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#2141 Postby TexasStooge » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:44 pm

Teens charged after SUV rams into house

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
and MIKE JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News


PLANO, Texas - Three teenagers have been arrested after the stolen sports utility vehicle they were traveling in crashed into a Plano home and seriously injured a five-year-old boy.

Police would not release the names of the girl and two boys because they are juveniles, but said all three are 16 or younger.

Police said the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed when it skidded across the front yard of a home on Silverstone Dr., belonging to Jason and Jennifer McNeely.

A family friend who arrived to the house Monday morning to check on the house said the family was at the hospital where the boy, Braden, had stabilized and remained in intensive care.

Police said the sleeping boy was trapped under the SUV, which crashed through his bedroom.

Plano police Det. Xavier Badillo said the vehicle had been under surveillance by a patrol officer, but he emphasized that the SUV was not being pursued prior to the crash. He said the officer observed three suspects getting into the car and then had to turn around his patrol car to try and follow the suspect vehicle.

"By the time he got to this intersection, that car was already inside the house," Det. Badillo said.

Braden was extricated from the wreckage and taken by helicopter ambulance to Children's Medical Center Dallas for treatment of a fractured skull and other injuries.

The three juvenile occupants of the SUV fled on foot, police said, but were apprehended a short time later with the help of a Dallas police helicopter.

Neighbors expressed shock at what happened overnight. "Really, really nice family," said Greg Lowe. "I've seen the kids out playing, and it's heartbreaking."

Braden's family recently moved to the neighborhood. Jennifer McNeely is a teacher at nearby Hughston Elementary School, where Braden and his older brother are students.

DallasNews.com reporter Kimberly Durnan contributed to this report.

Image
WFAA ABC 8
The SUV trapped a sleeping boy in his bedroom.
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#2142 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:33 am

Standoff ends after gunshots, fire

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A southeast Dallas neighborhood was evacuated early Tuesday after police became the targets of a barricaded man.

Police responded to reports of someone firing a weapon in a house in the 300 block of Elkhart Avenue around 1:30 a.m. When the first officers arrived, they said the shots were being aimed at them, and they called for reinforcements.

As a SWAT team tried to convince the man to surrender, a fire broke out in the house, apparently started by the suspect.

Police said the gunman then fled out a back window into a neighboring house that had been evacuated for safety reasons. The SWAT team went back to work.

"And they were then able to again try to negotiate his surrender," said Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron. "He eventually ran out toward the tactical officers and they took him into custody."

The unidentified man faces possible charges ranging from aggravated assault to deadly conduct and arson.

No one was hurt.
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#2143 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:34 am

BREAKING NEWS: NE Dallas apartments on fire

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas Fire-Rescue units battled an apartment fire in Northeast Dallas Tuesday morning.

The two-alarm fire, at the Madison Apartments in the 12800 block of Jupiter Road, appeared to be limited to one building at the complex.

No injuries were reported.

The cause and extent of the fire were not immediately known.
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#2144 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:37 am

Perry threatens to call another session

Negotiators failing to reach agreement on school finance

By TERRENCE STUTZ and ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Gov. Rick Perry issued a blunt warning to lawmakers Monday – cut a deal on school finance and property taxes or spend August in Austin.

"He is telling them ... that he will call them back if they don't get the job done by Wednesday," said Perry press secretary Kathy Walt, as negotiations between the House and Senate bogged down for yet another day.

Wednesday is the final day of the 30-day session called by Mr. Perry last month. Ms. Walt said that although the governor would decide the precise day to start another session once the current one ends, she added: "Thursday looks like a good day."

Lawmakers are trying to overhaul the state's school finance system, implement several education initiatives and cut property taxes while raising other taxes to keep state revenue level. But they've been blocked for months by disagreements on issues such as "Robin Hood" revenue sharing and sales tax increases.

Mr. Perry met with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick Monday evening at his Capitol office to try and find a way to break the logjam. But the school bill has virtually no support from educator groups, and opposition to the tax-swap bill was mounting.

"I've got 98 school districts. I haven't had one call me and say, 'Man, we've got to have this,' " said Sen. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria.

Rep. Tony Goolsby, R-Dallas, said he's hearing only criticism of the tax bill.

"I'm getting a lot of calls from smokers and people who just don't want the tax bill," he said.

Although it appeared House and Senate leaders might come together on the measures late Sunday, those hopes never materialized. Instead, each chamber appeared to be digging in.

Filibuster possible

And looming over the last-minute talks were threats by Democrats in the Senate to filibuster both bills. They are fighting a proposal to raise the state sales tax to nearly 7 percent as well as a provision that would scale back the amount of tax revenue that property-rich districts must share with poorer districts.

Senate Democrats quizzed Mr. Dewhurst about procedural rules and voting requirements in the remaining two days of the special session.

Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, told reporters he had soft-sole shoes ready to wear if he launches a filibuster to try and kill the tax bill. Under the long-standing Senate tradition, a senator can talk legislation to death as long as he can remain standing at his desk on the Senate floor.

Mr. Shapleigh has been particularly critical of the tax-swap bill, which would trade school property tax reductions of about a quarter for higher state taxes on consumers, smokers and some large businesses that have avoided taxation through loopholes in the law.

Citing nonpartisan studies indicating that the tax-swap bill would benefit only Texas families earning more than $140,000 a year, the Democrat said: "This legislation is a tax increase on nine of 10 Texans, just so one in 10 Texans – the wealthiest in the state – can have a tax cut."

He also complained about the Legislature's decision to abandon an overhaul of the state's main business tax, the franchise tax. "The business lobbyists have come in here day in and day out, and stripped business taxes from every bill," Mr. Shapleigh said.

'If we're this close ...'

Mr. Armbrister, who has served in the Legislature since 1983, predicted that a filibuster would be thwarted by Mr. Perry calling another session.

"If we're this close, we could be here Thursday for a three- or five-day session," he said. "It's happened before with different governors when we've had very close deals."

Representatives, who earlier this month approved their tax bill by only one vote, appeared buffeted by opposition from oil and gas interests and heavy industry, which would see their business tax loopholes closed and not as much property tax relief as they had hoped.

"I just heard there's 89 votes against it," Mr. Goolsby said of the tax bill. The House has 150 members.

Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the Senate's lead negotiator on the tax-swap bill, said: "The business lobby is actively trying to kill this bill over in the House."

Mr. Ogden said the only way to dissuade the governor from calling another special session immediately would be for the tax bill to be "voted down decisively" on the House floor.

He said enough senators support his chamber's version of tax legislation for it to pass, and he scoffed at widespread reports that any version would be soundly defeated in the House.

"I've never seen a case where the speaker couldn't round up the votes – ever," said Mr. Ogden, who spent eight years in the lower chamber.

Homestead change

Meanwhile, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would increase the minimum homestead exemption for school property taxes by 50 percent – from $15,000 to $22,500 of the appraised value of each home. The vote was 29-0 on the proposal, which already has been approved by the House.

Democrats sought to increase the exemption to $30,000 but were outvoted by the Republican majority.

Senate leaders have indicated they will only go up on their original sales tax increase of half a cent if the homestead exemption is increased.

Mr. Ogden, author of the amendment, said the change would save homeowners about $500 million a year, roughly equal to the amount of revenue raised by the extra quarter-cent in sales taxes that the House wants.

As for the school finance bill, the two sides had already scaled back the amount of new money for schools to about $2.4 billion over the next two years. That represents an overall increase of about 3.5 percent, with all districts expected to be guaranteed at least 3 percent more funding.
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#2145 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:39 am

North Texan sole survivor of plane crash

DALLAS, Texas/SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Three men were killed and a North Texan was hurt in a plane crash Monday about 35 miles southwest of Springfield, Mo.

The twin-engine Piper P-A-30 went down in a field just after takeoff from Aurora, Mo. The plane was on a flight to Kentucky.

Officials said the crash killed the pilot, 25-year-old Kevin Saffold of Eagle Rock, Mo, and two passengers - 52-year-old John Shaffer of Shell Knob, Mo. and 30-year-old Roger Jones of Fayetteville, Ark.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said 43-year-old Walter R. Blair of Allen was transported to St. John's Hospital in Springfield with serious injuries.

When rescuers reached Blair, he didn't know he'd been in a crash or where he was. He is recovering in a Missouri hospital.

The cause of the crash is being investigated. The plane's owner works at the airport and said he loaned the aircraft to a friend for the flight. The owner said he had flown the aircraft earlier today and didn't notice any problems.
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#2146 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:40 am

Agents seize contraband by the gallon

By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas - Thousands of contraband items have been confiscated daily at local airports by the Transportation Security Admission since the 9-11 tragedy. Around 7,000 lighters alone are seized between Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport daily.

"This is very typical," said Dave Stateler, a TSA agent. "Thirty-five to 55 gallons a week [of] lighters in Terminal C."

Federal agents added lighters to the contraband list last December. However, knives, scissors, tools and other sharp objects have been forbidden since 9-11.

The TSA can assess a fine between $100 to $10,000 per incident. But agents prefer to stress the impact on travel time rather than cash fines.

"If you are standing in a line of 30 people and everyone saves a minute, you can imagine how much that impacts the person at the end of the line," said Andrea McCauley, a TSA spokeswoman.

The contraband eventually ends up in a federal warehouse in Fort Worth. There you can find scissors by the crate, alongside wine bottle openers, tools and kitchen knives.

"It's very hard to believe that they are still bringing these items in with them and trying to get on the plane with them," said Phil Phillips, of the Federal Surplus Property Program. "It's unbelievable."

Once the items leave the warehouse, about 95 percent is donated to schools, non-profit groups, police and fire departments. Anything remaining gets sold to the highest bidder.

Transportation Security Admission agents said they collect about one gun or weapon a week, which they then turn over to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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#2147 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:44 am

Emergency care for inmates surges

Dallas County: Money-saving deal with UTMB has hidden costs

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

DALLAS, Texas - When signing up the University of Texas Medical Branch to run jail health care in 2002, Dallas County commissioners were lured by the idea of saving $680,000 in the first year and reducing visits to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

It didn't turn out that way.

A dearth of medical staff and the resulting poor health care in the jail have generated medical crises for inmates, which contribute to a huge surge in emergency visits to an already strapped Parkland.

And despite the attractive idea of saving money, poor health care in the jail has generated a range of hidden costs to the county, from legal bills to overtime expenses.

Mental health advocates say the commissioners have for years put the bottom line – keeping the tax rate low – ahead of investing more for longer-term savings and improvement.

"This is a Commissioners Court that has always been proud to say they have the lowest county tax rate in the state," said Mike Katz, former president of NAMI-Dallas, a mental health advocacy group.

He said the commissioners have underfinanced jail health care, causing more problems in the process.

"The commissioners have gotten away with it for years," Mr. Katz said. "The court's in denial. If not for the litigation against them, they'd be doing even less."

"We've been doing it on the cheap," said Commissioner John Wiley Price, who was the only commissioner to vote against the UTMB contract in 2002. "It was sold as a cost saving to taxpayers. But unfortunately, there was no way UTMB could make good on their deliverables."

A budget memo circulated in 2002 as commissioners weighed the UTMB proposal estimated that the medical school could reduce the number of inmate emergency visits to Parkland by 90 a year, down to about 270.

That would reduce the number of jail staff tied up transporting and guarding inmates at the hospital. And fewer inmate visits would reduce wait times at Parkland for other patients and help the hospital serve more seniors.

Poor treatment

But the poor treatment, including the lack of medications to the mentally ill, generated many more emergency trips to Parkland.

From July 2004 through June 2005, the jail sent 983 inmates to Parkland's emergency room. There were nearly 100 visits in June alone. Instead of a 20 percent reduction in visits, that represented a 173 percent increase – and an additional burden on Parkland, another county facility funded by taxpayers.

Besides depriving inmates of proper care, the medical problems in the jail generate other hidden expenses for the county.

The poor care, for instance, has prompted lawsuits, tying up district attorney staff and in some cases causing the county to hire outside counsel.

To defend against the case of James Mims, a mentally ill inmate who did not receive his medications and nearly died after the water in his cell was shut off last year, the county hired the law firm of Figari Davenport and Graves. So far, the firm has billed the county nearly $100,000, with the suit only in the preliminary stages.

In another case filed by a former inmate who said he lost several fingers because of bad medical care, the county settled in February for $50,000.

There are other hidden costs. When mentally ill inmates are denied medication, lawyers will often call for competency hearings to determine whether they are able to stand trial. The hearings mean extra work for the district attorney's staff, which is paid by the county. In many cases, the county also pays for the inmate's lawyer because many mentally ill inmates are indigent. The county pays $300 for a medical expert to evaluate the inmate and another $300 to testify at the hearing.

When inmates are found not competent, they are sent to one of the state-run hospitals for treatment to stabilize them. State taxpayers pay for the treatment; county taxpayers pick up the cost of transporting the inmates.

At the end of June, nearly 100 inmates in the jail were awaiting competency hearings, with 23 more awaiting hearings in state hospitals. In addition, 22 inmates found to be incompetent were still in the jail, waiting for a state hospital bed to open.

Tight reins

Dallas commissioners have kept tight reins on county spending over the years, managing to keep the tax rate virtually unchanged for nearly a decade. The tax rate is lower today than it was in 1996.

Commissioner Maurine Dickey, who took office in January, has been particularly outspoken about the need to invest in improved health care and more jail staff. In March, she said the county's practice of trying to spend as little as possible clearly doesn't work. Spending more on high-quality care provides longer-term benefits and fewer problems and is more cost-effective, she said.

"We're going to have to put money into it," she said. "Let's do it now and not wait until we're forced to by some outside party."

And in June, she chastised her peers, noting that their focus on costs had led the county into deeper trouble.

"Let's not predicate every decision on the Commissioners Court with, 'Does it save money?' " Mrs. Dickey had said. "That's how we got into the ditch in the first place. We need to look at value as well."

Mr. Katz agreed.

"Spending money on jail health may raise taxes," he said. "But it improves care and solves a lot of problems."

Commissioners might be altering their stance. They hired national medical consultants to find solutions to the jail health problems. And now they might increase by as much as 75 percent the $14 million annually spent on jail health care, to pay for more medical staff, better equipment and improvements to the jail medical facilities.

"You get what you pay for," Mr. Price said. "In the past, we didn't pay for much, and that's what we've gotten."
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#2148 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:45 am

Prospects dim for ex-A&M star back

N. Texas: Ex-Chicago Bear back in jail after multiple charges

By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas - The last time Darren "Tank" Lewis got a break from the criminal justice system, the one-time bright light of the Carter High School and Texas A&M gridirons tearfully pledged he'd do better.

That was less than a year ago. Since then, the Southwest Conference's all-time leading rusher has been a passenger in a car reported stolen that was involved in a police chase. He also has racked up an assortment of other charges outside Dallas County.

"I don't know where bottom is for Darren," said his attorney, Phillip Robertson. "Darren has failed to realize that the good people in his life are the ones he needs to stick with. His failure to understand that has been and will be his undoing."

By all accounts, Mr. Lewis, 36, got a major break the last time he visited the Dallas County courthouse, after his May 2004 arrest for stealing a cargo trailer. He was charged with a felony for the trailer theft, but Mr. Robertson reached an agreement with prosecutors to reduce his punishment to a misdemeanor, and that kept him out of a state prison.

Less than a year later, he was still on probation when he was arrested in March as a passenger in a car that was reported stolen and had fled from police. He wasn't prosecuted on those charges, but authorities used the incident to revoke his probation. He also had failed to pay his probation fees.

"He's got so many good people that love him," Mr. Robertson said. "He's walking almost blind to it – it's maddening."

Under a Dallas County formula that gives jail inmates three days' credit for every day served in jail, Mr. Lewis has served his 180-day jail term handed down for violating his probation. But he's still behind bars.

As soon as his time was up in the Dallas County Jail, Ellis County authorities picked him up for an outstanding assault charge. He's now sitting in the Ellis County Jail waiting for Tarrant County officers to pick him up for a charge of driving without a license.

He could not be reached for comment Monday. Mr. Lewis' father, Isaac Lewis, declined to comment.

Mr. Robertson said it's up to Mr. Lewis whether his latest problems are a blip in a longer rap sheet that could one day result in a prison sentence – or the bottom of an already steep slide from the pinnacle of football glory he achieved first as a Carter High School standout and then as star running back for Texas A&M.

Even as a high school sophomore, Mr. Lewis was spectacular at football powerhouse Carter High and one of the most sought-after college recruits in 1987. His success continued for the Aggies, where he broke the Southwest Conference's rushing record and finished sixth on the all-time college rushing list.

"I can remember yelling my lungs out for him," said prosecutor Marcia Taylor, who attended A&M the last year that Mr. Lewis played.

The Red Bird-area native was considered a top pick for the 1991 NFL draft before he tested positive for cocaine during a pre-draft workout. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round and played three seasons.

About the time he was arrested in a domestic dispute in 1993, Mr. Lewis walked away from the game, saying he had lost his drive.

He has lived off of savings and mostly drifted in the decade since he left football, he said in an earlier interview, working sporadically and falling in with a group of friends that his attorney described as bad influences.

At his probation revocation hearing last month, Mr. Lewis was the picture of defeat. Wearing a jail jumpsuit, his head constantly bowed, the 5-foot-10-inch, 225-pounder with so much promise acknowledged that he had let so many friends and family members down.

The prosecutor asked whether he'd let himself down in the process, and Mr. Lewis simply responded, "Yes."
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#2149 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:48 am

Burglary with racial tone tied to others

Princeton: Vandals who wrote Hispanic slur may be on spree

By PAULA LAVIGNE / The Dallas Morning News

PRINCETON, Texas - Collin County investigators believe a burglary and vandalism with racial overtones near Princeton could be linked to a string of other break-ins around the area.

Within the last two months, burglars have broken into a dozen homes in and around this small town about 16 miles east of McKinney. The crimes have focused mostly on mobile homes.

The thieves have stolen stereos, televisions, guns, tools and other valuable items, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. John Norton. In some cases, they've also spray-painted houses and damaged property, he said.

The vandalism to the home of Leticia and Martin Valtierra stood out from the rest because it was more destructive, he said. Vandals urinated on mattresses, smeared food on the walls and poured bleach on the carpet and clothes, the family said. They also drew a swastika and wrote a derogatory message directed toward Hispanics on the wall.

The other instances of vandalism did not involve racist signs or phrases, Lt. Norton said.

The amount of damage done to the house and other property far outweighed the value of items stolen, he said. Investigators gave a rough estimate of $20,000 in theft and damage to the house.

The Valtierras said the Sheriff's Department ignored them because several days passed before investigators returned to collect evidence. But Lt. Norton said investigators visited the house and completed an initial investigation on the day the family reported the crime. He said it's not uncommon to come back days later to collect more evidence.

"We didn't ignore it," he said.

The burglary happened sometime over the weekend of July 8. Since then, he said, the department has collected evidence and "we are working on some leads," but investigators have not arrested anyone in connection with the crimes.
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#2150 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:49 am

Bill would open Love Field to all 50 states

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Southwest Airlines campaign to repeal the Wright Amendment will get a boost Tuesday morning when U.S. Sen. John Ensign of Nevada will introduce what he has called The American Right to Fly Act.

The bill would repeal the Wright Amendment, which was passed in 1979 to protect Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and limits flights from Dallas Love Field to seven nearby states. However, if enacted, the bill would not have any impact on the Dallas Love Field Master Plan.

Two North Texas congressmen already have two other bills pending that would change or eliminate the Wright Amendment.

If enacted, the new bill would would open traffic between Love Field and all 50 states. It would also end ticketing restrictions that force passengers to change planes if they fly outside a Wright Amendment state. All these changes would take place imediately if passed.

Political experts predict a caustious course in the changes.

"How do we protect Dallas/Fort Worth and American Airlines while improving the competitive circumstance of Southwest Airlines," said Cal Jillson, a Southern Methodist University political expert. "The answer to that is to find a three to five year flight path toward lower air fares."

However, Southwest Airlines has not let up. They have launched an aggresive public relations campaign to press North Texans to press Washington.

"Anything that can tell the story that the Wright Amendment is outdated and hurting people in North Texas," said Southwest Airlines spokesperson Ed Stewart. "We want to get that message out as soon as possible."

In repsonse, D/FW Airport said the bill was not unexpected, but they believe that there are lawmakers that know repealing the Wright Amendment will hurt the economy.

American Airlines again expressed concern that any change in the Wright Amendment would have widespread effects on the North Texas community.
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#2151 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:58 pm

Breaking News

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst says Texas House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on a bill to give teachers a pay raise. Details to follow.
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#2152 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:24 am

AMR posts first profit in 5 years

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — AMR Corp., the parent of No. 1 carrier American Airlines, on Wednesday said second-quarter earnings rose sharply to beat Wall Street targets, as increased revenue and cost controls helped the struggling airline post its first operating profit in almost five years.

Shares of AMR jumped on the news, climbing 67 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $14.90 during pre-market trading. The stock, which is nearing a 52-week high of $14.95, is up 37 percent so far this year.

Quarterly income grew to $58 million, or 30 cents per share, from $6 million, or 3 cents per share, in the year-ago period, which included a one-time $31 million gain.

The company's earnings came in at twice the average estimate of 15 cents per share from analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

Operating revenue totaled $5.31 billion, a 10 percent increase from $4.83 billion the year before and above analysts' consensus view of $5.14 billion.

For the latest quarter, AMR said traffic rose 7.4 percent to 35.8 billion revenue passenger miles—defined as one customer flown a mile—as total capacity advanced 2.3 percent to 45.02 billion available seat miles. Occupancy, or load factor, climbed to 79.5 percent from 75.7 percent a year ago.

AMR added that it spent $1.35 billion on jet fuel in the second quarter, which was $433 million, or 47 percent, more than what the company spent last year.
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#2153 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:25 am

Man's body found in burning garage

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police were questioning a man Wednesday morning after the body of another man was found in the burning garage of his home near Oak Cliff Country Club.

Investigators said they were initially called to the 1400 block of Brook Valley Lane around 2 a.m. after a report of a domestic disturbance.

Police said they left a short time later after the married couple involved declined to press charges and the wife left the premises.

About an hour later, there was a medical emergency call at the same address. First responders found smoke coming from the garage, and when Dallas Fire-Rescue put out the flames, the body of a man was discovered.

Police said the victim had apparently been stabbed.

"Officers continued to search the house, where they found the resident—the male resident that was involved in the earlier disturbance—hiding in the house," said Dallas police Cpl. Max Geron. "He's currently been detained by police for questioning."

Police were also looking for the unnamed man's wife, hoping she could help identify the dead man.

Detectives said murder and arson charges are possible in the case.
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#2154 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:26 am

Wright study tests American, Southwest claims

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Two U.S. Senators have filed a bill to end all commercial traffic at Dallas Love Field within three years Tuesday. The measure called the "True Competition Act" was the latest in the fight over the Wright Amendment.

But a new study indicates both sides are blowing the impact of repealing Wright out of proportion. When it comes to repealing the Wright Amendment, independent research by the Boyd Group throws cold water on the claims of both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

The first claim their study tested was that Dallas Love Field travel would expand dramatically if Wright passes. The study found the airport facility would actually limit expansion of Love Field. Location, gate limits, and street traffic will constrain Southwest's growth and in the long term put Love Field at a disadvantage.

Another claim it countered was that frequent flyers would choose Love Field over Dallas/Fort Worth. The study found as the population moves north and west from Dallas, Love Field is less convenient as a gateway. While Dallas and Park Cities flyers may find the airport closer, many others do not.

Researchers said when Legend Airlines and others added long distance flights in smaller jets from Love Field the experiment flopped.

As for the claim that repealing Wright would hurt American Airlines, the study found that Southwest would see a boost at Love Field, but their options would be limited there too. Travelers would have more options and access at D/FW.

The study found that Southwest's reliance on its shorter haul 737 fleet, would make it tough to compete with American Airlines in long haul markets.

Boyd Group researchers conclude if both airlines stay put and Wright is repealed, American Airlines has the best shot at dominance.
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#2155 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:27 am

Police arrest 2, seize guns, drugs, cash

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police said they took a major drug dealer off the streets and confiscated an assortment of drugs and weapons Tuesday. The seizure included 380 grams of cocaine, 100 grams of marijuana, nine grams of meth and 38 grams of ecstasy.

Also found was more than $12,000 in cash, three assault rifles, three guns and more than a 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Police said it all started when a confidential informant told a Dallas police officer where to find the drugs. Police said what they then found was a major operation.

At the South Dallas apartment where they discovered the drugs, they arrested two people.

Dallas police have made it a mission to shut down drug houses. In southwest Dallas they have a special crime response unit to do just that.

"We did a knock and talk and as the occupant of the apartment opened the door," said Lt. T.R. Overstreet. "He was smoking a marijuana cigarette."

Residents said they were surprised by what police found.

"I never thought things like that would happen in this neighborhood, but I was caught by surprise when I found out," said Delray Williams.

Police arrested 27-year-old Jeremy Turner and charged him with several crimes.

"I think it's a pretty good thing," said Larrisha Washington, a nearby resident. "I mean they should get all those bad guys off the streets."

Dallas police have been targeting drugs because they said they believe drugs lead to other major crimes.

"Drugs are so closely related to other bad behavior and property crimes," Overstreet said. "I am certain it will have an impact on this location."

Police said they need the public's help to continue shutting down drug houses. They encourage residents who see suspicious activity to pick up the phone and call them. Many time they said it is the only way they know how to find the drugs and the dealers.
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#2156 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:30 am

Tax hike sought for jail care

Dallas: Parkland board says extra $6 million may not be enough

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

DALLAS, Texas - Parkland Memorial Hospital officials said Tuesday they will ask county commissioners for a tax increase to boost spending on jail heath care by at least $6 million.

But they warned that figure was just an estimate, and that some medical experts have said the sweeping improvements required would take far more money.

Meanwhile, yet another county jail inmate filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the county, alleging that poor health care in the jail exacerbated his illnesses so severely that he is now disabled.

The Parkland board of managers will ask commissioners to raise the hospital district's tax rate by less than a half-cent per $100 valuation to expand the jail health budget to $20 million, from its current $14 million, to pay for more staff. Some have said true costs for improvements could push the budget to $40 million.

The proposed .4271 cent per $100 valuation tax hike would boost taxes on a $158,800 home by $5.43 a year, including homestead credits.

"If the county were to come under a court order, this number could jump and cause havoc to the hospital's bottom line," said Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and CEO, emphasizing the need to keep the jail health budget separate from Parkland's.

He noted that the cost for health care in the county jail in Houston was about $43 million.

Parkland officials also said it would be difficult to develop a plan for improvements and to increase staff in the next four months, when Parkland would assume oversight of the jail's medical care.

Dr. Anderson said the county would have to make significant improvements to medical facilities in the jail because there is no appropriate place to see patients even if Parkland hired more doctors.

Dr. Lauren McDonald, Parkland's board chairwoman, said Parkland views jail health care as a larger public health issue. "If we don't take good care of health issues in the jail, they can spill out into the rest of the community," she said.

"As a physician, I think it's clear there's a large need for improved care at the jail, and I'm disappointed the county waited to the last hour. What was done in the dark has now come to light."

Dr. Anderson agreed. "We want to help, but we've got to be funded correctly to do this," he said. "This is a community issue, not just Parkland's to solve. The driving force is the commissioners and what they're willing to pay for. We're in a crisis.

"If the commissioners don't do this, they put themselves at high risk for litigation," he said. "Poor quality care is always more expensive than high quality care."

Tax increase

Commissioners last week told Parkland officials they would be in charge of jail health care since the University of Texas Medical Branch said it would not renew its contract to oversee the program.

Parkland board members passed a resolution Tuesday saying they wanted commissioners to increase the county's tax rate rather than the hospital district's rate to provide the extra jail health money.

Barring that, they wanted the commissioners to approve a tax hike for the hospital district. Until the commissioners dropped the jail health debacle into Parkland's lap last week, the hospital had planned to present a budget that would not require any tax hike.

Some commissioners were supportive of the proposed tax hike. "There's not even a choice in this matter," said Commissioner John Wiley Price. "And I don't know if $20 million is even appropriate. Given what we've got to overcome, I'm more inclined to say we need $25 million."

Criticism aired

Commissioner Maurine Dickey was highly critical of what she viewed as the county's history of ignoring the glaring inadequacy of care at the jail, as well as her peers' inaction on the issue in the past six months. In February, the commissioners received an assessment of jail health care that outlined severe staff shortages and problems so serious as to be life-threatening to some inmates.

"For six months we sat on a scathingly critical jail health report, which we didn't let out publicly," Mrs. Dickey said. "And in my opinion, we didn't act on the information in it.

"In the same six months," she added, "we failed the state jail standards inspection, and we reeled under a series of lawsuits related to jail health, and we listened as UTMB and the sheriff told us about their need for more staff, and we argued over who would sit on the committee to fix the problems, and after all that, nothing's been done.

"It seems UTMB has given up operating in a county that seems to ignore a critical situation," she said.

She said that over the years, whoever headed up jail health care was viewed as the "bad boy," but that through it all, the programs remained underfunded by commissioners. "This is not a new problem. What would you call it ­ the same song, 13th verse?"

No quick fix

Mrs. Dickey, former chairwoman of Parkland's board, also said it would be unfair to expect Parkland to come in and fix everything in just four months.

"That would be magical, wouldn't it?" she said. "Parkland doesn't even know the true cost of all this or where the money will be coming from yet. The cost of righting this system will be high. It's not going to be cheap paying to fix years of neglect and an attitude of 'let's ignore it and it will go away.' "

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, chairman of the commissioners' jail health care committee, was in Hawaii at a conference and unavailable for comment.

Commissioners have argued that Texas attorney general opinions indicate that hospital districts are required to provide health care for inmates, so Parkland should take over responsibility for the jail health issue.

But Tuesday, Parkland general counsel Frank Collura told the board that he reviewed all statutes and attorney general opinions and found nothing that specifically requires that county hospital districts assume responsibility for jail health care.

2002 shooting

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, inmate Jerry Wayne Mooney, awaiting trial on a felony aggravated assault charge, alleges he suffered gunshot wounds in an incident with Irving police in October 2002. He was treated at Parkland and was released to the jail with care instructions.

But he developed a split in his surgical wound, and internal organs began to protrude.

In addition, the suit alleges that because he was not provided proper care, a staph infection developed involving his colostomy bag and became so serious that a fetid odor permeated the cell and hallway. "The response ... was to spray air freshener," the suit alleges.Sgt. Don Peritz, the Sheriff's Department spokesman, said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

Staff writer Sherry Jacobson contributed to this report.
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#2157 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:32 am

Zoo tries to get elephant in the mood

By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News

FORT WORTH, Texas - Every girl knows the dating scene can be a circus, and it's no different for the Asian female elephants at the Fort Worth Zoo.

It's been six years since a calf was born, and 34-year-old Groucho, the zoo's lone Asian bull elephant, has proven an unsuitable suitor of late.

That's why zoo officials have decided to bring in another male love interest to light a fire under the pack of romantically complacent pachyderms.

"A little competition has been proven to work in the rhino population as well," said Michael Fouraker, the zoo's executive director. "We just need Groucho to get up to speed."

The new guy on the block has not yet been determined, but he'll be one of two candidates from Florida's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation.

Rasha, one of the zoo's female elephants, will choose her favorite Wednesday from pictures of the two, and zoo patrons will get a chance to vote for their pick – either Casey or Rajah – at http://www.fortworthzoo.com.

The most eligible bachelor will be announced at the end of the summer, and he'll arrive in Fort Worth in the fall.

Zoo officials are hoping that with two bulls and five females, they'll hear the pitter-patter of baby elephant feet soon – although not too soon.

Female elephants have a 22-month gestation period – the longest of any mammal – and they nurse their young for a couple years. That means an elephant can give birth only once every four years at most.

"It's a long tome to wait," Mr. Fouraker said, "but we're very confident it will happen."

Image
RON BASELICE/Dallas Morning News
Groucho's breeding slump has moved Fort Worth Zoo officials to bring in another male love interest. Photos of top prospects will be shown to a female elephant Wednesday.
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#2158 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:34 am

Teen linked to SUV crash turns self in

Three other youths released; boy pinned by vehicle is stable

By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas - A fourth teenager turned himself in to Plano police Monday night – the suspected driver of the SUV that crashed into a house pinning a 5-year-old boy under the vehicle.

Cameron Black, 17, is believed to have been the driver of the stolen 2005 Nissan Pathfinder that crashed into Braden McNeely's bedroom as he slept Sunday night, said Plano police spokesman Officer Carl Duke.

Mr. Black, who does not have a driver's license, could not be reached for comment. He was being held at the Plano City Jail late Tuesday on a charge of theft over $20,000. Bail was set at $10,000.

Braden remained in stable condition Tuesday at Children's Medical Center Dallas, family members said. He suffered a head injury during the accident.

The boy's parents did not want to comment.

Mr. Black voluntarily walked into the Plano police station Monday night. A warrant had been issued for his arrest based on witness statements.

Three other teenagers – two boys and a girl – were arrested Monday and released to their parents' custody. The three 16-year-olds are not being named because they are minors. They could not be reached for comment.

The three friends identified Mr. Black as the person who stole the car and crashed into the McNeely home, according to the arrest warrant affidavit issued for Mr. Black.

The girl admitted to being in the car with him but told police that she didn't know the vehicle was stolen.

The SUV was taken last week from a residential garage along with another unidentified car less than a mile from the McNeely home.

On Sunday, Plano police noticed the stolen SUV parked at the corner of Townbluff Drive and Landershire Lane, an area where police say other stolen cars have been discovered, the affidavit said.

Plano police Officer J. Hoffman set up surveillance that night and noticed a car pull up next to the SUV about 10:45 p.m. A male and female got out of the car and used a key to get into the SUV, according to the court records.

After hitting the house, both fled. Then the girl called the driver of the car that had dropped her off. Police picked up the girl and the two teenage boys who were in the car using the vehicle description.

"Investigators are still conducting their investigation. Other charges may be brought as the investigation continues," Officer Duke said. "There may have been some other people in the second vehicle that we may want to talk to."
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#2159 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:40 am

Firm to look for TAKS cheating

Company says it will search for patterns in Texas students' results

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

A Utah company has been hired to investigate the test scores of Texas schools and determine which ones are cheating.

The decision to hire Caveon was prompted by a series of stories in The Dallas Morning News last winter that found highly unusual swings in test scores at some Texas schools. Investigations at some of those schools have found that dozens of educators in Dallas and Houston were improperly helping students with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, or TAKS.

"Cheating is a concern," said Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman. She said state Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley "doesn't feel like this is a widespread epidemic. But anyone who is cheating is cheating the student, and that needs to be addressed."

Caveon will be paid with tax dollars, although it is not being hired directly by the TEA. Instead, it will be a subcontractor for Pearson Educational Measurement, the company TEA pays to run its testing program. Caveon vice president Don Sorensen said he could not say how much the company would be paid.

Caveon will analyze student scores from this spring's TAKS test and look for unusual patterns.

Examples would include a student whose scores swing from abysmal to stellar in one year's time or a classroom where all students answer each question in the same way.

"We're looking to make sure that those who test are doing it right," Mr. Sorensen said. "We're seeing more and more testing, and any time there's a high-stakes test, there's always that temptation to cheat."

A News analysis found that nearly 400 Texas schools had suspicious swings in their test scores in at least one grade. The project stemmed out of suspicious scores in the Wilmer-Hutchins district, where one poor elementary school suddenly recorded the state's best scores on the high-stakes third-grade reading TAKS test.

A state investigation prompted by the stories found that two-thirds of elementary teachers in Wilmer-Hutchins were cheating or otherwise helping students improperly. Their methods included distributing answer keys to students or having brighter students correct the answers on weaker students' tests.

Caveon is expected to report on its findings to TEA this fall.
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#2160 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:42 am

Schools take hard look at GED

Programs could die as diploma alternative begins to hurt ratings

By KIM BREEN / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas - An alternative to a high school diploma could fall out of favor in Texas schools after a change in the way the state defines dropouts.

Students who earn a GED rather than a high school diploma will hurt school and district accountability ratings for the first time in numbers that come out next year.

The intent is to push students toward a more valuable high school diploma and to square state dropout definitions with those used at the national level. But some educators said it also threatens in-school GED programs that allow struggling students to earn an equivalency certificate without leaving the school environment.

About 2,500 Texas students attend in-school GED programs that don't require them to withdraw from school. Ten other states also participate in the program.

Many more students are enrolled in traditional adult GED programs, which are less affected by the new rules.

"If this change were to keep students in school, that would be great," said Charles Cole, assistant superintendent for student, family and community services at the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district. The district is one of about 130 approved Texas sites for the High School Equivalency Program.

But, he said, the change would not erase the circumstances that bring a student to the district's in-school GED program, so he is skeptical. He said schools would have less incentive to keep the programs alive. Dr. Cole said he expects his district to decide in the fall whether to open it up to new students.

Districts that offer in-school programs are considering whether to drop them, said Greg Travillion, division director of high school completion and student support programs for the Texas Education Agency.

While schools have lost the incentive for the state accountability ratings to keep the program, the desire to fulfill a need remains, he said. "I understand why districts have concerns," he said. "Still, these are human beings that need to be educated."

National definition

The state changed the way it defines dropouts and those who complete high school to align with a nationally accepted definition, and in response to criticism that the state's dropouts are underreported.

DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said school districts have the responsibility to institute programs and find new ways to help students get a high school diploma. Those with a diploma make more money and are more likely to go to college than those who earn a GED.

"I think we're finally looking at valuing a high school diploma at a higher standard," she said. "We want 100 percent completion."

School districts throughout the state now have more motivation to keep students on the diploma track.

Previously, those with a GED were considered to have completed high school. Completion rates, along with factors such as test scores, affect ratings that mark schools and districts from academically unacceptable to exemplary.

In Plano, district leaders recently unveiled several programs aimed at improving the completion rate. The Class of 2003 had a completion rate of 98.7 when GED earners are included. The number drops to 95 percent without them.

Several of Plano's new programs involve giving students more opportunities to recover the credits they lost by failing a class. It targets students from middle school onward.

Cathy Galloway, the district's executive director of student services, said the change in state rules gives Plano more reason to steer students away from the GED and toward a diploma.

"Now, we're not as likely to agree with the youngster when he's willing to call it quits," she said.

But for some students, she said, "the GED is still their very best option." The district will continue to offer GED classes to recently withdrawn students in the daytime.

Districts throughout the state are trying to interpret the newly released rules. In Arlington, principal John DeMore is hopeful that his Venture Alternative High School won't be affected by the changes because of its alternative status.

Mr. DeMore said changing the rules about completion rates is probably in response to schools that encourage students who should strive for a diploma to take the GED test instead. But changing the rules for everyone is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, he said.

"I think the problem with that line of thinking is for a lot of kids raising the bar higher and higher is not going to make them jump over it," Mr. DeMore said.

Needed tool

Many students need the GED, and he is afraid the change will eliminate tools for those students.

Dr. Cole of Carrollton-Farmers Branch said that while educators agree traditional diplomas are the best option, for some students they are not always possible to attain. Some students have to leave school to raise a family.

"Financially, some cannot handle traditional school," he said. "That doesn't change just because they can't get a GED."

While schools are in the business of doing what is best for kids, they also have to prioritize when it comes to resources. If the state puts less value on a GED, that will affect districts' decisions about whether to keep in-school programs, Dr. Cole said.

Nationally, other states have found ways to count in-school GED students as completing high school, said Mario Payne, assistant director of special populations for GED Testing Service.

Mr. Travillion said it is not clear whether Texas would pursue a federal waiver.

Mr. Travillion said he hopes districts will hold on to their in-school GED programs. Even if their numbers don't help accountability ratings, they still bring in funding.

"The GED is a viable option to get an education," he said. "I've seen it change lives."
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