the least, the autographs increase the value of the book. On Canseco's Web site, copies of the book go for $28, while autographed copies cost $58.

Most of the fans were there to have their copies personalized or to simply visit with a player they have followed for years.

"I became a fan in 1987," said Stephen Wray, a Plano resident and student at the University of North Texas. "I've always been a big fan of how he played. Big home runs, big hits, big misses. When I played, I tried to always be No. 33, just like him."

Part of the book's message, that anabolic steroids, which are illegal unless prescribed by a doctor, can be helpful in gaining strength if used with proper supervision, has since changed. Canseco told Congress last week he has done a turnaround on that issue and that he is done using steroids.

Wray said Canseco helped bring a serious issue to light.

"I think there already have been positives that have come out of it," Wray said. "The Congressional hearings were a big step in the right direction, and I think you can credit the book for that."

Wray said he arrived at 4 p.m. for Canseco's 6 p.m. appearance. He waited around until the end at 7 p.m. to get some pictures and have a few items autographed. Canseco, dressed in dark jeans, an untucked gray shirt and what is becoming his trademark, sunglasses indoors, accommodated everyone's request with a smile.

Well, not everyone's. While the slugger who finished with 462 home runs kissed babies, allowed a peck on the cheek or two and posed for photos with the staff of the bookstore, he declined interview requests.

When one potential interviewer asked, Canseco said, "It's been a long month."

The Hastings signing was rescheduled from March 2, after Canseco's camp received an e-mail death threat for an Illinois book signing scheduled for Feb. 28. For Monday's appearance, Canseco was flanked by his agent, Doug Ames, as well as a private security adviser and a uniformed security officer.

After leaving the book store, Canseco did an interview with radio station KTCK, with which he has had a long relationship. In that interview, he said he has a plan to submit to a lie detector test in a pay-per-view television show.

[TexasStooge]

Trustees: DISD chief search tainted

2 accuse board peers of 'brokering deals behind closed doors'

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS and TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Two Dallas school trustees want to stop the search for a new superintendent, accusing fellow board members of making backdoor deals.

Trustees Hollis Brashear and Ron Price said that some board members, whom they refused to name, are pushing for certain candidates based on ethnicity and not experience. Mr. Price also accused some board members of contacting potential candidates.

"We agreed that there would be no brokering of deals behind closed doors," Mr. Price said. "Unfortunately that's happened."

Mr. Brashear, who chairs the board's superintendent search committee, said at this point he wants to stop the search.

"There is a lack of trust and mutual respect among board members regarding the selection of the next superintendent," Mr. Brashear said on Monday. "Until the board gets its act together, we do not need to bring another person into this situation. This board needs training and team-building."Several other board members contacted on Monday said they were either unaware of any improprieties or declined to comment.

Trustee Jerome Garza said he is not aware of any improper conduct and doesn't think the search should be halted. He hopes that the board, as a whole, can discuss the concerns.

"I'm going to go in with an open mind and listen to my colleagues, and we'll get the facts and lay them out," Mr. Garza said. "I think it's a very serious concern that should be quickly and thoroughly addressed."

Trustee Joe May said that he has not violated any rules concerning the search and that he thinks everything is going fine.

Trustee Ken Zornes said he was taken aback by the allegations and hasn't observed anything out of line.

"If I heard a candidate was soliciting a board member's support, I would be hard-pressed to accept that person as a bonafide candidate," Mr. Zornes said. "If a candidate called me and asked for a private meeting I'd tell them no, and I'd tell my colleagues immediately."

Trustee Jack Lowe said he has not met with any of the candidates privately, but he refused to comment further. Trustee Lew Blackburn declined to comment.

"I'm absolutely stunned," said trustee Nancy Bingham. "We've all been very, very careful, and we all know what the perimeters are. We all have been very careful to follow the format."

Ms. Bingham said that Mr. Brashear and Mr. Price should have raised their concerns with the board before going public.

"I guess they had their reasons," she said, adding that she hopes they have firm evidence and aren't just, "throwing out statements."

Board President Lois Parrott said she would wait to have a discussion with the board this week before commenting. She said that when the board met last week, everything seemed fine.

"We'll work everything through," Dr. Parrott said.

Ron Caloss, who heads the superintendency certification program at the University of Texas at Arlington, said that to halt a search can be very detrimental because candidates could lose faith and might rethink the position. But if some trustees believe the search has been compromised, he said, calling it off temporarily might be the best option.

"You just hope those nine people can get their act together and hire the best person," said Dr. Caloss, who served as a superintendent in Texas school districts for more than two decades. "It's sad for the children in that school district if the board can't unify and get behind a candidate."

The search for a new DISD superintendent, which began about five months ago, seemingly had progressed with few complications. Just last month, Dr. Parrott said that everything with the search was on track and going well.

In December, trustees approved a list of qualities that they wanted the next superintendent to have. Those included having a candidate with a proven track record in an urban district, and the ability to work under pressure.

But Mr. Brashear, the longest-tenured trustee, said that at this point, the board would be hard-pressed to find the best candidate for the job. He said this is his fourth superintendent search – and that it's in big trouble.

"As a group, this board lacks the experience and maturity to select a person to lead this district at this time," Mr. Brashear said. "I don't have trust that this board will do the right thing."

Trustees interviewed candidates for the position last week, and they plan to discuss the candidates in a closed meeting on Thursday. Plans call for announcing a superintendent finalist in April.

Mr. Price said the board could keep interim Superintendent Larry Groppel in place until it receives training to better conduct the superintendent search.

Dr. Groppel said that decision rests with the board.

"My priority has been and continues to be serving the school children and citizens of Dallas," Dr. Groppel said on Monday. "It is my sincere desire that the board successfully culminates the search in time for the new superintendent to be in place well in advance of the 2005-2006 school year."

[TexasStooge]

Arlington church adding high school

Mount Olive Baptist Church branches out

By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News

ARLINGTON, Texas - When the Rev. Norman L. Robinson opened the doors of Mount Olive Baptist Church in central Arlington 39 years ago, he hoped the church would help revolutionize the area.

And it did, taking an area filled with dilapidated and abandoned properties and turning them into a huge church, homes for senior citizens and a school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students.

Now the next wave of the so-called Mount Olive revolution is under way.

Mount Olive is building a $7 million charter high school less than two miles from the church, which is on West Sanford Street.

"We thought maybe we could make a difference," said Mr. Robinson, senior pastor at the church. "We see children in this area finishing high school, and they can't read or do math or the children were dropping out.

"I'm concerned about their souls, but I'm also concerned about their minds."

There are 235 charter schools throughout the state. About 80,000 students attend charters, said Patsy O'Neill, executive director of the Resource Center for Charter Schools.

If weather permits construction to continue as planned, Metro Charter Academy High is scheduled to open later this year or by early 2006. The 63,000-square-foot building will accommodate about 350 students.

And if demand grows, so will the school, said Clarence White, a deacon at Mount Olive.

"We are prepared for future growth," he said. "We've purchased a property adjacent to the schools, and if it comes, we're ready."

The building, at 1111 Gibbins Road, will have two gymnasiums, 325 parking spots and a football stadium.

"In Texas, high school football is big," said Darryl Killen, chairman of the school's board of directors. "We've learned over the years that athletics is important, and we believe that we'd have more success if we had athletics."

Mr. Robinson said he was adamant that the school be a state-of-the-art structure. It's modeled after the Arlington school district's newest high school, Juan Seguin, he said.

"I said, 'I do not want portable buildings,' " he said. "We wanted to build something nice that the children can appreciate and be proud of."

Curriculum goals

Metro Charter Academy High is being designed as a college-preparatory school that will have Advanced Placement curriculum.

"We're recruiting students who intend to go to college," Mr. Killen said. "If they can pass the entrance exam for Advanced Placement, they're already in. It would not be beneficial for students to come to the school and not have success."

Metro Charter Academy, housed in the Arlington school district's old segregated public school known as Booker T. Washington, opened 10 years ago as a Christian school and became a charter five years ago. School and church officials expect many of the students attending Metro Charter Academy will attend the high school.

About 450 students in grades K-8 are enrolled in Metro Charter Academy. The kindergartners are in a separate facility, the old Mount Olive church a few blocks from the main campus on N.L. Robinson Drive.

The student population is predominantly black, but school and church leaders say the schools are open to any student in Tarrant and Johnson counties.

Excitement building

Arlington parent Dana Chennault said it's likely her three children, who attend Metro Charter Academy, will attend the charter high school when it opens.

"I really like the smaller classrooms and the teacher ratio," Ms. Chennault said. "It's more like a family because of the smaller atmosphere."

Fort Worth resident Marquitta Robinson, is excited about the prospect of sending her children to the new high school. Her 11-year-old daughter attends Metro Academy, and in a few years, her 3-year-old son will join his sister at the school.

"Public school wasn't working for her, and this is," Ms. Robinson said. "The public school is right around the corner from our house, but we drive her to school every day."

[TexasStooge]

Auto burglaries may become felony again

By Matt Frazier, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - This year, the chances are better than ever for increasing the penalty for breaking into a vehicle.

Thirteen times between March 20, 2002, and Oct. 19, 2004, a Fort Worth man broke into cars and was caught. And 13 times he was convicted.

Because the Legislature made burglary of a vehicle a misdemeanor instead of a felony in 1994, each conviction brought light penalties, which allowed him to quickly return to the streets, police say.

Several state legislators are trying to reverse the 1994 decision this session, saying a harsher penalty will send criminals a strong message and allow the justice system to lock up repeat offenders.

Opponents say the change is unnecessary and will force taxpayers to pay millions of dollars to build more prisons. They say Texas police and judges should make better use of the available penalties.

"It might be that lawmakers may just have to have a campaign to get local jurisdictions to take this more seriously and to have judges give harsher penalties," said Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee.

But many on both sides agree on one thing: During this legislative session, the chances are better than ever for making the penalty harsher.

"There's a lot of support for this bill," said Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller. "The problem has been increasing so dramatically since the penalties have been lowered."

In September 1994, legislators followed a state commission's recommendation to overhaul the penal code, including making burglary of a vehicle a misdemeanor, in part, to save the state prison system money during lean budget years.

Truitt, who is proposing one of several bills this year that would increase the penalty according to various circumstances, said that in 2003, burglars took $204 million in property from Texas vehicles.

In 2004, car owners in Arlington lost about $4.8 million in property in 6,516 vehicle burglaries, said J.D. Granger, a Tarrant County assistant district attorney.

In Fort Worth, the number of vehicle break-ins has increased by 58 percent to 10,858 in 2004 from 6,890 in 1998. During that same time, the property stolen from cars increased to $4.4 million from $3.2 million. The average car break-in victim in Fort Worth today loses $411 in property, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

Steve McGee, police chief at Texas Christian University, says the misdemeanor penalty makes his job difficult. This month, he sent a warning letter to students and staff members after a rash of vehicle break-ins.

Over the past few years, the university has increased its parking lot cameras, fences and patrols in response to the problem. The efforts seem to have worked: Break-ins have fallen to 32 this school year from 108 last year.

But the university needs harsher penalties to help stem the burglaries, McGee said.

"They leave factory radios alone and steal top-line radios, and now they are stealing expensive portable DVD players," he said. "They are able to steal more-expensive items, and right now there is just no reason for them to stop."

But the victims of vehicle burglary are beginning to lose even more than merchandise, Fort Worth police say. Police estimate that 20 percent of car burglars in west Fort Worth target cars in search of personal information they can use to steal identities.

Fort Worth Police Chief Ralph Mendoza testified in Austin last month at a hearing on the proposal to make the crime a felony. He said the mild penalty and quick turnaround at crowded county facilities encourage criminals.

"These high-grade penalties that put individuals in state prison serve as a deterrent because there is a higher likelihood of going to prison and staying in prison," Mendoza said. "It's more difficult to get out of state prison because the crowding situation is not there."

The price may be a little higher than supporters of increasing the penalties suggest, say the two people who testified against the measure.

The change will cost more not only in prison construction but also in terms of the crime rate, said Ann Del Llano of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"Texas' incarceration rate has been 51 percent higher than the national average, but in spite of that, the crime rate has been 24 percent higher than the national average," Del Llano said.

A majority of those convicted of vehicle burglary are in their late teens or early 20s. Saddling them with a felony conviction will hamper any efforts they make to go straight and get a job, said Charles Kiker of the Friends of Justice, a nonprofit organization based in Tulia that promotes criminal-justice reform.

The justice system does not need a felony classification for the offense because it is not using the misdemeanor penalty to full advantage, he said. Kiker cited testimony during the legislative hearing that the average jail sentence handed out for vehicle burglary is nine days, even though the law allows for a full year in county jail.

"Texas has the second-highest per capita incarceration rate in the United States, and the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world," Kiker said. "This is just going to further the lock-them-up mentality."

IN THE KNOW

Vehicle-burglary bills

• Increase burglary of a vehicle from a misdemeanor to a felony: House Bills 53 and 151, and Senate Bill 138.

• Increase burglary of a vehicle to a felony if the stolen property is valued at $1,500 or more: HB 35.

• Increase burglary of a vehicle to a felony on the second conviction: HB 144.

• Increase burglary of a vehicle to a felony on the third conviction: HB 1324, SB 289 and SB 366.

• Now a Class A misdemeanor, the offense carries a punishment of up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $4,000. For a felony, the punishment would be 180 days to two years in jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

Estimated cost for increasing the penalty:

2006 $1,416,961
2007 $7,721,987
2008 $9,485,957
2009 $9,864,087
2010 $10,306,316

SOURCE: Legislative Budget Board

[TexasStooge]

Duty Called

Dad: Soldier gave up 'cozy' post for patrols

By Chris Vaughn, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Francisco Martinez's phone rang Sunday night as he was making dinner plans at a conference in Salt Lake City.

It was his wife back home in Fort Worth.

"She said there were some men dressed in uniform outside the door," he said.

Camouflage or dress uniforms? he asked.

Dress uniforms, she answered.

"I knew definitely what that meant," he said.

Martinez made the soldiers tell him the news, by phone, anyway.

Army Spc. Francisco Gregorio Martinez, 20, his only son and a promising Web-based graphic designer, had died in Ramadi, Iraq, just a few hours before.

He became at least the 24th service member from the Metroplex to die in Iraq operations since March 2003.

Martinez, a 40-year-old software engineer, said the Army told him that his son was with a patrol when they came under fire. Frank, as his son was known, was shot in his side and died before he could reach a hospital, the Army told him.

"I know he liked to volunteer to be in the turret with the .50-caliber," Martinez said.

His alma mater, Eastern Hills High School, paused for a moment of silence Tuesday to remember him.

"He was a joy to be around," said Denise Medina, a counselor. "He was a very good student. He was actively involved in our theater arts department and the technology department. We are so sorry about the loss."

Spc. Martinez -- Paquito to his father -- joined the Army in June 2002, a month after graduating.

He was only 17, so his father had to sign for him.

Although his father had served in the Army and Air Force for 10 years, getting out shortly after the Persian Gulf War, Frank Martinez had never expressed an iota of interest in the military.

"He said, 'I will never be in the military,' up until a month before he joined," Martinez said.

But a lack of good job prospects gave him second thoughts.

"He felt that the military had things that could enrich him," Martinez said.

His first assignment, as an artillery forward observer, was with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea.

From there, he was deployed in August to Iraq.

Because of his computer skills, the division assigned him to the relatively "cozy" tactical operations center, his father said. "But he was not content with that," Martinez said. "He felt that he was not doing enough. He volunteered to go out on patrols."

Martinez said his son last e-mailed him March 18 after several weeks of no contact, telling him that he had needed some time to cope with collecting the bodies of several buddies killed in a bomb blast.

Martinez also said his son told him that he had signed up with anysoldier.com as a favor for his aunt, and had been overwhelmed with responses from "grannies, college girls and 11-year-olds" who sent him notes and packages.

He wouldn't say whether his son supported the war, only that his son supported the Army and its soldiers.

"He never questioned, never doubted, the need for him to fulfill his role," Martinez said.

"Regardless of what his opinions were of politics, he had a very great sense of duty."

In addition to his father, Spc. Martinez is survived by his mother, Carmen Hernandez of Puerto Rico; stepmother, Maria Figueroa Martinez of Fort Worth; half sister, Monica Martinez; and half brother, Jean Rey Hernandez of Puerto Rico.

[TexasStooge]

Plan to promote races is pulled

By Anna M. Tinsley, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Motor Speedway abandons a proposed promotional deal.

Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday withdrew a marketing proposal for the city to spend about $500,000 to promote races and other local events.

The proposal, publicly discussed at City Hall last month, would have teamed the speedway with the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau to market races -- and Fort Worth -- over the next 20 years.

"We took the opportunity off the table," TMS President Eddie Gossage said. "As we continued to talk to the city, they wanted more and more and more.

"We simply couldn't provide them with what they wanted," he said. "It wasn't a good business deal."

He declined to elaborate specifically on the city's demands but estimated the value of the publicity to the city at $5 million.

City officials likewise declined to discuss the negotiations.

"We were working to find a good balance," said Councilwoman Wendy Davis, who heads the council committee that heard the original request and forwarded it to the full council for consideration.

"We didn't feel it was an appropriate request," Davis said. "The city of Fort Worth has provided the Texas Motor Speedway with tremendous incentives -- in the original abatement deal and providing traffic control."

The speedway increased its advertising budget to $3.5 million this year, up from last year's $1.6 million, to boost race promotion, Gossage said.

But last month, TMS officials told city leaders they needed to expand their marketing base to ensure a sellout for the coveted second Nextel Cup race -- the Nov. 6 Dickie's 500 race.

They asked that the city spend the money generated by the sales and hotel taxes from the second race -- an estimated $500,000 this year -- with the speedway on the marketing plan. The speedway's share of those funds would have declined toward the end of the 20-year agreement.

The City Council had been considering the proposal, and this month authorized spending up to $25,000 for a law firm to analyze it.

Councilman Clyde Picht, who voted against hiring the lawyers, said he's glad that the proposal is off the table.

"It seems unnecessary to me to begin with," Picht said. "They expect to fill the bleachers with this other race.

"So we don't have our logo on the lawn, the fence," he said. "That's unfortunate, but that's what we failed to [secure] in the past."

Mayor Mike Moncrief said: "We have a responsibility to try and get the best deal for the city, the same way he has the responsibility to get the best deal for the speedway.

"I'm disappointed for him to close the deal. At the same time, I respect his decision."

In an informal survey of 10 tracks that host two Nextel Cup races, the Star-Telegram last month found one speedway that receives government assistance for marketing.

The California Speedway in San Bernardino County received about $1.5 million in government funds to be used over three years for marketing and to improve lighting at the track, officials there said.

In Fort Worth, the proposal called for a promotional campaign to target NASCAR fans in cities ranging from Austin to Corpus Christi and elsewhere in the region. It would have included billboards promoting the races as well as local events such as the Fort Worth Stock Show and the Main Street Arts Festival.

The campaign would have included radio ads, direct mail and e-mails to more than 1 million potential visitors.

In addition to the publicity, Fort Worth would have received promotional space, with the city name and its longhorn logo posted on signs throughout the speedway and on tickets and other track materials.

In the end, Gossage said the city's requests were more than the speedway could accept.

"We can't afford to offer such a huge discount to anyone," he said. "We weren't asking them for a handout.

"We didn't ask for a kickback or a gift. ... We went to them with a marketing plan," Gossage said. "It's gotten so far out of whack that the best thing for us to do is just take care of ourselves, rather than do for everybody."

Estimates last month were that about $300,000 would be generated in sales taxes and about $200,000 in hotel taxes this year by the second race.

The proposal sought a rebate of 100 percent of those taxes for the first five years and 90 percent for the next five years. For the final 10 years of the agreement, the city would turn over 70 percent of the sales and hotel taxes generated.

The agreement would have ended if the speedway lost the second Nextel Cup race.

"The thrust was just because we have two races, we won't necessarily get the same attendance," said Tom Krampitz, director of governmental relations and general counsel for the speedway. "We couldn't depend on the same attendance, and we needed to reach out further."

The speedway won the rights to host the second race after years of legal challenges by a Plano man on behalf of shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, the company that built and operates the city-owned speedway.

"We're going to do the best we can to market our events, just like we've done," Gossage said. "We're going to do everything we can to be successful, and I suspect we will be."

City Councilman Jim Lane, whose district includes the speedway, said he understands Gossage's decision.

"It was a business decision," Lane said. "I'm sorry we can't make a better deal.

"But that's business."

Davis said she hopes the speedway will consider recognizing the city anyway.

"I hope the city's generosity to the speedway is recognized by their putting Fort Worth prominently all over the speedway," she said.

ONLINE: http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com

[TexasStooge]

After such misery, it's no wonder that he died of a broken heart

By Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

HALTOM CITY, Texas - A memorial service for a friend calls up painful memories.

The memorial service for Recer Daniel Parker this weekend brought back haunting memories for me.

But my fears and nightmares were minor compared to the horror and pain he lived with most of his life.

I shall never forget that night shortly after Christmas 1956 when Recer's mother and younger sister dropped by to see relatives in the Haltom City area on their way home to the Mosier Valley community, now part of Fort Worth, near Euless.

My oldest brother was married to Recer's mother's sister, and although technically I was not related to Recer, I always felt a kinship with him, as I did with most of those who lived in Tarrant County's oldest black community.

Because we were out for Christmas holidays, it was a joyous time, and we kids were still playing in the yard after nightfall when a carload of white boys drove by and threw firecrackers into the yard.

Someone got into a car and went after them, heading south down our street.

Recer's mother, Myrtle "Toot" Parker, and 8-year-old sister, Lottie, left almost immediately afterward, headed north.

As several of us stood facing the direction of the car chase, trying to see whether the mischievous firecracker culprits could be caught, we heard a loud crash and screeching metal from the opposite direction.

Looking north, we saw sparks flying into the dark as if a super Roman candle were firing. And then we noticed that the Zephyr on the railroad track about a quarter-mile away was stopping.

"That train just hit something," someone said -- and the temperature of the night air seemed to drop instantly by several degrees.

My brother Buddy's wife wondered aloud whether it could have been her sister and niece, but the general consensus -- the collective hope -- was that they had crossed the tracks long before that train came along.

Buddy and another of my brothers, James, checked out what had happened.

A short time later they returned with frozen faces.

"It was them," James said.

He explained that as they walked along the trench beside the tracks, headed toward the front of the train and the engineer, who approached with a flashlight, James stumbled over something.

"It was Lottie's leg," he said.

The screams and sobs began, and that night, so did my nightmares.

The day of the funeral, Jan. 2, 1957, I was determined that I wasn't going. I couldn't go.

My mother said that that was fine but that it meant I would have to stay home alone.

Too afraid to do that, I went but insisted on staying in the car while everyone else went into the church. Those who couldn't get inside the overcrowded sanctuary remained outside close by the entrance.

It wasn't until I had the nerve to peep out of the car window that I realized we had parked next to the two hearses, so for the rest of the funeral, I kept my head buried in the back seat.

Even then, at age 9, I was wondering about Recer, who was 16 at the time, and his brother Willie Jr., 18.

How could they take this?

None of us could have imagined that there was more tragedy ahead for this family.

Just a few months later, Junior (as we called Willie) and Recer were seriously injured in an automobile accident.

For weeks, Junior, who had joined the Marine Corps, was in traction with a severe back injury. An aunt and uncle patiently nursed him back to health.

Then, just two years after his mother's and sister's deaths, Junior was working on his 1948 Chevy when the radiator fan came off, cutting his throat.

He died in the yard.

Recer and his father, Willie Sr., had to attend another funeral, and relatives and a community wondered how they would make it.

Through the years, Recer kept his pain mostly to himself. But those close to him knew that he continued to suffer from those loses -- those massive wounds to the heart.

In 1971, his father died of a heart attack, leaving Recer the sole survivor of his immediate family.

Recer certainly had his troubles, but he always seemed to rebound from them.

A couple of years ago, after the death of Buddy and his wife, he told some of their children how lucky they were to have had their parents and siblings for so long.

"I have nobody," he said.

On March 14, a friend found Recer dead in his Hurst apartment.

The medical examiner ruled the death "natural."

The cause: heart disease.

What else could it have been for one whose heart had been broken so many times?

[TexasStooge]

Cyberterrorism isn't a threat yet, one expert says

By Aman Batheja, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Cyberterrorists are not a serious problem now, but they will be someday, a computer security expert says.

The spooky and vague notion of cyberterrorism is a nonthreat that is overhyped by the media, computer security expert Marcus Ranum said Tuesday.

The reason is simple, he said.

"For terrorists to succeed, they have to scare you," Ranum said. "How many of you are scared when your cellphone doesn't work?"

Ranum spoke to about 70 people at the Tucker Technology Center at Texas Christian University at a lecture titled "Hacking and Terrorism: The Problem of Defending an Infinite-Length Wall."

Ranum is a veteran computer security consultant and is recognized as the inventor of the proxy firewall, a widely used system that prevents unauthorized access to computers via a network.

Ranum listed several reasons why he believes that it would be wildly impractical for terrorists to use the methods of hackers to strike fear.

For one, the Internet has become so segmented that the logistics of an attack causing widespread damage are not cost-effective to a terrorist.

"Is it more cost-effective to train yourself a cadre of cyber-ninjas or is it more effective to find idiots who will believe in your cause and wrap themselves in plastic explosives?" Ranum asked.

Ranum said hackers could easily shut down large parts of the Internet in little time and at some point likely will. But he isn't concerned.

"My guess is [the Internet will] probably be back in 10 minutes," he said.

Cyberterrorism likely will become a legitimate concern in the future, he said.

"On one hand, I don't think we have to worry about cyber-terror very much, but on the other hand, I think we're pretty vulnerable to it," he said.

For example, parts of our infrastructure such as sewage systems are recklessly insecure, Ranum said. And the massive electrical blackout on the East Coast in the summer of 2003 showed how a system became so complex that a vulnerability went undetected, he said.

"As things become more complex, we're losing track of the connections," Ranum said. "There's a dimension of social responsibility that has been ignored."

TCU's computer science department invited Ranum to lecture because its students will have to confront the complexities of hacking and terrorism, department chairman Dick Rinewalt said.

"This is a problem that has no easy solution," Rinewalt said. "You plug one hole and another appears off somewhere else."

Ranum, a critic of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is the author of The Myth of Homeland Security, which was published in 2003. He will lecture on that subject tonight.

[TexasStooge]

Name emerges in DISD search

Board won't comment on Spring ISD leader; he says he's interested

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The first name in a secretive search for Dallas' next school superintendent emerged Tuesday. That came as DISD posted meeting agendas for this week that raised questions about the status of the search.

Michael Hinojosa, superintendent of the Spring Independent School District and a former Dallas teacher and coach, has told his school board that he is interested in the Dallas job, said Tim Perdue, school board vice president in the suburban district north of Houston.

"He's a great superintendent, there's no question about that," Mr. Perdue said of Dr. Hinojosa, who declined to comment.

Regina Curry, assistant superintendent for communications and community relations in the Spring ISD, said her district is in an "awkward position" and would not comment on the search.

Dallas trustees wouldn't confirm or deny that Dr. Hinojosa is a candidate.

Questions about the status of the search were raised by a DISD board agenda released Tuesday that said the board would meet in closed session at 8:30 a.m. Friday to discuss the candidates. Afterward, the board could have an open session and select a superintendent finalist, according to the agenda.

Just before 9 p.m. Tuesday, another agenda was sent out by e-mail stating the board could meet at 5:30 p.m. Friday in closed session "to interview finalists for the General Superintendent position."

Board President Lois Parrott said the first agenda was posted in case trustees reach a consensus after discussing the superintendent candidates at a closed meeting Thursday and want to vote on a finalist. By law, trustees must post an agenda 72 hours before a meeting.

Dr. Parrott said she scheduled the meeting at 8:30 a.m. to ensure that all trustees could be there. Late Tuesday, she said the second agenda was posted in case the board needs more time with the search.

But whether the issue will come up Friday is unclear.

Trustee Hollis Brashear said he opposes the meeting because the board has not conducted second interviews with candidates. Mr. Brashear added that he has a scheduling conflict and can't attend Friday's meeting.

"We have to have second interviews to get more detailed information," Mr. Brashear said.

Trustee Jerome Garza said the possible vote on a finalist was on the agenda in case the board agrees on a candidate Thursday.

"In the event that we come to a consensus, you have to plan it ahead," he said.

Trustee Ken Zornes said he'd like to see the board name a sole finalist this week, but he doesn't know if it will happen. He said he has a favorite candidate, but he wouldn't reveal any details.

"I certainly have a person in mind that I'd like to see come in as superintendent," Mr. Zornes said. "But I'm not sure if the other trustees have that same person in mind."

Mr. Brashear, as well as trustees Ron Price and Lew Blackburn, said they had believed the Thursday meeting would involve narrowing the candidates to semifinalists who would receive second interviews. From there, the board would conduct site visits for the semifinalists.

Dr. Parrott said the board could still hold second interviews in time to name a finalist Friday.

When asked whether the board had selected a sole finalist for the superintendent's job, trustee Jack Lowe said, "That's news to me."

"I don't think that's right," he said. "We haven't even met yet. We're meeting Thursday, and we certainly haven't taken any votes."

Mr. Lowe said he favors at least one candidate.

What had been a relatively low-key search turned contentious this week when Mr. Brashear and Mr. Price accused some trustees of making backdoor deals.

Mr. Price said Tuesday that it's a bad idea to consider naming a finalist Friday.

"This is a case of someone putting the cart in front of the horse," he said.

Mr. Blackburn said holding a meeting Friday may be premature.

"We're talking about hopefully a long-term relationship, and you don't want to make decisions based on a short meeting," Dr. Blackburn said. "It's an important job, and it requires more time."

He said that the last time the board met, on Thursday, it did not discuss selecting a sole finalist and decided to have a second round of interviews next week.

Dr. Blackburn said he hoped other trustees hadn't already decided who the next superintendent will be.

"I would hope it hasn't been already arranged," he said. "We've had a lot of good candidates, a very good, diverse group that came forward. But I'd still like to look at them one more time."

[TexasStooge]

Duncanville student faces murder charge

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police said Tuesday they have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of a Dallas high school student athlete.

Pat Hill, a Lincoln High School sophomore, was shot and killed Saturday night at a party in Arlington.

An Arlington police spokesman said the suspect is 18-year-old Sircharlton "Charles" Gray, a junior at Duncanville High School.

He was apprehended at the school Tuesday morning and transferred to the Arlington city jail. Bond was set at $500,000.

Police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour said Gray had been identified as the gunman and that no other arrests are anticipated.

Witnesses told police that the suspect had not been invited to the party, and he fired into a crowd after being asked to leave. Gray allegedly continued to shoot as he was driving away.

Pat's mother, Antionette Witcher, said news of the arrest comes as a relief for the family. "I can have my closure," she said. "I can go ahead and bury him on Saturday, and he'll have peace in our soul. His sisters and brothers will have peace about it—that justice has been served. That means a lot."

Pat, 16, was a backup free safety on Lincoln's Class 4A Division II state finalist football team last season. Wichter said her son had hoped to play pro football one day.

[TexasStooge]

Commissioners OK jail health panel

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

DALLAS, Texas - Facing public outcry and a pending lawsuit, Dallas County commissioners reversed themselves Tuesday, dropping Commissioner Maurine Dickey from a new jail health committee and adding County Judge Margaret Keliher.

The makeup of the committee, designed to address widespread problems with health-care delivery at the county jail, came under sharp criticism last week. An initial proposal had Kenneth Mayfield and Mrs. Dickey as the Commissioners Court representatives, leaving off Ms. Keliher, who had secured the money to pay for a study highlighting serious jail health-care problems.

Commissioner Mike Cantrell said after Tuesday's vote that adding Ms. Keliher to the new committee signaled a thawing in the working relationship among the three Republican commissioners and Ms. Keliher.

"Yes, there is communication taking place now with the judge, and that's a positive sign," he said.

The commissioners also added a spot for a representative of the county's juvenile department, a gesture of accommodation to Commissioner John Wiley Price, who had raised concerns about the matter. But Mr. Price was not added to the committee, which still irked him.

Mr. Price had complained last week that Mr. Cantrell, Mrs. Dickey and Mr. Mayfield had met privately to hash out the makeup of the new committee without input from Mr. Price or Ms. Keliher, and he filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that his fellow commissioners violated the state open-meetings law.

The three have strongly denied wrongdoing.

Mr. Price said he appreciated the gesture by the commissioners but had not decided to drop his suit.

"It doesn't mean they still didn't violate the open-meetings act," he said. "It remains a sad commentary that it has taken litigation to get us to this point."

Later Tuesday, after talking with his lawyer, Mr. Price said the commissioners' actions only strengthen his contention that they purposely acted behind closed doors to make sure that he would not be on the jail committee. "I'm still excluded," he said. "It has only strengthened my case."

A hearing in the case has been set for April 15. If the courts find the commissioners in violation of the open-meetings law, all action regarding the new committee might be voided, and the commissioners would have to start anew.

At Tuesday's meeting, Mr. Mayfield called Mr. Price's allegations "baseless and without merit, and they won't cause problems with the committee. They were wholly outrageous and had no basis in fact, and everyone knows that."

Before commissioners approved the new committee, Mrs. Dickey proposed an amendment, withdrawing her name and inserting Ms. Keliher in her place.

Mrs. Dickey said later that she withdrew her name because she had spoken with Ms. Keliher about the matter, and Ms. Keliher "is extremely interested in this issue and has a lot of good ideas about it, and she's a veteran of this court, and I'd certainly rather delegate that responsibility to her." She said she has committed to reach out to Ms. Keliher and work with her on the issue.Mr. Cantrell's amendment also added a second position on the committee for a mental health advocate, ensuring that both Mental Health Associates of Dallas and the Dallas chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness are included on the committee.

The new jail health committee will review 38 recommendations made in a recent study that cited sweeping problems with the delivery of health care in the county jail. It will also look at whether to retain UTMB to provide health services. The commissioners have been sharply critical of UTMB's performance.

The commissioners' focus on jail health was spurred by a federal lawsuit filed in December against the county by the family of James Mims, a former inmate who is mentally ill and did not receive his medication for two months while in jail.

The family of another former inmate filed a separate suit last week against the county, alleging that he died in jail last summer because he was not given medication to treat his heart disease.

The commissioners Tuesday addressed other jail issues:

•They approved a $3.7 million contract to have HKS Inc. design a four-story, 2,304-bed medium-security addition to the jail. The addition will replace the Kays Jail, which must be torn down for a new bridge across the Trinity River. The addition would cost about $55 million.

•They approved allocating up to $60,000 for HKS to study ways to create a more comprehensive medical services facility within the jail to improve health care.

•They approved up to $90,000 for HKS to study how to improve the intake area at the jail, which was cited in a state inspection because it is designed to hold 63 inmates but routinely holds up to 350. The jail health study also advocated improving medical screening at intake to better diagnose inmates with tuberculosis and other medical conditions.

•They received an update on plans to improve TB screening. County administrator Allen Clemson said that before purchasing an X-ray machine for such screening, the county must decide how many to purchase, where the machines will be located, how to prepare the space, who will run the machines and read the images, and which inmates will be screened.