BREAKING NEWS: Traffic
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
North Dallas: Westbound Northwest Highway is closed between Boedeker Drive and Hillcrest Road due to an overturned 18-wheeler.
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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TexasStooge
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Truck driver: 'I am very sorry'
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
The Polish truck driver who pleaded guilty to killing 10 people and injuring 2 others in a 2004 wreck testified for the first time on Monday in the punishment phase of his trial.
Miroslaw Janusz Jozwiak, 46, faces two to 20 years for each charge. Under a plea agreement, he will serve the sentences concurrently.
"I am very sorry, I can’t express it with words," Jozwiak told the jury through an interpreter. "What I feel is something I'm going to feel until the end of my days. I'm particularly sorry that children, small children, were involved."
On the night of the crash, Jozwiak was traveling north on U.S. Highway 75 in Sherman, when he crossed the grassy median and hurtled into a pickup and SUV.
Lisa Martin, 32; her mother, Betsy Wood, 70; and Ms. Martin's three sons, Chance, 4; Brock, 2; and Reid, 2 months, were in the SUV. All died at the scene.
The victims in the pickup included Hector Ruiz Zapata, 33; J. Marcos Esparza, 41; Manuel Esparza, 39; German Esparza, 19; and Joel Mendoza Ruiz, 36. Several were related.
During Monday's testimony, he wiped tears from his face with a Kleenex while describing how his 18-wheeler veered across the grassy median.
He apologized and repeatedly said, "I don't know what happened."
"I remember veering to the left and then I don't remember," Jozwiak. "I woke up after the accident. I lost consciousness."
Mr. Jozwiak has remained in the Grayson County Jail since the accident, unable to pay the $2 million bail.
Grayson County Assistant District Attorney, Kerye Ashmore, is scheduled to question Mr. Jozwiak on the stand Monday afternoon.
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
The Polish truck driver who pleaded guilty to killing 10 people and injuring 2 others in a 2004 wreck testified for the first time on Monday in the punishment phase of his trial.
Miroslaw Janusz Jozwiak, 46, faces two to 20 years for each charge. Under a plea agreement, he will serve the sentences concurrently.
"I am very sorry, I can’t express it with words," Jozwiak told the jury through an interpreter. "What I feel is something I'm going to feel until the end of my days. I'm particularly sorry that children, small children, were involved."
On the night of the crash, Jozwiak was traveling north on U.S. Highway 75 in Sherman, when he crossed the grassy median and hurtled into a pickup and SUV.
Lisa Martin, 32; her mother, Betsy Wood, 70; and Ms. Martin's three sons, Chance, 4; Brock, 2; and Reid, 2 months, were in the SUV. All died at the scene.
The victims in the pickup included Hector Ruiz Zapata, 33; J. Marcos Esparza, 41; Manuel Esparza, 39; German Esparza, 19; and Joel Mendoza Ruiz, 36. Several were related.
During Monday's testimony, he wiped tears from his face with a Kleenex while describing how his 18-wheeler veered across the grassy median.
He apologized and repeatedly said, "I don't know what happened."
"I remember veering to the left and then I don't remember," Jozwiak. "I woke up after the accident. I lost consciousness."
Mr. Jozwiak has remained in the Grayson County Jail since the accident, unable to pay the $2 million bail.
Grayson County Assistant District Attorney, Kerye Ashmore, is scheduled to question Mr. Jozwiak on the stand Monday afternoon.
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS: Traffic
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
Fort Worth: I-20 is closed in both directions at McCart in Fort Worth. Traffic is being diverted to the service roads.
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
Fort Worth: I-20 is closed in both directions at McCart in Fort Worth. Traffic is being diverted to the service roads.
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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Alleged torturer said woman liked pain
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Robert Drew Stephenson denied torturing his ex-girlfriend and said he never held her hostage as he spoke out against the charges that have him behind bars Monday.
Stephenson was arrested after he was accused of keeping his former girlfriend against her will in a condemned home for 19 days and using a blowtorch to burn her skin.
"What happened in the house? What happened was nothing that hadn't happened time after time and time again," he said. "...As far as being a hostage? She left in my truck. There were times she went shopping with my sister. I mean, there are so many holes in the story it is a wonder I am still in jail."
The alleged torturer said that the woman liked pain when the two of them were intimate, but did not one to discuss the use of the blowtorch.
He also accused her of being a prostitute and drug addict who made up the story after the two had a disagreement. However, he said it was his love for the woman that made him continue his relationship with her.
"I loved her and love goes beyond a lot of boundaries," he said.
But police said the victim had a different story. She told police she was not only burned, but that Stephenson had also poured drain cleaner on her wounds and hung her upside down from the filthy home's rafters.
She made her escape from the home in the 5200 block of Miller Avenue after she said Stephenson fell asleep.
Stephenson not only denied his ex-girlfriend's complaints, but also denied accusations from other who recently came forward with tales of torture.
One woman came to the police and said her daughter was one of his victims.
"And he had been using this blowtorch thing, and setting it to her eye telling her to say things that weren't true," said the woman who wanted to remain unnamed.
Stephenson did admit that he is a drug addict and said he and his ex-girlfriend did meth together at the home.
He is being held with multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Robert Drew Stephenson denied torturing his ex-girlfriend and said he never held her hostage as he spoke out against the charges that have him behind bars Monday.
Stephenson was arrested after he was accused of keeping his former girlfriend against her will in a condemned home for 19 days and using a blowtorch to burn her skin.
"What happened in the house? What happened was nothing that hadn't happened time after time and time again," he said. "...As far as being a hostage? She left in my truck. There were times she went shopping with my sister. I mean, there are so many holes in the story it is a wonder I am still in jail."
The alleged torturer said that the woman liked pain when the two of them were intimate, but did not one to discuss the use of the blowtorch.
He also accused her of being a prostitute and drug addict who made up the story after the two had a disagreement. However, he said it was his love for the woman that made him continue his relationship with her.
"I loved her and love goes beyond a lot of boundaries," he said.
But police said the victim had a different story. She told police she was not only burned, but that Stephenson had also poured drain cleaner on her wounds and hung her upside down from the filthy home's rafters.
She made her escape from the home in the 5200 block of Miller Avenue after she said Stephenson fell asleep.
Stephenson not only denied his ex-girlfriend's complaints, but also denied accusations from other who recently came forward with tales of torture.
One woman came to the police and said her daughter was one of his victims.
"And he had been using this blowtorch thing, and setting it to her eye telling her to say things that weren't true," said the woman who wanted to remain unnamed.
Stephenson did admit that he is a drug addict and said he and his ex-girlfriend did meth together at the home.
He is being held with multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon.
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TexasStooge
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Allen residents warned about rabies
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
ALLEN, Texas - Police have warned Allen residents to be on the lookout for rabid skunks after one was found in the 700 block of Rockefeller over the weekend.
As the signs of spring begin, so do concerns of rabies.
Animal control officers posted fliers that urge resident to keep an eye open for any wild animals behaving strangely. They also warned that skunks wondering around during the say are very suspect.
"Not very far from here, you can just pull into your driveway and get out and smell them," said Princeton resident Craif Pfeil. "You got kids out there in the country and they don't get scared of them. They chase them."
As metro Dallas-Fort Worth pushes into pastures and ranch land, animals are losing their habitat and the bumpers from rabies begin to shrink.
Animal control said some of the easy defenses against rabies is making sure pets get vaccinated and not to take a chance with any approaching strange animals.
A retiree in Aubrey said last week a rabid skunk that wandered into his home was aggressive.
"It was looking for someone to bite and I was the target and he got me," said Stephen Chambless.
Officials also warn that any county could face a rabies problem.
Allen residents with questions are urged to contact the Allen Animal Control department at 214-509-4378.
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
ALLEN, Texas - Police have warned Allen residents to be on the lookout for rabid skunks after one was found in the 700 block of Rockefeller over the weekend.
As the signs of spring begin, so do concerns of rabies.
Animal control officers posted fliers that urge resident to keep an eye open for any wild animals behaving strangely. They also warned that skunks wondering around during the say are very suspect.
"Not very far from here, you can just pull into your driveway and get out and smell them," said Princeton resident Craif Pfeil. "You got kids out there in the country and they don't get scared of them. They chase them."
As metro Dallas-Fort Worth pushes into pastures and ranch land, animals are losing their habitat and the bumpers from rabies begin to shrink.
Animal control said some of the easy defenses against rabies is making sure pets get vaccinated and not to take a chance with any approaching strange animals.
A retiree in Aubrey said last week a rabid skunk that wandered into his home was aggressive.
"It was looking for someone to bite and I was the target and he got me," said Stephen Chambless.
Officials also warn that any county could face a rabies problem.
Allen residents with questions are urged to contact the Allen Animal Control department at 214-509-4378.
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TexasStooge
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Flag flap erupts at Royse City school
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
ROYSE CITY, Texas — Some parents and students are calling a North Texas school district unpatriotic after officials banned students from bringing flags to school.
The flag flap started last week when protesting students took a Mexican flag to class at Royse City High School, which serves students in parts of Rockwall, Collin and Hunt counties.
The next day, a student brought a U.S. flag to class and was suspended.
But a Royse City ISD spokeswoman said patriotism was not at issue.
"For the school district, it is about keeping peace on the campus," the spokeswoman said. "We have 835 students who we have to teach and protect, and that is our priority."
Pupils have been banned from bringing any flags to school since last week, and so far, students have complied.
"It's one thing to represent Americans; it's another thing to push it in somebody's face," said Joseph Welch, a student at Royse City High School.
The ISD said it's not so much the students bringing flags to the school which is the problem, but the words and behavior behind the patriotic symbols—and that's what they are trying to curtail.
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
ROYSE CITY, Texas — Some parents and students are calling a North Texas school district unpatriotic after officials banned students from bringing flags to school.
The flag flap started last week when protesting students took a Mexican flag to class at Royse City High School, which serves students in parts of Rockwall, Collin and Hunt counties.
The next day, a student brought a U.S. flag to class and was suspended.
But a Royse City ISD spokeswoman said patriotism was not at issue.
"For the school district, it is about keeping peace on the campus," the spokeswoman said. "We have 835 students who we have to teach and protect, and that is our priority."
Pupils have been banned from bringing any flags to school since last week, and so far, students have complied.
"It's one thing to represent Americans; it's another thing to push it in somebody's face," said Joseph Welch, a student at Royse City High School.
The ISD said it's not so much the students bringing flags to the school which is the problem, but the words and behavior behind the patriotic symbols—and that's what they are trying to curtail.
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TexasStooge
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Schlosser's brain tumor is inoperable
Lawyer, experts debate whether it played a part in child slaying
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
No one knew during Dena Schlosser's capital murder trial that she had a life-threatening tumor at the base of her skull.
Jurors heard about a "shadow" on a scan of her brain, but neither doctors nor her attorneys realized the seriousness of what they now know is an inoperable brain tumor.
Ms. Schlosser's attorney, David Haynes, said the tumor on her pituitary gland could have contributed to her hallucinations the day she severed her baby's arms at the shoulders.
"Could this be related to Dena's actions on Nov. 22, 2004? I think so, but there is no way to prove it for sure," Mr. Haynes said. "Looking back on it now, it would have been great if we could have had this for the trial."
It is uncertain whether Ms. Schlosser had the tumor when she killed 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser with the largest knife in the kitchen at the family's Plano apartment.
The case ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity, eventually leaving the decision to state District Judge Chris Oldner.
The judge heard the new evidence about the tumor last week and will announce a verdict in the second trial Friday. The judge can find Ms. Schlosser guilty and send her to prison for life, or not guilty by reason of insanity and send her to a state mental hospital until he agrees she should be released.
To prove insanity in Texas, the defense must show Ms. Schlosser had a mental disease or defect that caused her not to know right from wrong. Three psychiatrists testified during the first trial that they believed Ms. Schlosser was insane when she killed Maggie.
Hallucinations
McKinney neurologist Paul Flavill, who examined Ms. Schlosser after her trial and studied images of her brain, said mid-brain injuries can cause visual hallucinations.
Ms. Schlosser, diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and depression after Maggie's home birth, experienced religious hallucinations and delusions. She told psychiatrists she believed God wanted her to cut off Maggie's arms, as well as her own arms, legs and head.
Other hallucinations include a black dog chasing her, bloody streets turning into prophets that told her the end of days was coming and believing a little boy was Jesus.
But neurosurgeon David S. Baskin of the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston said a brain tumor on the pituitary gland could cause agitation, confusion and disorientation, but probably not the complex religious hallucinations Ms. Schlosser experienced. The pituitary gland is at the base of the skull and controls the release of hormones to the body.
"It's unlikely the pituitary tumor could cause this type of heinous behavior," Dr. Baskin said. "But obviously, we don't know all the facts. ... It doesn't mean it isn't possible."
Dr. Baskin, who has performed 2,300 surgeries on pituitary gland tumors, said he has not seen any violent hallucinations associated with such tumors in his 28 years in medicine.
Delayed diagnosis
Ms. Schlosser's attorney said a number of events delayed Ms. Schlosser's diagnosis.
Ms. Schlosser's brain was originally scanned in April 2005, according to a medical report. This was done at Wilbarger General Hospital while she was a patient at the state hospital in Vernon, where doctors worked to restore her to competency.
The state hospital psychiatrist ordered a follow-up scan, but Ms. Schlosser was found competent and returned to the Collin County Jail before it was done.
A neurologist hired by the defense examined Ms. Schlosser and said she did not show any physical symptoms of a brain tumor. However, he asked to see the "shadow" on the brain scan to make sure. The neurologist died before he saw her scan results. The doctor had not dictated his notes about Ms. Schlosser's case, and his staff could not find his notes.
"The doctor said there were no symptoms," Mr. Haynes said. "He said if she did have a brain tumor, it wouldn't make her violent."
Mr. Haynes said there was no time to seek the help of another doctor before the trial.
The Collin County Jail psychiatrist currently treating Ms. Schlosser did not know about the shadow until about three weeks ago because the report was locked in a drawer of her assistant, Mr. Haynes said.
The jail psychiatrist ordered the newest scan last month. The shadow seen on the first scan was a tumor. Dr. Flavill said there was no obvious change in size between the two scans.
An earlier injury
Ms. Schlosser has a history of brain injuries going back to childhood, according to trial testimony and her family.
She was diagnosed with hydrocephalous – commonly called water on the brain – as a child a year after she hit her head when falling from monkey bars. She underwent more than 10 surgeries in which holes were drilled into her skull. Doctors also put in a shunt to alleviate fluid buildup in the brain.
No prognosis has been made for how long Ms. Schlosser might live, and she is not receiving treatment for the tumor. Surgery is not an option.
"This thing is going to kill this woman," Mr. Haynes said. "The tumor will lead to paralysis, and then she'll die."
Mr. Haynes said Ms. Schlosser is aware of the brain tumor and handling it "relatively well."
Earlier tumor news
It's not first time Ms. Schlosser has been told she has a tumor. As a child, doctors incorrectly diagnosed her with a fatal brain tumor instead of hydrocephalous.
"She said, 'Look, they told me when I was 8 years old that I had an inoperable brain tumor.' "
Ms. Schlosser is not yet showing many physical symptoms related to the tumor, according to those who examined her. She has not had any headaches but does have weakness on the left side of her body, as well as clumsiness. She broke her right foot last year in jail when she fell while making her bed.
Dr. Flavill says Ms. Schlosser's speech is clear and her vision is 20/20. She has a small tremor in her handwriting. He recommends repeating the brain scan in a year to determine whether the mass has changed.
"Treatment is limited for a tumor in this location," Dr. Flavill wrote. "If deficits were worsening or the mass appears to be increasing in size, radiation therapy would be a consideration."
Lawyer, experts debate whether it played a part in child slaying
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
No one knew during Dena Schlosser's capital murder trial that she had a life-threatening tumor at the base of her skull.
Jurors heard about a "shadow" on a scan of her brain, but neither doctors nor her attorneys realized the seriousness of what they now know is an inoperable brain tumor.
Ms. Schlosser's attorney, David Haynes, said the tumor on her pituitary gland could have contributed to her hallucinations the day she severed her baby's arms at the shoulders.
"Could this be related to Dena's actions on Nov. 22, 2004? I think so, but there is no way to prove it for sure," Mr. Haynes said. "Looking back on it now, it would have been great if we could have had this for the trial."
It is uncertain whether Ms. Schlosser had the tumor when she killed 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser with the largest knife in the kitchen at the family's Plano apartment.
The case ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity, eventually leaving the decision to state District Judge Chris Oldner.
The judge heard the new evidence about the tumor last week and will announce a verdict in the second trial Friday. The judge can find Ms. Schlosser guilty and send her to prison for life, or not guilty by reason of insanity and send her to a state mental hospital until he agrees she should be released.
To prove insanity in Texas, the defense must show Ms. Schlosser had a mental disease or defect that caused her not to know right from wrong. Three psychiatrists testified during the first trial that they believed Ms. Schlosser was insane when she killed Maggie.
Hallucinations
McKinney neurologist Paul Flavill, who examined Ms. Schlosser after her trial and studied images of her brain, said mid-brain injuries can cause visual hallucinations.
Ms. Schlosser, diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and depression after Maggie's home birth, experienced religious hallucinations and delusions. She told psychiatrists she believed God wanted her to cut off Maggie's arms, as well as her own arms, legs and head.
Other hallucinations include a black dog chasing her, bloody streets turning into prophets that told her the end of days was coming and believing a little boy was Jesus.
But neurosurgeon David S. Baskin of the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston said a brain tumor on the pituitary gland could cause agitation, confusion and disorientation, but probably not the complex religious hallucinations Ms. Schlosser experienced. The pituitary gland is at the base of the skull and controls the release of hormones to the body.
"It's unlikely the pituitary tumor could cause this type of heinous behavior," Dr. Baskin said. "But obviously, we don't know all the facts. ... It doesn't mean it isn't possible."
Dr. Baskin, who has performed 2,300 surgeries on pituitary gland tumors, said he has not seen any violent hallucinations associated with such tumors in his 28 years in medicine.
Delayed diagnosis
Ms. Schlosser's attorney said a number of events delayed Ms. Schlosser's diagnosis.
Ms. Schlosser's brain was originally scanned in April 2005, according to a medical report. This was done at Wilbarger General Hospital while she was a patient at the state hospital in Vernon, where doctors worked to restore her to competency.
The state hospital psychiatrist ordered a follow-up scan, but Ms. Schlosser was found competent and returned to the Collin County Jail before it was done.
A neurologist hired by the defense examined Ms. Schlosser and said she did not show any physical symptoms of a brain tumor. However, he asked to see the "shadow" on the brain scan to make sure. The neurologist died before he saw her scan results. The doctor had not dictated his notes about Ms. Schlosser's case, and his staff could not find his notes.
"The doctor said there were no symptoms," Mr. Haynes said. "He said if she did have a brain tumor, it wouldn't make her violent."
Mr. Haynes said there was no time to seek the help of another doctor before the trial.
The Collin County Jail psychiatrist currently treating Ms. Schlosser did not know about the shadow until about three weeks ago because the report was locked in a drawer of her assistant, Mr. Haynes said.
The jail psychiatrist ordered the newest scan last month. The shadow seen on the first scan was a tumor. Dr. Flavill said there was no obvious change in size between the two scans.
An earlier injury
Ms. Schlosser has a history of brain injuries going back to childhood, according to trial testimony and her family.
She was diagnosed with hydrocephalous – commonly called water on the brain – as a child a year after she hit her head when falling from monkey bars. She underwent more than 10 surgeries in which holes were drilled into her skull. Doctors also put in a shunt to alleviate fluid buildup in the brain.
No prognosis has been made for how long Ms. Schlosser might live, and she is not receiving treatment for the tumor. Surgery is not an option.
"This thing is going to kill this woman," Mr. Haynes said. "The tumor will lead to paralysis, and then she'll die."
Mr. Haynes said Ms. Schlosser is aware of the brain tumor and handling it "relatively well."
Earlier tumor news
It's not first time Ms. Schlosser has been told she has a tumor. As a child, doctors incorrectly diagnosed her with a fatal brain tumor instead of hydrocephalous.
"She said, 'Look, they told me when I was 8 years old that I had an inoperable brain tumor.' "
Ms. Schlosser is not yet showing many physical symptoms related to the tumor, according to those who examined her. She has not had any headaches but does have weakness on the left side of her body, as well as clumsiness. She broke her right foot last year in jail when she fell while making her bed.
Dr. Flavill says Ms. Schlosser's speech is clear and her vision is 20/20. She has a small tremor in her handwriting. He recommends repeating the brain scan in a year to determine whether the mass has changed.
"Treatment is limited for a tumor in this location," Dr. Flavill wrote. "If deficits were worsening or the mass appears to be increasing in size, radiation therapy would be a consideration."
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TexasStooge
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Hazing case against FM coach dismissed
Judge rules statute too vague; charges against students likely to stand
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Denton County judge ruled Monday that the statute used to charge former Flower Mound High wrestling coach Charles Zascavage with criminal hazing is unconstitutionally vague.
That decision effectively dismissed the indictment against Mr. Zascavage, who was facing trial next week.
Jonathan Bailey, Mr. Zascavage's attorney, said his client is ecstatic.
"The fact that this was successful, I believe, just reinforces the weakness of the case to begin with," Mr. Bailey said. "The state stretched to make this arrest, and I think that's been revealed."
Mr. Zascavage was indicted in January on four counts of hazing stemming from a private pool party for the team in August at a Flower Mound home. A grand jury also indicted two students on misdemeanor charges and recommended prosecution for five other students who are juveniles, including two over allegations of sexual assault.
The grand jury declined to indict three other students and did not recommend eight juvenile students for prosecution.
Mr. Bailey said the cases against students probably will not be affected by the judge's decision because those charges involve other sections of the statute. Mr. Zascavage was charged under a portion that makes it illegal for someone to recklessly allow hazing to occur.
"I still believe that if we tried this case with witnesses, that after a couple of weeks, he would be acquitted," Mr. Bailey said.
Declining confirmation
All the public offices at the Denton County courthouse associated with the case declined to confirm, deny or acknowledge county Criminal Court Judge Richard "Ski" Podgorski's decision Monday.
Through a clerk, Judge Podgorski deferred all questions about his decision to the district attorney's office. Prosecutor Lisa Decker deferred to District Attorney Bruce Isaacks. A receptionist Monday said Mr. Isaacks was out of town. His administrative director deferred questions to the county clerk's office. Employees in the clerk's office deferred questions to Judge Podgorski's office.
Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the ruling, Mr. Bailey said. Because of that possibility, his client isn't breathing easy just yet.
"I would say that he's very, very relieved at this time," Mr. Bailey said. "I don't think there will ever be permanent relief unless we know it's over."
Witness and victim statements provided to the school district last year painted a picture of organized hazing, beating and sexually charged actions. But since the allegations became public, a majority of players and their parents have stood behind Mr. Zascavage and the accused students. They have maintained that the alleged hazing was typical boyhood roughhousing.
More than 20 parents attended Monday's hearing and said they were elated at the judge's decision.
"We're not surprised at all because we didn't think there was any merit to the charges," George Grogan said. His son, a freshman wrestler, attended the party but said he never saw any hazing.
Seeking reinstatement
Some parents hope the school district will reinstate Mr. Zascavage, who has continued to teach at the school, to the head coaching position.
"We'll feel more vindicated when we're able to get him back in and get his job back," said Jennifer Stubbs, the mother of a freshman wrestler who also said there was no hazing at the party. "Hopefully that will happen soon."
Ms. Stubbs said that the number of supporters at court Monday shows how respected Mr. Zascavage is and that the case against him was weak.
"None of us have ever understood how it went this far," she said.
Eddie Ouille, president of the wrestling team's booster club, said many parents are trying to determine the best way to push for Mr. Zascavage's reinstatement as head coach. Many regret the amount of legal fees that Mr. Zascavage has accumulated and see the legal proceedings as a waste of public funds.
"I'm a little concerned that the DA has said they are going to take a look at appealing that and that they are going to waste more taxpayer money doing that," Mr. Ouille said.
An attorney for one of the accusers declined to comment Monday.
Dustin Blake Everett, 18, Cory Andrew Talbert, 17, and five juveniles still face prosecution for their indictments.
Lynda Haynes, an assistant superintendent in the Lewisville school district, did not return a call seeking comment Monday about the possibility of Mr. Zascavage's reinstatement. Two students involved still remain in the district's alternative school.
Mr. Bailey said Monday's ruling shows that the statute is flawed because it allows someone who may not be culpable or didn't intentionally break a law to be charged. He also said police and prosecutors bowed to pressure by families of the accusers and their attorneys.
"It's nice to know we've won this round," he said.
Judge rules statute too vague; charges against students likely to stand
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Denton County judge ruled Monday that the statute used to charge former Flower Mound High wrestling coach Charles Zascavage with criminal hazing is unconstitutionally vague.
That decision effectively dismissed the indictment against Mr. Zascavage, who was facing trial next week.
Jonathan Bailey, Mr. Zascavage's attorney, said his client is ecstatic.
"The fact that this was successful, I believe, just reinforces the weakness of the case to begin with," Mr. Bailey said. "The state stretched to make this arrest, and I think that's been revealed."
Mr. Zascavage was indicted in January on four counts of hazing stemming from a private pool party for the team in August at a Flower Mound home. A grand jury also indicted two students on misdemeanor charges and recommended prosecution for five other students who are juveniles, including two over allegations of sexual assault.
The grand jury declined to indict three other students and did not recommend eight juvenile students for prosecution.
Mr. Bailey said the cases against students probably will not be affected by the judge's decision because those charges involve other sections of the statute. Mr. Zascavage was charged under a portion that makes it illegal for someone to recklessly allow hazing to occur.
"I still believe that if we tried this case with witnesses, that after a couple of weeks, he would be acquitted," Mr. Bailey said.
Declining confirmation
All the public offices at the Denton County courthouse associated with the case declined to confirm, deny or acknowledge county Criminal Court Judge Richard "Ski" Podgorski's decision Monday.
Through a clerk, Judge Podgorski deferred all questions about his decision to the district attorney's office. Prosecutor Lisa Decker deferred to District Attorney Bruce Isaacks. A receptionist Monday said Mr. Isaacks was out of town. His administrative director deferred questions to the county clerk's office. Employees in the clerk's office deferred questions to Judge Podgorski's office.
Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the ruling, Mr. Bailey said. Because of that possibility, his client isn't breathing easy just yet.
"I would say that he's very, very relieved at this time," Mr. Bailey said. "I don't think there will ever be permanent relief unless we know it's over."
Witness and victim statements provided to the school district last year painted a picture of organized hazing, beating and sexually charged actions. But since the allegations became public, a majority of players and their parents have stood behind Mr. Zascavage and the accused students. They have maintained that the alleged hazing was typical boyhood roughhousing.
More than 20 parents attended Monday's hearing and said they were elated at the judge's decision.
"We're not surprised at all because we didn't think there was any merit to the charges," George Grogan said. His son, a freshman wrestler, attended the party but said he never saw any hazing.
Seeking reinstatement
Some parents hope the school district will reinstate Mr. Zascavage, who has continued to teach at the school, to the head coaching position.
"We'll feel more vindicated when we're able to get him back in and get his job back," said Jennifer Stubbs, the mother of a freshman wrestler who also said there was no hazing at the party. "Hopefully that will happen soon."
Ms. Stubbs said that the number of supporters at court Monday shows how respected Mr. Zascavage is and that the case against him was weak.
"None of us have ever understood how it went this far," she said.
Eddie Ouille, president of the wrestling team's booster club, said many parents are trying to determine the best way to push for Mr. Zascavage's reinstatement as head coach. Many regret the amount of legal fees that Mr. Zascavage has accumulated and see the legal proceedings as a waste of public funds.
"I'm a little concerned that the DA has said they are going to take a look at appealing that and that they are going to waste more taxpayer money doing that," Mr. Ouille said.
An attorney for one of the accusers declined to comment Monday.
Dustin Blake Everett, 18, Cory Andrew Talbert, 17, and five juveniles still face prosecution for their indictments.
Lynda Haynes, an assistant superintendent in the Lewisville school district, did not return a call seeking comment Monday about the possibility of Mr. Zascavage's reinstatement. Two students involved still remain in the district's alternative school.
Mr. Bailey said Monday's ruling shows that the statute is flawed because it allows someone who may not be culpable or didn't intentionally break a law to be charged. He also said police and prosecutors bowed to pressure by families of the accusers and their attorneys.
"It's nice to know we've won this round," he said.
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TexasStooge
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Proposed ordinance would crack down on graffiti
Taggers, beware: Carrying spray paint and tools may soon be a misdemeanor
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Packing paint? Prepare to pay.
The Dallas City Council's public safety committee lent its support Monday to an ordinance allowing police officers to apprehend individuals carrying spray paint and other graffiti tools – even if they haven't started painting.
Police say the ordinance establishing the misdemeanor offense, which comes before the City Council this month and carries a $500 fine, would help them punish elusive graffiti artists, known as taggers, who are nearly impossible to catch in the act. With probable cause, they would be able to search backpacks and car trunks.
"Today, we can pull up on a guy who has 50 cans of spray paint in the trunk, and if we can't see him tagging ... there's nothing our officers can do," said Sgt. Mark Langford, with the Dallas Police Department's gang unit. "It's not a cure-all; it's not going to stop graffiti. It's going to give officers a tool they currently don't have."
But civil liberties advocates argue that such searches could be subjective and discriminatory, and could open the door to racial profiling.
"It's clearly a violation of the individual's right to be free from an unreasonable search," said Michael Linz, a Dallas attorney and vice president for the Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. "I see it being struck down the first time somebody objects to being searched under this ordinance."
In the six years that Wayne and Cheryl Bazzle have lived on Elm Street in Deep Ellum, they've had the large wall outside their home tagged "innumerable times."
Code enforcement and police officers have been so lax, Mr. Bazzle said, that graffiti artists began to think they had free rein on the couple's property.
Dallas police officers are familiar with the majority of "repeat taggers" – many of whom are adults, not minors. But they struggle to prosecute them, officers say, because they can't always catch them in the act. Surveillance takes many officer hours and extensive resources, both of which are currently in high demand.
The proposed ordinance is a joint effort between Dallas police and City Council member Angela Hunt, whose district has one of the highest numbers of graffiti complaints in the city. It would allow officers to search individuals' car trunks or backpacks in high-graffiti areas or on public or private property after hours.
Under the ordinance, all officers need to find is one aerosol can – or a combination of other graffiti tools – to prosecute.
This threshold seems low, but it isn't, said police Lt. Carlton Marshall. Officers will ask suspected taggers to explain what they're doing. They'll use their judgment to determine whether a crime was about to take place, he said – police "don't want to bring in your local house painter."
"Graffiti damages our property; it erodes our quality of life; it lowers our property values," Ms. Hunt said. "And so it's important that we as a city take every measure that we can to deter graffiti."
In 2004, the city received about 1,400 graffiti complaints and spent more than $220,000 cleaning up the mess. In 2005, the complaints had grown to more than 1,700.
The Dallas proposal is modeled after ordinances in San Antonio and Phoenix. In addition to punishing taggers, it would put pressure on parents and guardians by holding them accountable for a minor's graffiti.
The council's public safety committee was generally supportive of the graffiti ordinance. Chairman Steve Salazar questioned whether nonparents who are negligent – such as an adult who buys cans of spray paint and leaves them out – should also be held responsible.
Council member Gary Griffith wanted to know whether the ordinance does enough to target those who tag street signs. Mostly, Sgt. Langford said, it's aimed at taggers preparing to deface overpasses, bridges and personal and public property – "where it's questionable what they're doing there in the first place."
The proposed ordinance is a step in the right direction, Mr. Bazzle said. And he can already tell that police are taking graffiti more seriously. In recent months, he's seen more arrests, fewer empty spray paint cans and a sharp decrease in the amount of tagging.
He's so confident, he said, that he's considering having an eye-catching mural painted on the wall.
Also Monday, the public safety committee put its stamp of approval on an incentive plan to attract new police officers. Recruits would receive $6,000 upon graduating from the Police Academy, followed by another $4,000 at the end of their probation period.
The incentive plan would cost the city more than $700,000 in fiscal year 2005-06.
The department has been unable to hire enough recruits to fill its vacancies, let alone beef up the force with new positions.
"We're in competition with cities in the metroplex and throughout the entire country," council member Leo Chaney said. "The idea of giving bonuses is a good one."
Taggers, beware: Carrying spray paint and tools may soon be a misdemeanor
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Packing paint? Prepare to pay.
The Dallas City Council's public safety committee lent its support Monday to an ordinance allowing police officers to apprehend individuals carrying spray paint and other graffiti tools – even if they haven't started painting.
Police say the ordinance establishing the misdemeanor offense, which comes before the City Council this month and carries a $500 fine, would help them punish elusive graffiti artists, known as taggers, who are nearly impossible to catch in the act. With probable cause, they would be able to search backpacks and car trunks.
"Today, we can pull up on a guy who has 50 cans of spray paint in the trunk, and if we can't see him tagging ... there's nothing our officers can do," said Sgt. Mark Langford, with the Dallas Police Department's gang unit. "It's not a cure-all; it's not going to stop graffiti. It's going to give officers a tool they currently don't have."
But civil liberties advocates argue that such searches could be subjective and discriminatory, and could open the door to racial profiling.
"It's clearly a violation of the individual's right to be free from an unreasonable search," said Michael Linz, a Dallas attorney and vice president for the Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. "I see it being struck down the first time somebody objects to being searched under this ordinance."
In the six years that Wayne and Cheryl Bazzle have lived on Elm Street in Deep Ellum, they've had the large wall outside their home tagged "innumerable times."
Code enforcement and police officers have been so lax, Mr. Bazzle said, that graffiti artists began to think they had free rein on the couple's property.
Dallas police officers are familiar with the majority of "repeat taggers" – many of whom are adults, not minors. But they struggle to prosecute them, officers say, because they can't always catch them in the act. Surveillance takes many officer hours and extensive resources, both of which are currently in high demand.
The proposed ordinance is a joint effort between Dallas police and City Council member Angela Hunt, whose district has one of the highest numbers of graffiti complaints in the city. It would allow officers to search individuals' car trunks or backpacks in high-graffiti areas or on public or private property after hours.
Under the ordinance, all officers need to find is one aerosol can – or a combination of other graffiti tools – to prosecute.
This threshold seems low, but it isn't, said police Lt. Carlton Marshall. Officers will ask suspected taggers to explain what they're doing. They'll use their judgment to determine whether a crime was about to take place, he said – police "don't want to bring in your local house painter."
"Graffiti damages our property; it erodes our quality of life; it lowers our property values," Ms. Hunt said. "And so it's important that we as a city take every measure that we can to deter graffiti."
In 2004, the city received about 1,400 graffiti complaints and spent more than $220,000 cleaning up the mess. In 2005, the complaints had grown to more than 1,700.
The Dallas proposal is modeled after ordinances in San Antonio and Phoenix. In addition to punishing taggers, it would put pressure on parents and guardians by holding them accountable for a minor's graffiti.
The council's public safety committee was generally supportive of the graffiti ordinance. Chairman Steve Salazar questioned whether nonparents who are negligent – such as an adult who buys cans of spray paint and leaves them out – should also be held responsible.
Council member Gary Griffith wanted to know whether the ordinance does enough to target those who tag street signs. Mostly, Sgt. Langford said, it's aimed at taggers preparing to deface overpasses, bridges and personal and public property – "where it's questionable what they're doing there in the first place."
The proposed ordinance is a step in the right direction, Mr. Bazzle said. And he can already tell that police are taking graffiti more seriously. In recent months, he's seen more arrests, fewer empty spray paint cans and a sharp decrease in the amount of tagging.
He's so confident, he said, that he's considering having an eye-catching mural painted on the wall.
Also Monday, the public safety committee put its stamp of approval on an incentive plan to attract new police officers. Recruits would receive $6,000 upon graduating from the Police Academy, followed by another $4,000 at the end of their probation period.
The incentive plan would cost the city more than $700,000 in fiscal year 2005-06.
The department has been unable to hire enough recruits to fill its vacancies, let alone beef up the force with new positions.
"We're in competition with cities in the metroplex and throughout the entire country," council member Leo Chaney said. "The idea of giving bonuses is a good one."
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TexasStooge
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Plan giving bonuses to principals is off agenda
Dallas ISD: Teacher groups lobby board, criticize linking reward with test scores
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A week of intense lobbying by local teacher groups appears to have derailed a proposal to reward Dallas principals with hefty bonuses for improving their schools' academic performance.
Two weeks ago, the plan appeared to have the backing of the district's trustees, who raised no major concerns when the proposal was presented at a committee meeting by district officials. But before the proposal could come up for a vote last Thursday, it was pulled from the agenda.
"The apparent resolve of some trustees to support accountability for our employees simply vanished," trustee Edwin Flores said in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News.
Officials with local teacher groups say they're responsible, having spent the better part of last week lobbying board members to kill the proposal that would have given some principals up to $10,000 a year for improving test scores and other measures of student achievement.
Rather than risk the plan's defeat by a vote of the board, DISD administrators pulled the proposal just a few hours before trustees were set to meet.
The item isn't dead and can be brought back for a vote at a later date. Two trustees, however, wondered whether that would happen before board elections next month.
"There are trustees running for re-election, and they're playing politics," trustee Jerome Garza said. "All I know is that I walked in [to the meeting], and it had been pulled" from the agenda.
Dale Kaiser, president of NEA-Dallas, an association for school employees, said he contacted several board members about the proposal and convinced them that evaluating employees and handing out bonuses based on test scores is bad policy. He said his group did not threaten to withhold political support from board members up for re-election if they voted for the plan.
"I didn't play the election card at all," he said. "I stuck to the cold, hard facts."
Aimee Bolender, president of the Alliance AFT teachers' association, said she also cast no election-year threats, but she acknowledged talking to board members "who were running [for re-election] as well as those who are not running."
Ms. Bolender said she convinced several board members that pressure exerted on principals for higher scores would inevitably result in pressure on teachers to pump up their state test results. High test scores, she said, should not be the primary goal of teaching.
"It's one step closer to that slippery step of test-driven education," Ms. Bolender said. "It puts a number on a kid's forehead."
Mr. Garza and Mr. Flores, however, said the proposal would have brought a new level of accountability to the district.
The plan would have cost about $430,000 in its first year and given $7,500 or $10,000 to about 60 principals at schools that saw above-average test scores across all demographic groups. Schools would have to receive a "recognized" or "exemplary" rating from the state for their principals to qualify for the bonus. And students would have to meet graduation targets set by the district, along with other requirements.
"I support the policy to make principals accountable as do the taxpayers," Mr. Flores said. "I support a break with the past. I can only ask, where do my fellow trustees stand?"
Mr. Kaiser of NEA-Dallas said he expects the plan to come back again in a different form.
"I don't know when, but I'm sure some kind of incentive plan for principals will come back," he said.
Dallas ISD: Teacher groups lobby board, criticize linking reward with test scores
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A week of intense lobbying by local teacher groups appears to have derailed a proposal to reward Dallas principals with hefty bonuses for improving their schools' academic performance.
Two weeks ago, the plan appeared to have the backing of the district's trustees, who raised no major concerns when the proposal was presented at a committee meeting by district officials. But before the proposal could come up for a vote last Thursday, it was pulled from the agenda.
"The apparent resolve of some trustees to support accountability for our employees simply vanished," trustee Edwin Flores said in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News.
Officials with local teacher groups say they're responsible, having spent the better part of last week lobbying board members to kill the proposal that would have given some principals up to $10,000 a year for improving test scores and other measures of student achievement.
Rather than risk the plan's defeat by a vote of the board, DISD administrators pulled the proposal just a few hours before trustees were set to meet.
The item isn't dead and can be brought back for a vote at a later date. Two trustees, however, wondered whether that would happen before board elections next month.
"There are trustees running for re-election, and they're playing politics," trustee Jerome Garza said. "All I know is that I walked in [to the meeting], and it had been pulled" from the agenda.
Dale Kaiser, president of NEA-Dallas, an association for school employees, said he contacted several board members about the proposal and convinced them that evaluating employees and handing out bonuses based on test scores is bad policy. He said his group did not threaten to withhold political support from board members up for re-election if they voted for the plan.
"I didn't play the election card at all," he said. "I stuck to the cold, hard facts."
Aimee Bolender, president of the Alliance AFT teachers' association, said she also cast no election-year threats, but she acknowledged talking to board members "who were running [for re-election] as well as those who are not running."
Ms. Bolender said she convinced several board members that pressure exerted on principals for higher scores would inevitably result in pressure on teachers to pump up their state test results. High test scores, she said, should not be the primary goal of teaching.
"It's one step closer to that slippery step of test-driven education," Ms. Bolender said. "It puts a number on a kid's forehead."
Mr. Garza and Mr. Flores, however, said the proposal would have brought a new level of accountability to the district.
The plan would have cost about $430,000 in its first year and given $7,500 or $10,000 to about 60 principals at schools that saw above-average test scores across all demographic groups. Schools would have to receive a "recognized" or "exemplary" rating from the state for their principals to qualify for the bonus. And students would have to meet graduation targets set by the district, along with other requirements.
"I support the policy to make principals accountable as do the taxpayers," Mr. Flores said. "I support a break with the past. I can only ask, where do my fellow trustees stand?"
Mr. Kaiser of NEA-Dallas said he expects the plan to come back again in a different form.
"I don't know when, but I'm sure some kind of incentive plan for principals will come back," he said.
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS
RICHARDSON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The intersection of Coit and Campbell roads is closed in all directions due to a ruptured gas line.
GARLAND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two buildings at the Pavillion Apartments in the 2800 block of Belt Line Road have been evacuated due to a natural gas leak.
RICHARDSON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The intersection of Coit and Campbell roads is closed in all directions due to a ruptured gas line.
GARLAND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two buildings at the Pavillion Apartments in the 2800 block of Belt Line Road have been evacuated due to a natural gas leak.
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TexasStooge
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ARM sticker shock threatens homeowners
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
After foreclosure, homes are auctioned off on the courthouse steps. It's a scene becoming more common these days because of rising interest rates.
The national home ownership rate recently hit a record high of 70 percent. But many of those new homeowners were only able to make the purchase with adjustible rate mortages, or ARMs, which have been good deals in recent years because of low rates locked in for short terms.
Now that interest rates are on the rise, many of those new homeowners are facing sticker shock, and wondering if they'll be able to stay put.
One study says close to a million American homes financed using ARMs will face foreclosure in the next five years, and most of them are worth less than the loan balance.
And most of the buyers involved are first-time homeowners.
"It's a matter of what their main priority was at the time," explained Gary Akright of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. "Did they want a low payment? Were they just thinking that their homes were going to appreciate?"
About one-third of all mortgages sold in the last two years were ARMs. As those short terms expire, the rates go up.
For example: The interest rate on a home could easily jump from 7 to 10 percent. On a $200,000 property, that could mean a monthly increase of $500.
What's the fix?
Experts say buyers should know what to expect in a home mortgage and decide now if it's the right time to sell.
"If you're in a product that's going up every month and you're getting more negative amortization—or 'deferred principal', as it's called, which just adds on to your principal unpaid balance—then you need to look real strong at the possibility of getting out at this time," Akright said.
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the 15th time since June 2004, and indicated another hike is likely.
Still, experienced brokers say average home mortgage interest rates remain close to 40-year lows.
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
After foreclosure, homes are auctioned off on the courthouse steps. It's a scene becoming more common these days because of rising interest rates.
The national home ownership rate recently hit a record high of 70 percent. But many of those new homeowners were only able to make the purchase with adjustible rate mortages, or ARMs, which have been good deals in recent years because of low rates locked in for short terms.
Now that interest rates are on the rise, many of those new homeowners are facing sticker shock, and wondering if they'll be able to stay put.
One study says close to a million American homes financed using ARMs will face foreclosure in the next five years, and most of them are worth less than the loan balance.
And most of the buyers involved are first-time homeowners.
"It's a matter of what their main priority was at the time," explained Gary Akright of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. "Did they want a low payment? Were they just thinking that their homes were going to appreciate?"
About one-third of all mortgages sold in the last two years were ARMs. As those short terms expire, the rates go up.
For example: The interest rate on a home could easily jump from 7 to 10 percent. On a $200,000 property, that could mean a monthly increase of $500.
What's the fix?
Experts say buyers should know what to expect in a home mortgage and decide now if it's the right time to sell.
"If you're in a product that's going up every month and you're getting more negative amortization—or 'deferred principal', as it's called, which just adds on to your principal unpaid balance—then you need to look real strong at the possibility of getting out at this time," Akright said.
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the 15th time since June 2004, and indicated another hike is likely.
Still, experienced brokers say average home mortgage interest rates remain close to 40-year lows.
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TexasStooge
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Laura Miller to tackle child obesity
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Lunchtime at David's Place Head Start Center in Dallas has got some of 4-year-old Chynna's favorites today.
"I'm having tuna, and apples, and bread and milk," she says.
Teaching good eating habits starts early in life.
Lessons many children apparently haven't learned.
"We estimate that there are about 190,000 in Dallas and Collin Counties that are overweight or obese," said Dr. Leann Kridelbaugh.
And, health experts predict the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to triple in the next 25 years.
As mother of three, and Dallas mayor, Laura Miller announced a major town hall meeting later this month to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
"What can we all do to get our kids to want to eat healthier and to exercise and that's what this town hall meeting is all about," she said.
Shaping America's Youth invites North Texas parents and pastors, teachers and tradesmen to participate.
Because the heavy kids of today, are the health risks and insurance liabilities of tomorrow.
Experts say thinning North Texas youth won't be possible without community support and parents modeling healthy behavior for their children.
As Chynna says:"Carrots, they are healthy for you."
It's a healthy fact nutritionists hope she remembers the rest of her life.
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Lunchtime at David's Place Head Start Center in Dallas has got some of 4-year-old Chynna's favorites today.
"I'm having tuna, and apples, and bread and milk," she says.
Teaching good eating habits starts early in life.
Lessons many children apparently haven't learned.
"We estimate that there are about 190,000 in Dallas and Collin Counties that are overweight or obese," said Dr. Leann Kridelbaugh.
And, health experts predict the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to triple in the next 25 years.
As mother of three, and Dallas mayor, Laura Miller announced a major town hall meeting later this month to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
"What can we all do to get our kids to want to eat healthier and to exercise and that's what this town hall meeting is all about," she said.
Shaping America's Youth invites North Texas parents and pastors, teachers and tradesmen to participate.
Because the heavy kids of today, are the health risks and insurance liabilities of tomorrow.
Experts say thinning North Texas youth won't be possible without community support and parents modeling healthy behavior for their children.
As Chynna says:"Carrots, they are healthy for you."
It's a healthy fact nutritionists hope she remembers the rest of her life.
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TexasStooge
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Wreck, spill snarl Fort Worth freeways
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A massive spill from an early-morning wreck and a fatal accident involving a cement mixer closed two busy east-west thoroughfares in Fort Worth Tuesday morning, backing up traffic for miles.
Around 4 a.m., an 18-wheeler crashed into another truck parked on the side of the road along I-20 near McCart Avenue, spilling 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel and a slippery lubricant on the highway surface.
Truck driver Phillip Evans said the wreck happened after he had pulled over to check on a problem.
"Before I could get it put back in drive, I seen headlights coming at me, and this 18-wheeler plowed me in the back," he said.
Evans was not seriously hurt, but the contents of his rig started leaking on the highway, leading officials to close all lanes in both directions until the mess could be cleaned up.
Emergency workers weren't sure what they were dealing with in the early stages.
"The biggest issue we had this morning was that the truck was improperly placarded," said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley. "It was listed as a 'corrosive.' They had forgotten to change the signs from a previous load."
As a result, emergency workers initially moved with caution when trying to deal with the spillage. While it turned out not to be corrosive, special detergents were employed to clear slick diesel fuel and a lubricant used in oil drilling rigs from the highway's surface.
Around 10:30 a.m., a cement mixer hit the center guardrail of Interstate 30 west of downtown near Forest Park Boulevard. The truck overturned and the cab was partially crushed, killing the driver. At noon eastbound I-30 remained closed, and only one lane of westbound traffic was getting through.
DallasNews.com contributed to this report.
_____________________________________________________________
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A massive spill from an early-morning wreck and a fatal accident involving a cement mixer closed two busy east-west thoroughfares in Fort Worth Tuesday morning, backing up traffic for miles.
Around 4 a.m., an 18-wheeler crashed into another truck parked on the side of the road along I-20 near McCart Avenue, spilling 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel and a slippery lubricant on the highway surface.
Truck driver Phillip Evans said the wreck happened after he had pulled over to check on a problem.
"Before I could get it put back in drive, I seen headlights coming at me, and this 18-wheeler plowed me in the back," he said.
Evans was not seriously hurt, but the contents of his rig started leaking on the highway, leading officials to close all lanes in both directions until the mess could be cleaned up.
Emergency workers weren't sure what they were dealing with in the early stages.
"The biggest issue we had this morning was that the truck was improperly placarded," said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley. "It was listed as a 'corrosive.' They had forgotten to change the signs from a previous load."
As a result, emergency workers initially moved with caution when trying to deal with the spillage. While it turned out not to be corrosive, special detergents were employed to clear slick diesel fuel and a lubricant used in oil drilling rigs from the highway's surface.
Around 10:30 a.m., a cement mixer hit the center guardrail of Interstate 30 west of downtown near Forest Park Boulevard. The truck overturned and the cab was partially crushed, killing the driver. At noon eastbound I-30 remained closed, and only one lane of westbound traffic was getting through.
DallasNews.com contributed to this report.
_____________________________________________________________
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.
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TexasStooge
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Police shoot burglary suspect
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police shot and critically wounded a suspected burglar late Monday night.
Investigators said two officers approached the man on in the 6500 block of South Loop 12 just before midnight because they suspected that he might be breaking into an abandoned car.
The officers said the man lunged toward one of their guns; one of the officers opened fire.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was injured in the abdomen. He was in critical condition at Baylor University Medical Center.
Neither officer was injured.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police shot and critically wounded a suspected burglar late Monday night.
Investigators said two officers approached the man on in the 6500 block of South Loop 12 just before midnight because they suspected that he might be breaking into an abandoned car.
The officers said the man lunged toward one of their guns; one of the officers opened fire.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was injured in the abdomen. He was in critical condition at Baylor University Medical Center.
Neither officer was injured.
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TexasStooge
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Plano police to monitor parks
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - Plano soccer parents have been on alert since an e-mail began circulating from a woman who saw a man lurking in a stall in the women’s restroom at Carpenter Park.
In response, Plano police have said they would monitor for suspicious activity at city parks and are reminding parents that children should be accompanied at all times.
“We were getting a ton of calls,” Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said Tuesday. “Most of the calls were to confirm because there are so many e-mails about hoaxes.”
An e-mail of the account, written by a mother who had accompanied her daughter to the restroom, was bouncing repeatedly among parents of children in the Plano Youth Soccer Association and other organizations as a warning about the dangers of public park bathrooms.
According to a crime watch bulletin that tops the Plano Police Department’s Web site, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. March 25, a Saturday morning when hundreds of children were playing soccer at the fields near Spring Creek Parkway and Coit Road. According to the posting, a man wearing a gray sweatshirt and khaki shorts was hiding in a stall and fled when the mother and daughter entered the restroom.
The e-mail said the incident took place near one of the baseball diamonds, which abut the soccer fields. “I don't even want to think about what could have happened if my child or someone else's child had encountered this man in the bathroom alone,” the parent wrote.
Plano mother Christi Ratliff, whose 8-year-old daughter plays PYSA soccer, forwarded the e-mail to other parents.
“I’m a Brownie leader and I help out with the soccer team and there were lots of e-mails going around at our clubs and schools,” she said. “I made sure that parents knew to accompany their children to the restroom.”
PYSA, which coordinates games about 10,000 players, has asked police for more security. The children practice or play at several locations, such as Schell Park and Russell Creek Park.
“I was told police would patrol more frequently during the games,” said Janice Williams, an assistant administrator for the association. “We are hoping that they will parents will be with their children when they go to the restroom. We are hoping parents take note.”
Police suggested parents escort their children to the public restrooms and that even adults go in pairs for added security.
Officer Duke said reports of men in the women’s restrooms are uncommon, but he did recall at least one incident where a man reached under a partition to touch a woman’s leg.
It’s not illegal for a man to be in the women’s restroom but “it’s the action that he takes while he’s in there that could make it a crime,” he said.
Officer Duke said Plano parents are especially jittery about child safety because of the recent arrest of former PYSA coach Dennis Drummond, who is charged with inappropriately touching young girls. Many also recall the 1993 abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Estell, who was taken from a crowded Carpenter Park while her brother played soccer.
“That was a very big tragedy for the whole community and still on everyone’s minds,” Officer Duke said.
Mrs. Ratliff also said the e-mail brought back memories of Ashley because of the Carpenter Park connection. But she thought the message was “going to create a lot of awareness.”
“A lot of parents acknowledged that their children resist them going with them to the bathroom,” Mrs. Ratliff said. “One time I panicked because I couldn’t find my daughter and she said she had just gone to the restroom. I told her never to do that without me.”
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - Plano soccer parents have been on alert since an e-mail began circulating from a woman who saw a man lurking in a stall in the women’s restroom at Carpenter Park.
In response, Plano police have said they would monitor for suspicious activity at city parks and are reminding parents that children should be accompanied at all times.
“We were getting a ton of calls,” Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said Tuesday. “Most of the calls were to confirm because there are so many e-mails about hoaxes.”
An e-mail of the account, written by a mother who had accompanied her daughter to the restroom, was bouncing repeatedly among parents of children in the Plano Youth Soccer Association and other organizations as a warning about the dangers of public park bathrooms.
According to a crime watch bulletin that tops the Plano Police Department’s Web site, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. March 25, a Saturday morning when hundreds of children were playing soccer at the fields near Spring Creek Parkway and Coit Road. According to the posting, a man wearing a gray sweatshirt and khaki shorts was hiding in a stall and fled when the mother and daughter entered the restroom.
The e-mail said the incident took place near one of the baseball diamonds, which abut the soccer fields. “I don't even want to think about what could have happened if my child or someone else's child had encountered this man in the bathroom alone,” the parent wrote.
Plano mother Christi Ratliff, whose 8-year-old daughter plays PYSA soccer, forwarded the e-mail to other parents.
“I’m a Brownie leader and I help out with the soccer team and there were lots of e-mails going around at our clubs and schools,” she said. “I made sure that parents knew to accompany their children to the restroom.”
PYSA, which coordinates games about 10,000 players, has asked police for more security. The children practice or play at several locations, such as Schell Park and Russell Creek Park.
“I was told police would patrol more frequently during the games,” said Janice Williams, an assistant administrator for the association. “We are hoping that they will parents will be with their children when they go to the restroom. We are hoping parents take note.”
Police suggested parents escort their children to the public restrooms and that even adults go in pairs for added security.
Officer Duke said reports of men in the women’s restrooms are uncommon, but he did recall at least one incident where a man reached under a partition to touch a woman’s leg.
It’s not illegal for a man to be in the women’s restroom but “it’s the action that he takes while he’s in there that could make it a crime,” he said.
Officer Duke said Plano parents are especially jittery about child safety because of the recent arrest of former PYSA coach Dennis Drummond, who is charged with inappropriately touching young girls. Many also recall the 1993 abduction and murder of 7-year-old Ashley Estell, who was taken from a crowded Carpenter Park while her brother played soccer.
“That was a very big tragedy for the whole community and still on everyone’s minds,” Officer Duke said.
Mrs. Ratliff also said the e-mail brought back memories of Ashley because of the Carpenter Park connection. But she thought the message was “going to create a lot of awareness.”
“A lot of parents acknowledged that their children resist them going with them to the bathroom,” Mrs. Ratliff said. “One time I panicked because I couldn’t find my daughter and she said she had just gone to the restroom. I told her never to do that without me.”
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TexasStooge
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Trans-Texas Corridor may stay close to I-35
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
A coordinated network of toll roads, rail lines and utility lines should be built on or very near one of the main concrete arteries of Texas commerce, according to a new report and study released Tuesday.
And Texas Transportation officials have chosen “a study area” connected with Interstate 35 as the preferred route for the so-called Trans-Texas Corridor.
Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, said the gigantic public works project will help ease terrible traffic congestion on I-35 as population continues to grow.
“The Interstate 35 corridor is the single-most important economic generator in the state of Texas,” Mr. Williamson said. “We would not have pursued this solution if we were not convinced that this is the best solution and the only solution.”
The draft environmental report, which was more than a year in the making, narrows the corridor’s potential location to a 10-mile-wide study area that, in part, clips the southeast corner of Dallas County, runs just east of Lake Ray Hubbard and winds through much of Rockwall County.
Local leaders throughout the state - and particularly in North Texas - had often expressed worries that the study area would be too far away from urban areas, draw new development away cities and increase traffic in rural areas.
“We are somewhat pleased with what was presented this morning but we feel it still falls a long way short,” said Dallas City Council Member Bill Blaydes.
Additionally, Dallas County Commissioners Ken Mayfield and Maurine Dickey said they felt excluded from the process that resulted in the preferred route that was unveiled Tuesday.
Out of a dozen possible alternatives, the proposed study area unveiled Tuesday would run the closest to the existing I-35.
“The Trans-Texas Corridor was never envisioned to go through communities. It was envisioned to run near or beside urban areas,” said Doug Booher, the environmental manager for the Texas Department of Transportation’s turnpike division.
As proposed in the report, the corridor will run 521 miles from the Red River to the Rio Grande. In areas where roads, rail and utility lines are built together, the corridor will be 800 to 1,200 feet wide.
“Are we able to put a 1,200-foot corridor through the middle of Dallas? The answer would be no,” Mr. Booher said. “But that doesn’t mean the Trans-Texas Corridor will not ultimately connect to Dallas-Fort Worth, because it absolutely has to.”
Several other alternatives still under consideration would take the corridor west of Fort Worth. However, traffic patterns and interstate shipping demands show a larger demand for new roads and rail lines east of Dallas, state officials and project developers say.
One of the future steps for the corridor is to determine how to connect the main corridor route with urban areas. State officials say that North Texas leaders have come up with very good ideas for those road and rail connections - including the proposed construction of toll roads along a southern State Highway 360 extension and Loop 9 in southern Dallas County.
Those state officials say they will listen closely to North Texas leaders during the project’s next planning stage.
The 4,300-page draft environmental report represents a significant but early step in the long process that could lead to construction on the Trans-Texas Corridor.
The public will have its say on the corridor this summer, when the Texas Department of Transportation holds more than 50 public hearings on the draft report. A report outlining the final study area is expected in mid-2007.
After the 10-mile-wide study area is finalized, the state then may begin environmental reviews of specific projects. To build the toll roads from San Antonio to Dallas, for example, is expected to involve about six separate projects.
In general, detailed reviews of those projects can take an average of almost four years to complete, Mr. Booher said.
Gov. Rick Perry first announced plans for the Trans-Texas Corridor in 2002 as a way to solve the state’s increasing highway congestion woes. The project has at times drawn opposition from the Texas Farm Bureau and from three of Mr. Perry’s opponents in this fall’s gubernatorial election.
In late 2004, the state signed a $3.5 million project development agreement with Cintra-Zachry, a partnership between a toll-road construction firm from Spain and San Antonio-based Zachry Construction Corp.
According to the state transportation department, the corridor plans will not interfere with existing plans to widen I-35 throughout the state. Texas has 24 separate construction projects planned for I-35 at a total value of $1.46 billion, not including projects where work already has started.
One of the subplots in Tuesday’s report was the competition for the project along the Texas border. State officials had considered both Brownsville and Laredo for the project’s southern terminus.
“When you look at those routes from a traffic perspective, those that ended in the Valley did not do as good a job of meeting the goal of handling traffic as did Laredo,” Mr. Booher said.
The plan calls for the route to follow I-35 to Laredo, where it could connect with other transportation projects in Mexico. The state also strongly considered another route that would have been built on new land from San Antonio to Laredo.
“That’s what tipped the scales in favor of this route,” said Mr. Booher. “It was the opportunity to look much more closely at existing infrastructure.”
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
A coordinated network of toll roads, rail lines and utility lines should be built on or very near one of the main concrete arteries of Texas commerce, according to a new report and study released Tuesday.
And Texas Transportation officials have chosen “a study area” connected with Interstate 35 as the preferred route for the so-called Trans-Texas Corridor.
Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, said the gigantic public works project will help ease terrible traffic congestion on I-35 as population continues to grow.
“The Interstate 35 corridor is the single-most important economic generator in the state of Texas,” Mr. Williamson said. “We would not have pursued this solution if we were not convinced that this is the best solution and the only solution.”
The draft environmental report, which was more than a year in the making, narrows the corridor’s potential location to a 10-mile-wide study area that, in part, clips the southeast corner of Dallas County, runs just east of Lake Ray Hubbard and winds through much of Rockwall County.
Local leaders throughout the state - and particularly in North Texas - had often expressed worries that the study area would be too far away from urban areas, draw new development away cities and increase traffic in rural areas.
“We are somewhat pleased with what was presented this morning but we feel it still falls a long way short,” said Dallas City Council Member Bill Blaydes.
Additionally, Dallas County Commissioners Ken Mayfield and Maurine Dickey said they felt excluded from the process that resulted in the preferred route that was unveiled Tuesday.
Out of a dozen possible alternatives, the proposed study area unveiled Tuesday would run the closest to the existing I-35.
“The Trans-Texas Corridor was never envisioned to go through communities. It was envisioned to run near or beside urban areas,” said Doug Booher, the environmental manager for the Texas Department of Transportation’s turnpike division.
As proposed in the report, the corridor will run 521 miles from the Red River to the Rio Grande. In areas where roads, rail and utility lines are built together, the corridor will be 800 to 1,200 feet wide.
“Are we able to put a 1,200-foot corridor through the middle of Dallas? The answer would be no,” Mr. Booher said. “But that doesn’t mean the Trans-Texas Corridor will not ultimately connect to Dallas-Fort Worth, because it absolutely has to.”
Several other alternatives still under consideration would take the corridor west of Fort Worth. However, traffic patterns and interstate shipping demands show a larger demand for new roads and rail lines east of Dallas, state officials and project developers say.
One of the future steps for the corridor is to determine how to connect the main corridor route with urban areas. State officials say that North Texas leaders have come up with very good ideas for those road and rail connections - including the proposed construction of toll roads along a southern State Highway 360 extension and Loop 9 in southern Dallas County.
Those state officials say they will listen closely to North Texas leaders during the project’s next planning stage.
The 4,300-page draft environmental report represents a significant but early step in the long process that could lead to construction on the Trans-Texas Corridor.
The public will have its say on the corridor this summer, when the Texas Department of Transportation holds more than 50 public hearings on the draft report. A report outlining the final study area is expected in mid-2007.
After the 10-mile-wide study area is finalized, the state then may begin environmental reviews of specific projects. To build the toll roads from San Antonio to Dallas, for example, is expected to involve about six separate projects.
In general, detailed reviews of those projects can take an average of almost four years to complete, Mr. Booher said.
Gov. Rick Perry first announced plans for the Trans-Texas Corridor in 2002 as a way to solve the state’s increasing highway congestion woes. The project has at times drawn opposition from the Texas Farm Bureau and from three of Mr. Perry’s opponents in this fall’s gubernatorial election.
In late 2004, the state signed a $3.5 million project development agreement with Cintra-Zachry, a partnership between a toll-road construction firm from Spain and San Antonio-based Zachry Construction Corp.
According to the state transportation department, the corridor plans will not interfere with existing plans to widen I-35 throughout the state. Texas has 24 separate construction projects planned for I-35 at a total value of $1.46 billion, not including projects where work already has started.
One of the subplots in Tuesday’s report was the competition for the project along the Texas border. State officials had considered both Brownsville and Laredo for the project’s southern terminus.
“When you look at those routes from a traffic perspective, those that ended in the Valley did not do as good a job of meeting the goal of handling traffic as did Laredo,” Mr. Booher said.
The plan calls for the route to follow I-35 to Laredo, where it could connect with other transportation projects in Mexico. The state also strongly considered another route that would have been built on new land from San Antonio to Laredo.
“That’s what tipped the scales in favor of this route,” said Mr. Booher. “It was the opportunity to look much more closely at existing infrastructure.”
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TexasStooge
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Officer shoots man who lunged for weapons
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas police officer shot a man in the abdomen Monday night after he had lunged twice for officers’ weapons, authorities said.
Around 11:50 p.m., patrol officers stopped to question the man as he was looking underneath the hood of a parked vehicle in the 6500 block of South Loop 12, Sr. Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough said.
“They were trying to determine if he was burglarizing the vehicle," Kimbrough said.
The man lunged for Officer Michael Armstrong’s holstered gun but was restrained. A few moments later, he lunged for Officer Eva Vazquez’s weapon and Armstrong shot him, Kimbrough said.
The suspect was taken to Baylor University Medical Center where he is listed in stable condition. It’s not clear why the man lunged at officers, but charges are pending against him, she said.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas police officer shot a man in the abdomen Monday night after he had lunged twice for officers’ weapons, authorities said.
Around 11:50 p.m., patrol officers stopped to question the man as he was looking underneath the hood of a parked vehicle in the 6500 block of South Loop 12, Sr. Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough said.
“They were trying to determine if he was burglarizing the vehicle," Kimbrough said.
The man lunged for Officer Michael Armstrong’s holstered gun but was restrained. A few moments later, he lunged for Officer Eva Vazquez’s weapon and Armstrong shot him, Kimbrough said.
The suspect was taken to Baylor University Medical Center where he is listed in stable condition. It’s not clear why the man lunged at officers, but charges are pending against him, she said.
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TexasStooge
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Three dead in two Dallas-area accidents
From WFAA ABC 8
Three people died in two separate accidents early Wednesday in Dallas and Carrollton.
One person was killed in Carrollton after a wrong-way driver hit another car head-on.
It happened about 3:30 a.m. on the eastbound side of the President George Bush Turnpike at the Dallas North Tollway.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Robert Bernard said a male driver entered the turnpike going in the wrong direction.
Another driver apparently saw the car coming and tried to stop, but was unable to avoid the head-on collision.
The wrong-way driver was killed; the other motorist was hospitalized in critical condition.
Sgt. Bernard said wrong-way drivers are usually impaired. "Either a person is impaired or there is some type of medical condition that causes them to get disoriented and get on the wrong side of the roadway and travel in that direction," he said. "We see time and time again, they are always in that left lane."
The turnpike was closed for several hours after the accident. It reopened just before 6 a.m.
Another deadly crash killed two people Wednesday morning near White Rock Lake in Dallas.
A couple in their mid-30s lost their lives when their car rolled over on Northwest Highway at Trammel around 3 a.m.
Witnesses said the car was speeding when it hit two utility poles and damaged a fence, initially knocking out electrical service to more than 1,100 homes.
Power was expected to be restored by 7 a.m.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Robert Flagg contributed to this report.
From WFAA ABC 8
Three people died in two separate accidents early Wednesday in Dallas and Carrollton.
One person was killed in Carrollton after a wrong-way driver hit another car head-on.
It happened about 3:30 a.m. on the eastbound side of the President George Bush Turnpike at the Dallas North Tollway.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Robert Bernard said a male driver entered the turnpike going in the wrong direction.
Another driver apparently saw the car coming and tried to stop, but was unable to avoid the head-on collision.
The wrong-way driver was killed; the other motorist was hospitalized in critical condition.
Sgt. Bernard said wrong-way drivers are usually impaired. "Either a person is impaired or there is some type of medical condition that causes them to get disoriented and get on the wrong side of the roadway and travel in that direction," he said. "We see time and time again, they are always in that left lane."
The turnpike was closed for several hours after the accident. It reopened just before 6 a.m.
Another deadly crash killed two people Wednesday morning near White Rock Lake in Dallas.
A couple in their mid-30s lost their lives when their car rolled over on Northwest Highway at Trammel around 3 a.m.
Witnesses said the car was speeding when it hit two utility poles and damaged a fence, initially knocking out electrical service to more than 1,100 homes.
Power was expected to be restored by 7 a.m.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Robert Flagg contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Escape School teaches kids about strangers
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
Often the most dangerous predators will simply walk right up to a child, and the Escape School Abduction Prevention Program teaches children how to react in just that situation.
Escape School classes are packed from campuses to community centers teaching kids to use their power and their voice.
The classes also help children learn the unfortunate fact that abductions can happen in the most familiar place. In the United States every year, strangers abduct around 5,000 children and nearly 400 of them are never seen again.
Michael Negretti who attended the class said it saved him and he came back to share his experience with other kids.
"Three guys in a vehicle asked me to hop in and I dropped my backpack and ran," he said.
Texas-based Dignity Memorial, a funeral home and cemetery company, offers the classes for free.
But children aren't always the only ones learning during the classes.
"[Parents] sat there and shook their heads because they even learned something, and they can go home and practice the techniques with their kids," said Lisa Yago, Highland Shores Homeowners Association.
Many parents brought their children because they said they know they can't be there every second of the day and want their children to know what to do in those moments.
"We try to watch them at all times," said parent Kurt Schulte. "There's those times when you're not watching them for one second and that's when it happens."
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
Often the most dangerous predators will simply walk right up to a child, and the Escape School Abduction Prevention Program teaches children how to react in just that situation.
Escape School classes are packed from campuses to community centers teaching kids to use their power and their voice.
The classes also help children learn the unfortunate fact that abductions can happen in the most familiar place. In the United States every year, strangers abduct around 5,000 children and nearly 400 of them are never seen again.
Michael Negretti who attended the class said it saved him and he came back to share his experience with other kids.
"Three guys in a vehicle asked me to hop in and I dropped my backpack and ran," he said.
Texas-based Dignity Memorial, a funeral home and cemetery company, offers the classes for free.
But children aren't always the only ones learning during the classes.
"[Parents] sat there and shook their heads because they even learned something, and they can go home and practice the techniques with their kids," said Lisa Yago, Highland Shores Homeowners Association.
Many parents brought their children because they said they know they can't be there every second of the day and want their children to know what to do in those moments.
"We try to watch them at all times," said parent Kurt Schulte. "There's those times when you're not watching them for one second and that's when it happens."
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