Deputies stop 18-wheeler after short chase
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The driver of an 18-wheeler is in custody after driving erratically on Interstate 20 and leading Dallas County sheriff’s deputies on a short chase Friday morning, a department official said.
Sgt. Don Peritz, a spokesman for the Dallas County sheriff, said the truck was weaving on westbound I-20 west of Interstate 45 when deputies spotted it about 6:45 a.m. and tried to stop the driver, Peritz said.
“They finally got him to pull over at Cedar Ridge and I-20,” Peritz said. “He claimed he was too tired to drive and couldn’t produce a driver’s license.”
Investigators are trying to determine whether the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Peritz said.
News from the Lone Star State
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Police chase suspect from Dallas to Fort Worth (Updated)
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
A suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer has been detained, after leading police on a high-speed chase from Dallas to Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges.
A Dallas police detective in an unmarked squad car noticed suspicious activity at a hotel parking lot near Gardner Road and Northwest Highway, Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said. A man was driving the truck and trailer full of items under a black tarp, and a gold Cadillac and a Plymouth Duster followed.
“The detective was eventually able to follow, but the driver of the Cadillac tried to impede her progress by swerving from lane to lane in front of the detective’s car,” Cpl. Geron said.
The chase went through Dallas, Grand Prairie and Arlington before reaching Fort Worth at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Most of the items in the trailer were covered under a black tarp. After blowing multiple tires during the chase, while exiting Highway 287 the truck went over a curb and began losing the trailer's load of furniture and equipment.
After losing a wheel, the black Chevrolet pickup caught fire and stopped along westbound Interstate 30 near Forest Park Boulevard. Rivera sat in the vehicle for several minutes until officers approached with guns drawn and pulled him out of the burning truck.
He was taken into custody by Dallas police and Department of Public Safety troopers, and Fort Worth fire crews extinguished the burning vehicle. He appeared to have a broken leg. Westbound I-30 was closed for over an hour at Forest Park due to ongoing police activity and cleanup.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The chase ended when the suspect's vehicle caught on fire.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
A suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer has been detained, after leading police on a high-speed chase from Dallas to Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges.
A Dallas police detective in an unmarked squad car noticed suspicious activity at a hotel parking lot near Gardner Road and Northwest Highway, Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said. A man was driving the truck and trailer full of items under a black tarp, and a gold Cadillac and a Plymouth Duster followed.
“The detective was eventually able to follow, but the driver of the Cadillac tried to impede her progress by swerving from lane to lane in front of the detective’s car,” Cpl. Geron said.
The chase went through Dallas, Grand Prairie and Arlington before reaching Fort Worth at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Most of the items in the trailer were covered under a black tarp. After blowing multiple tires during the chase, while exiting Highway 287 the truck went over a curb and began losing the trailer's load of furniture and equipment.
After losing a wheel, the black Chevrolet pickup caught fire and stopped along westbound Interstate 30 near Forest Park Boulevard. Rivera sat in the vehicle for several minutes until officers approached with guns drawn and pulled him out of the burning truck.
He was taken into custody by Dallas police and Department of Public Safety troopers, and Fort Worth fire crews extinguished the burning vehicle. He appeared to have a broken leg. Westbound I-30 was closed for over an hour at Forest Park due to ongoing police activity and cleanup.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The chase ended when the suspect's vehicle caught on fire.
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Later start sinking in for schools
Districts sigh, but some parents happy with late August rule for '07
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
August will soon be a summer month again.
While the spotlight was trained on school finance and property taxes during the Legislature's special session, lawmakers quietly slid the school start date back to the fourth Monday in August, starting next year. They also took away any chance for districts to get waivers that had allowed the start of school to creep ever closer to Aug. 1.
In 2007, school will start Aug. 27 – no exceptions.
The decision will force many districts to reconfigure their calendars, shorten their fall breaks or scrap them altogether and push semester exams to early January. And there will be adjustments for parents accustomed to sending their kids back to school up to three weeks earlier.
After years of beating back legislative proposals – supported by the tourism industry – to start the school year in late August or early September, many area districts were somewhat resigned to changing their calendars, said Tim Carroll, public information director for the Allen Independent School District.
"For average citizens who have a stake in the matter, it's hard to lobby against" later start dates, said Mr. Carroll, whose district is set to start the next school year on Aug. 7. "It's something that just keeps coming back and coming back."
The new law replaces a toothless policy that has allowed districts to shift the school calendar toward early August. Classes are supposed to begin the week of Aug. 21, but waivers have been easy to come by. Last year, the Texas Education Agency allowed more than 70 percent of districts to open earlier.
"We don't ask why they want a waiver," said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. "It's pretty perfunctory."
For now, the legislative decision ends a long-simmering dispute about local control and summers cut short.
Allen has had one of the earliest start dates in the area in recent years. Moving the first day of classes to the end of the month probably will lead to a shorter fall break and Thanksgiving vacation, Mr. Carroll said. Semester exams also could be rescheduled.
"We have enough notice to prepare for it," he said. "We don't feel we're in panic mode."
Don't have to like it
School officials will make the needed adjustments. But they don't support the policy.
Mr. Carroll said his community has consistently backed beginning classes in early August.
Allen parents, though, may be in the minority. Last year's Texas Poll found that 64 percent of 1,000 adults surveyed wanted the state to require classes to start after Labor Day.
A few parent groups pushing for September starts have sprouted around the state, joining tourism officials and others in the effort to set a uniform date. Tina Bruno, a mother of three and executive director of Texans for a Traditional School Year, called the new law a wonderful compromise.
"When school starts so early, children aren't excited about going back to school," she said. "Summer is a fabulous time for children to see the importance of what their teachers have taught them."
While Ms. Bruno's group has supported starting school after Labor Day, she said she is satisfied with the Legislature's decision. A late August start will allow schools to save money on utility costs, and students from migrant families won't miss as much class, she said.
Exam concerns
Opponents of a later start have asserted that moving final exams to January would pose problems for teachers and students who would be taking the tests after an extended vacation.
Although Ms. Bruno's group has been active in the school start debate, critics have complained that lawmakers ultimately bowed to pressure from lobbyists.
Sandra Daniels, a spokeswoman for Six Flags Over Texas, said the theme park was only a bit player – not the driving force behind the decision.
"A lot of people worked very hard to see that this legislation passed," she said. "It's not about us."
Still, the Arlington park and other popular destinations stand to benefit from an extended summer. Mrs. Daniels said Six Flags expects to add another week of daily operation to its schedule when the new start dates are implemented.
"It will give kids an opportunity to work longer and make some extra money; it will give families better opportunities to visit the park," she said.
While Six Flags is tinkering with its schedule and school administrators are making changes to their calendars, the University Interscholastic League has no immediate plans to delay the start of high school activities.
Practices for many extracurricular activities begin in early August, but school districts have the option of scheduling a later start for teams if they choose, said Mark Cousins, the UIL's athletic coordinator
If superintendents propose altering the timeline for activities, the UIL's legislative council would consider a change, he said. But even small shifts in sports schedules could prove problematic, as high school football playoffs already stretch into December.
"The later you start, the later you're going to have to end," Mr. Cousins said.
Officials with the Keller Independent School District, which has started classes in early August the last few years, said many questions about the new schedule remain. Jason Meyer, Keller's director of communications, said the district would seek input from parents and teachers about possible adjustments to the calendar.
A head start in Carroll
"It's a fundamental change in the way that Texas schools will be doing business," he said. "The early start date has been very popular in Keller. Every year, we hear from hundreds of people that they'd like to keep that date in place."
Most area districts will be scrambling to reconfigure their calendars, but Carroll Independent School District is counting itself ahead of the curve. Last year, administrators moved the first day of classes to the end of August. The change was a money-saving measure linked to the timing of the district's fiscal year.
Carroll is sticking with that schedule and plans to begin the upcoming school year Aug. 29.
Districts sigh, but some parents happy with late August rule for '07
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
August will soon be a summer month again.
While the spotlight was trained on school finance and property taxes during the Legislature's special session, lawmakers quietly slid the school start date back to the fourth Monday in August, starting next year. They also took away any chance for districts to get waivers that had allowed the start of school to creep ever closer to Aug. 1.
In 2007, school will start Aug. 27 – no exceptions.
The decision will force many districts to reconfigure their calendars, shorten their fall breaks or scrap them altogether and push semester exams to early January. And there will be adjustments for parents accustomed to sending their kids back to school up to three weeks earlier.
After years of beating back legislative proposals – supported by the tourism industry – to start the school year in late August or early September, many area districts were somewhat resigned to changing their calendars, said Tim Carroll, public information director for the Allen Independent School District.
"For average citizens who have a stake in the matter, it's hard to lobby against" later start dates, said Mr. Carroll, whose district is set to start the next school year on Aug. 7. "It's something that just keeps coming back and coming back."
The new law replaces a toothless policy that has allowed districts to shift the school calendar toward early August. Classes are supposed to begin the week of Aug. 21, but waivers have been easy to come by. Last year, the Texas Education Agency allowed more than 70 percent of districts to open earlier.
"We don't ask why they want a waiver," said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. "It's pretty perfunctory."
For now, the legislative decision ends a long-simmering dispute about local control and summers cut short.
Allen has had one of the earliest start dates in the area in recent years. Moving the first day of classes to the end of the month probably will lead to a shorter fall break and Thanksgiving vacation, Mr. Carroll said. Semester exams also could be rescheduled.
"We have enough notice to prepare for it," he said. "We don't feel we're in panic mode."
Don't have to like it
School officials will make the needed adjustments. But they don't support the policy.
Mr. Carroll said his community has consistently backed beginning classes in early August.
Allen parents, though, may be in the minority. Last year's Texas Poll found that 64 percent of 1,000 adults surveyed wanted the state to require classes to start after Labor Day.
A few parent groups pushing for September starts have sprouted around the state, joining tourism officials and others in the effort to set a uniform date. Tina Bruno, a mother of three and executive director of Texans for a Traditional School Year, called the new law a wonderful compromise.
"When school starts so early, children aren't excited about going back to school," she said. "Summer is a fabulous time for children to see the importance of what their teachers have taught them."
While Ms. Bruno's group has supported starting school after Labor Day, she said she is satisfied with the Legislature's decision. A late August start will allow schools to save money on utility costs, and students from migrant families won't miss as much class, she said.
Exam concerns
Opponents of a later start have asserted that moving final exams to January would pose problems for teachers and students who would be taking the tests after an extended vacation.
Although Ms. Bruno's group has been active in the school start debate, critics have complained that lawmakers ultimately bowed to pressure from lobbyists.
Sandra Daniels, a spokeswoman for Six Flags Over Texas, said the theme park was only a bit player – not the driving force behind the decision.
"A lot of people worked very hard to see that this legislation passed," she said. "It's not about us."
Still, the Arlington park and other popular destinations stand to benefit from an extended summer. Mrs. Daniels said Six Flags expects to add another week of daily operation to its schedule when the new start dates are implemented.
"It will give kids an opportunity to work longer and make some extra money; it will give families better opportunities to visit the park," she said.
While Six Flags is tinkering with its schedule and school administrators are making changes to their calendars, the University Interscholastic League has no immediate plans to delay the start of high school activities.
Practices for many extracurricular activities begin in early August, but school districts have the option of scheduling a later start for teams if they choose, said Mark Cousins, the UIL's athletic coordinator
If superintendents propose altering the timeline for activities, the UIL's legislative council would consider a change, he said. But even small shifts in sports schedules could prove problematic, as high school football playoffs already stretch into December.
"The later you start, the later you're going to have to end," Mr. Cousins said.
Officials with the Keller Independent School District, which has started classes in early August the last few years, said many questions about the new schedule remain. Jason Meyer, Keller's director of communications, said the district would seek input from parents and teachers about possible adjustments to the calendar.
A head start in Carroll
"It's a fundamental change in the way that Texas schools will be doing business," he said. "The early start date has been very popular in Keller. Every year, we hear from hundreds of people that they'd like to keep that date in place."
Most area districts will be scrambling to reconfigure their calendars, but Carroll Independent School District is counting itself ahead of the curve. Last year, administrators moved the first day of classes to the end of August. The change was a money-saving measure linked to the timing of the district's fiscal year.
Carroll is sticking with that schedule and plans to begin the upcoming school year Aug. 29.
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Police probe alleged sex assault of child
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FOREST HILL, Texas — State officials have shut down a home-based child care center after questions about why a registered sex offender was living there.
A one-year-old child who had been cared for at the house in the 3600 block of Cobblestone Street was taken to a hospital earlier this week after her mother observed signs of possible sexual abuse.
The residence was licensed to Chandra Harris as a home child care center in April, 2005. Two months ago, a registered sex offender was paroled to the same address.
On Tuesday of this week, a child's mother took her to the hospital after finding blood on her diaper.
The child care center was shut down on Wednesday after an inspection by Child Protective Services. Investigators said they aren't yet sure how the youngster was hurt.
"Right now, we're in the process of interviewing children, adults, witnesses, to see where we're at," said Forest Hill police Lt. Chris Hebert.
The investigation uncovered something else: Harris' husband— who moved in only two months ago—is a registered sex offender.
CPS didn't realize that until Wednesday, when the agency launched its own investigation into the alleged abuse and found Lucious Edward Harris Jr. caring for the children—alone.
When Harris registered as a sex offender, he gave the correct address as his residence, but there is no system in place to alert authorities that the same address was also licensed as a home child care center.
It would seem easy enough to catch. In fact, if you check the state's database for registered sex offenders, you will find the Cobblestone address.
Look at the state's Web site for licensed child care providers and the same address pops up there.
But according the the state, it isn't that simple.
A spokesperson for Child Protective Services told News 8 a daycare operator is required by law to notify the state if they have a new person living at the address or caring for the child.
Chandra Harris was quick to defend her husband. "He has done everything he is supposed to do," she said. "He's registered, and he's done his classes."
Mrs. Harris said the alleged injury to the one-year-old did not occur at her center. "She was with someone else for several hours after she left my house."
Neighbor Jeanette Miller said she knows very little about the Harris' operation. "It surprises me, because I have grandbabies that are with me here every day," Miller said.
Chandra Harris said she is hurt by the allegations, and now fears that regardless of how the investigation turns out, the damage has already been done.
Forest Hill police said the Harrises are both cooperating with the investigation.
Detectives were talking to anyone who came into contact with the child around the time she was injured.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FOREST HILL, Texas — State officials have shut down a home-based child care center after questions about why a registered sex offender was living there.
A one-year-old child who had been cared for at the house in the 3600 block of Cobblestone Street was taken to a hospital earlier this week after her mother observed signs of possible sexual abuse.
The residence was licensed to Chandra Harris as a home child care center in April, 2005. Two months ago, a registered sex offender was paroled to the same address.
On Tuesday of this week, a child's mother took her to the hospital after finding blood on her diaper.
The child care center was shut down on Wednesday after an inspection by Child Protective Services. Investigators said they aren't yet sure how the youngster was hurt.
"Right now, we're in the process of interviewing children, adults, witnesses, to see where we're at," said Forest Hill police Lt. Chris Hebert.
The investigation uncovered something else: Harris' husband— who moved in only two months ago—is a registered sex offender.
CPS didn't realize that until Wednesday, when the agency launched its own investigation into the alleged abuse and found Lucious Edward Harris Jr. caring for the children—alone.
When Harris registered as a sex offender, he gave the correct address as his residence, but there is no system in place to alert authorities that the same address was also licensed as a home child care center.
It would seem easy enough to catch. In fact, if you check the state's database for registered sex offenders, you will find the Cobblestone address.
Look at the state's Web site for licensed child care providers and the same address pops up there.
But according the the state, it isn't that simple.
A spokesperson for Child Protective Services told News 8 a daycare operator is required by law to notify the state if they have a new person living at the address or caring for the child.
Chandra Harris was quick to defend her husband. "He has done everything he is supposed to do," she said. "He's registered, and he's done his classes."
Mrs. Harris said the alleged injury to the one-year-old did not occur at her center. "She was with someone else for several hours after she left my house."
Neighbor Jeanette Miller said she knows very little about the Harris' operation. "It surprises me, because I have grandbabies that are with me here every day," Miller said.
Chandra Harris said she is hurt by the allegations, and now fears that regardless of how the investigation turns out, the damage has already been done.
Forest Hill police said the Harrises are both cooperating with the investigation.
Detectives were talking to anyone who came into contact with the child around the time she was injured.
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Fort Worth teen drowns at apartment pool
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Fort Worth teen drowned Thursday following a late night swim with two friends.
Nathan Harvey, 16, was pronounced dead around 10 p.m. at a Fort Worth hospital.
He had been swimming at an apartment complex pool in the 2900 block of Phoenix Drive, said Fort Worth police spokesman Lt. Gene Jones.
One of Nathan's friends left for help while the other attempted to rescue him.
Police and firefighters responded to the scene after receiving a call around 9:20 p.m.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Fort Worth teen drowned Thursday following a late night swim with two friends.
Nathan Harvey, 16, was pronounced dead around 10 p.m. at a Fort Worth hospital.
He had been swimming at an apartment complex pool in the 2900 block of Phoenix Drive, said Fort Worth police spokesman Lt. Gene Jones.
One of Nathan's friends left for help while the other attempted to rescue him.
Police and firefighters responded to the scene after receiving a call around 9:20 p.m.
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Life inside the real Opus Dei
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
The movie the Vatican regards as blasphemy opened Friday night in theaters across North Texas and around the world.
The DaVinci Code created controversy in print, and is likely to do the same on film.
One Catholic group, Opus Dei, is upset over its portrayal in the movie.
The organization's U.S. headquarters can be found on the edge of midtown Manhattan, at the corner of 34th and Lexington.
The red brick high-rise has become a mysterious draw for fans of The Da Vinci Code.
Bobby Boone is the doorman there.
"It's like a Star Wars convention. I guess this is their Star Wars convention," he said.
The movie casts an albino monk named Silas as one of its members who turns to murder to protect a secret in the Catholic Church.
"They all want a glance of Silas and everything, and I tell them there is no such thing as Silas," Boone said.
For the first time, Opus Dei is letting cameras inside to dispel the myths perpetrated in the movie that portray it as a secret, cult-like group.
"The portrayal of Opus Dei is completely distorted," said Opus Dei mamber Terri Carron. "First of all, there aren't any monks. We're not an institution meant for monks. We're an institution meant for lay Catholic people."
Opus Dei stresses a daily personal relationship with God through prayer.
It released a video of its $60 million headquarters that serves 3,000 U.S. members.
Some 60 associates live in the residence hall and attend classes and retreats.
Members are also encouraged to exercise.
The movie includes a bloody scene where Silas uses a discipline (a whip) and a cilice (a spiked chain worn around the upper thigh) that cuts into the thigh as a form of self-mortification.
Opus Dei admits that a few of its members still perform penance.
If you've read the book, you may remember the penthouse apartment where the bishop supposedly lives. In real life, it's a rooftop terrace with an incredible view of New York.
That is just one of many errors Opus Dei uses to dispute The Da Vinci Code, but the most outrageous—they claim—is that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene.
For that reason, Opus Dei says Catholics should not see the film. Instead, they are encouraging moviegoers to see Disney's latest animated movie.
Even so, they expect the movie to generate more traffic outside their headquarters, and for that Opus Dei, has put out a pamphlet at its front door to welcome those to seek the truth.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
The movie the Vatican regards as blasphemy opened Friday night in theaters across North Texas and around the world.
The DaVinci Code created controversy in print, and is likely to do the same on film.
One Catholic group, Opus Dei, is upset over its portrayal in the movie.
The organization's U.S. headquarters can be found on the edge of midtown Manhattan, at the corner of 34th and Lexington.
The red brick high-rise has become a mysterious draw for fans of The Da Vinci Code.
Bobby Boone is the doorman there.
"It's like a Star Wars convention. I guess this is their Star Wars convention," he said.
The movie casts an albino monk named Silas as one of its members who turns to murder to protect a secret in the Catholic Church.
"They all want a glance of Silas and everything, and I tell them there is no such thing as Silas," Boone said.
For the first time, Opus Dei is letting cameras inside to dispel the myths perpetrated in the movie that portray it as a secret, cult-like group.
"The portrayal of Opus Dei is completely distorted," said Opus Dei mamber Terri Carron. "First of all, there aren't any monks. We're not an institution meant for monks. We're an institution meant for lay Catholic people."
Opus Dei stresses a daily personal relationship with God through prayer.
It released a video of its $60 million headquarters that serves 3,000 U.S. members.
Some 60 associates live in the residence hall and attend classes and retreats.
Members are also encouraged to exercise.
The movie includes a bloody scene where Silas uses a discipline (a whip) and a cilice (a spiked chain worn around the upper thigh) that cuts into the thigh as a form of self-mortification.
Opus Dei admits that a few of its members still perform penance.
If you've read the book, you may remember the penthouse apartment where the bishop supposedly lives. In real life, it's a rooftop terrace with an incredible view of New York.
That is just one of many errors Opus Dei uses to dispute The Da Vinci Code, but the most outrageous—they claim—is that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene.
For that reason, Opus Dei says Catholics should not see the film. Instead, they are encouraging moviegoers to see Disney's latest animated movie.
Even so, they expect the movie to generate more traffic outside their headquarters, and for that Opus Dei, has put out a pamphlet at its front door to welcome those to seek the truth.
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Explosions, fire rock Coppell home
By CYNTHIA VEGA and CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas — No one was hurt early Monday when fire swept through a Coppell home.
Firefighters from Irving, Grapevine and Dallas assisted Coppell units after the initial alarm went out around 4:30 a.m.
Melissa McGuire told News 8 she heard something tip over in the garage. That was followed by a loud bang and a series of explosions.
McGuire, her husband and two teenage children were able to evacuate safely, along with their pets.
"We were awakened by loud knocking at the front door," said Gerald Billings. "My next-door neighbor was standing at the front door with her two kids, her bird and her dog saying their garage was on fire."
Billings tried unsuccessfully to put down the flames with a garden hose until firefighters arrived.
The stubborn fire was still burning in the $250,000 residence more than two hours after it started.
McGuire said she and her family had lived in the house for 13 years. It appeared to be a total loss.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. Fire department personnel said they were taking a close look at the attic area above the home's garage.
By CYNTHIA VEGA and CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas — No one was hurt early Monday when fire swept through a Coppell home.
Firefighters from Irving, Grapevine and Dallas assisted Coppell units after the initial alarm went out around 4:30 a.m.
Melissa McGuire told News 8 she heard something tip over in the garage. That was followed by a loud bang and a series of explosions.
McGuire, her husband and two teenage children were able to evacuate safely, along with their pets.
"We were awakened by loud knocking at the front door," said Gerald Billings. "My next-door neighbor was standing at the front door with her two kids, her bird and her dog saying their garage was on fire."
Billings tried unsuccessfully to put down the flames with a garden hose until firefighters arrived.
The stubborn fire was still burning in the $250,000 residence more than two hours after it started.
McGuire said she and her family had lived in the house for 13 years. It appeared to be a total loss.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. Fire department personnel said they were taking a close look at the attic area above the home's garage.
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Gunman surrenders after Fort Worth standoff
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — An overnight standoff in West Fort Worth ended peacefully early Monday with a gunman's surrender.
Police said an apparent domestic dispute in the 5000 block of Marks Place led to the unidentified man holding a gun to his head.
The man's wife and child were initially in the house, but police said neither had been held hostage and both were safe.
Fort Worth police Sgt. Marc Neerman spent nearly two hours inside the house speaking with the suicidal man as a SWAT team surrounded the house.
"I spoke to him; tried to help him resolve some of the problems; lessen his anxiety a little bit," Sgt. Neerman said. "After about an hour and 45 minutes we established a rapport. He put the gun down and I asked him to at the end, he shook my hand and we walked out together.
The man was taken into custody. There was no word on what charges he would face.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Mike Zukerman contributed to this report.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — An overnight standoff in West Fort Worth ended peacefully early Monday with a gunman's surrender.
Police said an apparent domestic dispute in the 5000 block of Marks Place led to the unidentified man holding a gun to his head.
The man's wife and child were initially in the house, but police said neither had been held hostage and both were safe.
Fort Worth police Sgt. Marc Neerman spent nearly two hours inside the house speaking with the suicidal man as a SWAT team surrounded the house.
"I spoke to him; tried to help him resolve some of the problems; lessen his anxiety a little bit," Sgt. Neerman said. "After about an hour and 45 minutes we established a rapport. He put the gun down and I asked him to at the end, he shook my hand and we walked out together.
The man was taken into custody. There was no word on what charges he would face.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Mike Zukerman contributed to this report.
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Improper conduct claims lead to priest's suspension
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas priest was relieved of his duties after allegations of improper conduct with a minor more than 20 years ago.
Monsignor Richard Johnson, 76, was suspended from St. Patrick's Catholic Church while an investigation is underway.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas priest was relieved of his duties after allegations of improper conduct with a minor more than 20 years ago.
Monsignor Richard Johnson, 76, was suspended from St. Patrick's Catholic Church while an investigation is underway.
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Mother found murdered in Forest Hill home
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FOREST HILL, Texas - Forest Hill police are searching for a suspect after a 50-year-old woman was found murdered in her home around 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the 4000 block of Burly Street.
Rosa Maria Reyes' daughter said she went to the house to visit her mother, who lived alone, when she discovered her body.
Reyes' son, Jose Galvin, said the last time he saw his mother was on Mother's Day.
"We're trying to find out what happened to my mom," Galvin said. "We know that they will get caught and this will catch up to them. No matter how long it takes they will be caught."
Reyes' children said that their mother was well-liked and had no enemies.
Police are looking for leads in the investigation and the medical examiner is looking into the exact cause of death.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
FOREST HILL, Texas - Forest Hill police are searching for a suspect after a 50-year-old woman was found murdered in her home around 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the 4000 block of Burly Street.
Rosa Maria Reyes' daughter said she went to the house to visit her mother, who lived alone, when she discovered her body.
Reyes' son, Jose Galvin, said the last time he saw his mother was on Mother's Day.
"We're trying to find out what happened to my mom," Galvin said. "We know that they will get caught and this will catch up to them. No matter how long it takes they will be caught."
Reyes' children said that their mother was well-liked and had no enemies.
Police are looking for leads in the investigation and the medical examiner is looking into the exact cause of death.
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TexasStooge
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Red-light cameras operational in Frisco
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Red-light cameras are now up and operating at two Frisco intersections.
The cameras are located at the intersections of Dallas Parkway and Main Street, as well as Dallas Parkway and Gaylord Parkway.
Drivers caught running a light will receive a notice in the mail.
The first two notices in a year come with a $75 fine.
After that, the fine increases to $200.
A 30-day warning period is currently in operation.
Violators will be sent the notice but not the fine.
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Red-light cameras are now up and operating at two Frisco intersections.
The cameras are located at the intersections of Dallas Parkway and Main Street, as well as Dallas Parkway and Gaylord Parkway.
Drivers caught running a light will receive a notice in the mail.
The first two notices in a year come with a $75 fine.
After that, the fine increases to $200.
A 30-day warning period is currently in operation.
Violators will be sent the notice but not the fine.
0 likes
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Cafe offers Richardson ISD youth a heaping serving of experience
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Claire McCaslin twists the top of a pastry bag and pipes a perfect row of whipped cream dots around the edge of a cheesecake. Then row after row she repeats the procedure until three of the cakes are ready for diners soon to descend on Richardson High's Eagle Cafe.
The process demands patience and concentration, which Claire seems to have in abundance. At 17, she believes this will be her life's work.
"I've always liked desserts," the junior culinary arts student says. "It was exciting when we got in here and started making them and you got to put your own little twist on them."
Claire and 15 classmates run the cafe, which the high school's culinary arts department has opened to district employees on most Fridays since February. The diner is sizzling with customers, with reservations hard to come by.
The students' teacher and others say the operation offers valuable hands-on experience, but for the students it's also a break from hardcore academics.
The Texas Restaurant Association says about 400 Texas high schools have food production programs. Many of those have commercial kitchens, but fewer than 100 have dining cafes, generally small, converted classrooms.
About 65 school districts – including Richardson, Wylie, Plano, Grand Prairie and Dallas – use the restaurant association's Food Service Prep curriculum, which can earn students Texas Chefs Association and ServSafe manager certification.
Yvonne Loya, program director for the association's education foundation, said students also can earn culinary school or college credit, become more marketable to employers and earn as much as $2 more an hour in their first job.
"Schools now are taking a more academy-like approach where they're actually creating pathways to careers," Ms. Loya said.
"With that said, they're probably needing a dining room, restaurant or cafe-like setting to fulfill that."
Richardson High's program is typical of the trend.
Five years ago it had 11 students and operated out of an antiquated home economics kitchen. Today its 60 students use stainless steel, restaurant-quality equipment to cater school events and serve dozens of diners in the eatery weekly.
"They will learn not only how to boil an egg but also how to use it as an emulsifier," teacher Karen Hill said. "Not just how to plate a dish but also how to serve it without spilling. Not just what ingredients are in a recipe but how to budget for them and order the right amounts."
The restaurant is self-supporting with profits going back into the school's culinary arts program.
District hot spot
In district circles these days, the cafe with its linen tablecloths and cozy atmosphere may be the hottest lunch ticket around. During one recent lunch period, students filled a to-go order for teachers at Hamilton Park Elementary 15 minutes away, and almost every cafe seat is reserved weekly.
Richardson High computer teacher Cindy Gallatin has eaten in the restaurant every Friday since it opened and would go every day if she could.
"It's wonderful food, and it's a nice getaway," she said.
The students make everything on the menu – except the bread – from scratch. The most popular items are the chicken salad croissant sandwich with chips or fruit, for $5, and the cheesecake of the day, for $1.
The students rotate positions in the back and front of the house – the kitchen and dining room – so everyone gets experience throughout the operation.
While the cafe mirrors activity in many Dallas restaurants, occasional scenes remind visitors that youth is the day's special.
Shouts of "Hey Mr. Hademenos," greet physics teacher George Hademenos as he passes through the kitchen to the dining room.
Waitress Adrienne Creasey has a cold and is demoted to "sanitation coordinator," a less ego-deflating job title for dishwasher. The move gives Anthony Mordica a shot at serving. He struts around, showing off his white chef's coat and apron, from which he professionally hangs his order pad.
Turning in an order for a table of five, he tells back-of-the-house manager Gustavo Hernandez to make the grilled chicken sandwich "plain," imitating a baseball umpire's safe sign for emphasis.
Gustavo says he wants to own a restaurant someday. He examines each plate closely to make sure it's complete and attractive. Then he places them on a counter where Post-it notes indicate which of four tables they belong to.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Nathan Gavos turns marinated chicken on a grill and then debates with other students about whether it's done.
After the rush
After cleaning the dishes from the first of two lunch periods, Adrienne chats about the PSAT test with Greer Brody across chopped ingredients – tomatoes, chicken and eggs – for a Cobb salad.
All the students help each other serve and then clear the tables, so at times there are almost as many staffers as diners. Tips are collected for a class reward.
Finally, after the diners pay their bills and clear out, the students gather in the kitchen to eat lunch themselves.
"Gustavo," barks Anthony, hunching over a large bag of Doritos like a football. "Three, 64! Three, 64! Hut, hut, hut!"
Then looking around sheepishly, he adds, "Don't worry. I'm not going to throw it."
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Claire McCaslin twists the top of a pastry bag and pipes a perfect row of whipped cream dots around the edge of a cheesecake. Then row after row she repeats the procedure until three of the cakes are ready for diners soon to descend on Richardson High's Eagle Cafe.
The process demands patience and concentration, which Claire seems to have in abundance. At 17, she believes this will be her life's work.
"I've always liked desserts," the junior culinary arts student says. "It was exciting when we got in here and started making them and you got to put your own little twist on them."
Claire and 15 classmates run the cafe, which the high school's culinary arts department has opened to district employees on most Fridays since February. The diner is sizzling with customers, with reservations hard to come by.
The students' teacher and others say the operation offers valuable hands-on experience, but for the students it's also a break from hardcore academics.
The Texas Restaurant Association says about 400 Texas high schools have food production programs. Many of those have commercial kitchens, but fewer than 100 have dining cafes, generally small, converted classrooms.
About 65 school districts – including Richardson, Wylie, Plano, Grand Prairie and Dallas – use the restaurant association's Food Service Prep curriculum, which can earn students Texas Chefs Association and ServSafe manager certification.
Yvonne Loya, program director for the association's education foundation, said students also can earn culinary school or college credit, become more marketable to employers and earn as much as $2 more an hour in their first job.
"Schools now are taking a more academy-like approach where they're actually creating pathways to careers," Ms. Loya said.
"With that said, they're probably needing a dining room, restaurant or cafe-like setting to fulfill that."
Richardson High's program is typical of the trend.
Five years ago it had 11 students and operated out of an antiquated home economics kitchen. Today its 60 students use stainless steel, restaurant-quality equipment to cater school events and serve dozens of diners in the eatery weekly.
"They will learn not only how to boil an egg but also how to use it as an emulsifier," teacher Karen Hill said. "Not just how to plate a dish but also how to serve it without spilling. Not just what ingredients are in a recipe but how to budget for them and order the right amounts."
The restaurant is self-supporting with profits going back into the school's culinary arts program.
District hot spot
In district circles these days, the cafe with its linen tablecloths and cozy atmosphere may be the hottest lunch ticket around. During one recent lunch period, students filled a to-go order for teachers at Hamilton Park Elementary 15 minutes away, and almost every cafe seat is reserved weekly.
Richardson High computer teacher Cindy Gallatin has eaten in the restaurant every Friday since it opened and would go every day if she could.
"It's wonderful food, and it's a nice getaway," she said.
The students make everything on the menu – except the bread – from scratch. The most popular items are the chicken salad croissant sandwich with chips or fruit, for $5, and the cheesecake of the day, for $1.
The students rotate positions in the back and front of the house – the kitchen and dining room – so everyone gets experience throughout the operation.
While the cafe mirrors activity in many Dallas restaurants, occasional scenes remind visitors that youth is the day's special.
Shouts of "Hey Mr. Hademenos," greet physics teacher George Hademenos as he passes through the kitchen to the dining room.
Waitress Adrienne Creasey has a cold and is demoted to "sanitation coordinator," a less ego-deflating job title for dishwasher. The move gives Anthony Mordica a shot at serving. He struts around, showing off his white chef's coat and apron, from which he professionally hangs his order pad.
Turning in an order for a table of five, he tells back-of-the-house manager Gustavo Hernandez to make the grilled chicken sandwich "plain," imitating a baseball umpire's safe sign for emphasis.
Gustavo says he wants to own a restaurant someday. He examines each plate closely to make sure it's complete and attractive. Then he places them on a counter where Post-it notes indicate which of four tables they belong to.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Nathan Gavos turns marinated chicken on a grill and then debates with other students about whether it's done.
After the rush
After cleaning the dishes from the first of two lunch periods, Adrienne chats about the PSAT test with Greer Brody across chopped ingredients – tomatoes, chicken and eggs – for a Cobb salad.
All the students help each other serve and then clear the tables, so at times there are almost as many staffers as diners. Tips are collected for a class reward.
Finally, after the diners pay their bills and clear out, the students gather in the kitchen to eat lunch themselves.
"Gustavo," barks Anthony, hunching over a large bag of Doritos like a football. "Three, 64! Three, 64! Hut, hut, hut!"
Then looking around sheepishly, he adds, "Don't worry. I'm not going to throw it."
0 likes
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Volunteers combat graffiti in Dallas
Graffiti removed from over 200 buildings throughout city
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Wielding brushes as big as their forearms, 5-year-old twins Jesus and Francisco Solis slopped stroke after stroke of gray primer on the graffiti-riddled wall.
"Paint over the black!" their mother, Mia Medrano, said as she helped her daughter, 8-year-old Karina Solis, remove the spray-painted word "PIZZA" from a squat cinderblock building at Greenville and Ross avenues.
While many of their friends were playing video games or watching Saturday morning kids shows, dozens of children worked among about 700 volunteers who scrubbed, scoured and shellacked more than 200 Dallas buildings free of graffiti, from Oak Cliff to Lake Highlands.
Officials billed the citywide "Graffiti Wipe Out 2006" as the first event of its kind in Dallas.
Private companies and community organizations donated more than $40,000 in supplies to combat "tagging," which community activists say lowers property values and degrades neighborhoods.
The activity coincides with increased efforts at City Hall to stop graffiti proliferation, including an ordinance the City Council passed this month allowing police to arrest people carrying spray paint and other graffiti implements – even if they haven't tagged anything. The penalty? A misdemeanor charge that carries a $500 fine.
In Deep Ellum, paint-flecked council member Angela Hunt had just helped a team of volunteers coat a graffiti-covered building with fresh paint when she spied a man writing "fantastica" in permanent marker on a nearby wall.
Ms. Hunt called the police. Within minutes, they arrested the man.
"It's a constant battle. You have to keep cleaning it up and staying vigilant," Ms. Hunt said. "And if you see a graffiti vandal, you should treat it like any other criminal act and call 911."
Along Oram Street in Old East Dallas, lawyer Angel Reyes, who had traded his business suit for a muscle shirt, stretched overhead to cover a patch of graffiti on a metal door that young volunteers couldn't reach.
"Don't worry – you guys are going to be as tall as me by the time you turn 13," Mr. Reyes said.
The soccer teammates and Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School classmates smiled, grabbed their brushes and darted into an alley to paint over designs on a wall.
"They should be helping instead of messing things up," Jonathan Mora, 12, said of graffiti artists.
Said 11-year-old Mauricio Juarez: "Graffiti looks bad. This is our community, and we need to keep our community clean."
Graffiti removed from over 200 buildings throughout city
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Wielding brushes as big as their forearms, 5-year-old twins Jesus and Francisco Solis slopped stroke after stroke of gray primer on the graffiti-riddled wall.
"Paint over the black!" their mother, Mia Medrano, said as she helped her daughter, 8-year-old Karina Solis, remove the spray-painted word "PIZZA" from a squat cinderblock building at Greenville and Ross avenues.
While many of their friends were playing video games or watching Saturday morning kids shows, dozens of children worked among about 700 volunteers who scrubbed, scoured and shellacked more than 200 Dallas buildings free of graffiti, from Oak Cliff to Lake Highlands.
Officials billed the citywide "Graffiti Wipe Out 2006" as the first event of its kind in Dallas.
Private companies and community organizations donated more than $40,000 in supplies to combat "tagging," which community activists say lowers property values and degrades neighborhoods.
The activity coincides with increased efforts at City Hall to stop graffiti proliferation, including an ordinance the City Council passed this month allowing police to arrest people carrying spray paint and other graffiti implements – even if they haven't tagged anything. The penalty? A misdemeanor charge that carries a $500 fine.
In Deep Ellum, paint-flecked council member Angela Hunt had just helped a team of volunteers coat a graffiti-covered building with fresh paint when she spied a man writing "fantastica" in permanent marker on a nearby wall.
Ms. Hunt called the police. Within minutes, they arrested the man.
"It's a constant battle. You have to keep cleaning it up and staying vigilant," Ms. Hunt said. "And if you see a graffiti vandal, you should treat it like any other criminal act and call 911."
Along Oram Street in Old East Dallas, lawyer Angel Reyes, who had traded his business suit for a muscle shirt, stretched overhead to cover a patch of graffiti on a metal door that young volunteers couldn't reach.
"Don't worry – you guys are going to be as tall as me by the time you turn 13," Mr. Reyes said.
The soccer teammates and Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School classmates smiled, grabbed their brushes and darted into an alley to paint over designs on a wall.
"They should be helping instead of messing things up," Jonathan Mora, 12, said of graffiti artists.
Said 11-year-old Mauricio Juarez: "Graffiti looks bad. This is our community, and we need to keep our community clean."
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TexasStooge
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Dead gator found in Lewisville Lake
LITTLE ELM, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A dead alligator has been found floating in Lewisville Lake near Little Elm, tied to a tree stump.
The gator, estimated to be longer than 11 feet, was floating belly up in the water. A News 8 viewer who said he discovered the carcass on Sunday said "the smell was overpowering."
He said it appeared that the alligator had been dead for several days.
The News 8 viewer said he had contacted wildlife management officials, who indicated that this would be investigated as a poaching incident.
The dead gator was found just south of the Eldorado Parkway bridge over the lake.
Last week, News 8 reported that a Little Elm family was keeping their young daughter away from the water after they spotted an alligator swimming near the shore.
Parks and wildlife officials have issued a warning about the dangers posed by alligators, citing rapid growth into previously rural areas in Texas, among other reasons.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Monique Slaughter said alligators are most visible during their mating season of April through July.
She said alligators roam in 120 of Texas’ 254 counties. Hunting statistics for the past 15 years show the average adult Texas gator is 7 feet long and weighs 60 pounds.
WFAA.com staff, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
LITTLE ELM, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A dead alligator has been found floating in Lewisville Lake near Little Elm, tied to a tree stump.
The gator, estimated to be longer than 11 feet, was floating belly up in the water. A News 8 viewer who said he discovered the carcass on Sunday said "the smell was overpowering."
He said it appeared that the alligator had been dead for several days.
The News 8 viewer said he had contacted wildlife management officials, who indicated that this would be investigated as a poaching incident.
The dead gator was found just south of the Eldorado Parkway bridge over the lake.
Last week, News 8 reported that a Little Elm family was keeping their young daughter away from the water after they spotted an alligator swimming near the shore.
Parks and wildlife officials have issued a warning about the dangers posed by alligators, citing rapid growth into previously rural areas in Texas, among other reasons.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Monique Slaughter said alligators are most visible during their mating season of April through July.
She said alligators roam in 120 of Texas’ 254 counties. Hunting statistics for the past 15 years show the average adult Texas gator is 7 feet long and weighs 60 pounds.
WFAA.com staff, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Keller ISD apologizes for yearbook cover
'In God We Trust' was eliminated from nickel photo
By MARICE RICHTER / The Dallas Morning News
KELLER, Texas - Keller school district officials are hoping to clear up a flap over a school yearbook cover by issuing an apology to parents.
A letter from Superintendent James Veitenheimer was sent home to parents of students at Liberty Elementary School in Colleyville on Monday. The same letter was e-mailed over the weekend, officials said.
The superintendent said that “we would like to express our regrets for any distress” resulting from the cover photo of the newly-minted Liberty Nickel without the words “In God We Trust.”
Youngsters were given stickers with the missing words to affix to the photo, if they so choose.
Some parents complained that the school went too far in trying to remain neutral on religion.
“We are just shocked and saddened that it’s come to this and it hit right our backyard,” parent Deborah Ackerman told WFAA-TV last week.
District officials said the school’s administration and PTA board felt that an image of the Liberty Nickel would be an appropriate honor for the new school with the name of Liberty.
In an attempt to be sensitive to families of all faiths, school and PTA officials decided that omitting “In God We Trust” and providing a sticker with the missing words would satisfy everyone, district spokesman Jason Meyer said.
“We live in a politically correct world and every decision we make is under scrutiny,” Mr. Meyer said.
District officials said the photo could have been used in its entirety without violating district policy.
“While it is always easy to look back on campus decisions in hindsight and agree that a different decision could have been made, our principals often find themselves on the front lines of issues regarding the separation of church and state,” Dr. Veitenheimer’s letter stated. “In most of these cases, school administrators find themselves making decisions that are not going to please all parties involved.
“Unfortunately, the decision at Liberty Elementary School fell into this category,” the superintendent’s letter stated.
'In God We Trust' was eliminated from nickel photo
By MARICE RICHTER / The Dallas Morning News
KELLER, Texas - Keller school district officials are hoping to clear up a flap over a school yearbook cover by issuing an apology to parents.
A letter from Superintendent James Veitenheimer was sent home to parents of students at Liberty Elementary School in Colleyville on Monday. The same letter was e-mailed over the weekend, officials said.
The superintendent said that “we would like to express our regrets for any distress” resulting from the cover photo of the newly-minted Liberty Nickel without the words “In God We Trust.”
Youngsters were given stickers with the missing words to affix to the photo, if they so choose.
Some parents complained that the school went too far in trying to remain neutral on religion.
“We are just shocked and saddened that it’s come to this and it hit right our backyard,” parent Deborah Ackerman told WFAA-TV last week.
District officials said the school’s administration and PTA board felt that an image of the Liberty Nickel would be an appropriate honor for the new school with the name of Liberty.
In an attempt to be sensitive to families of all faiths, school and PTA officials decided that omitting “In God We Trust” and providing a sticker with the missing words would satisfy everyone, district spokesman Jason Meyer said.
“We live in a politically correct world and every decision we make is under scrutiny,” Mr. Meyer said.
District officials said the photo could have been used in its entirety without violating district policy.
“While it is always easy to look back on campus decisions in hindsight and agree that a different decision could have been made, our principals often find themselves on the front lines of issues regarding the separation of church and state,” Dr. Veitenheimer’s letter stated. “In most of these cases, school administrators find themselves making decisions that are not going to please all parties involved.
“Unfortunately, the decision at Liberty Elementary School fell into this category,” the superintendent’s letter stated.
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TexasStooge
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Beloved director turns in baton
Irving: MacArthur High educator leaves to work with First Baptist choir
By CORINA MILLER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The musical masterpiece that Will James unveiled at MacArthur High's spring concert Thursday evening took more than two decades to create.
As alumni joined current band members on stage in Irving to perform John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," Mr. James heard within the majestic ring of trumpets and the sharp hummingbird trill of piccolos an overture of memories and achievements.
The performance was the band director's last at MacArthur. Soon he'll step into a part-time position as a choir director at First Baptist Church of Irving.
Mr. James credits his career choice to a childhood filled with music from his mother, a church organist and teachers who nurtured his love of the art. Mr. James earned a degree in music education from what is now the University of North Texas and arrived at MacArthur in 1982.
Mr. James takes with him a string of honors. Even with the many titles the band has earned over the years, Mr. James said his greatest reward was the opportunity to watch students soar, simply by partaking in music education.
"It speaks a little more to a different part of your inner self than most classes do," he said. "You don't express yourself in any similar way to anything else. To me, it's sort of a mysterious inner speech of the soul, where you get to do something you can't really explain with words.
"Music can be very emotional at times, and I like that," he said. "And kids, even though they may not be straight-A students, can be really, really good musicians."
Some of those young musicians have gone on to pursue musical careers. Mr. James said 12 MacArthur graduates majored in music in college.
One of those alumni is Darren Wilson, who played baritone at MacArthur from 1983 to 1987. He said Mr. James played a role in his decision to major in music. Although Mr. Wilson left music and is employed as an instructional technology specialist, he still sees Mr. James' mark on his life.
"To this day, after 15 years of teaching, I still catch myself teaching like he did," Mr. Wilson said. "What's funny, though, is that even though I am not teaching music anymore, his teaching style still works for me. He would have been a great math teacher, great history teacher or whatever else. He doesn't teach music; he teaches people."
And that influence is what brought Mr. Wilson back to MacArthur High for Mr. James' final concert Thursday.
"To do anything well for 24 years is an accomplishment in itself," Mr. Wilson said. "To have worked with high school-age kids before, during and after school for this amount of time is truly amazing. His investment of time and amount of self-sacrifice will never be fully understood.
"We can only be grateful."
Corina Miller is a freelance writer based in The Colony.
Irving: MacArthur High educator leaves to work with First Baptist choir
By CORINA MILLER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The musical masterpiece that Will James unveiled at MacArthur High's spring concert Thursday evening took more than two decades to create.
As alumni joined current band members on stage in Irving to perform John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," Mr. James heard within the majestic ring of trumpets and the sharp hummingbird trill of piccolos an overture of memories and achievements.
The performance was the band director's last at MacArthur. Soon he'll step into a part-time position as a choir director at First Baptist Church of Irving.
Mr. James credits his career choice to a childhood filled with music from his mother, a church organist and teachers who nurtured his love of the art. Mr. James earned a degree in music education from what is now the University of North Texas and arrived at MacArthur in 1982.
Mr. James takes with him a string of honors. Even with the many titles the band has earned over the years, Mr. James said his greatest reward was the opportunity to watch students soar, simply by partaking in music education.
"It speaks a little more to a different part of your inner self than most classes do," he said. "You don't express yourself in any similar way to anything else. To me, it's sort of a mysterious inner speech of the soul, where you get to do something you can't really explain with words.
"Music can be very emotional at times, and I like that," he said. "And kids, even though they may not be straight-A students, can be really, really good musicians."
Some of those young musicians have gone on to pursue musical careers. Mr. James said 12 MacArthur graduates majored in music in college.
One of those alumni is Darren Wilson, who played baritone at MacArthur from 1983 to 1987. He said Mr. James played a role in his decision to major in music. Although Mr. Wilson left music and is employed as an instructional technology specialist, he still sees Mr. James' mark on his life.
"To this day, after 15 years of teaching, I still catch myself teaching like he did," Mr. Wilson said. "What's funny, though, is that even though I am not teaching music anymore, his teaching style still works for me. He would have been a great math teacher, great history teacher or whatever else. He doesn't teach music; he teaches people."
And that influence is what brought Mr. Wilson back to MacArthur High for Mr. James' final concert Thursday.
"To do anything well for 24 years is an accomplishment in itself," Mr. Wilson said. "To have worked with high school-age kids before, during and after school for this amount of time is truly amazing. His investment of time and amount of self-sacrifice will never be fully understood.
"We can only be grateful."
Corina Miller is a freelance writer based in The Colony.
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TexasStooge
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Irving Blvd. bridge closed all summer
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The Texas Department of Transportation said Tuesday that the Irving Boulevard bridge over Loop 12 will be closed for repairs until the end of August.
A flatbed truck carrying a bulldozer that was too tall for the overpass clipped the bridge just before evening rush hour on Monday.
Irving Boulevard was shut down in both directions while Loop 12 drivers were forced off the northbound lanes while structural engineers evaluated the damage.
Crews worked through the night to contain the debris from the broken area so that it would not become a danger for drivers on the highway below. They installed a wire net under the bridge to catch any falling concrete.
Loop 12 reopened after the net was installed.
The Irving Boulevard bridge, however, will remain closed until Aug. 31.
WFAA-TV reporters Alexa Conomos, Chris Heinbaugh and Jim Douglas contributed to this report
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The Texas Department of Transportation said Tuesday that the Irving Boulevard bridge over Loop 12 will be closed for repairs until the end of August.
A flatbed truck carrying a bulldozer that was too tall for the overpass clipped the bridge just before evening rush hour on Monday.
Irving Boulevard was shut down in both directions while Loop 12 drivers were forced off the northbound lanes while structural engineers evaluated the damage.
Crews worked through the night to contain the debris from the broken area so that it would not become a danger for drivers on the highway below. They installed a wire net under the bridge to catch any falling concrete.
Loop 12 reopened after the net was installed.
The Irving Boulevard bridge, however, will remain closed until Aug. 31.
WFAA-TV reporters Alexa Conomos, Chris Heinbaugh and Jim Douglas contributed to this report
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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Daughter of elderly man involved in murder-suicide plan speaks
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Over two weeks after 83-year-old James Roberson was arrested for fatally shooting his ill wife Mary and attempting to kill himself, the elderly man passed away from his own illness.
Roberson and his dead wife were discovered April 25 after he shot her and then turned the gun on himself, which jammed, sources said.
Last week, Roberson died of brain cancer.
The couple's daughter, Sally Roberson, said she loved and admired her father, and was especially proud of how he cared for his wife of 60 years.
"He adored mother," she said. "They adored each other."
In 1992, Mary Roberson suffered a serious stroke, and last year another stroke put her in a nursing home.
"That was something he did not want for mother," Roberson said.
In January, with Mary back home, Roberson then learned he had terminal brain cancer, and Sally Roberson said her father was afraid Mary would end up in a nursing home once again.
That was when he was said to have planned a murder-suicide. However, ballistic tests confirmed that the ammunition was too old and Roberson's plan to kill himself failed.
James and Mary Roberson married after he returned from World War II and they raised two children together.
He worked for the phone company and she taught school. They were active in their church and their south Dallas neighborhood.
Before James Roberson died Wednesday, 23 days after being released from jail, he made one final request to the family's priest.
"Dad said, 'Can I be forgiven?'" Roberson said. "And Father Poole said, 'James, all you have to do is ask and he said, 'Oh, I have done that. I certainly asked.' And he said, 'You are forgiven.'"
The family is planning a joint memorial service for the couple next month.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Over two weeks after 83-year-old James Roberson was arrested for fatally shooting his ill wife Mary and attempting to kill himself, the elderly man passed away from his own illness.
Roberson and his dead wife were discovered April 25 after he shot her and then turned the gun on himself, which jammed, sources said.
Last week, Roberson died of brain cancer.
The couple's daughter, Sally Roberson, said she loved and admired her father, and was especially proud of how he cared for his wife of 60 years.
"He adored mother," she said. "They adored each other."
In 1992, Mary Roberson suffered a serious stroke, and last year another stroke put her in a nursing home.
"That was something he did not want for mother," Roberson said.
In January, with Mary back home, Roberson then learned he had terminal brain cancer, and Sally Roberson said her father was afraid Mary would end up in a nursing home once again.
That was when he was said to have planned a murder-suicide. However, ballistic tests confirmed that the ammunition was too old and Roberson's plan to kill himself failed.
James and Mary Roberson married after he returned from World War II and they raised two children together.
He worked for the phone company and she taught school. They were active in their church and their south Dallas neighborhood.
Before James Roberson died Wednesday, 23 days after being released from jail, he made one final request to the family's priest.
"Dad said, 'Can I be forgiven?'" Roberson said. "And Father Poole said, 'James, all you have to do is ask and he said, 'Oh, I have done that. I certainly asked.' And he said, 'You are forgiven.'"
The family is planning a joint memorial service for the couple next month.
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I guess when you have lived together that long and you are elder like they were, he must have felt life for both of them had come to an end. He probably felt they had lived long lives and would go out together. Many people die of a broken heart shortly after a spouse has died. It was wrong, but we will never know how much they cared for each other and the suffering of a loved one had on him. I am sure God will understand.
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TexasStooge
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Woman dies in single-car accident
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas woman died early Tuesday after the car she was riding in smashed into a light pole, police said.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez said the accident happened about 3:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Bruton Road near Loop 12.
Trema Smith, 51, was riding in a 1988 Buick Park Avenue when the male driver lost control of the vehicle. The car drove onto the center median and collided with the concrete base of a light pole.
Cpl. Hernandez said Ms. Smith died at the scene. The 48-year-old male driver, whose name was not released, was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in critical condition.
No charges have been filed in the incident, she said.
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Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Dallas woman died early Tuesday after the car she was riding in smashed into a light pole, police said.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez said the accident happened about 3:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Bruton Road near Loop 12.
Trema Smith, 51, was riding in a 1988 Buick Park Avenue when the male driver lost control of the vehicle. The car drove onto the center median and collided with the concrete base of a light pole.
Cpl. Hernandez said Ms. Smith died at the scene. The 48-year-old male driver, whose name was not released, was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in critical condition.
No charges have been filed in the incident, she said.
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Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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