News from the Lone Star State
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McKinney school flooded after two arson fires
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
McKINNEY, Texas - Dowell Middle School in McKinney was soaking wet Monday night because of two arson fires. Now, work crews at the middle school have just two weeks to clean the mess.
Firefighters estimated the damage at 900,000 dollars.
A burglar alarm went off at Dowell Middle School at 3:00 a.m. Saturday. Police and school officials searched the building but found nothing. Thirty minutes later, a fire alarm sounded. Police then walked the perimeter of the school but did not see any signs of fire. However, they didn't know inside two rooms fires triggered the sprinklers that weren't discovered until later that morning.
"These sprinklers were going for about four hours," said Cody Cunningham, a McKinney Independent School District spokesman. "The water came up six to eight inches."
The water damaged brand new copy machines, about 30 computers, 300 textbooks and a plethora of electronics.
Most of the damage was to walls and floors. Work crews installed fans, tore out carpeting and are using industrial dehumidifiers to get the water out.
"The majority of work should be completed by August 10 when teachers come back," Cunningham said.
McKinney police said there was no sign of forced entry and they believe whoever started the fires may have had a key to the school. Also, they suspect the arsonists probably set the fires with police officers standing right outside the building.
McKinney school officials said they will be ready for classes August 16, even if all the repairs aren't finished by then.
Administrators are meeting with police to determine if mistakes were made and whether anything could have been done different to detect the fire.
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
McKINNEY, Texas - Dowell Middle School in McKinney was soaking wet Monday night because of two arson fires. Now, work crews at the middle school have just two weeks to clean the mess.
Firefighters estimated the damage at 900,000 dollars.
A burglar alarm went off at Dowell Middle School at 3:00 a.m. Saturday. Police and school officials searched the building but found nothing. Thirty minutes later, a fire alarm sounded. Police then walked the perimeter of the school but did not see any signs of fire. However, they didn't know inside two rooms fires triggered the sprinklers that weren't discovered until later that morning.
"These sprinklers were going for about four hours," said Cody Cunningham, a McKinney Independent School District spokesman. "The water came up six to eight inches."
The water damaged brand new copy machines, about 30 computers, 300 textbooks and a plethora of electronics.
Most of the damage was to walls and floors. Work crews installed fans, tore out carpeting and are using industrial dehumidifiers to get the water out.
"The majority of work should be completed by August 10 when teachers come back," Cunningham said.
McKinney police said there was no sign of forced entry and they believe whoever started the fires may have had a key to the school. Also, they suspect the arsonists probably set the fires with police officers standing right outside the building.
McKinney school officials said they will be ready for classes August 16, even if all the repairs aren't finished by then.
Administrators are meeting with police to determine if mistakes were made and whether anything could have been done different to detect the fire.
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Course on Bible assailed
Errors, fundamentalism cited; critics accused of promoting censorship
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) – A religious watchdog group went on the attack Monday against a Bible study course taught in hundreds of schools in Texas and across the country, saying it pushes students toward conservative Protestant viewpoints and violates religious freedom.
The Texas Freedom Network, which includes clergy of several faiths, said the course offered by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools is full of errors and dubious research that promote a fundamentalist Christian view.
The council dismissed the Texas Freedom Network as a "far left" extremist organization trying to stifle academic review of a historical text. Elizabeth Ridenour, president of the Bible class group, accused the network of censorship.
"They are actually quite fearful of academic freedom, and of local schools deciding for themselves what elective courses to offer their citizens," Ms. Ridenour says in a statement on the council's Web site.
Network President Kathy Miller said her group looked at the course after the Odessa school board voted in April to offer a Bible class. The network asked Mark A. Chancey, a professor and biblical scholar at Southern Methodist University, to review the council's curriculum. He was not paid for his work, Ms. Miller said.
Dr. Chancey's review found that the Bible is characterized as inspired by God, discussions of science are based on the claims of biblical creationists, Jesus is referred to as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, and archaeological findings are erroneously used to support claims of the Bible's historical accuracy. He said the course suggests that the Bible, instead of the Constitution, be considered the nation's founding document.
All of those points may be acceptable to some religions, but not to others, Dr. Chancey said.
His review also found that the curriculum relies on many nonacademic sources and directs teachers and students to sectarian Web sites and research materials. In other areas, entire pages or chapters appear to be lifted from other publications without proper sourcing, Dr. Chancey said.
"No public school student should have to have a particular religious belief forced upon them," said the Rev. Ragan Courtney, pastor of The Sanctuary, a Baptist congregation in Austin.
Dr. Chancey said it's possible to teach a course on the Bible with a scholarly approach without presenting a personal belief.
"I do it all the time," he said.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum says on its Web site that its elective course is offered in high schools and junior highs by more than 300 school districts in 37 states. Ms. Ridenour says on the site that the course is concerned with "education rather than indoctrination of students."
According to the Texas Freedom Network, 52 Texas school districts offer the class.
In Odessa, more than 6,000 people signed a petition in support of offering a Bible class before the proposal was approved in April. Although representatives of the Bible curriculum council had attended school board meetings in Odessa, Superintendent Wendell Sollis said course materials have not been selected.
The class will be offered starting in fall 2006.
Errors, fundamentalism cited; critics accused of promoting censorship
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) – A religious watchdog group went on the attack Monday against a Bible study course taught in hundreds of schools in Texas and across the country, saying it pushes students toward conservative Protestant viewpoints and violates religious freedom.
The Texas Freedom Network, which includes clergy of several faiths, said the course offered by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools is full of errors and dubious research that promote a fundamentalist Christian view.
The council dismissed the Texas Freedom Network as a "far left" extremist organization trying to stifle academic review of a historical text. Elizabeth Ridenour, president of the Bible class group, accused the network of censorship.
"They are actually quite fearful of academic freedom, and of local schools deciding for themselves what elective courses to offer their citizens," Ms. Ridenour says in a statement on the council's Web site.
Network President Kathy Miller said her group looked at the course after the Odessa school board voted in April to offer a Bible class. The network asked Mark A. Chancey, a professor and biblical scholar at Southern Methodist University, to review the council's curriculum. He was not paid for his work, Ms. Miller said.
Dr. Chancey's review found that the Bible is characterized as inspired by God, discussions of science are based on the claims of biblical creationists, Jesus is referred to as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, and archaeological findings are erroneously used to support claims of the Bible's historical accuracy. He said the course suggests that the Bible, instead of the Constitution, be considered the nation's founding document.
All of those points may be acceptable to some religions, but not to others, Dr. Chancey said.
His review also found that the curriculum relies on many nonacademic sources and directs teachers and students to sectarian Web sites and research materials. In other areas, entire pages or chapters appear to be lifted from other publications without proper sourcing, Dr. Chancey said.
"No public school student should have to have a particular religious belief forced upon them," said the Rev. Ragan Courtney, pastor of The Sanctuary, a Baptist congregation in Austin.
Dr. Chancey said it's possible to teach a course on the Bible with a scholarly approach without presenting a personal belief.
"I do it all the time," he said.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum says on its Web site that its elective course is offered in high schools and junior highs by more than 300 school districts in 37 states. Ms. Ridenour says on the site that the course is concerned with "education rather than indoctrination of students."
According to the Texas Freedom Network, 52 Texas school districts offer the class.
In Odessa, more than 6,000 people signed a petition in support of offering a Bible class before the proposal was approved in April. Although representatives of the Bible curriculum council had attended school board meetings in Odessa, Superintendent Wendell Sollis said course materials have not been selected.
The class will be offered starting in fall 2006.
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Siren upgrade nearing completion
Fire Department will update electronics on seven sirens, erect two new ones
By DANNY HAYES / San Angelo Standard Times Online Staff Writer
SAN ANGELO, Texas - The San Angelo Fire Department is entering the final stage of its plan to upgrade the city's emergency sirens.
In the third phase of the project, the Fire Department will update the electronics on seven sirens and erect two new ones in newly-annexed areas, said Fire Chief Alex Rodriguez.
When the project is finished - tentatively slated for the end of January - all of the sirens will be updated. There are 29 sirens in San Angelo, two in Grape Creek and one in Christoval.
The entire project, which started in 1997, cost approximately $135,000, Rodriguez said. The second phase was completed last year.
The first two phases cost about $60,000 in all, Rodriguez said, but the price tag for the third stage is about $75,000. The increase comes from the price of purchasing two new sirens for Country Club Lake Estates, near Lake Nasworthy, and Harvest Acres, near the south entrance of Goodfellow Air Force Base.
Each new siren costs $23,100. The upgrades on the seven older sirens will cost $29,610, or $4,230 each.
Neither of the neighborhoods, which were annexed in the last two years, currently have emergency sirens.
As part of the final phase, the Fire Department also will remove a siren from the area near Avenue L and Lincoln Street.
In 1997, Angelo State University installed its own siren on campus, duplicating the coverage of the older siren, Rodriguez said.
"I really couldn't see spending $4,500 to upgrade that one,'' he said.
When the old siren is taken down, its will be disassembled and used for replacement parts.
City dispatchers sound the sirens when the National Weather Service issues a severe weather warning for the Concho Valley. Officials say they serve as a signal for residents to go indoors and turn on a television or radio to learn what kind of weather is approaching.
The approval of a contract with Gifford Electric of Fort Worth to completed the siren upgrade is on the City Council's "consent agenda,'' which is a list of routine items scheduled for mass adoption with little or no discussion.
Fire Department will update electronics on seven sirens, erect two new ones
By DANNY HAYES / San Angelo Standard Times Online Staff Writer
SAN ANGELO, Texas - The San Angelo Fire Department is entering the final stage of its plan to upgrade the city's emergency sirens.
In the third phase of the project, the Fire Department will update the electronics on seven sirens and erect two new ones in newly-annexed areas, said Fire Chief Alex Rodriguez.
When the project is finished - tentatively slated for the end of January - all of the sirens will be updated. There are 29 sirens in San Angelo, two in Grape Creek and one in Christoval.
The entire project, which started in 1997, cost approximately $135,000, Rodriguez said. The second phase was completed last year.
The first two phases cost about $60,000 in all, Rodriguez said, but the price tag for the third stage is about $75,000. The increase comes from the price of purchasing two new sirens for Country Club Lake Estates, near Lake Nasworthy, and Harvest Acres, near the south entrance of Goodfellow Air Force Base.
Each new siren costs $23,100. The upgrades on the seven older sirens will cost $29,610, or $4,230 each.
Neither of the neighborhoods, which were annexed in the last two years, currently have emergency sirens.
As part of the final phase, the Fire Department also will remove a siren from the area near Avenue L and Lincoln Street.
In 1997, Angelo State University installed its own siren on campus, duplicating the coverage of the older siren, Rodriguez said.
"I really couldn't see spending $4,500 to upgrade that one,'' he said.
When the old siren is taken down, its will be disassembled and used for replacement parts.
City dispatchers sound the sirens when the National Weather Service issues a severe weather warning for the Concho Valley. Officials say they serve as a signal for residents to go indoors and turn on a television or radio to learn what kind of weather is approaching.
The approval of a contract with Gifford Electric of Fort Worth to completed the siren upgrade is on the City Council's "consent agenda,'' which is a list of routine items scheduled for mass adoption with little or no discussion.
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Police: Woman shot before crash
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police said a woman apparently trying to elude several other cars at high speed died after her vehicle slammed into a utility pole in the 8400 block of Forest Lane in North Dallas early Tuesday.
According to investigators, the woman in the eastbound car was shot while driving down the street before losing control, knocking down a light pole in the median and skidding across the road.
The car crashed into another utility pole near the intersection of Forest and TI Blvd at 4:15 a.m.
The name of the victim was not released, but police said she was a 19-year-old from the Dallas area.
Police stopped one of the vehicles that may have been involved in the chase and were questioning its occupants.
"Right now we believe this started at another location, and we believe we have multiple vehicles involved that chased this vehicle eastbound down Forest Lane," said Dallas police homicide detective Kenneth Penrod. "One of those vehicles we believe was firing the shots which struck the victim's vehicle multiple times, resulting in her death."
Penrod said the suspect or suspects remained at large. He added that this did not appear to be a case of road rage.
"I think this was an incident just involving these people, so I don't think anybody else in the area needs to worry about that," Penrod said.
He asked that anyone who may have witnessed events leading up to the murder contact police with details.
Morning rush hour traffic was blocked in both directions on Forest Lane during the police investigation.
Detectives were looking into the possibility that this incident was linked to another shooting at Forest and Marsh Lane at 11 p.m. Monday.
"There was another shooting that occurred at the RaceTrac gas station last night, which may be related—we're not positive," Penrod said.
A man was shot in the shoulder at that location.
WFAA ABC 8
Police surrounded the victim's car.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police said a woman apparently trying to elude several other cars at high speed died after her vehicle slammed into a utility pole in the 8400 block of Forest Lane in North Dallas early Tuesday.
According to investigators, the woman in the eastbound car was shot while driving down the street before losing control, knocking down a light pole in the median and skidding across the road.
The car crashed into another utility pole near the intersection of Forest and TI Blvd at 4:15 a.m.
The name of the victim was not released, but police said she was a 19-year-old from the Dallas area.
Police stopped one of the vehicles that may have been involved in the chase and were questioning its occupants.
"Right now we believe this started at another location, and we believe we have multiple vehicles involved that chased this vehicle eastbound down Forest Lane," said Dallas police homicide detective Kenneth Penrod. "One of those vehicles we believe was firing the shots which struck the victim's vehicle multiple times, resulting in her death."
Penrod said the suspect or suspects remained at large. He added that this did not appear to be a case of road rage.
"I think this was an incident just involving these people, so I don't think anybody else in the area needs to worry about that," Penrod said.
He asked that anyone who may have witnessed events leading up to the murder contact police with details.
Morning rush hour traffic was blocked in both directions on Forest Lane during the police investigation.
Detectives were looking into the possibility that this incident was linked to another shooting at Forest and Marsh Lane at 11 p.m. Monday.
"There was another shooting that occurred at the RaceTrac gas station last night, which may be related—we're not positive," Penrod said.
A man was shot in the shoulder at that location.

WFAA ABC 8
Police surrounded the victim's car.
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Guest alerts neighbors to condo fire
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The quick-thinking friend of a resident was credited with saving lives Tuesday morning when fire broke out at an Arlington condominium complex.
The first alarm went out around 1:30 a.m. at the Pecan Chase development in the 1600 block of Pecan Chase Circle, about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 30 on Fielder Road.
John Sparks, who was staying with a friend, said he woke up, saw the flames, and alerted the neighbors. He also rescued his girfriend's dogs—just in time.
"Two of the dogs were still in there," he said. "I broke out the bedroom window and we got out."
Sparks said the unit was in flames within five minutes.
Investigators said one condo suffered extensive damage and several others will face smoke and water cleanup.
Damage in the two-alarm fire was estimated at $100,000.
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The quick-thinking friend of a resident was credited with saving lives Tuesday morning when fire broke out at an Arlington condominium complex.
The first alarm went out around 1:30 a.m. at the Pecan Chase development in the 1600 block of Pecan Chase Circle, about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 30 on Fielder Road.
John Sparks, who was staying with a friend, said he woke up, saw the flames, and alerted the neighbors. He also rescued his girfriend's dogs—just in time.
"Two of the dogs were still in there," he said. "I broke out the bedroom window and we got out."
Sparks said the unit was in flames within five minutes.
Investigators said one condo suffered extensive damage and several others will face smoke and water cleanup.
Damage in the two-alarm fire was estimated at $100,000.
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County wants 121 to keep the change
Collin: Other leaders view toll project as state 'revenue generator'
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - If motorists must pay to drive State Highway 121 in Collin County, the money collected should be used to widen only that road, many local leaders there say.
The growing sentiment runs counter to state and regional leaders' hopes that a Highway 121 toll road would become a "revenue generator" that could help pay for highway projects in an era of stagnant gasoline-tax rates. Local leaders, in making their argument against the idea, say the possible toll road should not be viewed as a "cash cow."
"We heard enough at the city level and at our own level to say that the money needs to stay right on Highway 121," said Collin County Judge Ron Harris. "We think they should only sell enough bonds to finance the project – no excess."
A growing undercurrent of frustration with state funding policies in other areas helped lead to the move to scale back the revenue potential for the road and call for a county-based authority to oversee its financing and operation. Local policymakers are watching the continued debate over school finance and the plan critics have dubbed Robin Hood that has diverted millions of dollars from property-wealthy districts such as Plano to property-poor districts statewide.
Now, they are leery of creating a toll road that they say could eventually raise millions in revenue, only to have it sent to other parts of the state.
"It should not become a 'Robin Hood' for construction," said Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson. "If our council is going to look at a toll, one condition is that it pays only for what is needed."
Under the local toll authority idea, one possibility calls for future city councils and commissioners courts to decide what to do with tolls after paying off the project. Some tolls likely would be needed for maintenance and future reconstruction, but future leaders could decide what toll rates to set and where the revenue would be spent. State officials say the legal framework already exists to ensure toll revenue goes toward local projects.
The Collin County idea may be an easier sell for local leaders now, but it could have ramifications later. If Collin County supports a locally based toll road, it could be turning down hundreds of millions of dollars in future road construction money, state and regional leaders warn.
"I don't know if TxDOT [the Texas Department of Transportation] wants to be in the business of telling local leaders what decision to make, but they need to make that decision knowing they are walking away from capacity expansion in the future," said Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson.
According to recent estimates, a more traditional toll road would raise $381 million in construction funds. It also would raise another $326 million in incremental revenue over 40 years. Most of the construction funds would pay for completion of Highway 121 and build full interchanges at the Dallas North Tollway and Central Expressway. The $326 million was viewed as money that could help pay for other local projects.
Raising more money
With almost statewide reluctance to raise the 20-cents-per-gallon state tax on gasoline, state officials have generated heavy discussion of toll roads as a way to raise more money for highway projects.
Texas raises enough money to pay for about 30 percent of its road construction needs. With the toll policy, the state hoped to give more autonomy to local officials eager to build highway projects.
"We've done our best with limited resources to market new ways to solve problems," Mr. Williamson said.
Highway 121, for example, is viewed as one of the most lucrative toll projects in the state. Lured by its revenue potential, private developers have submitted proposals rumored to be valued at around $900 million for the right to build and operate the toll road.
The highway therefore can be viewed not only as a simple road, but also as an asset to the state, said Bill Hale, Dallas district engineer for the state Transportation Department. Because of that, the state might find it difficult to relinquish Highway 121 to a Collin County-led toll group that wouldn't raise additional revenue for other projects.
"We have an asset in this road out there, and turning it over would be like turning over your house," Mr. Hale said. Collin County may hope to simply assume control of Highway 121, but private bidders have set the bar higher, Mr. Hale added.
Local officials view it differently, arguing that local efforts have led to more than $100 million in land donations for the project. Local governments also have set aside tens of millions of dollars to help with the project. In addition, county officials say if a Collin-run toll group widened and operated Highway 121, it would allow the state to spend almost $400 million elsewhere in the region on needed projects.
"Projects like this should not be looked at as a cash cows just because we have the population and infrastructure," said Allen City Manager Peter Vargas, who pointed out that Collin County already has participated willingly in other toll projects, including the Bush Turnpike.In recent years, state officials have modified their position on toll roads, and that could have an effect on Highway 121 discussions.
On the Bush Turnpike, the state built several major highway interchanges, while the North Texas Tollway Authority built the turnpike's main lanes and then charged and collected all tolls. Today, the state still views itself as a partner with toll agencies, but it expects some toll-revenue sharing for any future projects that it helps build, Mr. Williamson said.
"For the past several years, we've made it clear to everyone that if we put money into a toll project, we are going to need to be part of the tolls collected in the future," he said.
That stance, coupled with local officials' belief that they have already contributed extensively to the project, may be leading to a difficult impasse that could endanger Highway 121 widening plans.
"If we decide to toll, it will be under the following conditions," said Plano Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Scott Johnson during a City Council meeting this week in which the council laid out a draft resolution. "If those conditions are not met, we would vote against tolling."
Short on time
Leaders on both sides of the discussion say they expect to reach some agreement, but time is running short.
State and regional leaders have set an Aug. 15 deadline for a Highway 121 toll road decision. Plano, Allen and Collin County have set votes for Aug. 9. Frisco has a discussion and vote scheduled for its Wednesday meeting. McKinney, which held three public hearings on the matter, voted in October to support tolls in hopes of getting a finished Highway 121 and some revenue for widening Central Expressway.
While hundreds of millions of dollars is at stake, state officials say, they will not force a toll road if local leaders don't want it. But they also will look for common ground if they believe a small faction is holding up a toll road.
"I do believe strongly there is a happy medium," said Mr. Hale. "Unanimous and consensus, if you look at their definitions, are not the same."
Any decision to put tolls on Highway 121 in Collin County must get approval from two groups: the Texas Transportation Commission and the Regional Transportation Council, an appointed 40-member group of mostly elected North Texas leaders that oversees transportation spending at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The regional group historically has supported local sentiment on projects.
The situation is similar to one in Denton County in 2004 that required extensive deadline negotiation, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the council of governments, the regional planning agency.
Local leaders need to hear other ideas about how excess toll revenue would still be controlled at the regional level, and the road's electronic tolling feature means that tolls could be adjusted lower during weekends and off-peak periods.
"I still think we're going to get it," he said, adding that if they don't agree, "where will the county get the money to build the magnitude of projects needed when they are already the size of Fort Worth?"
Staff writer Lee Powell contributed to this report.
Collin: Other leaders view toll project as state 'revenue generator'
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - If motorists must pay to drive State Highway 121 in Collin County, the money collected should be used to widen only that road, many local leaders there say.
The growing sentiment runs counter to state and regional leaders' hopes that a Highway 121 toll road would become a "revenue generator" that could help pay for highway projects in an era of stagnant gasoline-tax rates. Local leaders, in making their argument against the idea, say the possible toll road should not be viewed as a "cash cow."
"We heard enough at the city level and at our own level to say that the money needs to stay right on Highway 121," said Collin County Judge Ron Harris. "We think they should only sell enough bonds to finance the project – no excess."
A growing undercurrent of frustration with state funding policies in other areas helped lead to the move to scale back the revenue potential for the road and call for a county-based authority to oversee its financing and operation. Local policymakers are watching the continued debate over school finance and the plan critics have dubbed Robin Hood that has diverted millions of dollars from property-wealthy districts such as Plano to property-poor districts statewide.
Now, they are leery of creating a toll road that they say could eventually raise millions in revenue, only to have it sent to other parts of the state.
"It should not become a 'Robin Hood' for construction," said Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson. "If our council is going to look at a toll, one condition is that it pays only for what is needed."
Under the local toll authority idea, one possibility calls for future city councils and commissioners courts to decide what to do with tolls after paying off the project. Some tolls likely would be needed for maintenance and future reconstruction, but future leaders could decide what toll rates to set and where the revenue would be spent. State officials say the legal framework already exists to ensure toll revenue goes toward local projects.
The Collin County idea may be an easier sell for local leaders now, but it could have ramifications later. If Collin County supports a locally based toll road, it could be turning down hundreds of millions of dollars in future road construction money, state and regional leaders warn.
"I don't know if TxDOT [the Texas Department of Transportation] wants to be in the business of telling local leaders what decision to make, but they need to make that decision knowing they are walking away from capacity expansion in the future," said Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson.
According to recent estimates, a more traditional toll road would raise $381 million in construction funds. It also would raise another $326 million in incremental revenue over 40 years. Most of the construction funds would pay for completion of Highway 121 and build full interchanges at the Dallas North Tollway and Central Expressway. The $326 million was viewed as money that could help pay for other local projects.
Raising more money
With almost statewide reluctance to raise the 20-cents-per-gallon state tax on gasoline, state officials have generated heavy discussion of toll roads as a way to raise more money for highway projects.
Texas raises enough money to pay for about 30 percent of its road construction needs. With the toll policy, the state hoped to give more autonomy to local officials eager to build highway projects.
"We've done our best with limited resources to market new ways to solve problems," Mr. Williamson said.
Highway 121, for example, is viewed as one of the most lucrative toll projects in the state. Lured by its revenue potential, private developers have submitted proposals rumored to be valued at around $900 million for the right to build and operate the toll road.
The highway therefore can be viewed not only as a simple road, but also as an asset to the state, said Bill Hale, Dallas district engineer for the state Transportation Department. Because of that, the state might find it difficult to relinquish Highway 121 to a Collin County-led toll group that wouldn't raise additional revenue for other projects.
"We have an asset in this road out there, and turning it over would be like turning over your house," Mr. Hale said. Collin County may hope to simply assume control of Highway 121, but private bidders have set the bar higher, Mr. Hale added.
Local officials view it differently, arguing that local efforts have led to more than $100 million in land donations for the project. Local governments also have set aside tens of millions of dollars to help with the project. In addition, county officials say if a Collin-run toll group widened and operated Highway 121, it would allow the state to spend almost $400 million elsewhere in the region on needed projects.
"Projects like this should not be looked at as a cash cows just because we have the population and infrastructure," said Allen City Manager Peter Vargas, who pointed out that Collin County already has participated willingly in other toll projects, including the Bush Turnpike.In recent years, state officials have modified their position on toll roads, and that could have an effect on Highway 121 discussions.
On the Bush Turnpike, the state built several major highway interchanges, while the North Texas Tollway Authority built the turnpike's main lanes and then charged and collected all tolls. Today, the state still views itself as a partner with toll agencies, but it expects some toll-revenue sharing for any future projects that it helps build, Mr. Williamson said.
"For the past several years, we've made it clear to everyone that if we put money into a toll project, we are going to need to be part of the tolls collected in the future," he said.
That stance, coupled with local officials' belief that they have already contributed extensively to the project, may be leading to a difficult impasse that could endanger Highway 121 widening plans.
"If we decide to toll, it will be under the following conditions," said Plano Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Scott Johnson during a City Council meeting this week in which the council laid out a draft resolution. "If those conditions are not met, we would vote against tolling."
Short on time
Leaders on both sides of the discussion say they expect to reach some agreement, but time is running short.
State and regional leaders have set an Aug. 15 deadline for a Highway 121 toll road decision. Plano, Allen and Collin County have set votes for Aug. 9. Frisco has a discussion and vote scheduled for its Wednesday meeting. McKinney, which held three public hearings on the matter, voted in October to support tolls in hopes of getting a finished Highway 121 and some revenue for widening Central Expressway.
While hundreds of millions of dollars is at stake, state officials say, they will not force a toll road if local leaders don't want it. But they also will look for common ground if they believe a small faction is holding up a toll road.
"I do believe strongly there is a happy medium," said Mr. Hale. "Unanimous and consensus, if you look at their definitions, are not the same."
Any decision to put tolls on Highway 121 in Collin County must get approval from two groups: the Texas Transportation Commission and the Regional Transportation Council, an appointed 40-member group of mostly elected North Texas leaders that oversees transportation spending at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The regional group historically has supported local sentiment on projects.
The situation is similar to one in Denton County in 2004 that required extensive deadline negotiation, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the council of governments, the regional planning agency.
Local leaders need to hear other ideas about how excess toll revenue would still be controlled at the regional level, and the road's electronic tolling feature means that tolls could be adjusted lower during weekends and off-peak periods.
"I still think we're going to get it," he said, adding that if they don't agree, "where will the county get the money to build the magnitude of projects needed when they are already the size of Fort Worth?"
Staff writer Lee Powell contributed to this report.
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City official plans hunger strike for wife
Agency cites violations in deportation case
By GRETEL C. KOVACH / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - It was an unlikely romance: A millionaire real estate developer falls madly in love with a Chinese masseuse on the verge of being deported.
Ralph Isenberg risked everything for her. His marriage of 30 years disintegrated. His best friend stopped talking to him. His adult son and daughter shunned him.
Now he says he's prepared to die for Yanhong Hu.
Mr. Isenberg, a member of Dallas' City Plan Commission, said he is planning to begin a hunger strike this week after trying everything to keep his new wife in the country.
Since they met about three years ago, he persuaded high-placed government and business leaders – including U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions and Eddie Bernice Johnson and the entire Dallas City Council – to write letters of support for her residency application.
But Monday, immigration officials said they would not allow Yanhong Hu, who now goes by Nicole Isenberg, to stay in the country past Aug. 15. The couple had sought a six-month extension after the birth of their daughter on July 1.
"Three-fourths of my family perished in Nazi Germany. ... I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have to fight to keep my family together on U.S. soil," Mr. Isenberg said, choking back tears.
Doctors told the Isenbergs that the newborn, Niraya, is too young to travel to China.
Mrs. Isenberg's daughter from a previous marriage, whom Mr. Isenberg adopted, is about to start high school and may have to stay behind with the newborn in the care of their nanny as Mr. Isenberg splits his time between China and Dallas.
Immigration officials said they have been more than generous with Mrs. Isenberg, who pleaded no contest to a 2001 prostitution charge in Dallas, was incarcerated for 52 days for immigration violations and ordered deported in absentia when she missed an immigration hearing.
A statement from the Isenbergs sent to government and business leaders around the country says the misdemeanor prostitution charge, which preceded their 2004 marriage, was unfounded.
'Egregious' case
Paul Hunker III, chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas, said Mrs. Isenberg needs four waivers for immigration law violations before the State Department can approve her application for permanent residency.
"This is really one of the most egregious cases I've seen in my 12 years as a government attorney," he said.
Mr. Sessions had lobbied for a six-month delay in her departure, citing concern for the health of the baby.
Wealth or political influence cannot be a factor in the enforcement of immigration law, but the birth of a U.S. citizen is strongly taken into consideration, Mr. Hunker said.
"Originally, the Aug. 15 date was set with the birth of their child in mind, because of a request made by their attorney," Mr. Hunker said. "If we didn't care about the child, we would have picked [Mrs. Isenberg] up and deported her."
Dallas immigration lawyer Richard Fernandez, who is not involved in the case, said American immigration authorities will often allow the parents or spouses of citizens to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. if there are no negative factors.
"Adjustment of status is a privilege, and it's in the discretion of Citizenship and Immigration Services," Mr. Fernandez said. "Generally if you're open with them, they're amenable to helping you out, especially if there is a little baby involved."
No guarantees
A last-minute reprieve seems unlikely for the Isenbergs, and Mr. Isenberg said he sometimes finds his wife pacing the house in the middle of the night with Niraya in her arms, weeping.
"Right now the baby is too young. I cannot take the baby," Mrs. Isenberg said. "And I can't leave a newborn baby here."
If Mrs. Isenberg leaves, there is no guarantee she can return, and she faces a five-year ban for being deported in absentia. The Isenbergs are willing to go to China to sort things out but want some assurance that she can return quickly.
Dallas Justice of the Peace Thomas Jones married the Isenbergs and is their baby's godfather.
"I would venture that immigration is on point legally, but there comes a time when we need to be more humane," Judge Jones said. "This is not about the mother, this is not about the father, this is about the baby – a U.S. citizen, native-born U.S. citizen."
Mayor Laura Miller, who appointed Mr. Isenberg to the City Plan Commission, said she is sad for the Isenbergs, whom she described as a "really happy, loving, terrific family."
"It's very unfortunate. I wish that she could stay here and be a family," Ms. Miller said Monday when the Isenbergs' attempts for an extension collapsed.
For Mr. Isenberg, whose home is decorated with statues of Abraham Lincoln and Lady Liberty, his troubles with immigration are perplexing.
"This is just devastating to a family. I don't know what we're going to do," said Mr. Isenberg, 53. "Do I stay with my children or do I stay with my wife?"
Mrs. Isenberg, 40, originally came to the U.S. in 1999 on a business visa. Chinese authorities had forced her to use an IUD that was making her sick, she said.
"I wanted a better life. I feel more safe here," she said.
Mrs. Isenberg had an advanced engineering degree but arrived in this country unable to speak English. She worked as a waitress during 13-hour shifts for $20 a day, she said.
She didn't understand that a massage license in California was no good in Texas and was led by desperation and naiveté to a job in a Dallas bathhouse, the Isenbergs said.
But some of Mr. Isenberg's closest friends and business partners were skeptical. They feared that she was a con artist.
Dave Roberts said he had cautioned his longtime business partner and friend to move slowly with Nicole but now has no doubts about their relationship.
"She's delightful, and I don't think there's any question that she loves Ralph," he said. "This is the happiest I've ever seen him."
Stories of romance
Eventually, as Mrs. Isenberg became a regular at parties and functions, mingling with the likes of Rudy Giuliani, those with a romantic streak began to lend their support. If Mr. Isenberg ever had any suspicions about his future wife, they disappeared when she allowed him to adopt her 14-year-old daughter.
Now, people remark on the gleam in his eye. They say he looks younger, and they listen to his giddy stories about the lovebirds' Titanic moment on the prow of a New York City night cruise past the Statue of Liberty.
They were both married, unhappily, when they met, Mr. Isenberg said. He was deeply lonely and, by his own account, had spent about a million dollars on the company of women. So while some may say that Mr. Isenberg rescued his future wife from the unsavory life of a bathhouse worker, it is Mrs. Isenberg who really rescued him, he said.
"I had sold my soul to the devil. I had lost all self-respect. Everyone in the business community, City Hall, they knew I was running around on my wife. I was basically a joke," he said.
"That all ended when I met Nicole."
They wed March 13, 2004, in their living room, using attorneys as ring bearers.
In his fight for his family's future, Mr. Isenberg has assembled several 4-inch-thick binders of immigration documents. While Mozart drifted downstairs from his adopted daughter's piano lesson, Mr. Isenberg flipped through the pages, recounting what he sees as flaws in the government's proceedings.
For instance, Mrs. Isenberg said she never received notice of the immigration hearing that led to her deportation in absentia. The notice was sent to her previous attorney in California, though she had filed change of address forms after her move to Texas.
"To be forced from this country because I have a Chinese wife, and the government made a clerical error, it's not conceivable. It's not American," Mr. Isenberg said.
He intends to rent an RV and drive around the state lobbying officials to help him keep his family together. First stop: Crawford, Texas.
"What am I without my wife?" Mr. Isenberg asked. "If I have to die for my family, OK. I've got millions in life insurance, millions in assets. They'd be taken care of."
Agency cites violations in deportation case
By GRETEL C. KOVACH / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - It was an unlikely romance: A millionaire real estate developer falls madly in love with a Chinese masseuse on the verge of being deported.
Ralph Isenberg risked everything for her. His marriage of 30 years disintegrated. His best friend stopped talking to him. His adult son and daughter shunned him.
Now he says he's prepared to die for Yanhong Hu.
Mr. Isenberg, a member of Dallas' City Plan Commission, said he is planning to begin a hunger strike this week after trying everything to keep his new wife in the country.
Since they met about three years ago, he persuaded high-placed government and business leaders – including U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions and Eddie Bernice Johnson and the entire Dallas City Council – to write letters of support for her residency application.
But Monday, immigration officials said they would not allow Yanhong Hu, who now goes by Nicole Isenberg, to stay in the country past Aug. 15. The couple had sought a six-month extension after the birth of their daughter on July 1.
"Three-fourths of my family perished in Nazi Germany. ... I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have to fight to keep my family together on U.S. soil," Mr. Isenberg said, choking back tears.
Doctors told the Isenbergs that the newborn, Niraya, is too young to travel to China.
Mrs. Isenberg's daughter from a previous marriage, whom Mr. Isenberg adopted, is about to start high school and may have to stay behind with the newborn in the care of their nanny as Mr. Isenberg splits his time between China and Dallas.
Immigration officials said they have been more than generous with Mrs. Isenberg, who pleaded no contest to a 2001 prostitution charge in Dallas, was incarcerated for 52 days for immigration violations and ordered deported in absentia when she missed an immigration hearing.
A statement from the Isenbergs sent to government and business leaders around the country says the misdemeanor prostitution charge, which preceded their 2004 marriage, was unfounded.
'Egregious' case
Paul Hunker III, chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas, said Mrs. Isenberg needs four waivers for immigration law violations before the State Department can approve her application for permanent residency.
"This is really one of the most egregious cases I've seen in my 12 years as a government attorney," he said.
Mr. Sessions had lobbied for a six-month delay in her departure, citing concern for the health of the baby.
Wealth or political influence cannot be a factor in the enforcement of immigration law, but the birth of a U.S. citizen is strongly taken into consideration, Mr. Hunker said.
"Originally, the Aug. 15 date was set with the birth of their child in mind, because of a request made by their attorney," Mr. Hunker said. "If we didn't care about the child, we would have picked [Mrs. Isenberg] up and deported her."
Dallas immigration lawyer Richard Fernandez, who is not involved in the case, said American immigration authorities will often allow the parents or spouses of citizens to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. if there are no negative factors.
"Adjustment of status is a privilege, and it's in the discretion of Citizenship and Immigration Services," Mr. Fernandez said. "Generally if you're open with them, they're amenable to helping you out, especially if there is a little baby involved."
No guarantees
A last-minute reprieve seems unlikely for the Isenbergs, and Mr. Isenberg said he sometimes finds his wife pacing the house in the middle of the night with Niraya in her arms, weeping.
"Right now the baby is too young. I cannot take the baby," Mrs. Isenberg said. "And I can't leave a newborn baby here."
If Mrs. Isenberg leaves, there is no guarantee she can return, and she faces a five-year ban for being deported in absentia. The Isenbergs are willing to go to China to sort things out but want some assurance that she can return quickly.
Dallas Justice of the Peace Thomas Jones married the Isenbergs and is their baby's godfather.
"I would venture that immigration is on point legally, but there comes a time when we need to be more humane," Judge Jones said. "This is not about the mother, this is not about the father, this is about the baby – a U.S. citizen, native-born U.S. citizen."
Mayor Laura Miller, who appointed Mr. Isenberg to the City Plan Commission, said she is sad for the Isenbergs, whom she described as a "really happy, loving, terrific family."
"It's very unfortunate. I wish that she could stay here and be a family," Ms. Miller said Monday when the Isenbergs' attempts for an extension collapsed.
For Mr. Isenberg, whose home is decorated with statues of Abraham Lincoln and Lady Liberty, his troubles with immigration are perplexing.
"This is just devastating to a family. I don't know what we're going to do," said Mr. Isenberg, 53. "Do I stay with my children or do I stay with my wife?"
Mrs. Isenberg, 40, originally came to the U.S. in 1999 on a business visa. Chinese authorities had forced her to use an IUD that was making her sick, she said.
"I wanted a better life. I feel more safe here," she said.
Mrs. Isenberg had an advanced engineering degree but arrived in this country unable to speak English. She worked as a waitress during 13-hour shifts for $20 a day, she said.
She didn't understand that a massage license in California was no good in Texas and was led by desperation and naiveté to a job in a Dallas bathhouse, the Isenbergs said.
But some of Mr. Isenberg's closest friends and business partners were skeptical. They feared that she was a con artist.
Dave Roberts said he had cautioned his longtime business partner and friend to move slowly with Nicole but now has no doubts about their relationship.
"She's delightful, and I don't think there's any question that she loves Ralph," he said. "This is the happiest I've ever seen him."
Stories of romance
Eventually, as Mrs. Isenberg became a regular at parties and functions, mingling with the likes of Rudy Giuliani, those with a romantic streak began to lend their support. If Mr. Isenberg ever had any suspicions about his future wife, they disappeared when she allowed him to adopt her 14-year-old daughter.
Now, people remark on the gleam in his eye. They say he looks younger, and they listen to his giddy stories about the lovebirds' Titanic moment on the prow of a New York City night cruise past the Statue of Liberty.
They were both married, unhappily, when they met, Mr. Isenberg said. He was deeply lonely and, by his own account, had spent about a million dollars on the company of women. So while some may say that Mr. Isenberg rescued his future wife from the unsavory life of a bathhouse worker, it is Mrs. Isenberg who really rescued him, he said.
"I had sold my soul to the devil. I had lost all self-respect. Everyone in the business community, City Hall, they knew I was running around on my wife. I was basically a joke," he said.
"That all ended when I met Nicole."
They wed March 13, 2004, in their living room, using attorneys as ring bearers.
In his fight for his family's future, Mr. Isenberg has assembled several 4-inch-thick binders of immigration documents. While Mozart drifted downstairs from his adopted daughter's piano lesson, Mr. Isenberg flipped through the pages, recounting what he sees as flaws in the government's proceedings.
For instance, Mrs. Isenberg said she never received notice of the immigration hearing that led to her deportation in absentia. The notice was sent to her previous attorney in California, though she had filed change of address forms after her move to Texas.
"To be forced from this country because I have a Chinese wife, and the government made a clerical error, it's not conceivable. It's not American," Mr. Isenberg said.
He intends to rent an RV and drive around the state lobbying officials to help him keep his family together. First stop: Crawford, Texas.
"What am I without my wife?" Mr. Isenberg asked. "If I have to die for my family, OK. I've got millions in life insurance, millions in assets. They'd be taken care of."
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Work halted at courts building
Dallas: Contractor's dispute may further delay construction
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Whoops – where'd they go?
Construction workers failed to show up at a Dallas County courthouse project Monday, putting the already delayed completion of the building into further jeopardy.
The county has a $38.5 million contract with Haws & Tingle, a Fort Worth contractor, to build a 10-story marble and glass addition to the east side of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building, between Commerce and Jackson streets. The addition was supposed to be finished by April.
Now, amid talk of possible financial difficulty for the contractor, county officials are concerned at the sudden absence of activity on the site.
Dan Savage, assistant administrator for the county Commissioners Court, said he will brief the commissioners today on what the county's options are.
"I'm not sure where we go from here. It all depends on the contractor and their bonding agent," Mr. Savage said.
James D. Hasenzahl, Haws & Tingle's president and chief executive officer, said the work stoppage had nothing to do with any financial difficulty, but rather a disagreement he has with the county. He wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the dispute.
"No one was on the job today, and beyond that, I have no comment," he said.
Mr. Hasenzahl also declined to say when he would send his crew back to work.
"Dan Savage knows what the disagreement is about, and if he's trying to pass it off as something else, that's very unfair," Mr. Hasenzahl said.
Mr. Savage said the company asked for more time to finish some changes to the project the county had asked for, but the county didn't think there was any need to extend the completion date just for those changes.
"That's not the type of thing that should cause him to shut down the job site," Mr. Savage said.
Mr. Savage said the new addition is 98 percent complete, but some key steps still need to be taken before the county can move in. The fire alarm system needs final work before the city can conduct an inspection and award a certificate of occupancy.
Some security system and audio system work in the courtrooms needs completion. And Mr. Savage said the county still needs a final walk-through of the addition to note outstanding items.
Once the new section is completed, Haws & Tingle was to start $3 million worth of renovations to the older portion of the courts building.
Mr. Savage said the county had a good experience with the contractor when Haws & Tingle was paid $6.5 million to replace a third of the exterior sandstone on the Old Red Courthouse downtown, install wood-frame windows in the building to replicate the originals and make some structural repairs.
On its Web site, Haws & Tingle features pictures of Old Red and the new Allen addition. The company has been involved in restoration of other historic buildings in the region, including Perkins Chapel on the Southern Methodist University campus. Some construction the company completed recently includes the Comfort Suites hotel in Grapevine and the Texas Conference Centre in Midlothian.
The company was launched as a family-owned construction business in 1955.
The new wing of the courts building will house six family courts and 11 civil district courts. All now take up space in the main courts building. The family support services division will also move into the new section. Also, five county courts will move to the new wing from the County Records Building.
Mr. Savage said the entire project was supposed to have been completed by November, but a recent revision of the schedule pushed completion to January 2006. Now, even that date is tentative.
MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Dallas Morning News
No construction was being done Monday on the addition (right side) of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building, between Commerce and Jackson streets in downtown Dallas.
Dallas: Contractor's dispute may further delay construction
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Whoops – where'd they go?
Construction workers failed to show up at a Dallas County courthouse project Monday, putting the already delayed completion of the building into further jeopardy.
The county has a $38.5 million contract with Haws & Tingle, a Fort Worth contractor, to build a 10-story marble and glass addition to the east side of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building, between Commerce and Jackson streets. The addition was supposed to be finished by April.
Now, amid talk of possible financial difficulty for the contractor, county officials are concerned at the sudden absence of activity on the site.
Dan Savage, assistant administrator for the county Commissioners Court, said he will brief the commissioners today on what the county's options are.
"I'm not sure where we go from here. It all depends on the contractor and their bonding agent," Mr. Savage said.
James D. Hasenzahl, Haws & Tingle's president and chief executive officer, said the work stoppage had nothing to do with any financial difficulty, but rather a disagreement he has with the county. He wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the dispute.
"No one was on the job today, and beyond that, I have no comment," he said.
Mr. Hasenzahl also declined to say when he would send his crew back to work.
"Dan Savage knows what the disagreement is about, and if he's trying to pass it off as something else, that's very unfair," Mr. Hasenzahl said.
Mr. Savage said the company asked for more time to finish some changes to the project the county had asked for, but the county didn't think there was any need to extend the completion date just for those changes.
"That's not the type of thing that should cause him to shut down the job site," Mr. Savage said.
Mr. Savage said the new addition is 98 percent complete, but some key steps still need to be taken before the county can move in. The fire alarm system needs final work before the city can conduct an inspection and award a certificate of occupancy.
Some security system and audio system work in the courtrooms needs completion. And Mr. Savage said the county still needs a final walk-through of the addition to note outstanding items.
Once the new section is completed, Haws & Tingle was to start $3 million worth of renovations to the older portion of the courts building.
Mr. Savage said the county had a good experience with the contractor when Haws & Tingle was paid $6.5 million to replace a third of the exterior sandstone on the Old Red Courthouse downtown, install wood-frame windows in the building to replicate the originals and make some structural repairs.
On its Web site, Haws & Tingle features pictures of Old Red and the new Allen addition. The company has been involved in restoration of other historic buildings in the region, including Perkins Chapel on the Southern Methodist University campus. Some construction the company completed recently includes the Comfort Suites hotel in Grapevine and the Texas Conference Centre in Midlothian.
The company was launched as a family-owned construction business in 1955.
The new wing of the courts building will house six family courts and 11 civil district courts. All now take up space in the main courts building. The family support services division will also move into the new section. Also, five county courts will move to the new wing from the County Records Building.
Mr. Savage said the entire project was supposed to have been completed by November, but a recent revision of the schedule pushed completion to January 2006. Now, even that date is tentative.

MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Dallas Morning News
No construction was being done Monday on the addition (right side) of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building, between Commerce and Jackson streets in downtown Dallas.
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Irving feed store in flames
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An Irving feed store went up in flames Tuesday morning.
Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at the Shady Grove Feed Store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road.
The first alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An Irving feed store went up in flames Tuesday morning.
Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at the Shady Grove Feed Store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road.
The first alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
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Pets perish in Irving feed store fire
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a landmark farm supply store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road Tuesday morning.
The alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. at the Shady Grove Feed Store. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
While no humans were injured, a number of animals—including rabbits, hamsters and a 32-year-old parrot—perished in the blaze.
Four rabbits were rescued.
The feed store had been in business for more than three decades, according to the father and son who own it. They said they do carry insurance.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
Firefighters were most concerned about the possible collapse of the structure. There were also uncertainties about how the flames and heat would affect the pesticides and fertilizer products inside.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Photo provided by Google Earth
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a landmark farm supply store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road Tuesday morning.
The alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. at the Shady Grove Feed Store. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
While no humans were injured, a number of animals—including rabbits, hamsters and a 32-year-old parrot—perished in the blaze.
Four rabbits were rescued.
The feed store had been in business for more than three decades, according to the father and son who own it. They said they do carry insurance.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
Firefighters were most concerned about the possible collapse of the structure. There were also uncertainties about how the flames and heat would affect the pesticides and fertilizer products inside.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Photo provided by Google Earth
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BREAKING NEWS: Jet evacuated on D/FW runway
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - An American Airlines MD-83 twin-engine jet was evacuated on the runway at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Tuesday afternoon after an electrical smell was detected in the main cabin.
Passengers exited using an emergency chute at the rear of the jet and were transferred to three airport buses for a ride to Terminal C.
Emergency equipment surrounded the jet but the precise nature of the problem was not immediately clear.
Federal records show the McDonnell Douglas aircraft was manufactured in 1999. It is designed for up to 131 passengers.
The incident comes on the 20th anniversary of the crash of a Delta Air Lines jumbo jet at D/FW. The crash killed 137 passengers and crew.
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - An American Airlines MD-83 twin-engine jet was evacuated on the runway at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Tuesday afternoon after an electrical smell was detected in the main cabin.
Passengers exited using an emergency chute at the rear of the jet and were transferred to three airport buses for a ride to Terminal C.
Emergency equipment surrounded the jet but the precise nature of the problem was not immediately clear.
Federal records show the McDonnell Douglas aircraft was manufactured in 1999. It is designed for up to 131 passengers.
The incident comes on the 20th anniversary of the crash of a Delta Air Lines jumbo jet at D/FW. The crash killed 137 passengers and crew.
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Bedford man convicted in officer's death
BEDFORD, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A jury this morning convicted a Bedford man charged with intoxication manslaughter in the death of a Grapevine police officer last year.
Prosecutors said Roy Alvin Adams was drunk June 12, 2004, when he ran his Lincoln into Officer Darren Medlin, who had pulled over another driver on State Highway 121.
Hours before the early morning crash, Mr. Adams, 28, said he had consumed five drinks after visiting two Dallas nightspots.
In testimony at a Fort Worth courtroom, Mr. Adams denied that he was intoxicated.
He told the jury of four women and eight men that he could not recall the accident and must have blacked out. Mr. Adams was not injured.
Witnesses said the 34-year-old officer was standing outside of his patrol car when he was struck. He was thrown about 150 feet, they said.
A four-year veteran, Officer Medlin was Grapevine's first officer to die in the line of duty.
Mr. Adams could face up to 20 years in prison.
BEDFORD, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A jury this morning convicted a Bedford man charged with intoxication manslaughter in the death of a Grapevine police officer last year.
Prosecutors said Roy Alvin Adams was drunk June 12, 2004, when he ran his Lincoln into Officer Darren Medlin, who had pulled over another driver on State Highway 121.
Hours before the early morning crash, Mr. Adams, 28, said he had consumed five drinks after visiting two Dallas nightspots.
In testimony at a Fort Worth courtroom, Mr. Adams denied that he was intoxicated.
He told the jury of four women and eight men that he could not recall the accident and must have blacked out. Mr. Adams was not injured.
Witnesses said the 34-year-old officer was standing outside of his patrol car when he was struck. He was thrown about 150 feet, they said.
A four-year veteran, Officer Medlin was Grapevine's first officer to die in the line of duty.
Mr. Adams could face up to 20 years in prison.
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Dallas PD officer injured in wreck
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - One Dallas police officer was injured in a major accident this afternoon in northwest Dallas.
The accident happened just after 2 p.m. at Harry Hines Boulevard and Shorecrest Drive, just west of Love Field. Officials said a vehicle drove into the side of the patrol car while it was turning from Shorecrest onto Harry Hines.
The officer who was driving and the other vehicle's driver were taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. Another officer who was a passenger in the patrol car was uninjured.
Those in the North-Central Texas Region, watch WFAA.com and News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.
WFAA ABC 8
Officers removed items from the damaged car's trunk.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - One Dallas police officer was injured in a major accident this afternoon in northwest Dallas.
The accident happened just after 2 p.m. at Harry Hines Boulevard and Shorecrest Drive, just west of Love Field. Officials said a vehicle drove into the side of the patrol car while it was turning from Shorecrest onto Harry Hines.
The officer who was driving and the other vehicle's driver were taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. Another officer who was a passenger in the patrol car was uninjured.
Those in the North-Central Texas Region, watch WFAA.com and News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.

WFAA ABC 8
Officers removed items from the damaged car's trunk.
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New NorthPark stores to open Nov. 11
Rush is on to complete center's new west wing
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - With less than four months to go, work crews are scrambling to finish the new west wing at NorthPark Center mall.
Looking at what's left to do, it's hard to believe that more than two dozen shops and the new Nordstrom department store will be ready on Nov. 11.
"They've never missed an opening date yet," NorthPark manager Billy Hines said Monday while giving a tour of the construction site.
The $170 million expansion and renovation of the 40-year-old mall started last year and will be finished in phases through the end of 2006.
A 15-acreen AMC theater will open on the third floor of the addition in April.
Then construction will begin to upgrade the older parts of the center.
After the work is done, NorthPark's owners promise the shopping center will be one of the top five in the country, with annual sales of over $1 billion.
On Monday, they released a list of almost 40 new tenants for the expansion space.
When paired with deals still in negotiations, the two-level mall addition is more than 90 percent leased.
"Most of it is spoken for," Mr. Hines said. "It's a good sign for Dallas that the demand is here."
NorthPark officials wouldn't comment on widespread reports that New York retailer Barney's – which closed its NorthPark store in 1997 – is looking at the former Lord & Taylor store.
To make the addition match the rest of the mall, contractors are installing the same polished and stained concrete floors and using more than 1 million white bricks inside and on the exterior.
COURTNEY PERRY/Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
NorthPark's $170 million expansion and renovation is set to be finished in phases through the end of 2006. Contractors are installing floors and bricks that match the existing mall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New NorthPark retailers and their opening dates:
STATEWIDE EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Ted Baker
Custo Barcelona
Juicy Couture
Porsche Design
Lancôme
Lanciani
Elisabeth
Opening in April
Occhiali Da Sole
Hanna Andersson
Kona Grill Restaurant
Puzzle Zoo
Opening 2007
Tod's
NORTH TEXAS EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Sigrid Olsen
Opening in April
Clark's
Famous Famiglia
Swatch
Teavana
Avalon Lifestyle Nail Salon
Opening in 2007
Movado
DALLAS COUNTY EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Charles David
Boss Hugo Boss
Coldwater Creek
Puma
Opening in April
Jacadi
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Club Libby Lu
Everything But Water
Babystyle
XXI Forever
ALSO COMING
Opening in November
Nordstrom
Apple Computer
Bose
Chico's
Cole Haan
J. Jill
Steve Madden
The Limited
White House/Black Market
SOURCE: NorthPark Center
Rush is on to complete center's new west wing
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - With less than four months to go, work crews are scrambling to finish the new west wing at NorthPark Center mall.
Looking at what's left to do, it's hard to believe that more than two dozen shops and the new Nordstrom department store will be ready on Nov. 11.
"They've never missed an opening date yet," NorthPark manager Billy Hines said Monday while giving a tour of the construction site.
The $170 million expansion and renovation of the 40-year-old mall started last year and will be finished in phases through the end of 2006.
A 15-acreen AMC theater will open on the third floor of the addition in April.
Then construction will begin to upgrade the older parts of the center.
After the work is done, NorthPark's owners promise the shopping center will be one of the top five in the country, with annual sales of over $1 billion.
On Monday, they released a list of almost 40 new tenants for the expansion space.
When paired with deals still in negotiations, the two-level mall addition is more than 90 percent leased.
"Most of it is spoken for," Mr. Hines said. "It's a good sign for Dallas that the demand is here."
NorthPark officials wouldn't comment on widespread reports that New York retailer Barney's – which closed its NorthPark store in 1997 – is looking at the former Lord & Taylor store.
To make the addition match the rest of the mall, contractors are installing the same polished and stained concrete floors and using more than 1 million white bricks inside and on the exterior.

COURTNEY PERRY/Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
NorthPark's $170 million expansion and renovation is set to be finished in phases through the end of 2006. Contractors are installing floors and bricks that match the existing mall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New NorthPark retailers and their opening dates:
STATEWIDE EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Ted Baker
Custo Barcelona
Juicy Couture
Porsche Design
Lancôme
Lanciani
Elisabeth
Opening in April
Occhiali Da Sole
Hanna Andersson
Kona Grill Restaurant
Puzzle Zoo
Opening 2007
Tod's
NORTH TEXAS EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Sigrid Olsen
Opening in April
Clark's
Famous Famiglia
Swatch
Teavana
Avalon Lifestyle Nail Salon
Opening in 2007
Movado
DALLAS COUNTY EXCLUSIVES
Opening in November
Charles David
Boss Hugo Boss
Coldwater Creek
Puma
Opening in April
Jacadi
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Club Libby Lu
Everything But Water
Babystyle
XXI Forever
ALSO COMING
Opening in November
Nordstrom
Apple Computer
Bose
Chico's
Cole Haan
J. Jill
Steve Madden
The Limited
White House/Black Market
SOURCE: NorthPark Center
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Pets perish in Irving feed store fire (Updated)
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a landmark farm supply store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road Tuesday morning.
The alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. at the Shady Grove Feed Store. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
While no humans were injured, a number of animals—including rabbits, hamsters and a 32-year-old parrot—perished in the blaze.
Four rabbits were rescued.
The family-owned feed store had been in business for 33 years. The father and son owners said they do carry insurance.
That's good news for Ana Cochran, who's both a neighbor and a customer of the feed store. "I think I'm the only one who has horses on this street, and I need that hay," she said.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
Firefighters were most concerned about the possible collapse of the structure. There were also uncertainties about how the flames and heat would affect the pesticides and fertilizer products inside.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
"It's scary, it's scary, but we have faith and we believe in God," Cochran said. "Sometimes things happen for the best."
WFAA ABC 8
Smoke billowed as Irving firefighters worked to contain the fire.
WFAA ABC 8
The store had been in business for 33 years.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas — Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a landmark farm supply store in the 1400 block of East Shady Grove Road Tuesday morning.
The alarm went out shortly after 8 a.m. at the Shady Grove Feed Store. Flames were shooting from the roof when the first units arrived.
While no humans were injured, a number of animals—including rabbits, hamsters and a 32-year-old parrot—perished in the blaze.
Four rabbits were rescued.
The family-owned feed store had been in business for 33 years. The father and son owners said they do carry insurance.
That's good news for Ana Cochran, who's both a neighbor and a customer of the feed store. "I think I'm the only one who has horses on this street, and I need that hay," she said.
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around the scene, not far from the intersection of Loop 12 and Irving Blvd.
Firefighters were most concerned about the possible collapse of the structure. There were also uncertainties about how the flames and heat would affect the pesticides and fertilizer products inside.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
"It's scary, it's scary, but we have faith and we believe in God," Cochran said. "Sometimes things happen for the best."

WFAA ABC 8
Smoke billowed as Irving firefighters worked to contain the fire.

WFAA ABC 8
The store had been in business for 33 years.
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Operation Disruption: 3 weeks, 971 arrest
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Police report major successes in the first month of a huge crime fighting program dubbed 'Operation Disruption.' In the past three weeks, officers have made 971 arrests, seized 85 weapons and confiscated about 75 pounds of marijuana.
They have also seized more than $40,000 and confiscated 19 stolen vehicles.
Northeast Dallas was the area officers were targeting Tuesday, which is part of the aim of the program. Police focus on high-crime areas in hopes to disrupt the lives of criminals.
The operation is made up of 60 hand-picked officers. While they do sometimes answer 911 calls, their job is to go after the worst criminals. In less than one month they have arrested nearly 1,000 people, and almost 200 of those were felons.
"That is only about 10 percent of the people committing 90 percent of the crime," said Sgt. John Madison. "And we are looking for those 10 percent of the people. Those few people who are doing all the crime. The violent felon."
Police said they hope by concentrating on the worst areas in town, they can bring down the city's high crime rate. Dallas' crime rate is the highest in the nation among large cities.
Residents at one Northeast apartment complex said since the operation began, they have noticed a difference.
"We have a high crime problem on this property," said one resident who wanted to remain anonymous. "It is great that the police are coming up and tackling the problem."
Police also said this is just the beginning of the operation. They said they hope to expand the program and eventually have more officers on the street to put away the people causing the most trouble. The operation was set to be a six month program, but Chief David Kunkle said because of its high success it will continue after that date in some form.
WFAA ABC 8
Police surround an apartment before a bust in Northeast Dallas.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Police report major successes in the first month of a huge crime fighting program dubbed 'Operation Disruption.' In the past three weeks, officers have made 971 arrests, seized 85 weapons and confiscated about 75 pounds of marijuana.
They have also seized more than $40,000 and confiscated 19 stolen vehicles.
Northeast Dallas was the area officers were targeting Tuesday, which is part of the aim of the program. Police focus on high-crime areas in hopes to disrupt the lives of criminals.
The operation is made up of 60 hand-picked officers. While they do sometimes answer 911 calls, their job is to go after the worst criminals. In less than one month they have arrested nearly 1,000 people, and almost 200 of those were felons.
"That is only about 10 percent of the people committing 90 percent of the crime," said Sgt. John Madison. "And we are looking for those 10 percent of the people. Those few people who are doing all the crime. The violent felon."
Police said they hope by concentrating on the worst areas in town, they can bring down the city's high crime rate. Dallas' crime rate is the highest in the nation among large cities.
Residents at one Northeast apartment complex said since the operation began, they have noticed a difference.
"We have a high crime problem on this property," said one resident who wanted to remain anonymous. "It is great that the police are coming up and tackling the problem."
Police also said this is just the beginning of the operation. They said they hope to expand the program and eventually have more officers on the street to put away the people causing the most trouble. The operation was set to be a six month program, but Chief David Kunkle said because of its high success it will continue after that date in some form.

WFAA ABC 8
Police surround an apartment before a bust in Northeast Dallas.
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Live from Amarillo, it's Rumsfeld in Big D
By DAVID TARRANT / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was missing in action Tuesday afternoon but still managed to deliver his scheduled speech to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Mechanical difficulties delayed his flight from New Mexico, but Rumsfeld phoned his midday remarks in to the Westin City Center during a stop in Amarillo. The audience of about 200 heard him via the public address system.
In the speech, he defended the Bush administration’s war on terror and said that recent attempts to redefine it as a global struggle on terrorism should not be misinterpreted.
“This is a struggle between civilization and extremists,” Rumsfeld said.
“Some ask, are we still engaged in a war on terror? Let there be no mistake about it. It’s a war. The president properly termed it at that after Sept. 11. The only way to defend against terrorism is to go on the attack.”
Rumseld also said that the war in Iraq “can’t be won by military means alone” and would require efforts on diplomatic, financial and police enforcement fronts.
During a surprise visit to Baghdad last week, Rumsfeld pushed for Iraqis drafting a constitution to finish their work, while another top U.S. military official, Gen. George Casey, commander of American ground forces in Iraq, predicted that a sizable withdrawal of American troops in Iraq could begin next spring.
Rumsfeld added that the enemy is a “shifting network of extremist ideology, a movement that uses terrorism as its weapon” with medieval views combined with modern technology.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, spoke after Rumsfeld. She covered a range of topics, including border security and transportation funding that has brought money for the Calatrava bridge project.
By DAVID TARRANT / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was missing in action Tuesday afternoon but still managed to deliver his scheduled speech to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Mechanical difficulties delayed his flight from New Mexico, but Rumsfeld phoned his midday remarks in to the Westin City Center during a stop in Amarillo. The audience of about 200 heard him via the public address system.
In the speech, he defended the Bush administration’s war on terror and said that recent attempts to redefine it as a global struggle on terrorism should not be misinterpreted.
“This is a struggle between civilization and extremists,” Rumsfeld said.
“Some ask, are we still engaged in a war on terror? Let there be no mistake about it. It’s a war. The president properly termed it at that after Sept. 11. The only way to defend against terrorism is to go on the attack.”
Rumseld also said that the war in Iraq “can’t be won by military means alone” and would require efforts on diplomatic, financial and police enforcement fronts.
During a surprise visit to Baghdad last week, Rumsfeld pushed for Iraqis drafting a constitution to finish their work, while another top U.S. military official, Gen. George Casey, commander of American ground forces in Iraq, predicted that a sizable withdrawal of American troops in Iraq could begin next spring.
Rumsfeld added that the enemy is a “shifting network of extremist ideology, a movement that uses terrorism as its weapon” with medieval views combined with modern technology.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, spoke after Rumsfeld. She covered a range of topics, including border security and transportation funding that has brought money for the Calatrava bridge project.
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More mosquitoes found with W. Nile
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Fourteen new mosquito samples in Dallas County have tested positive for West Nile virus, bringing the total number to 40, but no human cases have been reported, health officials announced Tuesday.
To date, the infected mosquitoes and a handful of blue jays have been identified in parts of Dallas, Garland, Richardson, Grand Prairie, Lancaster, Highland Park, Duncanville, and unincorporated areas of the county, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services data.
In 2004, Dallas County health officials recorded 16 human West Nile cases with no deaths. The virus also was found in 21 birds and 106 mosquito samples.
The public may call the DCHHS Environmental Health Division at 214-819-2115 or the public information hot line at 214-819-6001 during business hours for more information about mosquito infection and West Nile virus in Dallas County.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Fourteen new mosquito samples in Dallas County have tested positive for West Nile virus, bringing the total number to 40, but no human cases have been reported, health officials announced Tuesday.
To date, the infected mosquitoes and a handful of blue jays have been identified in parts of Dallas, Garland, Richardson, Grand Prairie, Lancaster, Highland Park, Duncanville, and unincorporated areas of the county, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services data.
In 2004, Dallas County health officials recorded 16 human West Nile cases with no deaths. The virus also was found in 21 birds and 106 mosquito samples.
The public may call the DCHHS Environmental Health Division at 214-819-2115 or the public information hot line at 214-819-6001 during business hours for more information about mosquito infection and West Nile virus in Dallas County.
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