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- TexasStooge
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Cruel punishment at truant boot camp?
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school students would have rather been anywhere else on a Saturday afternoon. But here they were, exhausted after exercising for hours in the sun and crawling in the mud – the price they paid for missing school.The boot camp is one of three used in Dallas County, and some parents say it goes too far in its get-tough approach to truancy. They have cited degrading treatment at Sequoyah Youth Academy, including children using the restroom outdoors behind trees, doing push-ups in a hot parking lot and vomiting because of harsh conditions.
Leads to other problems
Truancy, if left unchecked, can cause kids to fall behind and eventually drop out of school. Texas students, with a few exceptions, must attend school until they are 18.
Hundreds of Dallas school kids have been referred to Sequoyah since 1999, previously under justices of the peace and now under Dallas County's three truancy courts. Truant students are those who miss three or more days, or parts of those days, in a four-week period. Students missing 10 or more days, or parts of those days, in a six-month period also are truant.
Sequoyah Enterprises Inc., in Oklahoma, runs the boot camp, which is the second and fourth Friday and Saturday of the month at 2200 Gus Thomasson Road in Mesquite.
The three truancy courts were created in 2002 and 2003 to deal with a backlog of cases – up to 30,000 at one point. Some cases had languished for a year, waiting to be heard by justices of the peace. Cases now take about 21 days, and there is no backlog, said Sharon Lane-Hughes, a specialist in the district's attendance improvement and truancy reduction department.
Ms. Lane-Hughes said truancy in the Dallas school district has declined in the last decade. But because of changes in the way truancies are reported and filed by the district, she said, it's hard to compare from year to year.
Declining truancy
In 2003-04, the district filed 20,076 truancy cases. Last school year, the district filed 14,556 cases after implementing an early-intervention program in which kids are helped before being sent to court.
"We feel like ... [the DISD program] was a real positive the first year," Ms. Lane-Hughes said.
It also saves families from expensive court costs, she said. Parents can pay $180 on the first offense in court costs and fines. Since the truancy courts were created, they have collected about $4 million through May 2005.
Dallas Commissioner Mike Cantrell, who helped establish the county's truancy courts, said no parents have filed complaints against the boot camp, which he said isn't for first-time truancy offenders.
He said a call of concern was recently received from a state representative's office, but a county official observed the camp and found nothing amiss.
Mr. Cantrell said he was aware that students would have to crawl and that there could be some mud, but he has heard nothing about kids vomiting, urinating outdoors or doing push-ups on hot pavement.
The commissioner said he knows strenuous activity is part of the camp.
"That's why it's called a boot camp," he said. "You go to school, you don't have to go to these programs. Our goal is to try to get the kids back in school."
Manager: few gripes
Mr. Wingate said he doesn't receive many complaints about his camp, which costs parents $85. He said the kids begin their day in the parking lot and are likely to do push-ups there before being moved to the field.
The regimen at the boot camp mostly involves kids exercising in the sometimes-overgrown field. At one point, they're hosed down with water while performing a crawling maneuver in the mud. All the while, drill sergeants are yelling in their faces, warning them not to give up.
The day's temperature determines how long students will exercise in the field. It's usually at least 4 ½ hours of exercise, Mr. Wingate said, or three hours if the temperature is 95 or higher.
As for children vomiting, Mr. Wingate said it's because the children don't drink enough water. And those who used the bathroom outdoors, he said, did so because they did not take advantage of four scheduled restroom breaks.
The boot camp once included classroom instruction that was stopped because students didn't take it seriously, said Mr. Wingate, known as Sgt. Wingate at the boot camp.
"That was six hours of wasted time," he said.
Ms. Cervantes, one of the parents complaining about the boot camp, said her son was sentenced to two weekends at the camp. She said her son, Stephen Mendoza, missed too many days of school last year because of her moving around a lot to escape an abusive relationship.
Fear of not attending
Ms. Cervantes said she wanted to remove Stephen from the boot camp but was scared of the consequences. A notice from the boot camp stated: "Please be aware that failure to attend could result in serious consequences imposed on you."
Stephen, 16, said he had thought of quitting school to get out of the truancy court system – and far away from the boot camp.
"There were spiders and everything out there in that field," Stephen said.
Angela Petty said her 14-year-old son was unrecognizable when she picked him up from the boot camp. She said that she had no idea the camp was so physical or that kids would be so muddy.
Mr. Wingate "could have at least washed them down with the water hose," Ms. Petty said. "I still got mud in my van now I'm trying to get out."
Ms. Petty's son, Mark Jones, said he was told to leave the boot camp for not doing enough push-ups. When someone didn't do an exercise correctly, he said, they would get punished.
"If we didn't do something, he made us crawl through the mud," Mark said.
But some parents said the strict environment has helped their children.
In praise of camp
Kimberly Osborne praised the boot camp. She voluntarily sent her 14-year-old son – and she says he is the better for it.
And her new discipline tool? "All I have to do is say 'Wingate,' " Ms. Osborne said.
She added that other parents are calling her in the middle of the night for Mr. Wingate's number.
Corretta Perry said her son is doing less mouthing off after finishing Sequoyah in June. She supports the camp's strict environment.
"If they're getting in trouble already, why go to something that's soft?" Ms. Perry said. "They need something hard; how else will they learn?"
Whether the boot camp is working is not certain because Dallas County does not monitor the program. About 10 employees run the boot camp. They receive no funding from Dallas County but use fees charged to parents to pay salaries and expenses.
Mr. Wingate didn't have an exact count of how many students have been at the boot camp for truancy. But he said about 600 had been so far this year. Most of the kids are from the Dallas school district, with a few from Garland, he said.
The concerns he has heard, Mr. Wingate said, are a small majority of the responses he receives about the boot camp. He said he receives 10 to 15 calls a day from parents wanting to enroll their kids.
"It's boot camp," Mr. Wingate said. "They automatically know it's not going to be peaches and cream."
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school students would have rather been anywhere else on a Saturday afternoon. But here they were, exhausted after exercising for hours in the sun and crawling in the mud – the price they paid for missing school.The boot camp is one of three used in Dallas County, and some parents say it goes too far in its get-tough approach to truancy. They have cited degrading treatment at Sequoyah Youth Academy, including children using the restroom outdoors behind trees, doing push-ups in a hot parking lot and vomiting because of harsh conditions.
Leads to other problems
Truancy, if left unchecked, can cause kids to fall behind and eventually drop out of school. Texas students, with a few exceptions, must attend school until they are 18.
Hundreds of Dallas school kids have been referred to Sequoyah since 1999, previously under justices of the peace and now under Dallas County's three truancy courts. Truant students are those who miss three or more days, or parts of those days, in a four-week period. Students missing 10 or more days, or parts of those days, in a six-month period also are truant.
Sequoyah Enterprises Inc., in Oklahoma, runs the boot camp, which is the second and fourth Friday and Saturday of the month at 2200 Gus Thomasson Road in Mesquite.
The three truancy courts were created in 2002 and 2003 to deal with a backlog of cases – up to 30,000 at one point. Some cases had languished for a year, waiting to be heard by justices of the peace. Cases now take about 21 days, and there is no backlog, said Sharon Lane-Hughes, a specialist in the district's attendance improvement and truancy reduction department.
Ms. Lane-Hughes said truancy in the Dallas school district has declined in the last decade. But because of changes in the way truancies are reported and filed by the district, she said, it's hard to compare from year to year.
Declining truancy
In 2003-04, the district filed 20,076 truancy cases. Last school year, the district filed 14,556 cases after implementing an early-intervention program in which kids are helped before being sent to court.
"We feel like ... [the DISD program] was a real positive the first year," Ms. Lane-Hughes said.
It also saves families from expensive court costs, she said. Parents can pay $180 on the first offense in court costs and fines. Since the truancy courts were created, they have collected about $4 million through May 2005.
Dallas Commissioner Mike Cantrell, who helped establish the county's truancy courts, said no parents have filed complaints against the boot camp, which he said isn't for first-time truancy offenders.
He said a call of concern was recently received from a state representative's office, but a county official observed the camp and found nothing amiss.
Mr. Cantrell said he was aware that students would have to crawl and that there could be some mud, but he has heard nothing about kids vomiting, urinating outdoors or doing push-ups on hot pavement.
The commissioner said he knows strenuous activity is part of the camp.
"That's why it's called a boot camp," he said. "You go to school, you don't have to go to these programs. Our goal is to try to get the kids back in school."
Manager: few gripes
Mr. Wingate said he doesn't receive many complaints about his camp, which costs parents $85. He said the kids begin their day in the parking lot and are likely to do push-ups there before being moved to the field.
The regimen at the boot camp mostly involves kids exercising in the sometimes-overgrown field. At one point, they're hosed down with water while performing a crawling maneuver in the mud. All the while, drill sergeants are yelling in their faces, warning them not to give up.
The day's temperature determines how long students will exercise in the field. It's usually at least 4 ½ hours of exercise, Mr. Wingate said, or three hours if the temperature is 95 or higher.
As for children vomiting, Mr. Wingate said it's because the children don't drink enough water. And those who used the bathroom outdoors, he said, did so because they did not take advantage of four scheduled restroom breaks.
The boot camp once included classroom instruction that was stopped because students didn't take it seriously, said Mr. Wingate, known as Sgt. Wingate at the boot camp.
"That was six hours of wasted time," he said.
Ms. Cervantes, one of the parents complaining about the boot camp, said her son was sentenced to two weekends at the camp. She said her son, Stephen Mendoza, missed too many days of school last year because of her moving around a lot to escape an abusive relationship.
Fear of not attending
Ms. Cervantes said she wanted to remove Stephen from the boot camp but was scared of the consequences. A notice from the boot camp stated: "Please be aware that failure to attend could result in serious consequences imposed on you."
Stephen, 16, said he had thought of quitting school to get out of the truancy court system – and far away from the boot camp.
"There were spiders and everything out there in that field," Stephen said.
Angela Petty said her 14-year-old son was unrecognizable when she picked him up from the boot camp. She said that she had no idea the camp was so physical or that kids would be so muddy.
Mr. Wingate "could have at least washed them down with the water hose," Ms. Petty said. "I still got mud in my van now I'm trying to get out."
Ms. Petty's son, Mark Jones, said he was told to leave the boot camp for not doing enough push-ups. When someone didn't do an exercise correctly, he said, they would get punished.
"If we didn't do something, he made us crawl through the mud," Mark said.
But some parents said the strict environment has helped their children.
In praise of camp
Kimberly Osborne praised the boot camp. She voluntarily sent her 14-year-old son – and she says he is the better for it.
And her new discipline tool? "All I have to do is say 'Wingate,' " Ms. Osborne said.
She added that other parents are calling her in the middle of the night for Mr. Wingate's number.
Corretta Perry said her son is doing less mouthing off after finishing Sequoyah in June. She supports the camp's strict environment.
"If they're getting in trouble already, why go to something that's soft?" Ms. Perry said. "They need something hard; how else will they learn?"
Whether the boot camp is working is not certain because Dallas County does not monitor the program. About 10 employees run the boot camp. They receive no funding from Dallas County but use fees charged to parents to pay salaries and expenses.
Mr. Wingate didn't have an exact count of how many students have been at the boot camp for truancy. But he said about 600 had been so far this year. Most of the kids are from the Dallas school district, with a few from Garland, he said.
The concerns he has heard, Mr. Wingate said, are a small majority of the responses he receives about the boot camp. He said he receives 10 to 15 calls a day from parents wanting to enroll their kids.
"It's boot camp," Mr. Wingate said. "They automatically know it's not going to be peaches and cream."
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- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Dallas homeless lack shelter, solution
Most say homeless center's fix isn't working; few agree on solution
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas' homeless shelter is overcrowded and filthy and offers few services beyond a spot on a bare tile floor or a cracked outdoor parking lot.
The city, which opened the Day Resource Center 24 hours a day in January after a truck ran into and killed two men sleeping on the sidewalk, has found itself short on money, staff and space to meet the increased demand.
Neighboring business owners call the center a disaster and say people sleep, urinate and throw litter on their properties.
And residents complain of rampant theft, unsanitary conditions and a shortage of caseworkers.
"It's all a matter of survival," said Bev Gilmore as she huddled with Isidro Lopez at the spot they had staked out on a recent warm night. "It's like living in a jungle."
Most agree that the city's current answer to the homeless problem is a Band-Aid – but they do not agree on a permanent solution.
The City Council is scheduled to hear recommendations next month for a larger assistance center downtown. Officials have discussed placing a multimillion-dollar bond proposal to pay for it on the November ballot.
Business owners are pressuring the city to reconsider the proposed site; they want it moved away from the central business district. And a group of homeless people, who are pursuing litigation claiming the city throws out their medications, said they will oppose a bond package to raise money for a new shelter unless the city finds someone else to manage it.
Meanwhile, complaints are piling up against the existing operation, just southeast of City Hall.
"The Day Resource Center is broken," said Tom Dunning, the city's homeless czar and chairman of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness, who added that, in hindsight, opening the center overnight was a mistake because of the lack of resources. "To me, it's a disaster waiting to happen because this building was not designed for anyone to sleep in it, much less 150 a night."
Dallas has struggled with homelessness for years. Dallas County had 250 chronic homeless residents when Mr. Dunning served on a separate task force to address the issue in 1990. They now make up 1,000 of the 6,000 homeless people in the county and are often the most visible and difficult to help.
Despite the growth, the number of shelter beds in Dallas has not increased, with 2,100 individual beds available (family shelters provide an additional 460). And there has not been enough money dedicated to address the problem.
In the May 2003 bond election, the city allocated $12 million for an animal shelter and $3 million for the homeless facility. The $3 million covers only a fraction of the cost for a new homeless center. The possible upcoming bond election would make up the rest of the $12 million to $18 million needed.
Mayor Laura Miller, reached on vacation, said the bond issue is overdue.
"I believe the homeless crisis at this point is our No. 1 obstacle to getting downtown revitalized. It's also a situation we've neglected for a very long time," Ms. Miller said. "We owe it to the homeless to give them an alternative to the street. We also can't retard the revitalization of downtown by having homeless people sleeping in doorways of new businesses."
City Council member Bill Blaydes, however, sides with business owners who argue that a downtown center itself would be the obstacle to revitalization. He said the facility should be outside of the city center.
"We've been a disaster at handling our homeless situation. We haven't handled it. We've let it just occur without any real thought," Mr. Blaydes said.
On a daily basis, the city runs the Day Resource Center on a tight budget that does not include enough money for round-the-clock caseworkers. And while the council approved nearly $300,000 to open the facility 24 hours, most of that money has been spent on additional security and night managers, officials said.
"The Day Resource Center was completely inundated," Ron Cowart, assistant manager of the city's Crisis Intervention Unit who serves as a consultant to the facility, said at a July 8 meeting of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
Because Dallas does not have enough shelter beds or treatment services for everyone who needs help, the Day Resource Center became a "flophouse," said Mr. Cowart, until recently the facility's manager.
"We're working with what little we've got over there," he said. He added that the city wants to bring in more caseworkers. "Where we are is far from where we want to be."
Signs of trouble
Homeless people, advocates and task force members started raising concerns soon after the extended hours started. In June, the city banned tents in the parking lot because people were using drugs and drinking in them overnight. Many issues still remain.
"It's created a new set of problems and still hasn't gotten everyone off the street," said Danna Campbell, board chair of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, a coalition of homeless service providers, and a task force member.
People bring their own blankets and sleep inches away from one another on hard floors and blacktop. A stack of mats sits in storage.
"The most despised man in America is Saddam Hussein, and he'll sleep in a bed tonight," said James Waghorne, president of the Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association. "But our homeless ... they're sleeping on pavement. How can you say we're truly treating them humanely and civilized?"
Boadicea White, who manages the city's homeless services, said the mats are wide and would halve the center's 175-person capacity to meet fire codes.
List of complaints
Residents have a long list of complaints, one of the biggest being that their medications for illnesses including depression and schizophrenia get stolen and sold.
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is investigating several homeless people's claims that the city has repeatedly thrown out people's medications, attorney Chris Hamilton said.
People who live at the center also complain of filthy bathrooms.
"It's horrible," Janice Coleman said. "The women's bathroom is just plain plumb nasty."
The bathrooms reeked of feces on a recent night and had what appeared to be black mold on the walls and ceiling by the vents. Officials warn against drinking from the water fountain because some use it as a urinal.
"These are the conditions for the homeless," resident Russell James said. "It's filthy, it's deplorable, and it's dehumanizing."
Rubben Henderson, interim manager of the Day Resource Center, said that the center's two washing machines break down because of the constant use and that going through city channels to fix them takes time. Maintenance workers fix stopped-up toilets daily because the pipes are old and so many people use the facilities, he added.
"We do an excellent job of maintaining what we have," he said of the facility, which was originally a warehouse, built in 1922. "But no matter what we do, we're making somebody unhappy."
Another Day Resource Center resident, Carlos Landeros, said he also is frustrated with the cramped conditions and dirty bathrooms. But he said he is glad to have a place to stay as he works at getting his own place.
"I'll get enough money and get a job, and I'll be out of here," he said.
Safety may be the most pressing concern.
Resident Kenneth Cobbin said that one night, a man pulled a knife out. Another time, a woman had a meat cleaver.
"I can feel something's going to happen," he said.
Mr. Waghorne told the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance at its July meeting that a security guard had fallen asleep one night and left a gun exposed.
Mr. Henderson acknowledged that a security guard fell asleep and said the manager on duty woke the guard and reported the incident to a supervisor.
Being homeless can be especially dangerous for women, and many of them become involved with men for protection. Some social workers call it "survival sex."
Women at the shelter commonly complain of sexual harassment. A woman who did not want her name printed filed a complaint with police last week that a shelter employee exposed himself to her in a storage room. Ms. White said the incident is under investigation.
In addition, an influx of people who do not live at the shelter come when volunteer groups serve meals at night. Some prey upon vulnerable, mentally ill homeless people by conning them out of what little disability money they receive, Mr. Waghorne said.
'Dumping ground'
The Day Resource Center is home to some of the most difficult people to help: those with mental illnesses or addictions who have been on the streets for years. Many have been kicked out of Dallas' privately run shelters because they did not or could not follow the rules.
"This is the dumping ground," resident Roger Joiner said. "This is the rejects of all the other shelters."
An estimated 80 percent at the city shelter suffer from severe mental illnesses. Many also struggle with addictions and have criminal records. Mental health services have been cut in recent years, and Texas ranks 49th in the nation in spending per capita on such programs, according to the Mental Health Association in Texas. That leaves many people with few options other than shelters or jail.
Many get frustrated with homeless people's behavior but do not realize how sick some of them are, said Cindy Honey, executive director of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
"You can't always tell just by looking at them that their mind is so disordered or that they feel so hopeless that they simply have trouble getting motivated to have lunch," Ms. Honey said.
"They use up all their physical and emotional energy just to see if they can locate a shower and a meal for the day and maybe a pair of shoes that has both the right and left foot, but people expect them to run out and get a job."
Mr. Dunning said the proposed new facility – slated for downtown's southeastern edge – would offer limited, short-term shelter beds and more services to help people off the streets. He advocates the city adopt "zero tolerance" against homeless people who refuse those services and break laws, including those against panhandling and sleeping in public. Additionally, the city needs single-room-occupancy apartments so homeless people can transition off the streets, he said.
As the city plans a new homeless facility, it faces another urgent challenge: The lease on the Day Resource Center building will run out Jan. 1, and the building owner has indicated he may not renew it. The city is considering a few options for sheltering the homeless after December but cannot discuss them publicly, said Karen Rayzer, director of the city's Environmental and Health Services Department.
So, for now, day after day, many homeless people simply repeat a routine of going to The Stewpot nearby for coffee and lunch and then to the Dallas Public Library – and back to sleep at the Day Resource Center at night.
"This is like society's garbage can," said occasional resident Daryl Thompson.
Most say homeless center's fix isn't working; few agree on solution
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas' homeless shelter is overcrowded and filthy and offers few services beyond a spot on a bare tile floor or a cracked outdoor parking lot.
The city, which opened the Day Resource Center 24 hours a day in January after a truck ran into and killed two men sleeping on the sidewalk, has found itself short on money, staff and space to meet the increased demand.
Neighboring business owners call the center a disaster and say people sleep, urinate and throw litter on their properties.
And residents complain of rampant theft, unsanitary conditions and a shortage of caseworkers.
"It's all a matter of survival," said Bev Gilmore as she huddled with Isidro Lopez at the spot they had staked out on a recent warm night. "It's like living in a jungle."
Most agree that the city's current answer to the homeless problem is a Band-Aid – but they do not agree on a permanent solution.
The City Council is scheduled to hear recommendations next month for a larger assistance center downtown. Officials have discussed placing a multimillion-dollar bond proposal to pay for it on the November ballot.
Business owners are pressuring the city to reconsider the proposed site; they want it moved away from the central business district. And a group of homeless people, who are pursuing litigation claiming the city throws out their medications, said they will oppose a bond package to raise money for a new shelter unless the city finds someone else to manage it.
Meanwhile, complaints are piling up against the existing operation, just southeast of City Hall.
"The Day Resource Center is broken," said Tom Dunning, the city's homeless czar and chairman of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness, who added that, in hindsight, opening the center overnight was a mistake because of the lack of resources. "To me, it's a disaster waiting to happen because this building was not designed for anyone to sleep in it, much less 150 a night."
Dallas has struggled with homelessness for years. Dallas County had 250 chronic homeless residents when Mr. Dunning served on a separate task force to address the issue in 1990. They now make up 1,000 of the 6,000 homeless people in the county and are often the most visible and difficult to help.
Despite the growth, the number of shelter beds in Dallas has not increased, with 2,100 individual beds available (family shelters provide an additional 460). And there has not been enough money dedicated to address the problem.
In the May 2003 bond election, the city allocated $12 million for an animal shelter and $3 million for the homeless facility. The $3 million covers only a fraction of the cost for a new homeless center. The possible upcoming bond election would make up the rest of the $12 million to $18 million needed.
Mayor Laura Miller, reached on vacation, said the bond issue is overdue.
"I believe the homeless crisis at this point is our No. 1 obstacle to getting downtown revitalized. It's also a situation we've neglected for a very long time," Ms. Miller said. "We owe it to the homeless to give them an alternative to the street. We also can't retard the revitalization of downtown by having homeless people sleeping in doorways of new businesses."
City Council member Bill Blaydes, however, sides with business owners who argue that a downtown center itself would be the obstacle to revitalization. He said the facility should be outside of the city center.
"We've been a disaster at handling our homeless situation. We haven't handled it. We've let it just occur without any real thought," Mr. Blaydes said.
On a daily basis, the city runs the Day Resource Center on a tight budget that does not include enough money for round-the-clock caseworkers. And while the council approved nearly $300,000 to open the facility 24 hours, most of that money has been spent on additional security and night managers, officials said.
"The Day Resource Center was completely inundated," Ron Cowart, assistant manager of the city's Crisis Intervention Unit who serves as a consultant to the facility, said at a July 8 meeting of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
Because Dallas does not have enough shelter beds or treatment services for everyone who needs help, the Day Resource Center became a "flophouse," said Mr. Cowart, until recently the facility's manager.
"We're working with what little we've got over there," he said. He added that the city wants to bring in more caseworkers. "Where we are is far from where we want to be."
Signs of trouble
Homeless people, advocates and task force members started raising concerns soon after the extended hours started. In June, the city banned tents in the parking lot because people were using drugs and drinking in them overnight. Many issues still remain.
"It's created a new set of problems and still hasn't gotten everyone off the street," said Danna Campbell, board chair of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, a coalition of homeless service providers, and a task force member.
People bring their own blankets and sleep inches away from one another on hard floors and blacktop. A stack of mats sits in storage.
"The most despised man in America is Saddam Hussein, and he'll sleep in a bed tonight," said James Waghorne, president of the Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association. "But our homeless ... they're sleeping on pavement. How can you say we're truly treating them humanely and civilized?"
Boadicea White, who manages the city's homeless services, said the mats are wide and would halve the center's 175-person capacity to meet fire codes.
List of complaints
Residents have a long list of complaints, one of the biggest being that their medications for illnesses including depression and schizophrenia get stolen and sold.
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is investigating several homeless people's claims that the city has repeatedly thrown out people's medications, attorney Chris Hamilton said.
People who live at the center also complain of filthy bathrooms.
"It's horrible," Janice Coleman said. "The women's bathroom is just plain plumb nasty."
The bathrooms reeked of feces on a recent night and had what appeared to be black mold on the walls and ceiling by the vents. Officials warn against drinking from the water fountain because some use it as a urinal.
"These are the conditions for the homeless," resident Russell James said. "It's filthy, it's deplorable, and it's dehumanizing."
Rubben Henderson, interim manager of the Day Resource Center, said that the center's two washing machines break down because of the constant use and that going through city channels to fix them takes time. Maintenance workers fix stopped-up toilets daily because the pipes are old and so many people use the facilities, he added.
"We do an excellent job of maintaining what we have," he said of the facility, which was originally a warehouse, built in 1922. "But no matter what we do, we're making somebody unhappy."
Another Day Resource Center resident, Carlos Landeros, said he also is frustrated with the cramped conditions and dirty bathrooms. But he said he is glad to have a place to stay as he works at getting his own place.
"I'll get enough money and get a job, and I'll be out of here," he said.
Safety may be the most pressing concern.
Resident Kenneth Cobbin said that one night, a man pulled a knife out. Another time, a woman had a meat cleaver.
"I can feel something's going to happen," he said.
Mr. Waghorne told the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance at its July meeting that a security guard had fallen asleep one night and left a gun exposed.
Mr. Henderson acknowledged that a security guard fell asleep and said the manager on duty woke the guard and reported the incident to a supervisor.
Being homeless can be especially dangerous for women, and many of them become involved with men for protection. Some social workers call it "survival sex."
Women at the shelter commonly complain of sexual harassment. A woman who did not want her name printed filed a complaint with police last week that a shelter employee exposed himself to her in a storage room. Ms. White said the incident is under investigation.
In addition, an influx of people who do not live at the shelter come when volunteer groups serve meals at night. Some prey upon vulnerable, mentally ill homeless people by conning them out of what little disability money they receive, Mr. Waghorne said.
'Dumping ground'
The Day Resource Center is home to some of the most difficult people to help: those with mental illnesses or addictions who have been on the streets for years. Many have been kicked out of Dallas' privately run shelters because they did not or could not follow the rules.
"This is the dumping ground," resident Roger Joiner said. "This is the rejects of all the other shelters."
An estimated 80 percent at the city shelter suffer from severe mental illnesses. Many also struggle with addictions and have criminal records. Mental health services have been cut in recent years, and Texas ranks 49th in the nation in spending per capita on such programs, according to the Mental Health Association in Texas. That leaves many people with few options other than shelters or jail.
Many get frustrated with homeless people's behavior but do not realize how sick some of them are, said Cindy Honey, executive director of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
"You can't always tell just by looking at them that their mind is so disordered or that they feel so hopeless that they simply have trouble getting motivated to have lunch," Ms. Honey said.
"They use up all their physical and emotional energy just to see if they can locate a shower and a meal for the day and maybe a pair of shoes that has both the right and left foot, but people expect them to run out and get a job."
Mr. Dunning said the proposed new facility – slated for downtown's southeastern edge – would offer limited, short-term shelter beds and more services to help people off the streets. He advocates the city adopt "zero tolerance" against homeless people who refuse those services and break laws, including those against panhandling and sleeping in public. Additionally, the city needs single-room-occupancy apartments so homeless people can transition off the streets, he said.
As the city plans a new homeless facility, it faces another urgent challenge: The lease on the Day Resource Center building will run out Jan. 1, and the building owner has indicated he may not renew it. The city is considering a few options for sheltering the homeless after December but cannot discuss them publicly, said Karen Rayzer, director of the city's Environmental and Health Services Department.
So, for now, day after day, many homeless people simply repeat a routine of going to The Stewpot nearby for coffee and lunch and then to the Dallas Public Library – and back to sleep at the Day Resource Center at night.
"This is like society's garbage can," said occasional resident Daryl Thompson.
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Something fishy: Dallas ISD official, vendor share yacht
Exclusive: Dallas ISD official, vendor went fishing, yacht-buying together
By PETE SLOVER and JESSICA LEEDER / The Dallas Morning News
EXCLUSIVE: Dallas schools' chief technology boss has for years accepted the free, regular use of luxurious sport-fishing yachts owned by a top provider of computer hardware to DISD, records and interviews show.
Ruben Bohuchot, a Dallas Independent School District associate superintendent, told The Dallas Morning News that the sea voyages grew out of his relationship with Frankie Wong, president of Houston-based Micro System Enterprises. Micro System has secured federally funded Dallas school district contracts potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars since 2003.
He and Mr. Wong both said that Mr. Bohuchot's use of the 59-foot Sir Veza II – purchased for $789,000 – and a predecessor vessel in no way influenced the contracting process. They also said Mr. Bohuchot did not help Micro System win district business even though he wrote the specifications for jobs and negotiated the final terms of contracts after they were awarded.
"I have not been involved on a procurement decision on these contracts," Mr. Bohuchet said.
Said Mr. Wong: "I don't think it's wrong, but I know a lot of people would think it's wrong. ... At one point we became friends. I can't control that."
On Friday, a day after The News raised questions, DISD officials said they had opened an investigation of Mr. Bohuchot, 56, who earns $143,492 in addition to a $4,000 annual car allowance. District policies prohibit employees from taking gifts or favors from vendors other than novelties such as key chains and coffee mugs.
There are a number of state and federal laws prohibiting the exchange of benefits between public officials and vendors.
Mr. Wong is one of three Micro System executives who are principals in a Delaware corporation that purchased the Houston-based boats Sir Veza and Sir Veza II. He said his seagoing with Mr. Bohuchot is strictly social, though he acknowledged his friendship arose from their professional contact.
"When Ruben comes down, he's my friend; we don't ever talk business," Mr. Wong said. "When you work with someone 10 hours a day over three to four years, you kind of develop that relationship. I know it's probably not right, but we always separate the business side from the personal side."
Said Mr. Bohuchot: "He'd call me and say, look, if you want to use the boat to go fishing, help yourself."
Relationship with Wong
In an interview with The News on Thursday that was attended by his boss and a district press officer, Mr. Bohuchot initially described his relationship with Mr. Wong as "a beer and lunch occasionally."
But, when pressed, Mr. Bohuchot confirmed:
•Since Mr. Wong first purchased a 46-foot boat in October 2002, Mr. Bohuchot has used the vessels "every five or six weeks," including an outing with his family this month to Key West, Fla.
•He has taken the boat on voyages with no Micro System executives present, and he has been consulted by the yacht's skipper on operational questions, such as whether to ride out Hurricane Dennis during the recent trip.
•He and a Micro System vice president entered and won third place in the four-day Key West Marlin Tournament last year. The entry fees, paid by Mr. Wong, were at least $1,500.
•Mr. Wong or his company provided Mr. Bohuchot some meals and covered all expenses of the boats' operation, including wharf fees, purchase payments, insurance, fuel, repairs, and a full-time skipper and part-time crew.
•He helped choose the name Sir Veza for the two boats. Mr. Bohuchot said he recommended the name after it was suggested by "a friend of mine." Mr. Wong said the two decided the name together, drawing their selection from 10 finalists placed in a hat.
•He accompanied Mr. Wong to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last year to help select the 59-foot Viking yacht that would be purchased and rechristened Sir Veza II. Mr. Wong said he paid expenses other than airfare for the trip; Mr. Bohuchot said he got his ticket through a frequent-flyer award.
Mr. Wong said he wanted to buy a bigger boat to replace the original but didn't know much about such matters. Mr. Bohuchot stepped up.
"He volunteered," Mr. Wong said. "He said, 'I know a lot about boats.' "
Mr. Bohuchot said Mr. Wong appreciated his expertise in things maritime.
"I was involved in boating for years. I've got friends that own boats in Hawaii, the Bay Area, Michigan and in Florida."
Mr. Bohuchot said he paid his own travel and lodging expenses during the yacht trips, mainly along the Texas Gulf Coast, but he didn't respond to requests that he provide documentation of those payments.
Consortium
Since 2003, Micro System has been designated as the recipient of more than 96 percent of all funding DISD has applied for – $369 million in all – through the federal E-rate program for school technology. The E-rate program has been beset by allegations of waste, fraud and bid-rigging nationwide.
District officials said the company is the lead partner in a consortium of vendors who split E-rate funding. Spokesman Donald Claxton said Friday that the consortium is "paid as a whole, and we are not aware of the percentage breakdown."
Mr. Bohuchot said Micro System won its E-rate contracts and other deals with DISD without his influence, based on low price and good service. He also noted that vendors on all computer contracts over $50,000 are chosen by a committee and that he has no contact with or influence over the committee.
He said his role in the process included:
•Preparing the bid specifications.
•Making initial contact with potential vendors.
•And negotiating final contract terms.
Documents show Mr. Bohuchot also signed the forms submitted by the Dallas district to secure E-rate dollars.
Before the subject of boat use and travel came up in his interview with The News, Mr. Bohuchot volunteered that in 2003 he had been anonymously and wrongfully accused of taking gifts and trips, including "a cruise" from vendors. Later, he said, he was cleared.
In November 2003, Superintendent Mike Moses disclosed the accusations to DISD trustees in a memo without giving specifics.
Dr. Moses said both he and Larry Groppel, the deputy superintendent who would serve as interim superintendent after Dr. Moses' departure last year, met with Mr. Bohuchot "several times ... about the allegations."
"Obviously, I believe these allegations are false, or the individual would bring them forward by name, rather than do so anonymously," Dr. Moses wrote.
Both Dr. Moses and Dr. Groppel declined interview requests through DISD Friday.
By all accounts, Mr. Bohuchot volunteered for an audit of his personal finances by outside consultants from KPMG. He said he provided auditors access to his bank and credit card records, income tax papers and anything else they wanted.
The auditors, who were paid $50,000, told the district in about March 2004 that they had found no support for the anonymous whistleblower's charges, Mr. Bohuchot and school district officials said. They declined to release the written results from that audit, saying they concerned a private personnel matter.
DISD trustee Ron Price said he talked by phone to Mr. Bohuchot Friday morning.
"He told me he hasn't violated any rules or policies," Mr. Price said. "He's been thoroughly investigated just a year ago. The guy came out squeaky clean."
Records suggest that the trips on Micro System's yachts were well in progress by the time of DISD's internal questioning and the KPMG audit; according to Coast Guard documents, Sir Veza was named in March 2003, a rechristening in which Mr. Bohuchot said he participated.
History
Mr. Bohuchot, who joined DISD in September 1999, said Micro System began doing business with the district after a sales representative's cold call in about 2000.
In October 2002, Statewide Marketing LLC, a company whose management is confidential under Delaware corporation laws, purchased the 47-foot fishing yacht Shadana, which was renamed Sir Veza.
Mr. Wong signed a $260,000 promissory note for the boat, listing himself as the company's managing member.
About three months later, DISD notified federal E-rate officials they were seeking funds for deals with Micro System totaling more than $157 million. In late March 2004, federal officials authorized expenditures of up to $125 million of that amount. Of that, DISD's responsibility under the E-rate deal is estimated to be more than $15 million.
The money is to cover technology upgrades, such as Internet cables and other equipment, at dozens of Dallas schools.
Within 12 weeks of the federal approval, Mr. Wong and Mr. Bohuchot had picked out a new boat. On June 11, Statewide Marketing traded in the Sir Veza to a Galveston yacht broker. Two weeks after that, the company spent $789,000 on the 59-foot Viking yacht, Therapy.
"They were in a hurry," said Tony Dinos, the Fort Lauderdale yacht broker who handled the sale, about a month before the Key West Marlin Tournament. "They wanted to do that tournament."
On July 21, 2004, Therapy was rechristened Sir Veza II, just in time for the opening day of the fishing contest. Over three days, Mr. Bohuchot and Micro System executive Bill Froechtenicht each caught a sailfish, netting the $5,000 third-place prize among 76 boats.
Last December, Micro System got the first of nearly $30 million in federal funds it has collected so far through E-rate, according to Funds for Learning, a for-profit consulting firm that collects data on the program and advises vendors and districts seeking federal funds.
Mr. Wong said he didn't know how much his company has earned on Dallas school contracts, even in ballpark figures, or what percentage of the E-rate consortium funds go to his firm. He also couldn't say if DISD is the biggest customer for Micro System, which does business with school districts in eight states.
The company Web page says the firm earns about $150 million a year, but it's unclear if that represents profits or total sales.
VERNON BRYANT / Dallas Morning News
The 59-foot Sir Veza II is owned by a Delaware corporation headed by three Micro System executives.
Exclusive: Dallas ISD official, vendor went fishing, yacht-buying together
By PETE SLOVER and JESSICA LEEDER / The Dallas Morning News
EXCLUSIVE: Dallas schools' chief technology boss has for years accepted the free, regular use of luxurious sport-fishing yachts owned by a top provider of computer hardware to DISD, records and interviews show.
Ruben Bohuchot, a Dallas Independent School District associate superintendent, told The Dallas Morning News that the sea voyages grew out of his relationship with Frankie Wong, president of Houston-based Micro System Enterprises. Micro System has secured federally funded Dallas school district contracts potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars since 2003.
He and Mr. Wong both said that Mr. Bohuchot's use of the 59-foot Sir Veza II – purchased for $789,000 – and a predecessor vessel in no way influenced the contracting process. They also said Mr. Bohuchot did not help Micro System win district business even though he wrote the specifications for jobs and negotiated the final terms of contracts after they were awarded.
"I have not been involved on a procurement decision on these contracts," Mr. Bohuchet said.
Said Mr. Wong: "I don't think it's wrong, but I know a lot of people would think it's wrong. ... At one point we became friends. I can't control that."
On Friday, a day after The News raised questions, DISD officials said they had opened an investigation of Mr. Bohuchot, 56, who earns $143,492 in addition to a $4,000 annual car allowance. District policies prohibit employees from taking gifts or favors from vendors other than novelties such as key chains and coffee mugs.
There are a number of state and federal laws prohibiting the exchange of benefits between public officials and vendors.
Mr. Wong is one of three Micro System executives who are principals in a Delaware corporation that purchased the Houston-based boats Sir Veza and Sir Veza II. He said his seagoing with Mr. Bohuchot is strictly social, though he acknowledged his friendship arose from their professional contact.
"When Ruben comes down, he's my friend; we don't ever talk business," Mr. Wong said. "When you work with someone 10 hours a day over three to four years, you kind of develop that relationship. I know it's probably not right, but we always separate the business side from the personal side."
Said Mr. Bohuchot: "He'd call me and say, look, if you want to use the boat to go fishing, help yourself."
Relationship with Wong
In an interview with The News on Thursday that was attended by his boss and a district press officer, Mr. Bohuchot initially described his relationship with Mr. Wong as "a beer and lunch occasionally."
But, when pressed, Mr. Bohuchot confirmed:
•Since Mr. Wong first purchased a 46-foot boat in October 2002, Mr. Bohuchot has used the vessels "every five or six weeks," including an outing with his family this month to Key West, Fla.
•He has taken the boat on voyages with no Micro System executives present, and he has been consulted by the yacht's skipper on operational questions, such as whether to ride out Hurricane Dennis during the recent trip.
•He and a Micro System vice president entered and won third place in the four-day Key West Marlin Tournament last year. The entry fees, paid by Mr. Wong, were at least $1,500.
•Mr. Wong or his company provided Mr. Bohuchot some meals and covered all expenses of the boats' operation, including wharf fees, purchase payments, insurance, fuel, repairs, and a full-time skipper and part-time crew.
•He helped choose the name Sir Veza for the two boats. Mr. Bohuchot said he recommended the name after it was suggested by "a friend of mine." Mr. Wong said the two decided the name together, drawing their selection from 10 finalists placed in a hat.
•He accompanied Mr. Wong to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last year to help select the 59-foot Viking yacht that would be purchased and rechristened Sir Veza II. Mr. Wong said he paid expenses other than airfare for the trip; Mr. Bohuchot said he got his ticket through a frequent-flyer award.
Mr. Wong said he wanted to buy a bigger boat to replace the original but didn't know much about such matters. Mr. Bohuchot stepped up.
"He volunteered," Mr. Wong said. "He said, 'I know a lot about boats.' "
Mr. Bohuchot said Mr. Wong appreciated his expertise in things maritime.
"I was involved in boating for years. I've got friends that own boats in Hawaii, the Bay Area, Michigan and in Florida."
Mr. Bohuchot said he paid his own travel and lodging expenses during the yacht trips, mainly along the Texas Gulf Coast, but he didn't respond to requests that he provide documentation of those payments.
Consortium
Since 2003, Micro System has been designated as the recipient of more than 96 percent of all funding DISD has applied for – $369 million in all – through the federal E-rate program for school technology. The E-rate program has been beset by allegations of waste, fraud and bid-rigging nationwide.
District officials said the company is the lead partner in a consortium of vendors who split E-rate funding. Spokesman Donald Claxton said Friday that the consortium is "paid as a whole, and we are not aware of the percentage breakdown."
Mr. Bohuchot said Micro System won its E-rate contracts and other deals with DISD without his influence, based on low price and good service. He also noted that vendors on all computer contracts over $50,000 are chosen by a committee and that he has no contact with or influence over the committee.
He said his role in the process included:
•Preparing the bid specifications.
•Making initial contact with potential vendors.
•And negotiating final contract terms.
Documents show Mr. Bohuchot also signed the forms submitted by the Dallas district to secure E-rate dollars.
Before the subject of boat use and travel came up in his interview with The News, Mr. Bohuchot volunteered that in 2003 he had been anonymously and wrongfully accused of taking gifts and trips, including "a cruise" from vendors. Later, he said, he was cleared.
In November 2003, Superintendent Mike Moses disclosed the accusations to DISD trustees in a memo without giving specifics.
Dr. Moses said both he and Larry Groppel, the deputy superintendent who would serve as interim superintendent after Dr. Moses' departure last year, met with Mr. Bohuchot "several times ... about the allegations."
"Obviously, I believe these allegations are false, or the individual would bring them forward by name, rather than do so anonymously," Dr. Moses wrote.
Both Dr. Moses and Dr. Groppel declined interview requests through DISD Friday.
By all accounts, Mr. Bohuchot volunteered for an audit of his personal finances by outside consultants from KPMG. He said he provided auditors access to his bank and credit card records, income tax papers and anything else they wanted.
The auditors, who were paid $50,000, told the district in about March 2004 that they had found no support for the anonymous whistleblower's charges, Mr. Bohuchot and school district officials said. They declined to release the written results from that audit, saying they concerned a private personnel matter.
DISD trustee Ron Price said he talked by phone to Mr. Bohuchot Friday morning.
"He told me he hasn't violated any rules or policies," Mr. Price said. "He's been thoroughly investigated just a year ago. The guy came out squeaky clean."
Records suggest that the trips on Micro System's yachts were well in progress by the time of DISD's internal questioning and the KPMG audit; according to Coast Guard documents, Sir Veza was named in March 2003, a rechristening in which Mr. Bohuchot said he participated.
History
Mr. Bohuchot, who joined DISD in September 1999, said Micro System began doing business with the district after a sales representative's cold call in about 2000.
In October 2002, Statewide Marketing LLC, a company whose management is confidential under Delaware corporation laws, purchased the 47-foot fishing yacht Shadana, which was renamed Sir Veza.
Mr. Wong signed a $260,000 promissory note for the boat, listing himself as the company's managing member.
About three months later, DISD notified federal E-rate officials they were seeking funds for deals with Micro System totaling more than $157 million. In late March 2004, federal officials authorized expenditures of up to $125 million of that amount. Of that, DISD's responsibility under the E-rate deal is estimated to be more than $15 million.
The money is to cover technology upgrades, such as Internet cables and other equipment, at dozens of Dallas schools.
Within 12 weeks of the federal approval, Mr. Wong and Mr. Bohuchot had picked out a new boat. On June 11, Statewide Marketing traded in the Sir Veza to a Galveston yacht broker. Two weeks after that, the company spent $789,000 on the 59-foot Viking yacht, Therapy.
"They were in a hurry," said Tony Dinos, the Fort Lauderdale yacht broker who handled the sale, about a month before the Key West Marlin Tournament. "They wanted to do that tournament."
On July 21, 2004, Therapy was rechristened Sir Veza II, just in time for the opening day of the fishing contest. Over three days, Mr. Bohuchot and Micro System executive Bill Froechtenicht each caught a sailfish, netting the $5,000 third-place prize among 76 boats.
Last December, Micro System got the first of nearly $30 million in federal funds it has collected so far through E-rate, according to Funds for Learning, a for-profit consulting firm that collects data on the program and advises vendors and districts seeking federal funds.
Mr. Wong said he didn't know how much his company has earned on Dallas school contracts, even in ballpark figures, or what percentage of the E-rate consortium funds go to his firm. He also couldn't say if DISD is the biggest customer for Micro System, which does business with school districts in eight states.
The company Web page says the firm earns about $150 million a year, but it's unclear if that represents profits or total sales.

VERNON BRYANT / Dallas Morning News
The 59-foot Sir Veza II is owned by a Delaware corporation headed by three Micro System executives.
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Sting operation catches suspected car thieves
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Four men are under arrest and are suspected of stealing cars from Hulen Mall at the 4800 block of South Hulen Street in Fort Worth Sunday afternoon.
In a joint effort with Hulen Mall security, Fort Worth police set up a sting operation aimed at halting the rash of car thefts at the mall within the last couple of weeks. On the first day of the sting, officers said they managed to catch car thieves in the act.
Rosendo Rosales and his family had just wrapped up a shopping trip at the mall and were headed for dinner when they found their car missing.
"My wife says, 'go get the truck so we can go,'" Rosales recalled. "I was like, 'the truck is not there.'"
His blue-green SUV wasn't where he had parked it and police officers were swarming around the parking lot.
"I saw everybody running and the helicopter up there," Rosales said.
He then said he spotted his truck surrounded by officers.
Officers from West Division apprehended four suspects who they said were caught in the act of stealing Rosales' SUV. After police spotted the men, they scattered. Some ran into the Dillard's department store and others hopped into a red pickup truck that belonged to one of the suspects.
Police said mall parking lots are like candy stores for car thieves. The owners are usually in the mall for extended periods of time and the lots are so congested thieves can move in and out quickly.
Police said they aren't sure yet whether the suspects nabbed on Sunday are connected to the other thefts at Hulen Mall. They were arrested on charges of car theft and fleeing from the police.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Four men are under arrest and are suspected of stealing cars from Hulen Mall at the 4800 block of South Hulen Street in Fort Worth Sunday afternoon.
In a joint effort with Hulen Mall security, Fort Worth police set up a sting operation aimed at halting the rash of car thefts at the mall within the last couple of weeks. On the first day of the sting, officers said they managed to catch car thieves in the act.
Rosendo Rosales and his family had just wrapped up a shopping trip at the mall and were headed for dinner when they found their car missing.
"My wife says, 'go get the truck so we can go,'" Rosales recalled. "I was like, 'the truck is not there.'"
His blue-green SUV wasn't where he had parked it and police officers were swarming around the parking lot.
"I saw everybody running and the helicopter up there," Rosales said.
He then said he spotted his truck surrounded by officers.
Officers from West Division apprehended four suspects who they said were caught in the act of stealing Rosales' SUV. After police spotted the men, they scattered. Some ran into the Dillard's department store and others hopped into a red pickup truck that belonged to one of the suspects.
Police said mall parking lots are like candy stores for car thieves. The owners are usually in the mall for extended periods of time and the lots are so congested thieves can move in and out quickly.
Police said they aren't sure yet whether the suspects nabbed on Sunday are connected to the other thefts at Hulen Mall. They were arrested on charges of car theft and fleeing from the police.
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Fishing trips net Dallas ISD inquiry
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas Independent School District is looking into the relationship between Associate Superintendent Ruben Bohuchot and Micro System Enterprises, which has a key contract with DISD.
A Dallas Morning News investigation has found the district's chief technology officer has accepted free, regular use of a yacht owned by the computer hardware company.
Bohuchot has taken numerous trips on the $800,000 Sir Veza II, the News reported. The yacht is owned by a Houston firm that has federally-funded DISD contracts that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
For now, most DISD board members said they are standing by Bohuchot. DISD said it has opened a preliminary investigation into Bohuchot's relationship with the firm. But they also said many of these questions have been brought up and discussed before, and each time Bohuchot has been cleared.
School board trustees said they want more information before reaching any conclusions.
"Anytime that you are in the position he is in, he has to exercise judgment as to what constitutes an arm's-length relationship," said DISD trustee Joe May.
Bohuchot oversees DISD's telecommunications and computer systems. In the last two years, DISD has sought more than $350 million in federal technology funding. Ninety-six percent of the funding was designated to be spent with Micro System Enterprises.
The company's president, Frankie Wong, denies any impropriety.
"When Ruben comes down, he's my friend," Wong told the News . "We don't ever talk business."
Bohuchot also said he denied any involvement "on a procurement decision on the contracts" to the News.
DISD policies specifically prohibit employees from taking gifts or favors from vendors other than novelty items. In addition, there are several state and federal laws prohibiting public officials and vendors from exchanging gifts.
"I think this is a case of another vendor upset because they did not win the award," said DISD board member Ron Price. "Or, this particular firm keeps winning the awards and they're upset about it and want to strike back at individuals by putting stuff out in the media."
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas Independent School District is looking into the relationship between Associate Superintendent Ruben Bohuchot and Micro System Enterprises, which has a key contract with DISD.
A Dallas Morning News investigation has found the district's chief technology officer has accepted free, regular use of a yacht owned by the computer hardware company.
Bohuchot has taken numerous trips on the $800,000 Sir Veza II, the News reported. The yacht is owned by a Houston firm that has federally-funded DISD contracts that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
For now, most DISD board members said they are standing by Bohuchot. DISD said it has opened a preliminary investigation into Bohuchot's relationship with the firm. But they also said many of these questions have been brought up and discussed before, and each time Bohuchot has been cleared.
School board trustees said they want more information before reaching any conclusions.
"Anytime that you are in the position he is in, he has to exercise judgment as to what constitutes an arm's-length relationship," said DISD trustee Joe May.
Bohuchot oversees DISD's telecommunications and computer systems. In the last two years, DISD has sought more than $350 million in federal technology funding. Ninety-six percent of the funding was designated to be spent with Micro System Enterprises.
The company's president, Frankie Wong, denies any impropriety.
"When Ruben comes down, he's my friend," Wong told the News . "We don't ever talk business."
Bohuchot also said he denied any involvement "on a procurement decision on the contracts" to the News.
DISD policies specifically prohibit employees from taking gifts or favors from vendors other than novelty items. In addition, there are several state and federal laws prohibiting public officials and vendors from exchanging gifts.
"I think this is a case of another vendor upset because they did not win the award," said DISD board member Ron Price. "Or, this particular firm keeps winning the awards and they're upset about it and want to strike back at individuals by putting stuff out in the media."
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3 arrests in freeway shootings
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A shooting spree horrified drivers and injured one early Sunday morning along Interstate 635 near Northwest Highway.
Around 1:30 a.m. a man allegedly shot out a car window with two other women in the car with him. The spree ended at a shopping center on Bruton Road where the trio was arrested.
Police arrested Alfonso Guerrero Junior, Julia Davalos and Thaedra Kitchens. The suspects face charges from assault to attempted capital murder.
WFAA ABC 8
(From left) Alfonso Guerro Jr., Julia Davalos and Thaedra Kitchens
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A shooting spree horrified drivers and injured one early Sunday morning along Interstate 635 near Northwest Highway.
Around 1:30 a.m. a man allegedly shot out a car window with two other women in the car with him. The spree ended at a shopping center on Bruton Road where the trio was arrested.
Police arrested Alfonso Guerrero Junior, Julia Davalos and Thaedra Kitchens. The suspects face charges from assault to attempted capital murder.

WFAA ABC 8
(From left) Alfonso Guerro Jr., Julia Davalos and Thaedra Kitchens
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County jail escapes feds' eye
Dallas: Officials say probe isn't needed, but critics welcome it
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
Just as in Dallas, county jails in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, N.M., Memphis, Tenn., Baltimore, Long Island, N.Y., and elsewhere have been cited for egregious problems in the delivery of health care to inmates, particularly the mentally ill.
The big difference among these jails: Dallas is the only one, so far, not to have the federal government swoop in and order widespread improvements under threat of a federal lawsuit.
County officials say it would be inappropriate for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to launch an investigation in Dallas now, since the commissioners have recognized the jail's ills and are moving to fix them.
But many improvements the Justice Department forced on other counties are not in place at the Dallas County Jail. And mental-health advocates say Dallas would be ripe for a federal investigation.
"There's just as much basis for their involvement here as in those other cities," said Laurance Priddy of Advocacy Inc., an advocacy group for mentally ill inmates.
"We'd welcome any outside intervention since the county still isn't doing anything, and we still have people not getting their medications," Mr. Priddy said.
County Judge Margaret Keliher said she is not worried about the possibility of a federal investigation.
"We've recognized we have a problem, and we're way down the road towards making major changes," she said. "I think it would be inappropriate for them to come in now."
Other commissioners have had costly outside intervention on their minds. Commissioner Maurine Dickey has urged swift action to improve jail health, after a scathing February report noted severe staff shortages and conditions that were life threatening to some inmates.
"We're going to have to put money into it," she said in March. "Let's ... not wait until we're forced to by some outside party."
Commissioner John Wiley Price said federal intervention has never been discussed by the commissioners.
"I just hope we don't need DOJ to come in for us to become compliant," he said. "Personally I don't believe we've delivered on the standards for health care in the jail."
Mr. Price said the commissioners are now moving to fix things, but it will take time, money and a struggle against a tight market for nurses.
"We're trying to play catch-up," he said. "We didn't get into this quagmire overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. It's going to take dollars."
Commissioners set up a committee to fix jail health and are still waiting for final suggestions from a team of experts. Now that the University of Texas Medical Branch has decided not to renew its contract to oversee jail care, Parkland Memorial Hospital officials are gearing up to take over in November. But they are pressuring the commissioners for a tax increase to help raise spending on jail care by at least $6 million.
Over the past decade, the Justice Department has been aggressive in investigating county jails.
At the Nassau County jail on suburban Long Island, N.Y., "people were not getting their meds or even properly diagnosed with mental illness at book-in, and people who were suicidal were not getting flagged," said Steven Greenfield, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Nassau County. "And if people were on their meds before they entered the jail, the meds were terminated at book-in and the mentally ill inmates decompensated."
Outside pressure
After investigating, the Department of Justice mandated a number of changes.
"There's no question that outside oversight exerted pressure for change," Mr. Greenfield said. "County government never want to raise taxes, so a stick from the outside definitely played a role."
The Department of Justice also pressured Los Angeles County to make jail improvements.
"It moved the improvements along more quickly," said Richard Van Horn, president of the Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles. "If you get the DOJ to come in, it will definitely improve your mental health care in the jail."
Many changes ordered by the federal government in an agreement signed with Los Angeles County in 2002 are similar to the changes many advocates are calling on Dallas County to make:
•Inmates must be asked questions at book-in to learn whether they have mental illness history or suicidal feelings. Questioning is to take place "by an appropriately trained individual," and in "a reasonably quiet and private area."
In Dallas, medical screening is handled by jail guards who have no medical training. Experts say they can easily miss symptoms of illness as a result. And screening takes place in a large open room with dozens of people. Experts say that reduces the chance someone will admit they have a mental illness.
•The county must ensure "continuity of appropriate medicine" to "mentally ill who were receiving medicine prior to entering the jail."
In Dallas, family members often can't get medications to their jailed relatives, and state hospital officials have said they send medications with patients going back to the jail that are not used.
•The county must ensure "adequate therapy and counseling" for mentally ill, "adequate space for treatment," and "adequate staff to provide treatment."
In Dallas, there are too few staff members to distribute medications, and the mentally ill often go without their medication for weeks at a time.
Lack of funding
Many mental-health advocates argue that the larger problem is inadequate funding for programs that would help mentally ill people function successfully in the community. But because those programs are under stress, many mentally ill people stop taking their medications, causing their condition to erode. They end up committing minor crimes that land them in jails, which were never designed to provide such care.
"It's a national crisis that people with mental illness are winding up in jails in many cases for quality-of-life offenses," Mr. Greenfield said. "What could be worse for the recovery of someone with a mental disorder than to be placed in an isolated cell?"
The Los Angeles jail is still the single largest mental hospital in the nation, Mr. Van Horn said. "Like Texas, we've been underfunded for mental health programs for years," he said.
California voters just passed an initiative to charge a 1 percent income tax on those with incomes exceeding $1 million to raise more money for mental health care. That could generate an additional $750 million for such programs, Mr. Van Horn said. Some of the money will fund urgent care centers.
"This will make a huge difference, because police will have a place to drop mentally ill people off besides the hospital emergency room" or the jail, he said.
"We need to be improving care for people on the outside," he added, "before they even get to jail."
Dallas: Officials say probe isn't needed, but critics welcome it
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
Just as in Dallas, county jails in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, N.M., Memphis, Tenn., Baltimore, Long Island, N.Y., and elsewhere have been cited for egregious problems in the delivery of health care to inmates, particularly the mentally ill.
The big difference among these jails: Dallas is the only one, so far, not to have the federal government swoop in and order widespread improvements under threat of a federal lawsuit.
County officials say it would be inappropriate for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to launch an investigation in Dallas now, since the commissioners have recognized the jail's ills and are moving to fix them.
But many improvements the Justice Department forced on other counties are not in place at the Dallas County Jail. And mental-health advocates say Dallas would be ripe for a federal investigation.
"There's just as much basis for their involvement here as in those other cities," said Laurance Priddy of Advocacy Inc., an advocacy group for mentally ill inmates.
"We'd welcome any outside intervention since the county still isn't doing anything, and we still have people not getting their medications," Mr. Priddy said.
County Judge Margaret Keliher said she is not worried about the possibility of a federal investigation.
"We've recognized we have a problem, and we're way down the road towards making major changes," she said. "I think it would be inappropriate for them to come in now."
Other commissioners have had costly outside intervention on their minds. Commissioner Maurine Dickey has urged swift action to improve jail health, after a scathing February report noted severe staff shortages and conditions that were life threatening to some inmates.
"We're going to have to put money into it," she said in March. "Let's ... not wait until we're forced to by some outside party."
Commissioner John Wiley Price said federal intervention has never been discussed by the commissioners.
"I just hope we don't need DOJ to come in for us to become compliant," he said. "Personally I don't believe we've delivered on the standards for health care in the jail."
Mr. Price said the commissioners are now moving to fix things, but it will take time, money and a struggle against a tight market for nurses.
"We're trying to play catch-up," he said. "We didn't get into this quagmire overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. It's going to take dollars."
Commissioners set up a committee to fix jail health and are still waiting for final suggestions from a team of experts. Now that the University of Texas Medical Branch has decided not to renew its contract to oversee jail care, Parkland Memorial Hospital officials are gearing up to take over in November. But they are pressuring the commissioners for a tax increase to help raise spending on jail care by at least $6 million.
Over the past decade, the Justice Department has been aggressive in investigating county jails.
At the Nassau County jail on suburban Long Island, N.Y., "people were not getting their meds or even properly diagnosed with mental illness at book-in, and people who were suicidal were not getting flagged," said Steven Greenfield, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Nassau County. "And if people were on their meds before they entered the jail, the meds were terminated at book-in and the mentally ill inmates decompensated."
Outside pressure
After investigating, the Department of Justice mandated a number of changes.
"There's no question that outside oversight exerted pressure for change," Mr. Greenfield said. "County government never want to raise taxes, so a stick from the outside definitely played a role."
The Department of Justice also pressured Los Angeles County to make jail improvements.
"It moved the improvements along more quickly," said Richard Van Horn, president of the Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles. "If you get the DOJ to come in, it will definitely improve your mental health care in the jail."
Many changes ordered by the federal government in an agreement signed with Los Angeles County in 2002 are similar to the changes many advocates are calling on Dallas County to make:
•Inmates must be asked questions at book-in to learn whether they have mental illness history or suicidal feelings. Questioning is to take place "by an appropriately trained individual," and in "a reasonably quiet and private area."
In Dallas, medical screening is handled by jail guards who have no medical training. Experts say they can easily miss symptoms of illness as a result. And screening takes place in a large open room with dozens of people. Experts say that reduces the chance someone will admit they have a mental illness.
•The county must ensure "continuity of appropriate medicine" to "mentally ill who were receiving medicine prior to entering the jail."
In Dallas, family members often can't get medications to their jailed relatives, and state hospital officials have said they send medications with patients going back to the jail that are not used.
•The county must ensure "adequate therapy and counseling" for mentally ill, "adequate space for treatment," and "adequate staff to provide treatment."
In Dallas, there are too few staff members to distribute medications, and the mentally ill often go without their medication for weeks at a time.
Lack of funding
Many mental-health advocates argue that the larger problem is inadequate funding for programs that would help mentally ill people function successfully in the community. But because those programs are under stress, many mentally ill people stop taking their medications, causing their condition to erode. They end up committing minor crimes that land them in jails, which were never designed to provide such care.
"It's a national crisis that people with mental illness are winding up in jails in many cases for quality-of-life offenses," Mr. Greenfield said. "What could be worse for the recovery of someone with a mental disorder than to be placed in an isolated cell?"
The Los Angeles jail is still the single largest mental hospital in the nation, Mr. Van Horn said. "Like Texas, we've been underfunded for mental health programs for years," he said.
California voters just passed an initiative to charge a 1 percent income tax on those with incomes exceeding $1 million to raise more money for mental health care. That could generate an additional $750 million for such programs, Mr. Van Horn said. Some of the money will fund urgent care centers.
"This will make a huge difference, because police will have a place to drop mentally ill people off besides the hospital emergency room" or the jail, he said.
"We need to be improving care for people on the outside," he added, "before they even get to jail."
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Alleged hate letter attacks church
BY CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - An anonymous hate letter was allegedly sent to the Harmony Missionary Baptist Church, which has a predominantly black congregation located on the 7000 block of John T. White Road in Fort Worth. While Federal Investigators focus on the letter's racist demands, the church has struggled with demands of a more pressing nature - the possible loss of their property.
The letter not only included racial slurs and a reference to a grand wizard, but also made mention of the church's tax problems.
The church owes $16,000 in back taxes after it was argued down from the even larger number of $138,000. The back taxes stem from a 1996 decision from Tarrant County that took away their tax exempt status.
"I feel like we don't owe any taxes," said Sr. Pastor Frank Lawson. "We are a church."
Properties are tax exempt when the building built on it are made with a religious purpose. However, vacant lots next to those buildings have to be shown they also are being used for religious purposes - otherwise they are taxed.
To the right of the church, new homes are starting at $100,000. And to the left is property owned by the Fort Worth Independent School District meant for a school that may not be built.
Lawson said the taxes add an additional strain to the already financially burdened church.
"The month that we pay the utility bills, we have to let the mortgage go lacking because we don't have the money to do it," he said.
While Harmony Missionary Baptist church may be cash poor, their property was appraised at $500,000.
"I think they escalated the value of the property just so they could raise the taxes on it in order that they could take it from us," Lawson said. "They know we're a poor black church and we don't have the means."
BY CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - An anonymous hate letter was allegedly sent to the Harmony Missionary Baptist Church, which has a predominantly black congregation located on the 7000 block of John T. White Road in Fort Worth. While Federal Investigators focus on the letter's racist demands, the church has struggled with demands of a more pressing nature - the possible loss of their property.
The letter not only included racial slurs and a reference to a grand wizard, but also made mention of the church's tax problems.
The church owes $16,000 in back taxes after it was argued down from the even larger number of $138,000. The back taxes stem from a 1996 decision from Tarrant County that took away their tax exempt status.
"I feel like we don't owe any taxes," said Sr. Pastor Frank Lawson. "We are a church."
Properties are tax exempt when the building built on it are made with a religious purpose. However, vacant lots next to those buildings have to be shown they also are being used for religious purposes - otherwise they are taxed.
To the right of the church, new homes are starting at $100,000. And to the left is property owned by the Fort Worth Independent School District meant for a school that may not be built.
Lawson said the taxes add an additional strain to the already financially burdened church.
"The month that we pay the utility bills, we have to let the mortgage go lacking because we don't have the money to do it," he said.
While Harmony Missionary Baptist church may be cash poor, their property was appraised at $500,000.
"I think they escalated the value of the property just so they could raise the taxes on it in order that they could take it from us," Lawson said. "They know we're a poor black church and we don't have the means."
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Take two: State tackles school funding
Debate starts this week on sticking points
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – With a new special session under way, Texas lawmakers plan to plunge into the school funding debate this week to move legislation along and perhaps get out of town soon.
That's their intent, anyway.
As past sessions have proved, reaching an agreement in the Legislature on the complex and sweeping question of how to pay for Texas' public schools isn't easy. The $33 billion system educates 4.3 million children.
Both the House and Senate are meeting today, when the Senate may take up the education spending portion of a school finance package. The two chambers in large part are working from the education and tax proposals they crafted in the previous 30-day special session, which ended in failure Wednesday night.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry ordered the next session to begin Thursday.
School finance is one of the most important items the Legislature tackles, said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican who presides over the Senate. He said "whether it takes four weeks or six weeks, the objective is to get it right, and that's what we're dedicated to doing."
Lawmakers came close to approving a $2.4 billion education spending plan last week. But because they waited until the final hours of the special session to wrap up the matter, a Senate Democrat had time to kill the measure with a filibuster.
The measure would have provided more money for bilingual education and transportation and given districts enough money to pay teachers about $2,000 more in 2006 and an additional $500 in 2007. The pay raise calculation included the full restoration of a $1,000 health-care stipend that was cut in half two years ago.
Some of the raise included incentive pay, which teachers' groups criticized because they say it's not clear how many teachers would even be eligible.
"As we begin another special session on public education, we hope state leaders take the time to listen to educators," said Melodye Pinson, president of the Association of Texas Professional Educators.
Texas is under court pressure to change its funding system, which relies heavily on local property taxes. State District Judge John Dietz ruled the system inadequate and unconstitutional last year and ordered the state to change it.
Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick said a House-Senate panel that was trying to reach a tax bill compromise had whittled the massive plan down to just a few disagreements.
Disputes remained over how much to raise the state sales tax from the current 6.25 percent and how much to cut property taxes.
Both the House and Senate wanted to raise the cigarette tax by $1 per pack from 41 cents.
Debate starts this week on sticking points
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – With a new special session under way, Texas lawmakers plan to plunge into the school funding debate this week to move legislation along and perhaps get out of town soon.
That's their intent, anyway.
As past sessions have proved, reaching an agreement in the Legislature on the complex and sweeping question of how to pay for Texas' public schools isn't easy. The $33 billion system educates 4.3 million children.
Both the House and Senate are meeting today, when the Senate may take up the education spending portion of a school finance package. The two chambers in large part are working from the education and tax proposals they crafted in the previous 30-day special session, which ended in failure Wednesday night.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry ordered the next session to begin Thursday.
School finance is one of the most important items the Legislature tackles, said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican who presides over the Senate. He said "whether it takes four weeks or six weeks, the objective is to get it right, and that's what we're dedicated to doing."
Lawmakers came close to approving a $2.4 billion education spending plan last week. But because they waited until the final hours of the special session to wrap up the matter, a Senate Democrat had time to kill the measure with a filibuster.
The measure would have provided more money for bilingual education and transportation and given districts enough money to pay teachers about $2,000 more in 2006 and an additional $500 in 2007. The pay raise calculation included the full restoration of a $1,000 health-care stipend that was cut in half two years ago.
Some of the raise included incentive pay, which teachers' groups criticized because they say it's not clear how many teachers would even be eligible.
"As we begin another special session on public education, we hope state leaders take the time to listen to educators," said Melodye Pinson, president of the Association of Texas Professional Educators.
Texas is under court pressure to change its funding system, which relies heavily on local property taxes. State District Judge John Dietz ruled the system inadequate and unconstitutional last year and ordered the state to change it.
Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick said a House-Senate panel that was trying to reach a tax bill compromise had whittled the massive plan down to just a few disagreements.
Disputes remained over how much to raise the state sales tax from the current 6.25 percent and how much to cut property taxes.
Both the House and Senate wanted to raise the cigarette tax by $1 per pack from 41 cents.
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- Contact:
- TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Irving mosque makes outreach a matter of faith
Center says it's time for Muslims to talk about achievements
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – Muslims have been too introverted for too long, says Imam Zia Sheikh, the prayer leader at the Islamic Center of Irving. He believes it's time to get out of the mosque and into the community.
"We have to be a little more outgoing," he says. "We're not a threat to people in society. We are positive contributors."
Concerned about how Muslims are perceived, the center is reaching out. In the past year, fueled in part by their new mosque, members are raising their voices and playing a more prominent role in city affairs.
Worshippers were active last year in opposing and defeating an election that would have allowed beer and wine sales in Irving stores. The center invited political candidates to mingle with worshippers last spring. And members are meeting residents, city officials and community leaders.
By interacting with neighbors, the center hopes to dispel myths, said Jason Black, an Islamic Center leader.
"They hear Arabic and Allah and Muhammad, and they think it's something foreign," he said. "The goal is to be understood, to co-exist. We have a lot of work to do."
Dr. Black believes the center is off to a good start.
The mosque is having open houses. And the center has hosted planning meetings for a series of public forums to discuss Irving race relations.
Officials at the center have also turned to the Web, establishing muslimslovejesus.org, which highlights similarities between Islam and Christianity and offers resources about Islam.
"Whatever we can do, we're doing," said Shoaib Khalid, Islamic Center president.
But the center made its biggest splash by helping defeat last year's heated beer and wine election. Worshippers made phone calls, placed fliers on doors and pounded signs into the ground. Letters were mailed to Muslims to encourage them to vote against the measure, said Raed Sbeit, who coordinated the center's efforts.
"As responsible citizens, we have our stance against it," he said. "We're directly affected. We're making a conscious decision to get more involved."
The center played a helpful role, said Mark Dyer, who led a group opposed to alcohol sales. More than 60 percent of voters turned down the measure.
"It was great to have an infusion of new blood and new help," he said. "They were helpful in getting their people motivated and out to vote."
The center thrust itself into the city's political sphere this year by inviting mayoral candidates to stop by the mosque. The center didn't endorse candidates but encouraged worshippers to vote.
Ali Luqman, the center's facilities manager, says the mosque is acting like other faith-based groups throughout Irving.
"We don't feel we're power brokers," he said. "We just encourage people to do the right thing."
Mayor Herbert Gears says that political candidates in Irving will turn to the Islamic Center – and other diverse groups – to look for votes.
"Candidates are going to have to reach out to all parts of our community, not only the traditional parts," he said.
On a recent Friday afternoon, hundreds of automobiles – including dozens of cabs – fill the mosque's parking lot. Estimates vary, but as many as 1,500 people attend prayer services.
Worshippers enter the mosque – a striking off-white building topped with a green dome – take off their shoes and head to bathrooms. Barefoot men sit on stools near faucets, rinsing their faces, hands and feet with water. Then they walk to the main prayer hall.
Women head to the second floor, where they're segregated during the service.
Hundreds of men pack the hall, sitting on green carpet. Women peer from above through glass walls. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and light from the midday sun spills through tall windows.
A young man wears his baseball cap backward; another man arrives in workout pants. Many others wear robes and caps.
They listen to the imam.
"When an act of terrorism takes place, we get backlash," he says. "Whom should we blame but ourselves? We haven't contributed to society."
Islamic Center members say they denounce terrorism. A message on its Web site condemns the recent London bombings.
During the service, the men bow to the floor in unison.
They say nothing.
Then the men kneel, placing their hands and foreheads on the ground.
The room is still.
Soon, a quiet rumble fills the mosque as the men whisper prayers in Arabic.
Moments later, the service is over.
The new mosque, which opened last year, is a welcome change for worshippers, who used to cram into a shopping center. The Islamic Center, which started in the early '90s, is more than a mosque, members say, and includes a school.
Attendance exploded once the new mosque opened. The center's proximity to State Highway 183 and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport helped boost its popularity. Worshippers flying into D/FW visit the mosque before heading back to the airport to catch a flight.
The center is among the largest mosques in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, says Iyas Maleh, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. About 125,000 to 150,000 Muslims live in the metro area, he estimates.
Irving City Council member Allan Meagher, who calls the center a community asset, says neighbors were worried about the mosque when it opened.
"They didn't know what it was," he said. "But the center invited the community into the building. Neighbors aren't scared anymore."
Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church, down the street from the Islamic Center, has had a good relationship with the mosque, Monsignor Jerome Duesman says. When Pope John Paul II died this year, a delegation from the mosque visited the church and offered condolences.
"I find them to be very gracious people," Monsignor Duesman said. "They want to be good neighbors. And we do, too."
Mr. Dyer says he gained a better understanding of the mosque after interacting with the members during the alcohol campaign.
While the center occasionally receives calls of frustration from people after terrorist events, Mr. Luqman says that the community response to the mosque has been better than expected.
"We do everything we can to not disturb our neighbors," he said.
Mr. Gears hopes the city embraces the mosque.
"We don't have to share the same religion, but we can get along in the context of caring for the community," he said. "That transcends the faith that people practice."
Center says it's time for Muslims to talk about achievements
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – Muslims have been too introverted for too long, says Imam Zia Sheikh, the prayer leader at the Islamic Center of Irving. He believes it's time to get out of the mosque and into the community.
"We have to be a little more outgoing," he says. "We're not a threat to people in society. We are positive contributors."
Concerned about how Muslims are perceived, the center is reaching out. In the past year, fueled in part by their new mosque, members are raising their voices and playing a more prominent role in city affairs.
Worshippers were active last year in opposing and defeating an election that would have allowed beer and wine sales in Irving stores. The center invited political candidates to mingle with worshippers last spring. And members are meeting residents, city officials and community leaders.
By interacting with neighbors, the center hopes to dispel myths, said Jason Black, an Islamic Center leader.
"They hear Arabic and Allah and Muhammad, and they think it's something foreign," he said. "The goal is to be understood, to co-exist. We have a lot of work to do."
Dr. Black believes the center is off to a good start.
The mosque is having open houses. And the center has hosted planning meetings for a series of public forums to discuss Irving race relations.
Officials at the center have also turned to the Web, establishing muslimslovejesus.org, which highlights similarities between Islam and Christianity and offers resources about Islam.
"Whatever we can do, we're doing," said Shoaib Khalid, Islamic Center president.
But the center made its biggest splash by helping defeat last year's heated beer and wine election. Worshippers made phone calls, placed fliers on doors and pounded signs into the ground. Letters were mailed to Muslims to encourage them to vote against the measure, said Raed Sbeit, who coordinated the center's efforts.
"As responsible citizens, we have our stance against it," he said. "We're directly affected. We're making a conscious decision to get more involved."
The center played a helpful role, said Mark Dyer, who led a group opposed to alcohol sales. More than 60 percent of voters turned down the measure.
"It was great to have an infusion of new blood and new help," he said. "They were helpful in getting their people motivated and out to vote."
The center thrust itself into the city's political sphere this year by inviting mayoral candidates to stop by the mosque. The center didn't endorse candidates but encouraged worshippers to vote.
Ali Luqman, the center's facilities manager, says the mosque is acting like other faith-based groups throughout Irving.
"We don't feel we're power brokers," he said. "We just encourage people to do the right thing."
Mayor Herbert Gears says that political candidates in Irving will turn to the Islamic Center – and other diverse groups – to look for votes.
"Candidates are going to have to reach out to all parts of our community, not only the traditional parts," he said.
On a recent Friday afternoon, hundreds of automobiles – including dozens of cabs – fill the mosque's parking lot. Estimates vary, but as many as 1,500 people attend prayer services.
Worshippers enter the mosque – a striking off-white building topped with a green dome – take off their shoes and head to bathrooms. Barefoot men sit on stools near faucets, rinsing their faces, hands and feet with water. Then they walk to the main prayer hall.
Women head to the second floor, where they're segregated during the service.
Hundreds of men pack the hall, sitting on green carpet. Women peer from above through glass walls. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and light from the midday sun spills through tall windows.
A young man wears his baseball cap backward; another man arrives in workout pants. Many others wear robes and caps.
They listen to the imam.
"When an act of terrorism takes place, we get backlash," he says. "Whom should we blame but ourselves? We haven't contributed to society."
Islamic Center members say they denounce terrorism. A message on its Web site condemns the recent London bombings.
During the service, the men bow to the floor in unison.
They say nothing.
Then the men kneel, placing their hands and foreheads on the ground.
The room is still.
Soon, a quiet rumble fills the mosque as the men whisper prayers in Arabic.
Moments later, the service is over.
The new mosque, which opened last year, is a welcome change for worshippers, who used to cram into a shopping center. The Islamic Center, which started in the early '90s, is more than a mosque, members say, and includes a school.
Attendance exploded once the new mosque opened. The center's proximity to State Highway 183 and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport helped boost its popularity. Worshippers flying into D/FW visit the mosque before heading back to the airport to catch a flight.
The center is among the largest mosques in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, says Iyas Maleh, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. About 125,000 to 150,000 Muslims live in the metro area, he estimates.
Irving City Council member Allan Meagher, who calls the center a community asset, says neighbors were worried about the mosque when it opened.
"They didn't know what it was," he said. "But the center invited the community into the building. Neighbors aren't scared anymore."
Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church, down the street from the Islamic Center, has had a good relationship with the mosque, Monsignor Jerome Duesman says. When Pope John Paul II died this year, a delegation from the mosque visited the church and offered condolences.
"I find them to be very gracious people," Monsignor Duesman said. "They want to be good neighbors. And we do, too."
Mr. Dyer says he gained a better understanding of the mosque after interacting with the members during the alcohol campaign.
While the center occasionally receives calls of frustration from people after terrorist events, Mr. Luqman says that the community response to the mosque has been better than expected.
"We do everything we can to not disturb our neighbors," he said.
Mr. Gears hopes the city embraces the mosque.
"We don't have to share the same religion, but we can get along in the context of caring for the community," he said. "That transcends the faith that people practice."
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Council workshops will focus on goals
Irving: Vision for city's future to be discussed; public is welcome
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The Irving City Council will hold a workshop today and Saturday to set goals and plan for the future.
Mayor Herbert Gears said the meetings will help the council set priorities and determine how to invest time, energy and resources to achieve goals.
"We want to create a forum where we hope to openly communicate about what our vision for the future is and look at the issues we have and prioritize them in the context of where we want to go and what's important for our future," Mr. Gears said.
The agenda includes items such as "Goals: 2015," "Objectives: 2010" and "Short-term action steps: 2005-2007."
The workshop comes as two new members – Mr. Gears and council member Lowell Cannaday – recently joined the council. They were elected in June.
The meetings, which are open to the public, start at 8:30 a.m. today and Saturday at the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving: Vision for city's future to be discussed; public is welcome
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The Irving City Council will hold a workshop today and Saturday to set goals and plan for the future.
Mayor Herbert Gears said the meetings will help the council set priorities and determine how to invest time, energy and resources to achieve goals.
"We want to create a forum where we hope to openly communicate about what our vision for the future is and look at the issues we have and prioritize them in the context of where we want to go and what's important for our future," Mr. Gears said.
The agenda includes items such as "Goals: 2015," "Objectives: 2010" and "Short-term action steps: 2005-2007."
The workshop comes as two new members – Mr. Gears and council member Lowell Cannaday – recently joined the council. They were elected in June.
The meetings, which are open to the public, start at 8:30 a.m. today and Saturday at the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, 221 E. Las Colinas Blvd.
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Tanker fire closes I-35W in Alvarado
ALVARADO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com)A tanker truck hit an overpass and caught fire early Monday morning, shutting down a stretch of northbound Interstate 35W near Alvarado.
Police said no one was injured in the accident, which occurred around 6 a.m. on a bridge near the Maple Avenue exit. The driver told authorities he blew a tire, bounced off the guardrail and continued on for 200 feet before his truck came to a stop and caught fire.
A TxDOT spokesperson said minor damage to the guardrail was being repaired, and there were no structural issues resulting from the accident. Hazmat crews were also on the scene to assist in the cleanup of diesel fuel.
All vehicles were diverted to Business 81/South Parkway, resulting in a lengthy northbound backup, until the highway's main lanes were reopened around 2 p.m.
WFAA ABC 8
Debris cleanup has closed northbound I-35W until further notice.
ALVARADO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com)A tanker truck hit an overpass and caught fire early Monday morning, shutting down a stretch of northbound Interstate 35W near Alvarado.
Police said no one was injured in the accident, which occurred around 6 a.m. on a bridge near the Maple Avenue exit. The driver told authorities he blew a tire, bounced off the guardrail and continued on for 200 feet before his truck came to a stop and caught fire.
A TxDOT spokesperson said minor damage to the guardrail was being repaired, and there were no structural issues resulting from the accident. Hazmat crews were also on the scene to assist in the cleanup of diesel fuel.
All vehicles were diverted to Business 81/South Parkway, resulting in a lengthy northbound backup, until the highway's main lanes were reopened around 2 p.m.

WFAA ABC 8
Debris cleanup has closed northbound I-35W until further notice.
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Suspects ID'd in Collin vandalism cases
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - The Collin County Sheriff's Office has identified two suspects in recent vandalism cases.
Princeton resident James Arthur Correll, 19, was served while in custody with four burglary of habitation warrants, with a $5,000 bond on each warrant. Correll was charged while in jail for a previous unrelated felony theft charge.
The second suspect is William Dustin Stringer, 18, also from Princeton. Stringer faces the same warrants as Correll, but he bonded out of jail on unrelated charges over the weekend and is not currently in police custody.
The two men are suspects in four cases, including a burglary at the home of Leticia and Martin Valtierra. The vandals in that break-in 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.
Investigators gave a rough estimate of $20,000 in theft and damage to the house.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - The Collin County Sheriff's Office has identified two suspects in recent vandalism cases.
Princeton resident James Arthur Correll, 19, was served while in custody with four burglary of habitation warrants, with a $5,000 bond on each warrant. Correll was charged while in jail for a previous unrelated felony theft charge.
The second suspect is William Dustin Stringer, 18, also from Princeton. Stringer faces the same warrants as Correll, but he bonded out of jail on unrelated charges over the weekend and is not currently in police custody.
The two men are suspects in four cases, including a burglary at the home of Leticia and Martin Valtierra. The vandals in that break-in 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.
Investigators gave a rough estimate of $20,000 in theft and damage to the house.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
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Computer program helps nab car thieves
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A car theft sting netted four arrests in Fort Worth over the weekend, thanks to an observant detective who got the ball rolling.
Detective Reggie Whitehead studies auto theft crime trends through a system called ComStat. The system is what alerted him to trouble around Hulen Mall. Through the system, Whitehead found that thieves were striking on Sundays between 1 p.m. through 6 p.m. and a couple of days during the week.
"You can't just ignore these trends and not respond to them," said Whitehead. His information helped get four suspected car thieves Sunday. Police set up a sting operation and said they caught the men in the act of stealing a Green Yukon that belonged to Rosendo Rosales.
"My wife says go get the truck so we can go, I was like 'eh, the truck is not there,'" Rosales said.
Police said General Motors' SUVs and pickups 1997 and older are what car thieves are targeting lately in Fort Worth. They strip them of their tires and rims and then dump them in Dallas
Other malls such as Fort Worth Town Center have also experienced a number of thefts in the area. In 2004 there were roughly 3,800 reported stolen vehicles and 1,900 already this year.
But police said the rate is dropping because the system works and the latest case - they said - proved that.
"It worked like right," Whitehead said. "Right, like it was supposed to."
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A car theft sting netted four arrests in Fort Worth over the weekend, thanks to an observant detective who got the ball rolling.
Detective Reggie Whitehead studies auto theft crime trends through a system called ComStat. The system is what alerted him to trouble around Hulen Mall. Through the system, Whitehead found that thieves were striking on Sundays between 1 p.m. through 6 p.m. and a couple of days during the week.
"You can't just ignore these trends and not respond to them," said Whitehead. His information helped get four suspected car thieves Sunday. Police set up a sting operation and said they caught the men in the act of stealing a Green Yukon that belonged to Rosendo Rosales.
"My wife says go get the truck so we can go, I was like 'eh, the truck is not there,'" Rosales said.
Police said General Motors' SUVs and pickups 1997 and older are what car thieves are targeting lately in Fort Worth. They strip them of their tires and rims and then dump them in Dallas
Other malls such as Fort Worth Town Center have also experienced a number of thefts in the area. In 2004 there were roughly 3,800 reported stolen vehicles and 1,900 already this year.
But police said the rate is dropping because the system works and the latest case - they said - proved that.
"It worked like right," Whitehead said. "Right, like it was supposed to."
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ID theft operation busted
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Authorities in Denton arrested Sarah Smith O'Leary,34, who is suspected of stealing mail from hundreds of people in six North Texas counties. Investigators believe many of those affected don't even know they are victims yet.
Thousands of pieces of mail are being sifted through by authorities Monday in an attempt to identify the victims. Because of the magnitude of the case and the potential charges, Denton police turned the case over to federal investigators.
Christopher Sims checks his personal accounts and mail everyday to stay on top of his personal business. But he said he is still concerned someone may have broken into mailboxes in his apartment complex.
"It's a huge concern, especially since it is against federal law to break into people's mail boxes," he said.
Denton police recovered piles of personal mail addressed to apartment complex residences in a half dozen counties. Investigators said they found more than a 1,000 pieces of mail in the home O'Leary, of Copper Canyon, in Denton County.
"She had different folders," said Sgt. Brad Curtis. "She had them broken down into identities and checks."
Denton police arrested O'Leary for possession of methamphetamines and turned the mail over to the U.S. Postal Inspector Service. Federal authorities confirmed the woman is under investigation for alleged possession of stolen mail and said they expect to file charges that could include identity theft.
"It's extremely painful to the people this happens to," said Tara Wright who has been victimized in the past by identity theft. "No one can understand it unless they have been through it."
Officials at the U.S. Postal Service said they plan to send out letters to the victims to notify them about the situation.
A woman is suspected of stealing mail from hundreds in six counties.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
DENTON, Texas - Authorities in Denton arrested Sarah Smith O'Leary,34, who is suspected of stealing mail from hundreds of people in six North Texas counties. Investigators believe many of those affected don't even know they are victims yet.
Thousands of pieces of mail are being sifted through by authorities Monday in an attempt to identify the victims. Because of the magnitude of the case and the potential charges, Denton police turned the case over to federal investigators.
Christopher Sims checks his personal accounts and mail everyday to stay on top of his personal business. But he said he is still concerned someone may have broken into mailboxes in his apartment complex.
"It's a huge concern, especially since it is against federal law to break into people's mail boxes," he said.
Denton police recovered piles of personal mail addressed to apartment complex residences in a half dozen counties. Investigators said they found more than a 1,000 pieces of mail in the home O'Leary, of Copper Canyon, in Denton County.
"She had different folders," said Sgt. Brad Curtis. "She had them broken down into identities and checks."
Denton police arrested O'Leary for possession of methamphetamines and turned the mail over to the U.S. Postal Inspector Service. Federal authorities confirmed the woman is under investigation for alleged possession of stolen mail and said they expect to file charges that could include identity theft.
"It's extremely painful to the people this happens to," said Tara Wright who has been victimized in the past by identity theft. "No one can understand it unless they have been through it."
Officials at the U.S. Postal Service said they plan to send out letters to the victims to notify them about the situation.

A woman is suspected of stealing mail from hundreds in six counties.
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Con man strikes as heat climbs
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - When Texas heat cranks up two things are certain - electric bills soar and many people struggle to pay them. That can open up an avenue for fraud.
There's a con artist who goes by the name of Joe Strong working the South so good he could charm off a snake oil salesman. And his Dallas victims are adding up.
Veronica Thomas is now one of those victims the man can add to his list of conned. She was deceived into believing he would help pay her electric bills.
"He said are you still needing assistance with your electric bill?" Thomas said. "And I said yes."
He told her he was with Tri-Star Investments and trying to give energy assistance to people who needed it. She spoke to him more than once and he identified himself as Joe Strong from Pine Bluff, Ark.
Police in Arkansas have two warrants out for a man by that name for forged checks. They said Strong had previously been sentenced to four years in prison for forgery.
"He was kinda convincing," she said.
She went to her local grocery store and bought a $40 money order and wired it to him after he told her he would take over her payments. Thomas said that after she gave him her $40, somebody paid her TXU Energy bill - or so it seemed.
"He called back in about ten minutes and he gave me a confirmation number," she said. "And [he] gave me a 1-800 number to TXU."
But TXU Energy eventually discovered the check that paid the bill was a forgery.
Not only does he con his victims, but he gets them to recruit new victims, which included Thomas' daughter and several of their relatives. They have lost more than $1,000 among them.
"It's not right at all and I'll be glad when they do bring him down," said daughter Okema Armstrong-Thomas.
None of the victims have ever seen the man who calls himself Strong, but he has a lot of their personal information.
Pine Bluff police said they have received complaints about a Strong in three other states.
TXU Energy said if someone calls you with an energy solution call them to make sure it is legit before you do anything.
Joe Lee Strong
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - When Texas heat cranks up two things are certain - electric bills soar and many people struggle to pay them. That can open up an avenue for fraud.
There's a con artist who goes by the name of Joe Strong working the South so good he could charm off a snake oil salesman. And his Dallas victims are adding up.
Veronica Thomas is now one of those victims the man can add to his list of conned. She was deceived into believing he would help pay her electric bills.
"He said are you still needing assistance with your electric bill?" Thomas said. "And I said yes."
He told her he was with Tri-Star Investments and trying to give energy assistance to people who needed it. She spoke to him more than once and he identified himself as Joe Strong from Pine Bluff, Ark.
Police in Arkansas have two warrants out for a man by that name for forged checks. They said Strong had previously been sentenced to four years in prison for forgery.
"He was kinda convincing," she said.
She went to her local grocery store and bought a $40 money order and wired it to him after he told her he would take over her payments. Thomas said that after she gave him her $40, somebody paid her TXU Energy bill - or so it seemed.
"He called back in about ten minutes and he gave me a confirmation number," she said. "And [he] gave me a 1-800 number to TXU."
But TXU Energy eventually discovered the check that paid the bill was a forgery.
Not only does he con his victims, but he gets them to recruit new victims, which included Thomas' daughter and several of their relatives. They have lost more than $1,000 among them.
"It's not right at all and I'll be glad when they do bring him down," said daughter Okema Armstrong-Thomas.
None of the victims have ever seen the man who calls himself Strong, but he has a lot of their personal information.
Pine Bluff police said they have received complaints about a Strong in three other states.
TXU Energy said if someone calls you with an energy solution call them to make sure it is legit before you do anything.

Joe Lee Strong
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Detectives believe man linked to at least 12 murders
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Grapevine Sgt. Bob Murphy said he hoped a meeting with Mississippi prison inmate John Williams would end in a confession to the murder of Casey Jo Pipestem. The 19-year-old's body was found dumped under an I-40 overpass in Grapevine in January 2004.
While Williams didn't confess, other murders and details kept coming up.
"When we walked out of there it was like oh my golly," Murphy said. "It was like opening Pandora's Box."
Murphy and Detective Larry Hallmark spent eight hours over two days talking to Williams. They also made sure to bring a cooler filled with cold Dr. Peppers - one of William's favorites.
On the second day he opened up.
"It hit like - wow - this is a real serial killer," Murphy said. "And if everything he's saying here is true, this will be the biggest case we've ever been involved with."
Sgt. Murphy said while talking to Williams, details began to surface that rang true to several cases. "He hit certain things when he talked about some of these cases such as bindings or not bindings," he said. "How they were killed, clothing. Boom, boom, boom - it matches what we know about those cases."
After years of work on mysterious, unsolved cases, Murphy said a convict sipping soft drinks finally started connecting the dots.
"We're looking at each other when he's going through those points," he said. "And we'd look at each other like bingo."
John Williams didn't confess to killing Casey Jo Pipestem, but he did mention things only the medical examiner knew.
Sgt. Murphy said he believes Williams and his girlfriend Rachel Cumberland might be linked up to a dozen murders coast to coast. But he said there is a lot more talking to do.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Grapevine Sgt. Bob Murphy said he hoped a meeting with Mississippi prison inmate John Williams would end in a confession to the murder of Casey Jo Pipestem. The 19-year-old's body was found dumped under an I-40 overpass in Grapevine in January 2004.
While Williams didn't confess, other murders and details kept coming up.
"When we walked out of there it was like oh my golly," Murphy said. "It was like opening Pandora's Box."
Murphy and Detective Larry Hallmark spent eight hours over two days talking to Williams. They also made sure to bring a cooler filled with cold Dr. Peppers - one of William's favorites.
On the second day he opened up.
"It hit like - wow - this is a real serial killer," Murphy said. "And if everything he's saying here is true, this will be the biggest case we've ever been involved with."
Sgt. Murphy said while talking to Williams, details began to surface that rang true to several cases. "He hit certain things when he talked about some of these cases such as bindings or not bindings," he said. "How they were killed, clothing. Boom, boom, boom - it matches what we know about those cases."
After years of work on mysterious, unsolved cases, Murphy said a convict sipping soft drinks finally started connecting the dots.
"We're looking at each other when he's going through those points," he said. "And we'd look at each other like bingo."
John Williams didn't confess to killing Casey Jo Pipestem, but he did mention things only the medical examiner knew.
Sgt. Murphy said he believes Williams and his girlfriend Rachel Cumberland might be linked up to a dozen murders coast to coast. But he said there is a lot more talking to do.
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Plano teen fends off bear in Alaska
Scouts were near end of rugged trek when animal struck
By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO – Ten days ago, some local Boy Scouts left the suburbs to answer the call of the Alaskan wild.
They returned this week with a tale of how the wilderness nearly claimed one of their own.
"It could have been a lot worse, but I'm not going to say it wasn't very bad," said Alex Benson casually, brandishing arm bandages and a cane Monday in his family's west Plano home.
On Friday, the 15-year-old was three miles from the end of a rugged 50-mile hike in southern Alaska when he crossed paths with an adult brown bear.
Fellow Scouts and parents said Monday that his survival was a matter of instinct, luck and skill.
The weeklong hike – more than a year in the making – was going smoothly before the last day when Alex, 15-year-old Aaron Chapman and 13-year-old Mikey McFatter set off with Mikey's father. The group was traveling ahead of the rest of Troop 262 of Plano.
Alex led the way as the four neared the end of Resurrection Pass Trail to Cooper Landing – a trek that went from 500 feet to more than 4,000 feet and back down.
The bear was hidden in grass 20 feet away. When Alex turned into the path, it charged.
"All of a sudden we hear, 'Bear! Bear! Bear!' " Aaron said.
Aaron, an Eagle Scout following Alex, rushed around the corner and found his friend in the scuffle.
A sleeping bag atop Alex's backpack buffered the animal's initial lunge, but the bear dug in, tearing flesh off his right arm and puncturing his right leg.
"What was going through my head? Nothing much, except, 'There's a bear, and Mr. McFatter better get ... over here with the gun,' " Alex remembered.
Mike McFatter, the adult trailing the group, fired gunshots into the air, and the bear ran.
Using shirts as tourniquets, Scouts stopped the bleeding from the teenager's right arm and leg.
Three hours later, after trips on a four-wheeler ambulance and helicopter, Alex was at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for minor surgery.
He returned home Monday morning.
State authorities say a brown bear has killed two people in northern Alaska this summer.
"Having heard about the attack now, I can't believe how incredibly lucky he was," said mother Julie Benson.
"You hear about bear attacks, but they're rare, and I didn't think he'd be attacked."
His mother and father credit the quick work of fellow Scouts with helping save their son's life. Alex will be a sophomore at Vines High School in Plano.
Tour leader Paul Fletcher marveled Monday at Alex's humor, even as he sat on the ground with a piece of flesh dangling from his arm.
Alex returned home with a bloody shirt, a torn-up sleeping bag and a hat that says, "Bite Me Alaska." He also has a story he will probably be telling decades from now.
"Are you going to be more popular at school because of this?" a TV reporter asked him.
"Definitely. I probably shouldn't say that, but definitely."
MILTON HINNANT/Dallas Morning News
Alex Benson (right) had his arm gouged by a bear while hiking with Mikey McFatter (left) and Aaron Chapman.
Scouts were near end of rugged trek when animal struck
By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO – Ten days ago, some local Boy Scouts left the suburbs to answer the call of the Alaskan wild.
They returned this week with a tale of how the wilderness nearly claimed one of their own.
"It could have been a lot worse, but I'm not going to say it wasn't very bad," said Alex Benson casually, brandishing arm bandages and a cane Monday in his family's west Plano home.
On Friday, the 15-year-old was three miles from the end of a rugged 50-mile hike in southern Alaska when he crossed paths with an adult brown bear.
Fellow Scouts and parents said Monday that his survival was a matter of instinct, luck and skill.
The weeklong hike – more than a year in the making – was going smoothly before the last day when Alex, 15-year-old Aaron Chapman and 13-year-old Mikey McFatter set off with Mikey's father. The group was traveling ahead of the rest of Troop 262 of Plano.
Alex led the way as the four neared the end of Resurrection Pass Trail to Cooper Landing – a trek that went from 500 feet to more than 4,000 feet and back down.
The bear was hidden in grass 20 feet away. When Alex turned into the path, it charged.
"All of a sudden we hear, 'Bear! Bear! Bear!' " Aaron said.
Aaron, an Eagle Scout following Alex, rushed around the corner and found his friend in the scuffle.
A sleeping bag atop Alex's backpack buffered the animal's initial lunge, but the bear dug in, tearing flesh off his right arm and puncturing his right leg.
"What was going through my head? Nothing much, except, 'There's a bear, and Mr. McFatter better get ... over here with the gun,' " Alex remembered.
Mike McFatter, the adult trailing the group, fired gunshots into the air, and the bear ran.
Using shirts as tourniquets, Scouts stopped the bleeding from the teenager's right arm and leg.
Three hours later, after trips on a four-wheeler ambulance and helicopter, Alex was at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for minor surgery.
He returned home Monday morning.
State authorities say a brown bear has killed two people in northern Alaska this summer.
"Having heard about the attack now, I can't believe how incredibly lucky he was," said mother Julie Benson.
"You hear about bear attacks, but they're rare, and I didn't think he'd be attacked."
His mother and father credit the quick work of fellow Scouts with helping save their son's life. Alex will be a sophomore at Vines High School in Plano.
Tour leader Paul Fletcher marveled Monday at Alex's humor, even as he sat on the ground with a piece of flesh dangling from his arm.
Alex returned home with a bloody shirt, a torn-up sleeping bag and a hat that says, "Bite Me Alaska." He also has a story he will probably be telling decades from now.
"Are you going to be more popular at school because of this?" a TV reporter asked him.
"Definitely. I probably shouldn't say that, but definitely."

MILTON HINNANT/Dallas Morning News
Alex Benson (right) had his arm gouged by a bear while hiking with Mikey McFatter (left) and Aaron Chapman.
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Tree fell last week - and hasn't moved
By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - What happens if a tree falls in the street and no one removes it?
"I hate to be a troublemaker, but I'm mad," said Sedalia Hughes, eyeing the giant pecan tree that toppled across Easley Street and into her front yard during a thunderstorm Friday. On Monday, the tree was still there, pinning a neighbor's Oldsmobile underneath and making the road impassable.
"You could understand if it was one day, but four? Uh-uh. That's inexcusable," said Mrs. Hughes, punctuating the thought with a shake of her cane. She and her husband own the white one-story house, but her sister, Betty Jo Criss, lives there. The Hugheses also live in Dallas.
Neighbors say the pecan tree fell slowly Friday across Easley Street and onto power lines above the house where Ms. Criss lives. TXU restored power overnight, but calls to the city and Dallas Fire-Rescue to remove the arboreal menace have gone unanswered, residents say.
"I don't feel good about it because I can't get out," said Ms. Criss, who is 79 and uses a walker.
City officials contacted Monday afternoon about the tree said they would look into the situation.
Some residents would like to see the city respond with the same diligence that code inspectors exert when writing citations.
The city fines residents who put brush out on the curb early, yet the city is leaving its own brush – in the form of a big tree – out in the street, Shaundra Hill said.
J. Haynes, who lives a few houses down from the felled tree, said city trucks pass by the neighborhood all the time on their way to a public works building on Municipal Street.
"You can obviously see they pass by us. But they didn't come by to pick up that tree because it's still out there," Ms. Haynes said.
Mrs. Hughes, and others, suggest that a more affluent neighborhood wouldn't still be waiting for the tree to be removed.
"If this mess had been in North Dallas, do you think it would have been down there that long?" Mrs. Hughes said.
Lt. Joel Lavender, a spokesman for Dallas Fire-Rescue, said firefighters respond when a power line is down. But once the situation is declared safe, clearing trees is not their responsibility.
"It's a great thing that people want to call us when they don't know who to call, but it's also hurtful when we don't have the ability to handle the task," he said. "It's outside the scope of our training."
By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - What happens if a tree falls in the street and no one removes it?
"I hate to be a troublemaker, but I'm mad," said Sedalia Hughes, eyeing the giant pecan tree that toppled across Easley Street and into her front yard during a thunderstorm Friday. On Monday, the tree was still there, pinning a neighbor's Oldsmobile underneath and making the road impassable.
"You could understand if it was one day, but four? Uh-uh. That's inexcusable," said Mrs. Hughes, punctuating the thought with a shake of her cane. She and her husband own the white one-story house, but her sister, Betty Jo Criss, lives there. The Hugheses also live in Dallas.
Neighbors say the pecan tree fell slowly Friday across Easley Street and onto power lines above the house where Ms. Criss lives. TXU restored power overnight, but calls to the city and Dallas Fire-Rescue to remove the arboreal menace have gone unanswered, residents say.
"I don't feel good about it because I can't get out," said Ms. Criss, who is 79 and uses a walker.
City officials contacted Monday afternoon about the tree said they would look into the situation.
Some residents would like to see the city respond with the same diligence that code inspectors exert when writing citations.
The city fines residents who put brush out on the curb early, yet the city is leaving its own brush – in the form of a big tree – out in the street, Shaundra Hill said.
J. Haynes, who lives a few houses down from the felled tree, said city trucks pass by the neighborhood all the time on their way to a public works building on Municipal Street.
"You can obviously see they pass by us. But they didn't come by to pick up that tree because it's still out there," Ms. Haynes said.
Mrs. Hughes, and others, suggest that a more affluent neighborhood wouldn't still be waiting for the tree to be removed.
"If this mess had been in North Dallas, do you think it would have been down there that long?" Mrs. Hughes said.
Lt. Joel Lavender, a spokesman for Dallas Fire-Rescue, said firefighters respond when a power line is down. But once the situation is declared safe, clearing trees is not their responsibility.
"It's a great thing that people want to call us when they don't know who to call, but it's also hurtful when we don't have the ability to handle the task," he said. "It's outside the scope of our training."
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