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#2241 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:25 am

CRIME ALERT: Coworkers want SPCA volunteer's killer found

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Staff and volunteers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, SPCA, posted fliers around Lovers Lane and Abrams in Dallas looking not only for two lost cats, but also for the person who killed their owner.

Gail Delay volunteered for the SPCA for 18 years. Now flowers mark the doorway of her apartment where on Sunday friends found her dead in a pool of blood. The 49-year-old had been beaten and stabbed. A horrible end friend said for the graphic artist who specialized in whimsical sketches.

"She had been there Friday, said 'I'll see you tomorrow at the vaccination clinic,'" said Anita Edson, a friend and colleague at the SPCA. "When she didn't show up, we wondered about that and we called her."

For the SPCA she created a coloring book to teach children how to care for pets. The work - all donated - won a national award from the Humane Society. Now her friends are collecting donations to offer a reward for any information that leads to the killer.

"She spent her life and her talent making other lives better," said friend Carrie Clark. "Saving lives of animals that otherwise would have been euthanized."

Anyone who can help solve the crime is urged to call Dallas police at (214) 670-7448. The SPCA also wants to find her two cats that escaped after the killer left the door open. They said they believe Delay would want them found safe.

"This was such a horrible thing," Edson said. "We really want to do what we can to solve this crime."
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#2242 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:26 am

Soldier's wife gets a ballpark surprise

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

FRISCO, Texas - The wife of a Texas National Guard captain recently ran into a brick wall while trying to send care packages to troops in Iraq. Jackie Bryan didn't have enough money to send the garage full of boxes that costs about $40 to ship each.

When she was told to go to a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game to receive a donation for the packages, she went ready and willing. However, what she got instead came right out of left field.

The Family Readiness Group did receive the $1,000 check for the care packages from the Frisco Rough Riders. But she also got an even bigger gift - a visit from her husband.

While Bryan had known her husband, Capt. Wesley Bryan, would soon be eligible for a two weeks leave, she had been worried for days because communication between the two had stopped.

However, she got a curve ball when her husband appeared on the baseball field to give her a hug.

And now the donated phone cards, snacks and drinks will soon be on their way to the soldiers.
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#2243 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:27 am

DPS fighting drill isn't norm in Texas

Most big-city academies don't use full contact; safety lapses seen

By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Most big-city police academies in Texas do not practice the full-contact fighting drill used by the Texas Department of Public Safety, where the exercise has resulted in the death of one recruit and dozens of concussions to others.

Also, a former academy commander who retired last year said Wednesday that he had thought the number of concussions from the boxing drill was much lower. The commander said it was clear in hindsight that DPS had not done enough to ensure recruits' safety in the boxing drill.

Police training experts say the drill encourages a tactic – boxing – that most police officers will never use in a struggle with a suspect. Many departments instead use an exercise known as grappling, a form of wrestling, which DPS also practices.

"Standing there toe to toe and pummeling each other, I don't see the value," said Sgt. Bill Conroy, a defensive-tactics instructor with the Kansas City Police Department who teaches nationally. "Most arrest situations where a guy resists strongly, he ends up on the ground. You have to know how to fight on the ground because that is where you end up."

DPS' fighting drill, known as active countermeasures, was responsible for the death of a recruit in May. Jimmy Ray Carty Jr., a former Smith County sheriff's deputy, suffered a serious brain injury on May 19 and later died.

The department is evaluating the drill, although the agency has not yet named an outside expert to evaluate the exercise or the incident that led to Mr. Carty's death.

Tela Mange, a DPS spokeswoman, said the department is studying how other agencies teach defensive tactics.

"DPS is conducting a thorough examination of the incident and the training program," Ms. Mange said. "Recommendations will be made on whether changes should be implemented."

No-sparring cities

The Houston and Dallas police departments do not have recruits fight each other. Instead, they teach recruits to fight by striking dummies. Dallas and Fort Worth make recruits fight off an instructor wearing a full-body suit made of foam and plastic.

Dallas police Sgt. David Welch said the department is confident that its training prepares recruits for the scuffles they might encounter on the street, even if they have never been in a fistfight.

"That is something that we feel comfortable with before we release them from the academy," said Sgt. Welch, Dallas' defensive tactics instructor.

Fort Worth, like San Antonio, forces recruits to fight. Fort Worth police Sgt. Mark Wilson said his department has controlled injuries by making sure recruits do not square off at full force.

The Fort Worth department has recruits fight once, typically in the early weeks of the academy. DPS recruits fight up to three times during their 27-week academy.

DPS has said the drill tests recruits' mettle. Some enter the academy without any fighting experience, and trainers need to know if they would cower when attacked, officials argue.

Over the years, DPS has taken steps to improve the drill's safety, including adding protective gear for the head, shins, chest and groin. The agency made those changes as it moved away from a pure boxing drill – a much more violent exercise, according to veteran troopers – used in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Injuries not tracked

But academy commanders apparently did not track the extent of injuries over the years. Nearly three dozen recruits suffered concussions before Mr. Carty's fatal injury.

One former commander, Mark Sassman, who retired last year, said he had thought the number of concussions was "a single-digit number."

"Obviously, something is wrong with the program, or we would have reduced those injuries," Mr. Sassman said. "The answer is probably something that does not involve striking people on the head."

Ed Nowicki, executive director of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, said DPS' rate of concussions – about 2.3 percent of recruits suffer the injury – is too high.

"I personally would not be comfortable with those figures," Mr. Nowicki said.

Other police trainers said an officer takes a great risk when striking someone in the head – whether in training or on the streets.

"You hit something hard with your fist, you might break your hand," Sgt. Conroy said. "You need to use the hand" for a baton or pepper spray.

One national police-training group also criticized the way that DPS conducts its fighting drill.

Recruits should fight only instructors, who are better trained to control themselves, said Mr. Nowicki, a retired police chief based in Twin Lakes, Wis.

"We would never put one recruit in fighting another," Mr. Nowicki said. "Every class, there are a couple recruits that I would believe should not be there. Maybe they are a little too aggressive or not aggressive enough."

In principle, Mr. Nowicki said, the active counter measures exercise is useful.

"A lot of the officers we get today have never been in a fight," Mr. Nowicki said. "You can teach that in a manner that brings insight ... through a simulation that is properly conducted by instructors."

Fort Worth's safety measures

Since 1996, one Fort Worth recruit suffered a concussion and another sustained a broken nose while fighting, Sgt. Wilson said. The department has Fort Worth Fire Department paramedics present to observe the fights, Sgt. Wilson said.

Fort Worth also encourages recruits to throw jab punches, discourages wild, roundhouse swinging, and does not allow kicking.

In videos, DPS recruits are shown to wildly throw punches at each other and kick any place they can hit.

"We felt like we had to have some kind of program that was the most realistic and related to the kinds of potential attacks [troopers might face] on the road," said Mark Warren, a retired assistant commander of the DPS training academy.

Mr. Sassman said it is difficult for DPS to control where recruits punch, because it is natural for people in a high-pressure, combat situation to aim for the head.

The answer, he said, might be to move away from boxing completely.

"Maybe that is an antiquated system that is not functional in this job," he said. "That is obviously where our problems are coming from. And that is obviously a problem we had for a long time, and should not be the problem it has been."
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#2244 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:31 am

Woman camps outside Ikea to snare prize

Frisco: $2,500 will be hers as long as she stays put for a week

By NANCY CHURNIN / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO, Texas – The view isn't exactly a serene North Texas lake, unless you count the bright blue paint, but Victoria Carson-Barnes has pitched her tent anyway.

The 33-year-old mother of five from Weatherford has staked her claim to a $2,500 prize by being first in line for the opening of Ikea, the Swedish furniture store that opens next Wednesday at State Highway 121 and the Dallas North Tollway.

"I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I don't have too many opportunities to get $2,500 for furniture," Ms. Carson-Barnes said. She hopes to use the credit to furnish the bedrooms of her kids, who range in age from 6 to 15. "Also, at Ikea, I can stretch that money further than I can anywhere else."

She's waiting out the hours in blistering heat and intermittent rain with some degree of comfort, at least: She is reclining in one of the $79 Poäng armchairs awarded to the first 100 people in line.

As of Wednesday, she was the only person in line, stepping away for no more than 10 minutes at a time to take bathroom breaks. According to the rules, that's as long as she can leave without losing her place.

Ms. Carson-Barnes said she didn't know much about Ikea when she received a catalog in the mail but was immediately impressed by the store's extensive inventory, low prices and opening-day freebies. She and her husband, Clyde, held a family meeting to discuss whether it was worth it. They circled the spot, looking for other campers, hardly daring to believe they could be first.

Her husband has helped her manage the wait, Ms. Carson-Barnes said. He set her up with a combination television/DVD player atop a mini refrigerator. He replenishes her food and brings her water and fresh clothes daily. The folks at Ikea also have done what they can to make it more comfortable for her. They gave her a footstool and a T-shirt.

Ms. Carson-Barnes said she doesn't mind spending her days and nights in front of Ikea. She considers it a vacation from dishes and laundry. Besides, she added, her kids think it's pretty cool.

"My 6-year-old asked me, 'Can I have princess stuff in my bedroom?' They've already figured out how to spend all the money – and then some."
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#2245 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:32 am

State: No aid until FBI completes probe

By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - State money for a $21 million affordable housing project has been put on hold until a state agency can clarify the developer's role in an FBI investigation into public corruption.

Southwest Housing requested about $10 million in tax credits to rebuild a 310-apartment complex at 7229 Ferguson Road, just north of Interstate 30 in Far East Dallas. But Wednesday, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs put the money on hold for a year, pending the outcome of the federal investigation into corruption at Dallas City Hall.

"We can't be oblivious to what's going on, I don't think. That would be irresponsible," said C. Kent Conine, vice chairman of the state agency's board.

Mr. Conine, who lives in Frisco, stressed that no one has been indicted. But because of the investigation, the board thought it prudent not to award the money Wednesday, he said.

Southwest Housing officials have denied any wrongdoing and have said they expect their latest project to move forward.

Last month, FBI agents searched the offices of Southwest Housing in northeast Dallas. Agents also searched the offices of Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, council member James Fantroy and Mr. Hill's appointee to the City Plan Commission, D'Angelo Lee.

The investigation appears to involve some projects of Southwest and another company, Odyssey Residential Holdings, headed by a former Southwest official. Both companies have gone before the Dallas City Council seeking approval to build affordable housing with state tax credits. In Dallas, a developer needs council approval to qualify for the state tax credits.

Staff at the state agency had recommended the Southwest project on Ferguson, called Fairway Crossing, for approval. The agency's board met Wednesday to approve about $40 million in tax credits for 2005. The credits encourage private developers to build homes for people who can't pay market-rate rents.

The credits are awarded over 10 years, but developers can sell the credits and get money up front to build their projects.

The Fairway Crossing project will go forward once the credits are secured, said Barry Palmer, an attorney for Southwest in the tax-credit matter. "We're not disappointed. We don't consider this a setback," he said.

Wednesday's action allowed a project in Denison, Texas, to receive 2005 credits that had been recommended for Southwest. But, pending the results of the FBI inquiry, the Southwest project could qualify for tax credits starting in 2006.

Mr. Conine said the decision pained him because the old apartment complex on Ferguson Road needs refurbishing. But in awarding tax credits, the board needs to uphold the public trust, he said.

Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said this month that the city won't consider any more tax credits for low-income apartments until the FBI finishes its investigation.
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#2246 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:33 am

Legislators 'started peeling off'

With lawmakers torn in too many directions, school bills were doomed

By CHRISTY HOPPE and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – The education bills fine-tuned by Republican leaders had hung around long enough for opponents to organize. And by this week, there were a lot of them.

Teachers hated the miserly pay raise and the emphasis on standardized tests; businesses felt whacked by new taxes; Democrats defended consumers; school superintendents complained their districts would lose funding ground and local control; the Senate didn't like the high sales taxes; and the House protested the low tax relief.

On Tuesday, it collapsed when House members threw out the school finance bill and then trounced the tax bill on a lopsided 124-8 vote.

"We had that perfect storm of complicated issues with very tired and frustrated legislators, and then the ongoing vocal opposition from the school administrators and teacher associations," said Michael Quinn Sullivan of the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation.

But in his mind, the plans fell apart on the shaky ground of politicians trying to sell a tax swap.

Proponents called it a property tax cut of historic proportions, while critics with equal accuracy called it the largest tax increase in Texas history – done by boosting state sales taxes to the highest in the nation. The Legislature's own numbers showed that 90 percent of Texans would probably pay more taxes under the plan.

"The whole debate was not about cutting taxes but shifting taxes around," Mr. Sullivan said. "Then you have winners and losers. The losers tend to be vocal, and the winners tend to be skeptical of government" and not really believe they'll see a tax cut, he said.

"As things became more complicated, people started peeling off," he said.

House Speaker Tom Craddick drew a similar conclusion, saying lawmakers were torn in too many directions.

"A lot of members thought there wasn't enough property tax relief. Some members didn't want to vote for a tax even if it meant property tax reduction," he said. "Some people are opposed to putting more money into schools. You have a huge mixture out there."

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Mr. Craddick huddled in the governor's office for nearly three hours to determine what might be salvaged during the last 23 days of the second special session this year on school finance.

Mr. Dewhurst said he was not ready to give up as he emerged from the meeting, indicating that the Senate may take up its own school finance bill this week while waiting on the House to take another stab at the tax bill.

Options are limited, however, since only the House can originate a tax bill and the legislation can only be considered again if it is substantially different from the measure voted down Tuesday.

Still hoping

"I don't think there is any question that the governor, the speaker and I would like to come out with a good solution," Mr. Dewhurst said.

"The Senate wants to act. They want to see education reform. They want to see local property taxes reduced," he said. "Don't confuse the House and the Senate."

But the legislation will still have to clear both chambers, and the prospects remained dim. A bare minimum plan might have some appeal, and some legislative leaders were talking about at least providing a small teacher pay raise and funding new textbooks.

As a testament to the broader school finance bill's narrow appeal, the grim prognosis was welcome news among school districts and education groups.

"Lawmakers have heeded the message from educators, PTAs, average taxpayers and enlightened business people," said Linda Bridges, new president of the Texas Federation of Teachers. "We hope the big three state leaders will now abandon the narrow and inadequate agenda they have pursued thus far and listen to the message from back home."

School districts said the meltdown in the House was inevitable because legislative leaders never put enough focus on schools.

"They missed the boat," said Clayton Downing, director of the Texas School Coalition and former superintendent of Lewisville schools. "They've been more focused on campaign promises like property tax relief than on solving the education funding issue. It was a mistake that not a dime of the tax bill was going to schools."

Dr. Downing and other school district representatives said it didn't help that the education bill was loaded down with unpopular ideas like instituting a later start date for schools and holding nonpartisan school board elections in November.

"There was plenty for school districts to dislike in this legislation," he said.

Teacher groups also galvanized their members against the plans. The Texas State Teachers Association flooded House members with an estimated 3,500 telephone calls and thousands more e-mails voicing their opposition.

"The longer those bills sat out there, the more time folks had to look at them and find how bad they were," said Richard Kouri of the teachers group.

Democrats in both the House and Senate were among the skeptics on the proposals backed by GOP leaders.

"Teacher raises were never as much as advertised, and there was never enough new money in the bill to solve the issues in our schools," said Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

Mr. Perry said the naysayers won the day in the House, which left him "shocked and surprised."

Assigning blame

He laid the blame on education groups and those who would pay the new taxes, such as the 10,000 businesses that had escaped the state franchise tax, and tobacco interests.

"The special interests want to protect the education status quo. They want to protect their tax loopholes. They want to protect their market share of tobacco addicts," Mr. Perry said. "Why should the special interests win at the expense of schoolchildren, parents and taxpayers?"

But even lawmakers who wanted to continue work on the plans said the House's overwhelming rejection of the tax plan was designed to send a message to the governor, who has kept them in session even after knowing there were no agreements on the tax shift.

It was "a stampede to bash the governor," said Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas.

Mr. Hartnett registered himself "present, not voting" on the tax bill because "I did not want to be a part of that stampede."

The bill died, he said, because everyone apparently wanted to "flee our difficult responsibility to address school finance."
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#2247 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:34 am

CRIME ALERT: Puppy dogs' tale has sad ending

By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News

HURST, Texas - Dog gone!

Actually, two dogs are gone.

Hurst police are looking for the thieves who dognapped 3-month-old black Chihuahuas Sassee and Simple on July 10 from Bellaire South Park. The owners had let the dogs off their leashes for a late-night roam around the park.

Melody Yanez and her 10-year-old daughter, Amanda, had taken the puppies for a walk when someone in a silver Dodge Ram pickup lured them away.

Amanda "actually chased the truck. She was screaming," Ms. Yanez said.

Sgt. Craig Teague said the dogs are worth about $300 each.
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#2248 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:18 am

Bomb detector 'sniffs' D/FW passengers

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

D/FW AIRPORT, Texas — A new device now in place at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is designed to increase passenger security while speeding up checkpoint procedures.

The explosives detection trace portal looks like an oversized metal detector. Two of the sophisticated units have been installed at D/FW's brand-new international Terminal D.

If a passenger sets off a metal detector during a routine security screening, he or she may be asked to step into the EntryScan portal. The device sends puffs of air toward the passenger which are then analyzed for potential explosives.

"Rather than pat them down, we'll utilize the machine here," said Jimmy Wooten, Transportation Security Agency federal security director. "It's certainly a more decisive technology, and it's a lot more friendlier to the passengers."

Another two portals will go online at other D/FW terminals in September. The TSA said it is setting up 44 of these detectors at airports around the nation as part of an overall strategy to enhance aviation safety.

The devices are a direct response to the crashes of two Russian airliners on the same day last August. Forty-six people died in the twin disasters; officials said suicide bombers may have been responsible.

D/FW's baggage handling system already includes 47 explosive detection screening machines and 104 explosive trace detection devices.

WFAA.com contributed to this report.
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#2249 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:21 am

Inquiry stalls city housing funds

State: No aid until FBI completes investigation

By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News

DENISON, Texas - State money for a $21 million affordable housing project has been put on hold until a state agency can clarify the developer's role in an FBI investigation into public corruption.

Southwest Housing requested about $10 million in tax credits to rebuild a 310-apartment complex at 7229 Ferguson Road, just north of Interstate 30 in Far East Dallas. But Wednesday, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs put the money on hold for a year, pending the outcome of the federal investigation into corruption at Dallas City Hall.

"We can't be oblivious to what's going on, I don't think. That would be irresponsible," said C. Kent Conine, vice chairman of the state agency's board.

Mr. Conine, who lives in Frisco, stressed that no one has been indicted. But because of the investigation, the board thought it prudent not to award the money Wednesday, he said.

Southwest Housing officials have denied any wrongdoing and have said they expect their latest project to move forward.

Last month, FBI agents searched the offices of Southwest Housing in northeast Dallas. Agents also searched the offices of Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, council member James Fantroy and Mr. Hill's appointee to the City Plan Commission, D'Angelo Lee.

The investigation appears to involve some projects of Southwest and another company, Odyssey Residential Holdings, headed by a former Southwest official. Both companies have gone before the Dallas City Council seeking approval to build affordable housing with state tax credits. In Dallas, a developer needs council approval to qualify for the state tax credits.

Staff at the state agency had recommended the Southwest project on Ferguson, called Fairway Crossing, for approval. The agency's board met Wednesday to approve about $40 million in tax credits for 2005. The credits encourage private developers to build homes for people who can't pay market-rate rents.

The credits are awarded over 10 years, but developers can sell the credits and get money up front to build their projects.

The Fairway Crossing project will go forward once the credits are secured, said Barry Palmer, an attorney for Southwest in the tax-credit matter. "We're not disappointed. We don't consider this a setback," he said.

Wednesday's action allowed a project in Denison, Texas, to receive 2005 credits that had been recommended for Southwest. But, pending the results of the FBI inquiry, the Southwest project could qualify for tax credits starting in 2006.

Mr. Conine said the decision pained him because the old apartment complex on Ferguson Road needs refurbishing. But in awarding tax credits, the board needs to uphold the public trust, he said.

Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said this month that the city won't consider any more tax credits for low-income apartments until the FBI finishes its investigation.
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#2250 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:46 am

Wedding facility owner accused of shooting neighbor's dog

By KEVIN PETERS / KVUE ABC 24 of Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Homeowners in one Austin-area neighborhood are outraged after the owner of a nearby home and wedding facility allegedly shot and killed a neighborhood dog while it sat inside a backyard.

Investigators said the dog was shot once in the neck with a .22 caliber pistol, and now the dog's owner said she wants justice.

When Melissa Ortiz arrived at her home in Pflugerville on July 15, the first thing she did was check on her 5-year-old dog, Orion, chained in the back yard.

"As I opened the back blinds to my door, I was face to face with a man that yelled at me to get out of my house," she said.

Ortiz says Norris Cole proceeded to tell her a story of how he chased a robber into her backyard. After she called police, she said the truth came out.

"(I) found out that it was him that shot my dog after finding the gun on him," Ortiz said.

Investigators said it was a .22 caliber pistol.

Cole had apparently placed the border collie-lab mix in trash bags and had already carried him out to his truck when the story unfolded.

"I was very upset," Ortiz said. "I really miss him a lot. It's not the same without him."

Cole owns the Plantation House, an upscale home rented out year round to host private weddings that is right across the fence from Ortiz's home. Deputies said Cole wanted peace and quiet for his home and business, and told them that he was tired of the dog constantly barking.

Cole's attorney, Jamie Balagia, issued a statement saying "Norris Cole deeply regrets the mistake he made. The action taken is not who he is. He is cooperating with law enforcement, and is getting the counseling that is needed."

Many neighbors who live on the street said they are frightened.

"We don't come out here anymore because we don't feel safe - it's bad," Ortiz said. "If we go outside, we go in the front yard."

Cole faces one count of animal cruelty, a state jail felony, and one count of criminal trespassing.

His attorney said he's received dozens of e-mails and phone calls threatening his family; he hopes those come to an end.

Meanwhile, ATF investigators said Cole had some sort of silencer or flash suppressor on the gun, which could also be illegal.
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#2251 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:04 pm

17-year-old charged in sex assault

LEWISVILLE, Texas (DallasNews.com) - Lewisville police charged a 17-year-old Wednesday with aggravated sexual assault of a child after arresting the teenager and his alleged victim for suspicion of shoplifting.

Police responded to a store in the 700 block of Hebron on Wednesday on a shoplifting call. They arrested two suspects: Kevin Duane Peelle, 17, and a 13-year-old girl.

Lewisville police spokesman Richard Douglass said that as police questioned the pair, they learned the girl was a runaway who was staying with Mr. Peelle. Mr. Douglass said they also learned Mr. Peelle had sex with the 13-year-old.

Mr. Peelle was being held at the Lewisville jail Thursday in lieu of $6,000 bail on the sexual assault and shoplifting charges. The 13-year-old girl was detained for being a runaway and shoplifting. She was released to a parent on Wednesday.
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#2252 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:06 pm

High-speed chase tears through Houston

From KHOU CBS 11 of Houston

HOUSTON, Texas - A Montero SUV led police on a high speed chase that at one point reached 100 mph during Thursday morning rush hour.

The chase lasted for about 20 minutes started in Southeast Houston near Broadway and ended near the Beltway at South Post Oak.

The suspect exited the Beltway and was near a parking lot when he turned. A police car bumped him, and the suspect stopped the car and got out. He exited the vehicle and immediately got on his stomach with his hands and legs spread so officials could clearly see them.

Authorities say the driver threw something out of the vehicle during the chase along the Beltway.
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#2253 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:09 pm

School bus involved in Plano wreck

PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A school bus carrying several children was involved in an accident at midday Thursday in east Plano.

The wreck happened just after noon at the intersection of East Park Boulevard and Avenue K, just east of Central Expressway.

The bus, which belonged to a school and day care called Achievement Center of Texas, was struck on its side by a car that appeared to be attempting a turn.

Plano police said several people involved in the wreck suffered minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, but nothing serious.

The intersection was closed until police could complete their investigation and clear the accident.

Image
WFAA ABC 8
Several involved in the accident suffered minor injuries.
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#2254 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 3:40 pm

Plant explodes in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A series of explosions quickly engulfed an industrial plant in north Fort Worth early Thursday afternoon, causing a massive plume of black smoke and leading to evacuations in the area.

The fire was first reported around 1:15 p.m. at Valley Solvents and Chemicals in the 2500 block of Northeast 33rd Street at the intersection of Bethlehem Street. The thick smoke could be seen for dozens of miles, even by workers in office towers in downtown Dallas.

Fire department reports indicate at least four people have been injured. Three were taken by Medstar ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital, and one was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital.

"All of our employees have been accounted for and are safe," said Bill Davis, president of Valley Solvents. He said one employee suffered minor burns but that the injuries were not life-threatening.

Davis, who was headed to the scene from the company's facility in Corpus Christi, said the plant had a variety of chemicals in storage tanks, drums and pallets.

As the fire spread, large explosions could be seen shooting from the building, along with jet-like plumes of fire. Just after 3 p.m., the walls of the Valley Solvents building began to collapse. Additionally, a second smaller fire flared up elsewhere on the property; officials said it may be coming from a storm drain connected to the building where the main fire was burning.

"It shook all the buildings here," said Angela McOllum, who works at a cement plant about 100 yards away. "All I can see is just tons of fire and tons of smoke, and it's really kind of scary."

McOllum spoke by telephone with WFAA ABC 8, waiting for official word on what to do next.

"Everyone's got their masks on for the chemicals in the air," McOllum said. "I'm ready to leave."

Traffic Pulse reports indicate I-35W/Highway 287 and North Loop 820, both within a couple miles of the fire, are gridlocked in both directions. Additionally, traffic was jammed in all directions on streets near the fire. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

Environmental Protection Agency officials were headed to the scene to take air and water samples, which will help determine whether more evacuations or other protective actions are needed.

Fort Worth ISD spokesperson Valerie Robertson said seven schools near the fire have been evacuated as a precaution: Carter-Riverside High School, Riverside Middle School, Oakhurst Elementary, Springdale Elementary, Bonnie Brae Elementary, Natha Howell Elementary and Riverside Applied Learning Center. Classes have not yet started in Fort Worth, but staff and teachers were already on the campuses preparing to begin the school year.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport officials said that the FAA had not issued any advisories for air traffic in North Texas, and the fire had not affected any arriving or departing flights at D/FW.

Watch WFAA.com and News 8 for more on this developing story.

WFAA-TV's Karin Kelly, Dan Ronan, John Gudjohnsen, Jack Beavers and Steve Young, WFAA.com's Walt Zwirko and Alan Melson and DallasNews.com's Linda Leavell contributed to this report.

Video of Explosions
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#2255 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:41 pm

Fort Worth fire declared 'out'

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - A series of explosions quickly engulfed an industrial plant in north Fort Worth early Thursday afternoon, causing a massive plume of black smoke and leading to evacuations in the area.

The five-alarm fire was first reported around 1:15 p.m. at Valley Solvents and Chemicals in the 2500 block of Northeast 33rd Street at the intersection of Bethlehem Street. The thick smoke could be seen for dozens of miles - even by workers in office towers in downtown Dallas - and the fire burned for several hours until it was officially declared "out" by Fort Worth Fire Department officials around 4:45 p.m. Even then, officials said pooled hydrocarbon at the scene would take a while longer to burn off.

FWFD spokesperson Lt. Kent Worley said four people were injured. Three were taken by Medstar ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital, with one later transported by ambulance to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The other injured person was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital.

Worley said Fort Worth crews received help from Alliance Airport, D/FW Airport and Naval Air Station personnel, because they had foam nozzles that are able to reach greater distances. However, crews let the fire burn while keeping it contained to avoid increased dangerous exposure to firefighters.

"We decided the best course of action was to let it burn off as much as possible," Worley said.

Bill Davis, president of Valley Solvents, said the plant had a variety of chemicals in storage tanks, drums and pallets.

"All of our employees have been accounted for and are safe," said Davis.

Worley said it was still too early to determine an exact cause, but an investigation was under way.

"An employee that I spoke with ... he said the initial explosion area was near an 18-wheeler that was unloading methanol at that time," he said.

As the fire spread, large explosions could be seen shooting from the building, along with jet-like plumes of fire. Just after 3 p.m., the walls of the Valley Solvents building began to collapse. Additionally, a second smaller fire briefly flared up at a nearby lumberyard; officials said it likely came from a storm drain connected to the building where the main fire was burning.

"It shook all the buildings here," said Angela McOllum, who works at a cement plant about 100 yards away. "All I can see is just tons of fire and tons of smoke, and it's really kind of scary."

Traffic Pulse reports indicate Interstate 35W, Highway 287 and North Loop 820 are gridlocked in both directions near the fire. Additionally, traffic was jammed on streets near the fire. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

Officials with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said they monitored the wind in the area throughout the afternoon for local emergency management officials.

Relatively low wind speeds of about 13 miles per hour allowed the plume of smoke and any debris to be carried aloft and dispersed. A higher wind speed likely would have fanned the flames and carried embers and any potential toxins much faster, possibly causing secondary fires.

Environmental Protection Agency officials were headed to the scene to take air and water samples, which will help determine whether more evacuations or other protective actions are needed.

Fort Worth ISD spokesperson Valerie Robertson said seven schools near the fire have been evacuated as a precaution: Carter-Riverside High School, Riverside Middle School, Oakhurst Elementary, Springdale Elementary, Bonnie Brae Elementary, Natha Howell Elementary and Riverside Applied Learning Center. Classes have not yet started in Fort Worth, but staff and teachers were already on the campuses preparing to begin the school year.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport officials said that the FAA had not issued any advisories for air traffic in North Texas, and the fire had not affected any arriving or departing flights at D/FW.

Watch WFAA.com and News 8 for more on this developing story.

WFAA-TV newsroom staff and reporters, WFAA.com's Walt Zwirko and Alan Melson, DallasNews.com's Linda Leavell and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.

Amateur Video (courtesy of Joey McCrory)
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#2256 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:34 pm

Items for foster kids' charity put on eBay

Exclusive: President of parent group tearfully admits selling donations

By SCOTT FARWELL / The Dallas Morning News

ALLEN, Texas – The president of Collin County's largest foster parent group said this week she sold donated clothing, bedding and toys for needy children on eBay and used the money to pay her bills.

Marcia Hookie, 50, of Allen, tearfully admitted that she violated state law, a written agreement with a national nonprofit distributor, and the trust of the more than 250 families in her charitable group, the Foster and Adoptive Parents of Collin County.

"My kids are going to pay for this," she said, sobbing. "I run a group of foster parents, and they look up to everything I do. I tell them they can't sell stuff, they can't return it ... and then I'm out there doing it."

Mrs. Hookie said she was motivated by desperation, not greed.

She initially deflected questions about one of her eBay accounts, "txmomof7," suggesting someone had hijacked her laptop and stolen her password. She said one of her adult children, unnamed enemies from a competing foster parent group, or jealous mothers within her organization may be guilty.

"I swear to God I did not sell those things," Mrs. Hookie said, standing in the doorway of her home, one of her four adopted children peeking around her waist.

But later, when confronted with transaction records from her online account, the foster mother of 13 years dissolved in tears.

"I did it," she said. "I don't know why. There's no excuse."

Mrs. Hookie, who currently has one foster child, said she has made about $200 since May selling new and like-new donations from Pottery Barn Kids on eBay. Her organization also collects gifts from Disney Toys, Williams Sonoma and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Those businesses contract with a Virginia-based philanthropic group, Gifts In Kind, which marries local charities with corporate donors. Mrs. Hookie makes a circuit to local stores about once a month to pick up overstocked, outdated and opened items, which are supposed to be distributed to foster and adopted children.

Barry Anderson, interim president and chief executive officer of Gifts In Kind, cut off the Collin County charity on Tuesday.

"We're out there trying to do the better good," Mr. Anderson said. "If we find criminals or scoundrels, we're going to purge them."

The Collin County district attorney's office is not investigating Mrs. Hookie, but a spokesman for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the situation could lead to the revocation of the charity's tax-exempt status. It is against the law in Texas to sell for personal gain goods donated to a charity.

Child Protective Services would not take action against Mrs. Hookie, according to spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales, unless she was charged with a crime or her children were in danger.

"We don't have any indication those children have been mistreated in any way," she said.

'Perk to fostering'

Mrs. Hookie's scam began to unravel about a month ago during a lunch meeting with Melissa Hutchison of McKinney.

Mrs. Hutchison said she was interested in becoming a foster parent, and was seeking the guidance of Mrs. Hookie, whose name and number popped up during a simple Internet search. They met at a Mexican restaurant in Allen.

Almost immediately, Mrs. Hutchison said, her lunch mate encouraged her to work the foster care system to maximize payments from the state. She said Mrs. Hookie told her foster parents are paid $16 to $17 a day to take care of healthy children, but if she earned a certification to take care of sick children, she could collect as much as $25 to $26 a day.

"At some point in the conversation she mentioned a great perk to fostering ... [donations] from a company called Gifts In Kind," Mrs. Hutchison said. " She seemed to be bragging a bit on all the nice things the expensive stores donated to her. She said since she was the president of the organization, [and] she gets first look at everything."

Abruptly, Mrs. Hutchison said, Mrs. Hookie asked her if she used eBay. Later, she offered her user name.

"She kept saying that she makes a ton of money on it and how I should join and start reaping the benefits of selling online," Mrs. Hutchison said.

A few days later, Mrs. Hutchison surfed to the eBay Web site and typed in "txmomof8," which she had been given, and then, out of curiosity, looked under "txmomof7".

A light bulb went off when she noticed a long list of things from Pottery Barn Kids, Disney and Williams Sonoma.

Mrs. Hutchison wrote an e-mail to Gifts In Kind and The Dallas Morning News.

"I guess she never thought I'd go and look and figure her out," Mrs. Hutchison said. "It makes me feel sad, especially when she said a perk of fostering is all that free stuff."

'Believe in Angels?'

Mrs. Hookie may be the most celebrated foster parent in Collin County, in part because of an essay published last Christmas on The News' Collin County editorial page. It was headlined, "Do you believe in Angels?"

"Marcia Hookie has welcomed children to her home for about 12 years, after having raised three daughters. Marcia has mothered about 70 children. It doesn't matter how the child comes – abused, neglected, naked, newborn or hungry – Marcia welcomes them all. She lovingly accepts children of all colors and all medical conditions (in a body cast or toting an oxygen tank, for example).

"Whenever Child Protective Services calls, even in the middle of the night, Marcia is ready with a big smile and a 'yes' to whatever child needs her. The children always come first. Marcia, a foster parent, is truly an angel to children in need."

In foster care and adoptive parents circles, Mrs. Hookie is also known as the mother who took in a baby girl who was abandoned Dec. 29, 1993, in the laundry room of an Arlington apartment complex. Nurses named her Baby Noel.

Sabrina Parker, a foster care and adoption recruiter for the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center, said she doesn't condone Mrs. Hookie's behavior, but one mistake shouldn't overshadow years of selfless work.

She said there are 400 children needing foster care in Collin County and only 120 available homes. Mrs. Parker said she hopes this story does not discourage prospective foster parents from taking in children who need homes.

"This is an error of judgment by someone who's not a bad person," she said. "This is someone who for years and years has cared for foster and adopted children, and she has done wonderful things."

Kim Richardson, vice president of the Collin County foster parents group, suspects Mrs. Hookie isn't the only person in the charity who is abusing the system.

Some foster and adoptive mothers were collecting as many as a dozen new comforters each month when the group held its monthly Closet Cleaning event for donated goods.

"You know they don't have that many beds in their house," she said. "And most of them are king and queen size when most people have toddler beds or twin beds. We always assumed people sold them on eBay or in garage sales."

Mrs. Richardson said the Collin County charity is likely to die without Mrs. Hookie.

"I realize she messed up, but there are probably a lot of other members doing the same thing," she said. "I think ... she deserves another chance because I don't believe she would ever do anything like this again."
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#2257 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:36 pm

Convicted killer in Austin slaying executed

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A former Austin drifter was executed Thursday evening for the rape-slaying of a Minnesota woman attacked on a jogging trail eight years ago.

David Martinez received lethal injection for the 1997 killing of Kiersa Paul, a 24-year-old former art student who said she was going to meet him at a popular Austin park. "Only the sky and green grass goes on forever, and today is a good day to die," Martinez said in a brief statement before being put to death.

As the drugs began taking effect, Martinez sputtered and gasped several times before losing consciousness. He was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m., eight minutes after the drugs began flowing into his arms.

Paul's parents, holding hands with another of their daughters, watched through a window a few feet away from Martinez. He made brief eye contact but said nothing to them.

As other witnesses, including his mother, entered a chamber viewing area, Martinez nodded and smiled.

Martinez, 29, was the 10th condemned prisoner to receive lethal injection this year in Texas, the nation's most active capital punishment state.

Attorneys tried to block the execution with an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that prosecutors in Travis County should have done more to investigate claims of Martinez's abusive childhood. Jurors who determined he should be put to death should have had more of that information so they could have better considered whether a life prison term would have been more appropriate, lawyers said in their appeals.

Moments before Martinez was scheduled to die, the high court rejected the appeals.

Martinez was convicted of capital murder for the death of Paul, a University of Minnesota sophomore art student who came to Austin to visit her sister in late 1996 and decided to extend her stay. She'd found work as a cashier at an Austin bakery and apparently met Martinez through mutual friends.

Eight years ago last week, Paul told her sister she was heading out on her bicycle to a popular Austin park along the Barton Creek greenbelt to meet someone she knew only as "Wolf," which was Martinez's nickname.

The next morning, her body was found by a jogger. She'd been raped and strangled, had her throat cut at least eight times and had an "X" carved into her chest.

Martinez was arrested days later. A Travis County jury deliberated only 15 minutes at his 1998 trial before convicting him of capital murder. Two weeks later, they decided he should be put to death.

"The case on guilt-innocence was fairly overwhelming," Darla Davis, a Travis County assistant district attorney who was one of

the trial prosecutors, said Wednesday. "We had DNA, we had hair consistent with his in her hand, he had her belongings, and he had a knife with her blood on it."

"Sometimes in capital cases, the issue is not going to be whether he's guilty or not," Bill White, one of Martinez's trial lawyers, said. "The issue was the punishment issue.

"Our goal was to bring forward evidence in terms of his own life in his family and how he grew up and the circumstances that certainly were not the best. ... My idea was to try to talk them out of death."

Court documents indicated Martinez's mother may have abused and neglected him. Their house was filled with bird feces. His father was living elsewhere in an openly gay relationship and involved in the manufacture of sadomasochistic sex toys. When he stayed there, he also may have been abused. Later, Martinez at times lived on the streets of Austin.

Appeals lawyers tracked down his father, but they said he refused to cooperate. He also had refused to testify at Martinez's trial.

At the time of the slaying, Martinez was on probation for a 1995 conviction for possession of an explosive device, a homemade hand grenade police found in his car during a traffic stop.

At least eight other Texas death row inmates have execution dates, two in each of the next four months. After Martinez, next on the schedule is Gary Sterling, set to die Aug. 10 for the 1988 robbery and slaying of a Navarro County man.
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#2258 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:37 pm

Texas City plant hit again by another explosion

TEXAS CITY (WFA ABC 8/AP) - An explosion and fire late today rocked a Texas City British Petroleum refinery where 15 people died during a blast in March.

Bruce Clawson with the Texas City Office of Emergency Management said no injuries have been reported.

Clawson said company officials report all B-P employees have been accounted for.

The cause of the fiery accident is sought.

Residents who live near the refinery reported hearing and feeling the explosion from their homes.

Texas City officials were told a hydrocarbon product was burning as a result of the explosion.

Television coverage of the fire showed emergency crews watering down flames.

The March 23 blast, which occurred in a unit that boosts the octane level of gasoline, killed 15 contractors and injured more than 170 workers.
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#2259 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:38 pm

Historic Dallas family fights to protect graves

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A fight continues between the Dallas Independent School District and Calvary Hill Cemetery, which is located in Northwest Dallas off of Lombardy Lane and Webb Chapel.

The DISD wants a vacant field to the north of the cemetery to build two schools. But an historic Dallas family has now said they have proof that the field is actually a scattered grave sight.

"There are scores of people buried out here," said Sunny Letot. "Their homes were here. They lived here. They worked here. They built a community. They built a town."

The field was once the giant farm of French immigrant Clement Letot and the Letot's family plot is nearby. However, a new sonar study of the field has indicated extended family and workers are buried in the field DISD wants to use for two new schools.

Letot said they have discovered 63 bodies through their study and believes if DISD starts building on the land, they will make a grim discovery.

"They are going to run into somebody," she said.

Letot said she and others see a different vision for the land than DISD.

"The DISD wants to build two schools here," she said. "We want to build a memorial to the past."

Living members of the family held a ceremony Thursday in an attempt to protect the graves of their ancestors. Family members started to mark the graves they have found in the study.

The family said they hope the legal hurdles of unearthing scores of graves will mean construction will never start.

"This is hallowed ground," Letot said. "This has been a cemetery for over a hundred years. They don't need this land. They need to go somewhere else."
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#2260 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:39 pm

SPCA volunteer's killer sought

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Staff and volunteers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, SPCA, posted fliers around Lovers Lane and Abrams in Dallas looking not only for two lost cats, but also for the person who killed their owner.

Gail Delay volunteered for the SPCA for 18 years. Now flowers mark the doorway of her apartment where on Sunday friends found her dead in a pool of blood. The 49-year-old had been beaten and stabbed. A horrible end friend said for the graphic artist who specialized in whimsical sketches.

"She had been there Friday, said 'I'll see you tomorrow at the vaccination clinic,'" said Anita Edson, a friend and colleague at the SPCA. "When she didn't show up, we wondered about that and we called her."

For the SPCA she created a coloring book to teach children how to care for pets. The work - all donated - won a national award from the Humane Society. Now her friends are collecting donations to offer a reward for any information that leads to the killer.

"She spent her life and her talent making other lives better," said friend Carrie Clark. "Saving lives of animals that otherwise would have been euthanized."

Anyone who can help solve the crime is urged to call Dallas police at (214) 670-7448. The SPCA also wants to find her two cats that escaped after the killer left the door open. They said they believe Delay would want them found safe.

"This was such a horrible thing," Edson said. "We really want to do what we can to solve this crime."
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