'I'm leaving teaching because of the violence'
By MACIE JEPSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Clarence Mack has been a teacher for 44 years. His last day was yesterday. He's quitting because of his students.
"I want to talk on behalf of my friends, the teachers who can't speak now," he says.
"They've got problems, a real problem - disrespect."
Over the years, Mack says students mouthed-off. Once he was hit.
But what happened at Oliver W. Holmes Middle School, he says, was too much.
"He slapped me behind the head. I wanted to know why. The principal said let him go on for now, but I approached him. He punched me in the face."
The seventh grader was suspended and the district is investigating. Mack has filed assault charges.
So far this year, there have been 107 incidents of student violence against teachers in the Dallas school district. That's down from 118 at this same time last year.
For Mack, teaching is a family affair. His wife and daughters are teachers too. His daughter is also a victim. She was punched by a student two years ago.
Mack's retired wife still substitutes for DISD, but as for Mack?
"I'm done. It's not worth it. I'm done," he says.
News from the Lone Star State
Moderator: S2k Moderators
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Frisco no longer backs 121 toll plan
Transportation officials say removal of support won't stop project
By BILL LODGE / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – The Frisco City Council rescinded support Tuesday for the expansion of 11 miles of State Highway 121 as a toll road through Collin County.
The council's 5-1 vote sets the stage for a showdown with state officials who are thinking about granting a tollway contract to a private company.
"This absolutely does not stop the project," said Bob Brown, deputy engineer for the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation.
If necessary, Mr. Brown said, state officials will take the matter to the Regional Transportation Council for mediation.
Frisco officials had been expected to bolt from their support of tolls.
For weeks, City Manager George Purefoy, Mayor Mike Simpson and others said state officials' refusal to limit the toll to 12 cents per mile would unfairly punish Frisco residents for highway improvements that would benefit people throughout the Dallas area.
Excess toll revenues should not be siphoned off for other highway projects, Frisco officials said.
"We all should pay equally," Mr. Purefoy said at a recent meeting with Frisco homeowners. He said state officials also have proposed including in that contract a toll escalator that would be tied to the federal consumer price index.
Frisco officials say the North Texas Tollway Authority would operate 121 at cheaper rates than a private firm, noting that the NTTA charges about 10 cents per mile for travel on the Dallas North Tollway.
"I believe in the long term, this will economically hurt Frisco," Mr. Purefoy said. He also said the toll price could easily escalate to more than 25 cents per mile.
Grady Smithey, a member of both the Duncanville City Council and the Regional Transportation Council, said he disagrees with Frisco's position. He said Frisco and other Collin County residents have received more state gas-tax dollars over the last 15 years than residents in southern Dallas County.
"My main point is that Collin County officials cannot be regionalists only when they are on the receiving end of the revenue generated," he said.
City, state connections
Council member Tony Felker cast the lone vote against withdrawing support for the toll road. While he agreed with his colleagues that it's wrong to turn over public roads to a private entity, he said it's important for the city to continue a dialogue with state officials.
He added that the council had two responsibilities in the matter: "Be a pain in the neck" and "Keep a seat at the table."
Other Frisco officials argued that their city is about to become a cash cow for a grossly underfunded state transportation system.
"It's almost the same as the school finance mess," Mr. Purefoy said, referring to the Robin Hood plan that funnels tax dollars from wealthy school districts to those that are poor.
"This is not Robin Hood," Mr. Smithey responded. "When they say that, it makes me madder than hell."
TxDOT's Mr. Brown agreed with Mr. Smithey on that point.
Mr. Brown said excess revenue from Highway 121 tolls would be limited to projects within TxDOT's Dallas district – Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman and Navarro counties.
He noted that Dallas-area officials have long supported a regional approach to funding highway projects.
What residents say
But Mr. Purefoy and several members of Frisco's City Council have generated support from local residents for their position on Highway 121.
Frisco resident Jeff Trykoski said Tuesday that allowing the state to convert 121 from a public highway to a tollway and turning it over to a private operator would "be mortgaging away our future."
Fred Lusk, president of the homeowners association for Frisco's Hillcrest Estates, attended a meeting with city officials last week.
"I'm pretty much in support of George Purefoy's position," Mr. Lusk said later. "I believe the money ought to stay here. They're taxing us to pay for deficiencies in state road funds elsewhere.
"And it'll be a real shame if they grant this [toll contract] to a private company."
Plano resident Sharon Overall argued: "Everyone in the state should have access to free freeways." Otherwise, she said, "only the rich will have access to our highways."
Mr. Brown said TxDOT officials have been puzzled by Frisco's arguments against their plans for Highway 121.
"I just can't understand it, especially when we've done so much for Frisco," Mr. Brown said.
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Brown said, state highway funds have helped Frisco grow to a city of about 85,000 that is poised to triple in size by 2020.
"We made them a priority," the deputy engineer said. "For them to impede our ability to build ...
"We're just disappointed."
Mr. Purefoy and Mr. Simpson, the mayor, noted that Mr. Smithey and other members of the Regional Transportation Council have never overridden a local government's opposition to a toll road.
But Mr. Brown, Mr. Smithey and Mr. Lusk said they believe Highway 121 will have to be tolled and expanded to keep traffic jams from becoming unbearable.
"I don't like toll roads any better than anyone else," Mr. Lusk said. "But I'm convinced the only way I'll see 121 improved in my lifetime is if it's tolled."
Transportation officials say removal of support won't stop project
By BILL LODGE / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – The Frisco City Council rescinded support Tuesday for the expansion of 11 miles of State Highway 121 as a toll road through Collin County.
The council's 5-1 vote sets the stage for a showdown with state officials who are thinking about granting a tollway contract to a private company.
"This absolutely does not stop the project," said Bob Brown, deputy engineer for the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation.
If necessary, Mr. Brown said, state officials will take the matter to the Regional Transportation Council for mediation.
Frisco officials had been expected to bolt from their support of tolls.
For weeks, City Manager George Purefoy, Mayor Mike Simpson and others said state officials' refusal to limit the toll to 12 cents per mile would unfairly punish Frisco residents for highway improvements that would benefit people throughout the Dallas area.
Excess toll revenues should not be siphoned off for other highway projects, Frisco officials said.
"We all should pay equally," Mr. Purefoy said at a recent meeting with Frisco homeowners. He said state officials also have proposed including in that contract a toll escalator that would be tied to the federal consumer price index.
Frisco officials say the North Texas Tollway Authority would operate 121 at cheaper rates than a private firm, noting that the NTTA charges about 10 cents per mile for travel on the Dallas North Tollway.
"I believe in the long term, this will economically hurt Frisco," Mr. Purefoy said. He also said the toll price could easily escalate to more than 25 cents per mile.
Grady Smithey, a member of both the Duncanville City Council and the Regional Transportation Council, said he disagrees with Frisco's position. He said Frisco and other Collin County residents have received more state gas-tax dollars over the last 15 years than residents in southern Dallas County.
"My main point is that Collin County officials cannot be regionalists only when they are on the receiving end of the revenue generated," he said.
City, state connections
Council member Tony Felker cast the lone vote against withdrawing support for the toll road. While he agreed with his colleagues that it's wrong to turn over public roads to a private entity, he said it's important for the city to continue a dialogue with state officials.
He added that the council had two responsibilities in the matter: "Be a pain in the neck" and "Keep a seat at the table."
Other Frisco officials argued that their city is about to become a cash cow for a grossly underfunded state transportation system.
"It's almost the same as the school finance mess," Mr. Purefoy said, referring to the Robin Hood plan that funnels tax dollars from wealthy school districts to those that are poor.
"This is not Robin Hood," Mr. Smithey responded. "When they say that, it makes me madder than hell."
TxDOT's Mr. Brown agreed with Mr. Smithey on that point.
Mr. Brown said excess revenue from Highway 121 tolls would be limited to projects within TxDOT's Dallas district – Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman and Navarro counties.
He noted that Dallas-area officials have long supported a regional approach to funding highway projects.
What residents say
But Mr. Purefoy and several members of Frisco's City Council have generated support from local residents for their position on Highway 121.
Frisco resident Jeff Trykoski said Tuesday that allowing the state to convert 121 from a public highway to a tollway and turning it over to a private operator would "be mortgaging away our future."
Fred Lusk, president of the homeowners association for Frisco's Hillcrest Estates, attended a meeting with city officials last week.
"I'm pretty much in support of George Purefoy's position," Mr. Lusk said later. "I believe the money ought to stay here. They're taxing us to pay for deficiencies in state road funds elsewhere.
"And it'll be a real shame if they grant this [toll contract] to a private company."
Plano resident Sharon Overall argued: "Everyone in the state should have access to free freeways." Otherwise, she said, "only the rich will have access to our highways."
Mr. Brown said TxDOT officials have been puzzled by Frisco's arguments against their plans for Highway 121.
"I just can't understand it, especially when we've done so much for Frisco," Mr. Brown said.
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Brown said, state highway funds have helped Frisco grow to a city of about 85,000 that is poised to triple in size by 2020.
"We made them a priority," the deputy engineer said. "For them to impede our ability to build ...
"We're just disappointed."
Mr. Purefoy and Mr. Simpson, the mayor, noted that Mr. Smithey and other members of the Regional Transportation Council have never overridden a local government's opposition to a toll road.
But Mr. Brown, Mr. Smithey and Mr. Lusk said they believe Highway 121 will have to be tolled and expanded to keep traffic jams from becoming unbearable.
"I don't like toll roads any better than anyone else," Mr. Lusk said. "But I'm convinced the only way I'll see 121 improved in my lifetime is if it's tolled."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Band director among recent internet predator arrests
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - As the amount of internet sexual predators seeking children over the computer continues to grow, a Fort Worth teacher was the latest arrested in the North Texas area.
Anthony Horton, 27, was asked to resign six weeks ago as assistant band director at Western Hills High School after police said they caught him chatting online with what he thought were teenage girls.
Police said Horton gave out his phone number and made plans for sexual encounters using the screen name John Holmes. They said he talked to them nightly for weeks in January and February.
"I like to be in the hot tub naked," Police said he Horton said. "Do you have a nice body?"
They said he then started asking if they had sex before and began asking for pictures.
While Horton thought he was talking with 13 and 14-year-old girls, instead it was adults. One person he was in contact with was from the citizen's watchdog group PervertedJustice.com and another was from the Irving Police Department.
"On the internet you don't know who you're going to talk to or where they're at," said Officer David Toal, Irving Police Department.
Officers said the teacher planned to meet a young girl at a hotel to engage in sex and wrote, "I wanna have sex."
Police monitored Horton for weeks and arrested him in Haltom City for online solicitation of a minor.
"I don't know if we can get it stopped [but] we can sure do our part," Toal said.
Local police departments are looking at the success of the Texas Attorney General's Office task force devoted entirely to dealing with the problem.
Over the past two years, the Texas Attorney General's Office arrested 76 people, most of whom met children on popular sites like MySpace.com.
Six of the arrests were from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and half of those were from Irving.
So far, the Attorney General's Office has had a 100 percent conviction rate.
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - As the amount of internet sexual predators seeking children over the computer continues to grow, a Fort Worth teacher was the latest arrested in the North Texas area.
Anthony Horton, 27, was asked to resign six weeks ago as assistant band director at Western Hills High School after police said they caught him chatting online with what he thought were teenage girls.
Police said Horton gave out his phone number and made plans for sexual encounters using the screen name John Holmes. They said he talked to them nightly for weeks in January and February.
"I like to be in the hot tub naked," Police said he Horton said. "Do you have a nice body?"
They said he then started asking if they had sex before and began asking for pictures.
While Horton thought he was talking with 13 and 14-year-old girls, instead it was adults. One person he was in contact with was from the citizen's watchdog group PervertedJustice.com and another was from the Irving Police Department.
"On the internet you don't know who you're going to talk to or where they're at," said Officer David Toal, Irving Police Department.
Officers said the teacher planned to meet a young girl at a hotel to engage in sex and wrote, "I wanna have sex."
Police monitored Horton for weeks and arrested him in Haltom City for online solicitation of a minor.
"I don't know if we can get it stopped [but] we can sure do our part," Toal said.
Local police departments are looking at the success of the Texas Attorney General's Office task force devoted entirely to dealing with the problem.
Over the past two years, the Texas Attorney General's Office arrested 76 people, most of whom met children on popular sites like MySpace.com.
Six of the arrests were from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and half of those were from Irving.
So far, the Attorney General's Office has had a 100 percent conviction rate.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
City prepares for Sunday's immigration march
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police and city officials are preparing for Sunday's March for Immigrants.
They expect tens of thousands of peaceful protestors to descend on downtown.
After marching through downtown Dallas, the march is expected to end up at City Hall, with a rally here focusing on immigration, civil and human rights.
Organizers think 50,000 people may join the march - the city though is planning for 100-200,000 or more.
Organizers say the city will have not seen anything like it.
"What we believe will be the largest Civil Rights march in the history of Dallas, and possible in the history of Texas," said Domingo Garcia, march organizer.
Marchers expect to begin gathering at the Cathedral Guadalupe between 11 a.m. and noon.
At 1 p.m., the crowd will begin moving down Ross to Griffin, then to Young, then to City Hall.
Police expect a peaceful crowd.
But they do have serious concerns, about getting people downtown, then home.
DART is adding more frequent trains and more buses to handle the volume. Even that may not be enough.
"I would anticipate that if we have 200,000 people it would overwhelm our public transit systems and parking and the other infrastructure downtown," said police chief David Kunkle.
It will cost $300,000 to get enough police on staff to keep a major crowd under control - not just for protesters but for those with opposing views who may show up.
"We've had some inquiries from people who want to be here. We expect some counter protests," Kunkle added.
But the immigrant march could swell, with support from other groups. African American leaders said today, the issues go beyond one people.
"These are issues that affect Hispanics, African Americans, Haitians, Africans, Asians, people from Asian countries, Native Americans and the like. They are all matters of human rights," said Senator Royce West.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police and city officials are preparing for Sunday's March for Immigrants.
They expect tens of thousands of peaceful protestors to descend on downtown.
After marching through downtown Dallas, the march is expected to end up at City Hall, with a rally here focusing on immigration, civil and human rights.
Organizers think 50,000 people may join the march - the city though is planning for 100-200,000 or more.
Organizers say the city will have not seen anything like it.
"What we believe will be the largest Civil Rights march in the history of Dallas, and possible in the history of Texas," said Domingo Garcia, march organizer.
Marchers expect to begin gathering at the Cathedral Guadalupe between 11 a.m. and noon.
At 1 p.m., the crowd will begin moving down Ross to Griffin, then to Young, then to City Hall.
Police expect a peaceful crowd.
But they do have serious concerns, about getting people downtown, then home.
DART is adding more frequent trains and more buses to handle the volume. Even that may not be enough.
"I would anticipate that if we have 200,000 people it would overwhelm our public transit systems and parking and the other infrastructure downtown," said police chief David Kunkle.
It will cost $300,000 to get enough police on staff to keep a major crowd under control - not just for protesters but for those with opposing views who may show up.
"We've had some inquiries from people who want to be here. We expect some counter protests," Kunkle added.
But the immigrant march could swell, with support from other groups. African American leaders said today, the issues go beyond one people.
"These are issues that affect Hispanics, African Americans, Haitians, Africans, Asians, people from Asian countries, Native Americans and the like. They are all matters of human rights," said Senator Royce West.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Mascot steer stolen from meat plant cooler
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
WEATHERFORD, Texas - In Parker County, the long arm of the law cracked another big case - the vanishing 1600-pound steer with horns nearly 9 feet wide.
And while not exactly living, he is one step closer to becoming a living legend.
Fort Worth rancher Steve Murrin loves all longhorns. His favorite was Rawhide - a gentle giant who "horned" his way into "Ripley's believe it or not."
He was 100 inches tip to tip - that's about 9 feet.
Murrin tended to the 25-year-old steer until his final moments Saturday.
"He was part of the family," he says.
A large loss for Murrin, and a sizeable acquisition for Parker County.
At the soon-to-open Doss Heritage Center - Rawhide, as a statue, would tell the story of how longhorns saved Texas.
"After the civil war because Texas was broke. And that's all we had - lots of longhorns. And a market up north so," said Ann Saunders from the Doss Heritage and Culture Center.
But before the taxidermist could work his magic, Rawhide was snatched - hefty as he was - from a cooler outside a meat plant.
Once word got out the museum's new mascot was missing, three agencies jumped on the case: police, the sheriff and detectives who track live stolen cattle.
Within 48 hours, Rawhide was back, the cattle culprit explained it was a misunderstanding.
"He makes a little extra side money picking up old skulls and skinning them and selling them to people to put on their walls and everything," said Murrin.
So safe from the rustlers, Rawhide is getting ready for his next trail.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
WEATHERFORD, Texas - In Parker County, the long arm of the law cracked another big case - the vanishing 1600-pound steer with horns nearly 9 feet wide.
And while not exactly living, he is one step closer to becoming a living legend.
Fort Worth rancher Steve Murrin loves all longhorns. His favorite was Rawhide - a gentle giant who "horned" his way into "Ripley's believe it or not."
He was 100 inches tip to tip - that's about 9 feet.
Murrin tended to the 25-year-old steer until his final moments Saturday.
"He was part of the family," he says.
A large loss for Murrin, and a sizeable acquisition for Parker County.
At the soon-to-open Doss Heritage Center - Rawhide, as a statue, would tell the story of how longhorns saved Texas.
"After the civil war because Texas was broke. And that's all we had - lots of longhorns. And a market up north so," said Ann Saunders from the Doss Heritage and Culture Center.
But before the taxidermist could work his magic, Rawhide was snatched - hefty as he was - from a cooler outside a meat plant.
Once word got out the museum's new mascot was missing, three agencies jumped on the case: police, the sheriff and detectives who track live stolen cattle.
Within 48 hours, Rawhide was back, the cattle culprit explained it was a misunderstanding.
"He makes a little extra side money picking up old skulls and skinning them and selling them to people to put on their walls and everything," said Murrin.
So safe from the rustlers, Rawhide is getting ready for his next trail.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
SWAT team gasses suspects out of Dallas house
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Two suspects wanted for armed robbery have surrendered, after the Dallas house they were in, was gassed by SWAT officers.
The standoff between the suspects and the tactical forces took place at 2400 Maverick Ave. at around 8 a.m. Police were trying to issue a warrant at the time.
The first suspect who surrendered told officers there was no one else in the house, but not believing him, they continued pumping tear gas into the residence to force out the second suspect.
No injuries were reported but the street was sealed off.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Two suspects wanted for armed robbery have surrendered, after the Dallas house they were in, was gassed by SWAT officers.
The standoff between the suspects and the tactical forces took place at 2400 Maverick Ave. at around 8 a.m. Police were trying to issue a warrant at the time.
The first suspect who surrendered told officers there was no one else in the house, but not believing him, they continued pumping tear gas into the residence to force out the second suspect.
No injuries were reported but the street was sealed off.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Salon faces temporary license revocation
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas - The Beverly Hills Nails salon in University Park, which News 8 began reporting on Jan. 20 after customers complained of irritating sores, is now in danger of losing its license after it received numerous violations during an investigation.
The day of News 8's initial report, the Dallas County Health Department began warning people of pedicures in whirlpool foot spas. And in February, News 8 reported on a family who believed a woman contracted a deadly staph infection during a pedicure at a different salon in Fort Worth.
State inspectors started looking at Beverly Hills Nails after several women complained of skin infections after pedicures and manicures.
Renee Fitzpatrick was among those who said she received a bacterial infection after a manicure at the salon. She also said she still bears the scars to prove it.
"It's been painful," she said. "It's been uncomfortable to sleep. I've had trouble sleeping. I've really just been through a lot with it."
Inspectors from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation focused their attention on the salon's whirlpool foot spas.
Harmful mycobacteria and MRSA staph can grow in water left in spas if they're not properly cleaned. Bacteria can then enter skin through the smallest of cuts causing painful lesions that must be treated with strong antibiotics.
Beverly Hills Nails declined to comment on violations the state found but said in January it kept a clean salon.
"Sanitation is like the utmost important thing that we have to upkeep to keep our clienteles and everything," said Victoria Tran.
However, inspectors said they found mycobacteria in four of the salon's 12 whirlpool spa basins on a Jan. 24 inspection.
On Feb. 15, MRSA staph was found in a spa chair seat, armrest and on an employee's hand. One week later, MRSA staph was found in an employee's nose.
Dallas County Health and Human Services tested all the samples from the salon and said a quick response is needed for such bacteria.
"It's a new pathogen that can cause very serious infections," said Dr. John Carlo. "It can travel very quickly [and] can spread very quickly."
MRSA can also be tough to get rid of.
While the investigation is over, Fitzpatrick said the suffering has not gone away. She said a new sore broke out just days ago where the nail tech massaged her shoulder.
"I hope they take strong action against them and really enforce this so no one else will go through this again," she said.
The state is proposing what it calls a significant penalty, which would be to take away the salon's license for a year and an $8,000 fine.
The salon can fight the decision or try and negotiate a deal so it can stay open with heavy oversight. They have 20 days to decide what to do.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas - The Beverly Hills Nails salon in University Park, which News 8 began reporting on Jan. 20 after customers complained of irritating sores, is now in danger of losing its license after it received numerous violations during an investigation.
The day of News 8's initial report, the Dallas County Health Department began warning people of pedicures in whirlpool foot spas. And in February, News 8 reported on a family who believed a woman contracted a deadly staph infection during a pedicure at a different salon in Fort Worth.
State inspectors started looking at Beverly Hills Nails after several women complained of skin infections after pedicures and manicures.
Renee Fitzpatrick was among those who said she received a bacterial infection after a manicure at the salon. She also said she still bears the scars to prove it.
"It's been painful," she said. "It's been uncomfortable to sleep. I've had trouble sleeping. I've really just been through a lot with it."
Inspectors from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation focused their attention on the salon's whirlpool foot spas.
Harmful mycobacteria and MRSA staph can grow in water left in spas if they're not properly cleaned. Bacteria can then enter skin through the smallest of cuts causing painful lesions that must be treated with strong antibiotics.
Beverly Hills Nails declined to comment on violations the state found but said in January it kept a clean salon.
"Sanitation is like the utmost important thing that we have to upkeep to keep our clienteles and everything," said Victoria Tran.
However, inspectors said they found mycobacteria in four of the salon's 12 whirlpool spa basins on a Jan. 24 inspection.
On Feb. 15, MRSA staph was found in a spa chair seat, armrest and on an employee's hand. One week later, MRSA staph was found in an employee's nose.
Dallas County Health and Human Services tested all the samples from the salon and said a quick response is needed for such bacteria.
"It's a new pathogen that can cause very serious infections," said Dr. John Carlo. "It can travel very quickly [and] can spread very quickly."
MRSA can also be tough to get rid of.
While the investigation is over, Fitzpatrick said the suffering has not gone away. She said a new sore broke out just days ago where the nail tech massaged her shoulder.
"I hope they take strong action against them and really enforce this so no one else will go through this again," she said.
The state is proposing what it calls a significant penalty, which would be to take away the salon's license for a year and an $8,000 fine.
The salon can fight the decision or try and negotiate a deal so it can stay open with heavy oversight. They have 20 days to decide what to do.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Cost of part-time education is tough load
Students working way through college lament being tuition target
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - By day Katie Colvin works full time as a secretary at a downtown Dallas law firm. At night she goes to college.
She originally enrolled part time, but when the University of Texas at Dallas changed its tuition schedule last year to charge more per credit hour for part-time students, Ms. Colvin adjusted, braving a full load of five courses, or 15 credits, this semester.
After work, the Keller resident would battle the rush-hour exodus north on Central Expressway to the UTD campus in Richardson.
She fell behind in school. By February, she decided to drop three courses – losing nearly $2,000 in tuition. "It was really frustrating, because I really enjoyed those courses," the 21-year-old said.
Now, with UTD again raising tuition more steeply for part-timers than full-time students, Ms. Colvin faces even bigger obstacles.
"Next semester it will cost me even more. I really worry because I have two years to go," she said. She already owes $35,000 in loans.
Ms. Colvin is among a growing group of part-time students frustrated by the tuition changes at UT-Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington, saying they can't enroll full time because of their jobs.
The two universities have adopted a new pricing structure designed to help recoup the steeper cost of educating part-timers, and to help prod part-timers to take a full load, so they can speed their way to a degree and save money in the long term. Pushing students to graduate faster also frees up classroom slots and helps the universities absorb sharp growth each year.
Call it the Sam's Club approach to tuition – buy in bulk and save. This fall, undergraduates who take six credit hours will pay $277 per credit, while those taking 15 credit hours would pay only $217 per credit. Tuition for the six-credit students would jump about 29 percent, or $371 a semester, while tuition for 15-credit students would rise a more modest 4.6 percent, or $143 per semester.
But some students who live on their own and pay their tuition insist they can't possibly take a full course load to enjoy the savings.
Financial aid
Conceding that point, UT-Dallas this week announced several increases in its financial aid programs for part-time students.
"Some of them are among our most vulnerable students economically and we feel an obligation to shield them from the full impact" of the coming tuition hikes, UT-Dallas president David E. Daniel said.
In addition to federal Pell grants and state aid, UT-Dallas currently provides a maximum package of $1,500 in need-based aid for part-timers and $2,000 for full-time students. Those maximums will grow to $1,800 for part-timers and $2,200 for full-timers. Not all students qualify for the maximum.
Also, UT-Dallas has set aside $100,000 in aid for financially strapped students taking only three credit hours, with priority to students who will complete their degrees with the three credits. UT-Dallas had previously echoed federal policy, which does not provide aid to those taking fewer than six credit hours per semester.
UT-Dallas officials also say some part-timers have their tuition covered by employers. That's true, but those paying their own way say they still feel the pinch.
Graduate student Mindy Nall, 25, works days for an insurance company. Her company pays $2,500 toward her degree each year, and she pays about $5,000. "The tuition increases are frustrating," she said, "but it's not an option for me to take classes full time."
Jennifer Riley, 27, works days as head of inventory loss prevention for a retailer, and takes classes toward her accounting degree three nights a week. She is taking eight credits this semester and plans to take nine in the fall. She pays her own tuition and has accumulated about $40,000 in student loans.
"It's frustrating," she said of the tuition hikes, "but not surprising." She said the university talks about accommodating its working adult students, but she has not seen that. "I've had academic advisers ask why I couldn't take courses I needed during the day. They say, 'Can't you talk to your boss to get more flexible hours?' And I'm like, 'No – are you kidding?' "
Ms. Colvin expressed similar frustration. She said she will only be able to take two courses this fall even if she wants to handle a full load. That's because only four courses she needs to complete her degree will be offered at night. One she already took, and two others are scheduled at the same time.
The concerns of part-timers highlight conflicting goals for the UT system. On the one hand, there is a desire to improve graduation rates and shorten student time to graduation. But the system also wants to improve enrollment for minority students, particularly Hispanics, many of whom must work full time to pay for college.
Other strategies
Most universities in the UT system have shied from raising tuition rates in the manner of UT-Arlington and UT-Dallas, adopting different strategies to help working students graduate more quickly.
UT-Brownsville, for instance, which enrolls a high percentage of Hispanics because of its location, has avoided using higher tuition rates for part-timers. UT-Brownsville president Juliet V. Garcia noted that 48 percent of undergraduates there are part-timers. "Our ability to provide education to those students is vital to the economic well-being of the community," she said in an e-mail. "On the other hand, we recognize the need to make a greater impact in enrolling students full time."
In addition to a flat rate tuition for full-timers – students pay the same rate no matter how many credit hours they take above 15 – the university is spending $300,000 to create on-campus jobs for up to 70 full-time, working students. The school also discounts tuition for night and weekend classes, to encourage more students to enroll, and it is hiring faculty to schedule more classes in those off-peak times to accommodate working students.
Dr. Garcia said that academic advising "is an important part of the retention process." With that in mind, UT-Brownsville, which had only five academic advisers a few years ago, plans to have 27.
Steep tuition increases are not only driven by the desire to push students to take a full-time load. Tuition is up across Texas and the nation, as universities respond to numerous pressures. UT system Chancellor Mark G. Yudof often notes state appropriations have not risen fast enough to address booming enrollment.
In addition, universities face growing competition from their peers and the business sector for top faculty, forcing up salaries to retain and lure the best. This year, schools are also pinched by steep increases in utility prices.
The reasons are no consolation to students like Dawn Chang, 28, earning a sociology degree at UT-Dallas. Her story illustrates the kinds of decisions students must make. Ms. Chang has a full-time job as a sales associate at an import company in Richardson from 8 to 5, and takes a full-time load of classes at night. She had been enrolled part time, but decided to take on the extra load "because the cost is less and I want to finish as quickly as possible."
She starts work a half-hour early so she can leave early enough to beat traffic and grab dinner before class. She said she might quit her job, work part time and speed the path to a degree. "With the tuition going up," she said, "now I really need to finish as soon as possible."
Students working way through college lament being tuition target
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - By day Katie Colvin works full time as a secretary at a downtown Dallas law firm. At night she goes to college.
She originally enrolled part time, but when the University of Texas at Dallas changed its tuition schedule last year to charge more per credit hour for part-time students, Ms. Colvin adjusted, braving a full load of five courses, or 15 credits, this semester.
After work, the Keller resident would battle the rush-hour exodus north on Central Expressway to the UTD campus in Richardson.
She fell behind in school. By February, she decided to drop three courses – losing nearly $2,000 in tuition. "It was really frustrating, because I really enjoyed those courses," the 21-year-old said.
Now, with UTD again raising tuition more steeply for part-timers than full-time students, Ms. Colvin faces even bigger obstacles.
"Next semester it will cost me even more. I really worry because I have two years to go," she said. She already owes $35,000 in loans.
Ms. Colvin is among a growing group of part-time students frustrated by the tuition changes at UT-Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington, saying they can't enroll full time because of their jobs.
The two universities have adopted a new pricing structure designed to help recoup the steeper cost of educating part-timers, and to help prod part-timers to take a full load, so they can speed their way to a degree and save money in the long term. Pushing students to graduate faster also frees up classroom slots and helps the universities absorb sharp growth each year.
Call it the Sam's Club approach to tuition – buy in bulk and save. This fall, undergraduates who take six credit hours will pay $277 per credit, while those taking 15 credit hours would pay only $217 per credit. Tuition for the six-credit students would jump about 29 percent, or $371 a semester, while tuition for 15-credit students would rise a more modest 4.6 percent, or $143 per semester.
But some students who live on their own and pay their tuition insist they can't possibly take a full course load to enjoy the savings.
Financial aid
Conceding that point, UT-Dallas this week announced several increases in its financial aid programs for part-time students.
"Some of them are among our most vulnerable students economically and we feel an obligation to shield them from the full impact" of the coming tuition hikes, UT-Dallas president David E. Daniel said.
In addition to federal Pell grants and state aid, UT-Dallas currently provides a maximum package of $1,500 in need-based aid for part-timers and $2,000 for full-time students. Those maximums will grow to $1,800 for part-timers and $2,200 for full-timers. Not all students qualify for the maximum.
Also, UT-Dallas has set aside $100,000 in aid for financially strapped students taking only three credit hours, with priority to students who will complete their degrees with the three credits. UT-Dallas had previously echoed federal policy, which does not provide aid to those taking fewer than six credit hours per semester.
UT-Dallas officials also say some part-timers have their tuition covered by employers. That's true, but those paying their own way say they still feel the pinch.
Graduate student Mindy Nall, 25, works days for an insurance company. Her company pays $2,500 toward her degree each year, and she pays about $5,000. "The tuition increases are frustrating," she said, "but it's not an option for me to take classes full time."
Jennifer Riley, 27, works days as head of inventory loss prevention for a retailer, and takes classes toward her accounting degree three nights a week. She is taking eight credits this semester and plans to take nine in the fall. She pays her own tuition and has accumulated about $40,000 in student loans.
"It's frustrating," she said of the tuition hikes, "but not surprising." She said the university talks about accommodating its working adult students, but she has not seen that. "I've had academic advisers ask why I couldn't take courses I needed during the day. They say, 'Can't you talk to your boss to get more flexible hours?' And I'm like, 'No – are you kidding?' "
Ms. Colvin expressed similar frustration. She said she will only be able to take two courses this fall even if she wants to handle a full load. That's because only four courses she needs to complete her degree will be offered at night. One she already took, and two others are scheduled at the same time.
The concerns of part-timers highlight conflicting goals for the UT system. On the one hand, there is a desire to improve graduation rates and shorten student time to graduation. But the system also wants to improve enrollment for minority students, particularly Hispanics, many of whom must work full time to pay for college.
Other strategies
Most universities in the UT system have shied from raising tuition rates in the manner of UT-Arlington and UT-Dallas, adopting different strategies to help working students graduate more quickly.
UT-Brownsville, for instance, which enrolls a high percentage of Hispanics because of its location, has avoided using higher tuition rates for part-timers. UT-Brownsville president Juliet V. Garcia noted that 48 percent of undergraduates there are part-timers. "Our ability to provide education to those students is vital to the economic well-being of the community," she said in an e-mail. "On the other hand, we recognize the need to make a greater impact in enrolling students full time."
In addition to a flat rate tuition for full-timers – students pay the same rate no matter how many credit hours they take above 15 – the university is spending $300,000 to create on-campus jobs for up to 70 full-time, working students. The school also discounts tuition for night and weekend classes, to encourage more students to enroll, and it is hiring faculty to schedule more classes in those off-peak times to accommodate working students.
Dr. Garcia said that academic advising "is an important part of the retention process." With that in mind, UT-Brownsville, which had only five academic advisers a few years ago, plans to have 27.
Steep tuition increases are not only driven by the desire to push students to take a full-time load. Tuition is up across Texas and the nation, as universities respond to numerous pressures. UT system Chancellor Mark G. Yudof often notes state appropriations have not risen fast enough to address booming enrollment.
In addition, universities face growing competition from their peers and the business sector for top faculty, forcing up salaries to retain and lure the best. This year, schools are also pinched by steep increases in utility prices.
The reasons are no consolation to students like Dawn Chang, 28, earning a sociology degree at UT-Dallas. Her story illustrates the kinds of decisions students must make. Ms. Chang has a full-time job as a sales associate at an import company in Richardson from 8 to 5, and takes a full-time load of classes at night. She had been enrolled part time, but decided to take on the extra load "because the cost is less and I want to finish as quickly as possible."
She starts work a half-hour early so she can leave early enough to beat traffic and grab dinner before class. She said she might quit her job, work part time and speed the path to a degree. "With the tuition going up," she said, "now I really need to finish as soon as possible."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
DPS drops violent drill
Widow of recruit killed in training lauds move, alleges negligence in suit
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Public Safety will no longer use a violent training drill that killed a recruit, officials disclosed Wednesday, as the officer's widow filed a lawsuit alleging that the department's negligence led to his death last year.
Christy Carty, the widow of Jimmy Ray Carty Jr., learned about the department's decision to abandon the drill in a letter delivered to her home in Grand Saline on Tuesday.
"It was a big relief," she said. "We were just ecstatic to get it. They made the right choice."
Ms. Carty had urged DPS to abandon the full-contact fighting drill, called active countermeasures, used at its Austin academy for years. The agency's own consultants recommended in March that DPS eliminate the drill, saying it caused too many head injuries and did not simulate the real-life dangers that troopers face.
DPS had clung to the exercise for at least 30 years, arguing its troopers, who often patrol in remote areas without partners, must show they can fight off a suspect. Some veteran troopers said the training had saved their lives.
But the department's records show that the training came at a high cost: 121 recruits had suffered concussions since 1978, the year a female recruit sustained a near-fatal brain injury. In 1988, a recruit almost died after being punched in the head.
In May, an academy trainer matched Mr. Carty against another trainee who had dominated him in a wrestling drill. Two supervisors asked the lieutenant, Erwin Ballarta, to match Mr. Carty's opponent against a different recruit.
Lt. Ballarta refused, saying he did not see the mismatch. The trainee knocked Mr. Carty down at least twice with blows to the head before hitting him behind the right ear in the third round.
Mr. Carty, a former sheriff's deputy, collapsed. He died a week later.
The decision means that 116 recruits who began their training last month will not fight each other the way almost every other trooper has. The matches once paired women against men, and trainers intentionally mismatched opponents to weed out weaker recruits, The Dallas Morning News found in an investigation last year.
The department also decided to ban "grappling," an exercise that simulates wrestling with a suspect, and any other exercises that involve hitting or hard physical contact between students.
"We are confident we will find ways to train them that will keep them safe and keep the people of the state of Texas safe," department spokeswoman Tela Mange said.
A letter from the department's director, Col. Thomas A. Davis Jr., indicates that only trained instructors will engage in simulated confrontations with trainees.
"Students should never engage in physical contact with other students during simulations, with the exception of defensive tactics training where students are not using strikes or hard physical contact against other students," Col. Davis wrote.
Ms. Carty's lawsuit against DPS argues that officials knew about the history of injuries and approved the practice anyway. The suit alleges the department violated Mr. Carty's civil rights by refusing to stop the practice of a dangerous drill at the academy.
Bill Hommel, Ms. Carty's attorney, said it is too early to say how much the suit would seek in damages.
"It's just unfortunate that it's taken the death of one of the cadets in the drill to discontinue it," said Mr. Hommel of Tyler.
He said his client initially decided to sue because she wanted to force a change in the department. But the suit also argues that Ms. Carty, who is raising three children on her own, should be compensated for her husband's wrongful death.
"She has had a tremendous loss," Mr. Hommel said. "Unless you've been in those shoes, it's really hard to know how tremendous a loss that is."
Ms. Mange said Wednesday that the department would not comment on the lawsuit because officials have not seen it.
Ms. Carty also is suing the manufacturers of the boxing gear that Mr. Carty and other recruits wore. The lawsuit alleges that Kim Pacific Martial Arts and Ringside Inc. designed, manufactured and marketed defective products that were dangerous to their users.
A manager for Kim Pacific Martial Arts was not aware of the lawsuit and declined to comment on it. Officials at Ringside could not be reached for comment.
In 1991, Corpus Christi attorney Rene Haas settled a lawsuit against Everlast, a manufacturer of boxing equipment, for injuries sustained by recruit Joel Cordova, who suffered brain damage and still requires a wheelchair. Mr. Cordova could not sue the state because its workers compensation program covered him.
Ms. Haas has said that DPS officials told her in the early 1990s that they would no longer use head strikes.
"A reasonable business or reasonable person would have immediately stopped that practice," she said Wednesday.
Albert Rodriguez, then the recruit school's coordinator, was directed to develop a drill that did not involve head strikes, according to state records obtained by The News. The drill he introduced, active countermeasures, introduced new padding and allowed recruits to kick in addition to punching. It did not prohibit head strikes.
Cmdr. Rodriguez remains the ranking officer at the training academy, Ms. Mange said. Neither he nor Lt. Ballarta have faced discipline in Mr. Carty's death. Both men have declined several requests for interviews.
The department's study, conducted by the Gables Group of Florida, revealed that 4.2 percent of recruits suffered head injuries between 2003 and 2005. The rate of serious head injury was 1.1 percent.
The consultants noted that the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which trains 51,000 students annually, averages fewer than one serious head injury per year.
Widow of recruit killed in training lauds move, alleges negligence in suit
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Public Safety will no longer use a violent training drill that killed a recruit, officials disclosed Wednesday, as the officer's widow filed a lawsuit alleging that the department's negligence led to his death last year.
Christy Carty, the widow of Jimmy Ray Carty Jr., learned about the department's decision to abandon the drill in a letter delivered to her home in Grand Saline on Tuesday.
"It was a big relief," she said. "We were just ecstatic to get it. They made the right choice."
Ms. Carty had urged DPS to abandon the full-contact fighting drill, called active countermeasures, used at its Austin academy for years. The agency's own consultants recommended in March that DPS eliminate the drill, saying it caused too many head injuries and did not simulate the real-life dangers that troopers face.
DPS had clung to the exercise for at least 30 years, arguing its troopers, who often patrol in remote areas without partners, must show they can fight off a suspect. Some veteran troopers said the training had saved their lives.
But the department's records show that the training came at a high cost: 121 recruits had suffered concussions since 1978, the year a female recruit sustained a near-fatal brain injury. In 1988, a recruit almost died after being punched in the head.
In May, an academy trainer matched Mr. Carty against another trainee who had dominated him in a wrestling drill. Two supervisors asked the lieutenant, Erwin Ballarta, to match Mr. Carty's opponent against a different recruit.
Lt. Ballarta refused, saying he did not see the mismatch. The trainee knocked Mr. Carty down at least twice with blows to the head before hitting him behind the right ear in the third round.
Mr. Carty, a former sheriff's deputy, collapsed. He died a week later.
The decision means that 116 recruits who began their training last month will not fight each other the way almost every other trooper has. The matches once paired women against men, and trainers intentionally mismatched opponents to weed out weaker recruits, The Dallas Morning News found in an investigation last year.
The department also decided to ban "grappling," an exercise that simulates wrestling with a suspect, and any other exercises that involve hitting or hard physical contact between students.
"We are confident we will find ways to train them that will keep them safe and keep the people of the state of Texas safe," department spokeswoman Tela Mange said.
A letter from the department's director, Col. Thomas A. Davis Jr., indicates that only trained instructors will engage in simulated confrontations with trainees.
"Students should never engage in physical contact with other students during simulations, with the exception of defensive tactics training where students are not using strikes or hard physical contact against other students," Col. Davis wrote.
Ms. Carty's lawsuit against DPS argues that officials knew about the history of injuries and approved the practice anyway. The suit alleges the department violated Mr. Carty's civil rights by refusing to stop the practice of a dangerous drill at the academy.
Bill Hommel, Ms. Carty's attorney, said it is too early to say how much the suit would seek in damages.
"It's just unfortunate that it's taken the death of one of the cadets in the drill to discontinue it," said Mr. Hommel of Tyler.
He said his client initially decided to sue because she wanted to force a change in the department. But the suit also argues that Ms. Carty, who is raising three children on her own, should be compensated for her husband's wrongful death.
"She has had a tremendous loss," Mr. Hommel said. "Unless you've been in those shoes, it's really hard to know how tremendous a loss that is."
Ms. Mange said Wednesday that the department would not comment on the lawsuit because officials have not seen it.
Ms. Carty also is suing the manufacturers of the boxing gear that Mr. Carty and other recruits wore. The lawsuit alleges that Kim Pacific Martial Arts and Ringside Inc. designed, manufactured and marketed defective products that were dangerous to their users.
A manager for Kim Pacific Martial Arts was not aware of the lawsuit and declined to comment on it. Officials at Ringside could not be reached for comment.
In 1991, Corpus Christi attorney Rene Haas settled a lawsuit against Everlast, a manufacturer of boxing equipment, for injuries sustained by recruit Joel Cordova, who suffered brain damage and still requires a wheelchair. Mr. Cordova could not sue the state because its workers compensation program covered him.
Ms. Haas has said that DPS officials told her in the early 1990s that they would no longer use head strikes.
"A reasonable business or reasonable person would have immediately stopped that practice," she said Wednesday.
Albert Rodriguez, then the recruit school's coordinator, was directed to develop a drill that did not involve head strikes, according to state records obtained by The News. The drill he introduced, active countermeasures, introduced new padding and allowed recruits to kick in addition to punching. It did not prohibit head strikes.
Cmdr. Rodriguez remains the ranking officer at the training academy, Ms. Mange said. Neither he nor Lt. Ballarta have faced discipline in Mr. Carty's death. Both men have declined several requests for interviews.
The department's study, conducted by the Gables Group of Florida, revealed that 4.2 percent of recruits suffered head injuries between 2003 and 2005. The rate of serious head injury was 1.1 percent.
The consultants noted that the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which trains 51,000 students annually, averages fewer than one serious head injury per year.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Irving shooting victim, 16, could face charges
Police said teen was attempting a robbery when shot
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - A Dallas County grand jury will likely decide whether a 16-year-old boy shot in Irving on Wednesday should face criminal charges for attempting to rob a 45-year-old man at gunpoint.
Irving police spokesman Officer David Tull said the teenager approached the 45-year-old man in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 9400 block of E. Valley Ranch at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. Police did not release either person’s name Thursday.
The man was talking on his cell phone in a parked pick-up truck when the teen yielded a gun and demanded the phone and the man’s wallet. The man told the boy he was reaching for his wallet, but instead grabbed his gun, which was next to him. The man then pushed the boy’s arm up and simultaneously shot him, Officer Tull said.
The teen, who was struck in the chest, spun around and then fled on foot. Fearing he may return, the man in the truck drove off and then called police.
The 16-year-old was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was listed in serious condition Thursday. Police said the bullet entered his upper chest and exited out the left side of his back. When police arrived at the scene, the teen did not have a gun on him but police later recovered one about an hour later.
The man in the truck will likely not face charges, Officer Tull said.
Police said teen was attempting a robbery when shot
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - A Dallas County grand jury will likely decide whether a 16-year-old boy shot in Irving on Wednesday should face criminal charges for attempting to rob a 45-year-old man at gunpoint.
Irving police spokesman Officer David Tull said the teenager approached the 45-year-old man in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 9400 block of E. Valley Ranch at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. Police did not release either person’s name Thursday.
The man was talking on his cell phone in a parked pick-up truck when the teen yielded a gun and demanded the phone and the man’s wallet. The man told the boy he was reaching for his wallet, but instead grabbed his gun, which was next to him. The man then pushed the boy’s arm up and simultaneously shot him, Officer Tull said.
The teen, who was struck in the chest, spun around and then fled on foot. Fearing he may return, the man in the truck drove off and then called police.
The 16-year-old was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was listed in serious condition Thursday. Police said the bullet entered his upper chest and exited out the left side of his back. When police arrived at the scene, the teen did not have a gun on him but police later recovered one about an hour later.
The man in the truck will likely not face charges, Officer Tull said.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Family chases down Fort Worth boy's abductor
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A 6-year-old boy was abducted Wednesday night during a family cookout in north Fort Worth, but his family managed to chase down the abductor, police said.
The boy was playing around 10 p.m. in a side yard at a family member’s house in the 100 block of Northwest 20th Street while the family was having dinner in the back yard, Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.
A neighbor saw the boy get in a black, four-door Intrepid, and rushed to tell the family.
“The family got in their vehicle, chased him down and retrieved the child,” Lt. Sullivan said. “A male family member confronts the suspect and gets the kid.”
The boy told his family that the man had offered him a ride to the store to get candy. The case was being investigated as a kidnapping, although no one was in custody as of Thursday morning, Lt. Sullivan said.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A 6-year-old boy was abducted Wednesday night during a family cookout in north Fort Worth, but his family managed to chase down the abductor, police said.
The boy was playing around 10 p.m. in a side yard at a family member’s house in the 100 block of Northwest 20th Street while the family was having dinner in the back yard, Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.
A neighbor saw the boy get in a black, four-door Intrepid, and rushed to tell the family.
“The family got in their vehicle, chased him down and retrieved the child,” Lt. Sullivan said. “A male family member confronts the suspect and gets the kid.”
The boy told his family that the man had offered him a ride to the store to get candy. The case was being investigated as a kidnapping, although no one was in custody as of Thursday morning, Lt. Sullivan said.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Stepsons shot in Grand Prairie; one dead
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Grand Prairie man was charged with murder and aggravated assault for shooting two of his stepsons, one of whom died as a result.
Police said an argument broke out while the three men were at a barbeque party at a trailer park in the 4000 block of East Main Street late Wednesday night.
Timothy Hathcock, 35, was mortally wounded. He was pronounced dead at Methodist Medical Center in Dallas 45 minutes after he was shot.
Grand Prairie Police Detective John Brimmer said the gunman, identified as William Goforth, 68, admitted his role in the shooting to arriving officers.
David Jones, 37, who is also a stepson of Goforth, was also hit by gunfire, but police said his wounds were very minor. Goforth was charged with aggravated assault in that case.
Witnesses told police that family members had been drinking prior to the shooting, but investigators had not determined whether alcohol was a factor in the offense.
Brimmer said a small caliber weapon was recovered at the scene.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Grand Prairie man was charged with murder and aggravated assault for shooting two of his stepsons, one of whom died as a result.
Police said an argument broke out while the three men were at a barbeque party at a trailer park in the 4000 block of East Main Street late Wednesday night.
Timothy Hathcock, 35, was mortally wounded. He was pronounced dead at Methodist Medical Center in Dallas 45 minutes after he was shot.
Grand Prairie Police Detective John Brimmer said the gunman, identified as William Goforth, 68, admitted his role in the shooting to arriving officers.
David Jones, 37, who is also a stepson of Goforth, was also hit by gunfire, but police said his wounds were very minor. Goforth was charged with aggravated assault in that case.
Witnesses told police that family members had been drinking prior to the shooting, but investigators had not determined whether alcohol was a factor in the offense.
Brimmer said a small caliber weapon was recovered at the scene.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Neighbors chase man after suspected abduction
By REBECCA RODRIGEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Neighbors chased a driver after they said he lured a 6-year-old boy into his car with promises of candy just before 10:00 p.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of northwest 20th street.
The group had gathered in a backyard while the little boy was playing nearby. A man in black car pulled up and offered to take the boy to a store for candy, and just as the child climbed in the neighbors said they knew something was wrong.
Police said several neighbors jumped in their cars and gave chase and boxed in the car to rescue the child.
"I'm not sure what they did to cut him off, or even what physical altercation they went through to get the child out of that car and back into the hands of his mom," said Lt. Dean Sullivan, Fort Worth Police Department said. "...Either way, they got the child back safely and we're looking for a suspect no matter what condition he's in."
Resident Florence Arrendondo said she is proud of the neighbors that kept the abduction from turning into a tragedy.
"To me, they're really heroic for doing that," she said. "People need to get involved to make sure that child belongs to whoever has got him and that needs to be done more..."
Police said they won't try to speculate what the intention of the man was, but right now they just want to find him and find out what he was trying to do with the child.
By REBECCA RODRIGEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Neighbors chased a driver after they said he lured a 6-year-old boy into his car with promises of candy just before 10:00 p.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of northwest 20th street.
The group had gathered in a backyard while the little boy was playing nearby. A man in black car pulled up and offered to take the boy to a store for candy, and just as the child climbed in the neighbors said they knew something was wrong.
Police said several neighbors jumped in their cars and gave chase and boxed in the car to rescue the child.
"I'm not sure what they did to cut him off, or even what physical altercation they went through to get the child out of that car and back into the hands of his mom," said Lt. Dean Sullivan, Fort Worth Police Department said. "...Either way, they got the child back safely and we're looking for a suspect no matter what condition he's in."
Resident Florence Arrendondo said she is proud of the neighbors that kept the abduction from turning into a tragedy.
"To me, they're really heroic for doing that," she said. "People need to get involved to make sure that child belongs to whoever has got him and that needs to be done more..."
Police said they won't try to speculate what the intention of the man was, but right now they just want to find him and find out what he was trying to do with the child.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
How science is helping a blind Texas pupil
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
Ashely Patton put a lot of effort into her science fair project.
The sixth grader at J.W. Ray Elementary tested which soil is best for planting.
The experiment earned her a blue ribbon - she typed the entire report in Braille.
"The bean in the garden soil grew 7 inches tall," she says.
You see, Ashely is quickly losing her eyesight, hearing, and speech.
The 13-year-old suffers from a rare cranial facial disorder detected just before this school year.
In just nine months, the condition has left her legally blind. She can only see colors now but her mother says the disease has not robbed her of her spirit.
"One of the summer school teachers discovered she was blind and we didn't know," she says.
"I think her favorite subject now is working with the Braille machine."
Teachers say Patton is adjusting well, despite having to learn some things all over again.
"What I learned first was my ABCs, then I got that down, then I went to numbers, then I got that down," she says.
Ashely's science fair project is on display with other entries earning a first prize ribbon; she will go on to a district competition."
That has Ashley excited about her future.
"I thought that was pretty cool," she says.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
Ashely Patton put a lot of effort into her science fair project.
The sixth grader at J.W. Ray Elementary tested which soil is best for planting.
The experiment earned her a blue ribbon - she typed the entire report in Braille.
"The bean in the garden soil grew 7 inches tall," she says.
You see, Ashely is quickly losing her eyesight, hearing, and speech.
The 13-year-old suffers from a rare cranial facial disorder detected just before this school year.
In just nine months, the condition has left her legally blind. She can only see colors now but her mother says the disease has not robbed her of her spirit.
"One of the summer school teachers discovered she was blind and we didn't know," she says.
"I think her favorite subject now is working with the Braille machine."
Teachers say Patton is adjusting well, despite having to learn some things all over again.
"What I learned first was my ABCs, then I got that down, then I went to numbers, then I got that down," she says.
Ashely's science fair project is on display with other entries earning a first prize ribbon; she will go on to a district competition."
That has Ashley excited about her future.
"I thought that was pretty cool," she says.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Addicts expected to have faith
Victory Home residents pray, work, and pray some more as they face their demons in rigorous rehab
By SCOTT FARWELL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - On this day, Elliott Haynes prayed and danced and pledged his love to a godly woman.
He studied the Bible. He clenched his fist in pride. He wept.
Mr. Haynes is a recovering crack addict. Two months ago, the 36-year-old man moved from San Antonio into the Victory Home, a Christian-based drug treatment center near the Cotton Bowl in South Dallas.
The program is supported by private donations, daily fundraisers and a pair of nonprofit groups linked to Prestonwood Baptist Church of Plano and King of Glory Lutheran Church in North Dallas.
It is free, largely unregulated and medically unsupervised. Tylenol is the strongest pain medicine allowed.
Men withdraw from heroin in darkened rooms, sweating and shivering on bunk beds. Soft music or tape-recorded sermons play in the background. Massages help soothe aching limbs.
Victory Home is the treatment of last resort for many addicts, according to Anthony Anderson, a 40-year-old former crack dealer who runs the program. He said the strict regimen saved his life 13 years ago when he entered a sister program in Fort Worth.
"I knew when I went into the home, if I went back [to the streets] somebody was going to kill me or I was going to kill somebody and get sentenced to life in prison," he said. "This is a front-line ministry. We're like the Marines."
It's 5 a.m. Monday.
Fluorescent lights flicker to life as Anthony Hackett steps in the room.
Six men are cocooned in bunk beds.
"Good morning, homeboy," the 35-year-old resident of the center says, shaking one leg after another.
There is a deep, bone-rattling cough. One man blinks against the light, another fumbles with laces on work boots.
Mark Wyatt, 44, sits on his bunk next to a Bible, a black folder and two Maalox tablets.
"A drug addiction," he said, "will tear up your stomach."
On this day, the men of Victory Home are greeted by the sweet smell of banana bread. Virgil Dimas, a 36-year-old cook and self-described trash can junkie, stayed up all night baking 120 loaves, which the drug rehab ministry sells for $5 a pop.
Now he is pacing an uneven wood floor and praying.
"Father, I need you in my life," he says, arms pumping, eyes squeezed tight. "Without you in my life there's nothing right. It's all wrong, all hard, all evil."
Over the next 20 minutes, a dozen other addicts join him. One kneels in prayer; others stand facing the wall, petitioning God.
Music makes the floor vibrate, and Mr. Haynes comes alive in the lyrics.
"When hope is gone and the darkness has fallen
"I will still believe, I will still believe
"I will rise up, I will rise up
"I will rise up and call myself blessed."
Outside, the music is faint against a wind-swept morning. The night sky retreats from the dawn. At Victory Home, a security light illuminates a message hung across a 12-foot wooden cross. It reads: "Expect a Miracle."
'Wake up the devil'
Victory Home runs a drop-in center at Carpenters Cove Apartments in South Dallas. Ministry leaders say it is a safe zone for kids and an outpost for reaching troubled families.
It's 6:14 a.m.
Mike Jones dips his finger in olive oil and traces a cross on the forehead of 14 men. He instructs the assembled addicts to walk around the complex seven times, praying for peace. On the last lap, they are to shout praise to the heavens.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to wake up some folks," the 40-year-old said. "But what we want to do is wake up the devil and run him up out of here."
Minutes later, 52-year-old grandmother Joyce Autry watched the spectacle from a second-story balcony as men in gray sweat suits marched past a broken bottle of sangria. She pronounced the ritual "weird," but the ministry's street credibility contains an implicit message: "See us? We've been there. We made mistakes, but now we're acting right. Follow us."
Mr. Jones, a senior leader at Victory Home, said the church witnesses to the margins, not the mainstream.
"People out here are not going to go to T.D. Jakes, or all those dudes on TV," he said. "We don't drive a Cadillac or pastor a big huge church. We're guys who love the Lord and live a normal life, and that's attainable for these people."
Discipline, devotionals
Drugs scramble an addict's life. Victory Home imposes order on the chaos.
By rote, each man wakes, folds his blanket in a perfect square and lays it on a pile near the door. Men stand in single file to urinate. Daily chores rotate by printed schedule.
Deviations from the routine result in discipline, extra chores, restricted privileges.
"A drug addict's mind is steady moving and going, scheming and conniving," said Mr. Anderson, the home's director. "That's why we keep them busy and keep them in the word of God all day long."
It's 11:59 a.m.
Elliott Gould is a 44-year-old moon-faced preacher with a penchant for breaking down the Scripture. He is explaining temptation at Victory Home.
"As soon as you leave here, you'll see all the skirts and the booty and the crack," he said. "You're going to be saying, 'No, no, no' all day long ... and you've got to have enough Jesus in you to say all those nos."
The conversation cascades into the book of Genesis, pivots on the forbidden fruit, and steps nimbly into a contemporary recitation of Christian relationships.
Mr. Haynes leans forward in his chair, waiting for an opening.
"But when we are blessed with a godly woman," he said, "we jack it up because we treat her like one of those hoes."
He crosses his muscled arms and frowns at an off-point answer. Moments later, he opens a blue notebook and works on a letter to his fiancé.
"I can hear your lovely voice," it reads. "Be patient, please, and be strong ... "
Victory Home residents pray, work, and pray some more as they face their demons in rigorous rehab
By SCOTT FARWELL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - On this day, Elliott Haynes prayed and danced and pledged his love to a godly woman.
He studied the Bible. He clenched his fist in pride. He wept.
Mr. Haynes is a recovering crack addict. Two months ago, the 36-year-old man moved from San Antonio into the Victory Home, a Christian-based drug treatment center near the Cotton Bowl in South Dallas.
The program is supported by private donations, daily fundraisers and a pair of nonprofit groups linked to Prestonwood Baptist Church of Plano and King of Glory Lutheran Church in North Dallas.
It is free, largely unregulated and medically unsupervised. Tylenol is the strongest pain medicine allowed.
Men withdraw from heroin in darkened rooms, sweating and shivering on bunk beds. Soft music or tape-recorded sermons play in the background. Massages help soothe aching limbs.
Victory Home is the treatment of last resort for many addicts, according to Anthony Anderson, a 40-year-old former crack dealer who runs the program. He said the strict regimen saved his life 13 years ago when he entered a sister program in Fort Worth.
"I knew when I went into the home, if I went back [to the streets] somebody was going to kill me or I was going to kill somebody and get sentenced to life in prison," he said. "This is a front-line ministry. We're like the Marines."
It's 5 a.m. Monday.
Fluorescent lights flicker to life as Anthony Hackett steps in the room.
Six men are cocooned in bunk beds.
"Good morning, homeboy," the 35-year-old resident of the center says, shaking one leg after another.
There is a deep, bone-rattling cough. One man blinks against the light, another fumbles with laces on work boots.
Mark Wyatt, 44, sits on his bunk next to a Bible, a black folder and two Maalox tablets.
"A drug addiction," he said, "will tear up your stomach."
On this day, the men of Victory Home are greeted by the sweet smell of banana bread. Virgil Dimas, a 36-year-old cook and self-described trash can junkie, stayed up all night baking 120 loaves, which the drug rehab ministry sells for $5 a pop.
Now he is pacing an uneven wood floor and praying.
"Father, I need you in my life," he says, arms pumping, eyes squeezed tight. "Without you in my life there's nothing right. It's all wrong, all hard, all evil."
Over the next 20 minutes, a dozen other addicts join him. One kneels in prayer; others stand facing the wall, petitioning God.
Music makes the floor vibrate, and Mr. Haynes comes alive in the lyrics.
"When hope is gone and the darkness has fallen
"I will still believe, I will still believe
"I will rise up, I will rise up
"I will rise up and call myself blessed."
Outside, the music is faint against a wind-swept morning. The night sky retreats from the dawn. At Victory Home, a security light illuminates a message hung across a 12-foot wooden cross. It reads: "Expect a Miracle."
'Wake up the devil'
Victory Home runs a drop-in center at Carpenters Cove Apartments in South Dallas. Ministry leaders say it is a safe zone for kids and an outpost for reaching troubled families.
It's 6:14 a.m.
Mike Jones dips his finger in olive oil and traces a cross on the forehead of 14 men. He instructs the assembled addicts to walk around the complex seven times, praying for peace. On the last lap, they are to shout praise to the heavens.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to wake up some folks," the 40-year-old said. "But what we want to do is wake up the devil and run him up out of here."
Minutes later, 52-year-old grandmother Joyce Autry watched the spectacle from a second-story balcony as men in gray sweat suits marched past a broken bottle of sangria. She pronounced the ritual "weird," but the ministry's street credibility contains an implicit message: "See us? We've been there. We made mistakes, but now we're acting right. Follow us."
Mr. Jones, a senior leader at Victory Home, said the church witnesses to the margins, not the mainstream.
"People out here are not going to go to T.D. Jakes, or all those dudes on TV," he said. "We don't drive a Cadillac or pastor a big huge church. We're guys who love the Lord and live a normal life, and that's attainable for these people."
Discipline, devotionals
Drugs scramble an addict's life. Victory Home imposes order on the chaos.
By rote, each man wakes, folds his blanket in a perfect square and lays it on a pile near the door. Men stand in single file to urinate. Daily chores rotate by printed schedule.
Deviations from the routine result in discipline, extra chores, restricted privileges.
"A drug addict's mind is steady moving and going, scheming and conniving," said Mr. Anderson, the home's director. "That's why we keep them busy and keep them in the word of God all day long."
It's 11:59 a.m.
Elliott Gould is a 44-year-old moon-faced preacher with a penchant for breaking down the Scripture. He is explaining temptation at Victory Home.
"As soon as you leave here, you'll see all the skirts and the booty and the crack," he said. "You're going to be saying, 'No, no, no' all day long ... and you've got to have enough Jesus in you to say all those nos."
The conversation cascades into the book of Genesis, pivots on the forbidden fruit, and steps nimbly into a contemporary recitation of Christian relationships.
Mr. Haynes leans forward in his chair, waiting for an opening.
"But when we are blessed with a godly woman," he said, "we jack it up because we treat her like one of those hoes."
He crosses his muscled arms and frowns at an off-point answer. Moments later, he opens a blue notebook and works on a letter to his fiancé.
"I can hear your lovely voice," it reads. "Be patient, please, and be strong ... "
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Judge to deliver Schlosser verdict
MCKINNEY, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - A judge is expected to issue a verdict Friday in the capital murder retrial of Dena Schlosser, a ruling that could be affected by the recent revelation that she has a brain tumor.
Both sides agreed to have Judge Chris Oldner rule based on evidence from Schlosser's first trial, which ended in a hung jury in February. Schlosser, who cut off the arms of her baby, faces an automatic sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Schlosser, 38, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. If the judge agrees, she would be committed to a state mental hospital.
Her lawyers said last Friday that a brain tumor may have caused hallucinations that led to the killing of 10-month-old Margaret, known as Maggie.
While lawyers say the finding could aid the defense, doctors say it is longshot to blame the killing on tumor symptoms.
"It is unlikely," said Dr. David Baskin, a neurosurgeon at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston who is not connected to the case. "It is extremely rare for a tumor – even if it was in the right place and causing a seizure – to produce such a pointed, complex and violent act."
Schlosser was arrested in November 2004 after police found her soaked in blood, holding a knife and listening to a hymn as Maggie lay dying in her crib.
The defense had pressed an insanity defense based on psychiatrists' testimony that she suffered from severe mood swings, unreality, vivid hallucinations and delusions.
While one witness alluded to a possible brain lesion, miscommunication between doctors delayed further testing until three weeks after the mistrial.
A neurologist's confirmation of a brain tumor gave the defense another argument, which it presented at a pretrial hearing Friday.
"Possible symptoms of this sort of tumor are vivid hallucinations," said defense attorney David Haynes later. "I think it could have affected her behavior, but there is no way to know one way or another."
A jail psychiatrist testified that the tumor could have caused hallucinations. She gave few details and said more tests were needed. The court declined to release the medical report citing patient privacy law.
Defense attorney F.R. "Buck" Files, who successfully argued insanity in the 2004 case of Deanna Laney, accused of bludgeoning her two sons to death, says the finding could help with Schlosser's defense.
"If you have a mental disease which would keep her from knowing right from wrong and you couple that with a tumor that impacts her ability to do that, my gut reaction is that it will be beneficial to the defendant," said Files, who is not connected with the Schlosser case.
Attorneys still must show the tumor affected whether Schlosser knew her actions were wrong – meeting the legal definition of insanity, he added.
Assistant District Attorney Curtis Howard said the new information about the tumor does not present challenges.
"I don't believe that changes the fact that she knew what she was doing was wrong which was the issue that we have concentrated on," he said.
The first trial included seven days of testimony from doctors, police, acquaintances, family, social workers and Schlosser's preacher, Doyle Davidson.
The defense argued Schlosser never received adequate treatment for her mental illness. They faulted Schlosser's husband, saying he ignored her illness and emphasized Schlosser's devotion to Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental problems.
Prosecutors zeroed in on details that they say proved Schlosser knew killing Maggie was wrong.
After 42 hours of deliberations, the jury deadlocked with 10 of the 12 agreeing she was insane.
MCKINNEY, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - A judge is expected to issue a verdict Friday in the capital murder retrial of Dena Schlosser, a ruling that could be affected by the recent revelation that she has a brain tumor.
Both sides agreed to have Judge Chris Oldner rule based on evidence from Schlosser's first trial, which ended in a hung jury in February. Schlosser, who cut off the arms of her baby, faces an automatic sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Schlosser, 38, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. If the judge agrees, she would be committed to a state mental hospital.
Her lawyers said last Friday that a brain tumor may have caused hallucinations that led to the killing of 10-month-old Margaret, known as Maggie.
While lawyers say the finding could aid the defense, doctors say it is longshot to blame the killing on tumor symptoms.
"It is unlikely," said Dr. David Baskin, a neurosurgeon at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston who is not connected to the case. "It is extremely rare for a tumor – even if it was in the right place and causing a seizure – to produce such a pointed, complex and violent act."
Schlosser was arrested in November 2004 after police found her soaked in blood, holding a knife and listening to a hymn as Maggie lay dying in her crib.
The defense had pressed an insanity defense based on psychiatrists' testimony that she suffered from severe mood swings, unreality, vivid hallucinations and delusions.
While one witness alluded to a possible brain lesion, miscommunication between doctors delayed further testing until three weeks after the mistrial.
A neurologist's confirmation of a brain tumor gave the defense another argument, which it presented at a pretrial hearing Friday.
"Possible symptoms of this sort of tumor are vivid hallucinations," said defense attorney David Haynes later. "I think it could have affected her behavior, but there is no way to know one way or another."
A jail psychiatrist testified that the tumor could have caused hallucinations. She gave few details and said more tests were needed. The court declined to release the medical report citing patient privacy law.
Defense attorney F.R. "Buck" Files, who successfully argued insanity in the 2004 case of Deanna Laney, accused of bludgeoning her two sons to death, says the finding could help with Schlosser's defense.
"If you have a mental disease which would keep her from knowing right from wrong and you couple that with a tumor that impacts her ability to do that, my gut reaction is that it will be beneficial to the defendant," said Files, who is not connected with the Schlosser case.
Attorneys still must show the tumor affected whether Schlosser knew her actions were wrong – meeting the legal definition of insanity, he added.
Assistant District Attorney Curtis Howard said the new information about the tumor does not present challenges.
"I don't believe that changes the fact that she knew what she was doing was wrong which was the issue that we have concentrated on," he said.
The first trial included seven days of testimony from doctors, police, acquaintances, family, social workers and Schlosser's preacher, Doyle Davidson.
The defense argued Schlosser never received adequate treatment for her mental illness. They faulted Schlosser's husband, saying he ignored her illness and emphasized Schlosser's devotion to Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental problems.
Prosecutors zeroed in on details that they say proved Schlosser knew killing Maggie was wrong.
After 42 hours of deliberations, the jury deadlocked with 10 of the 12 agreeing she was insane.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Doctor: Schlosser's tumor at issue
Her neurologist says it could have sparked behavior in baby's death
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas - Dena Schlosser's life-threatening brain tumor could have fueled the religious delusions and hallucinations psychiatrists believe caused her to kill her infant daughter, her neurologist said Thursday.
Ms. Schlosser's tumor was made public last week during a court hearing. Initially, Ms. Schlosser's attorney, David Haynes, said this week that the tumor was on the pituitary gland. A tumor on a pituitary gland could cause confusion and agitation but probably would not cause hallucinations, neurologists said.
Mr. Haynes could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has said that he believes the tumor contributed to Ms. Schlosser' actions the day Maggie died.
Her neurologist said Thursday that the growth – in her mid-brain – could have exacerbated the complex delusions and hallucinations caused by her postpartum psychosis.
"It [the tumor] would further disturb her sense of reality," said the neurologist, Dr. Paul Flavill, who examined Ms. Schlosser, 37. He has an office in McKinney.
Ms. Schlosser admitted killing 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser by severing the baby's arms in the family's Plano home in November 2004 while listening to religious hymns.
It is unclear whether Ms. Schlosser had the tumor the day Maggie died, but Dr. Flavill said he believes she did. The brain scan that shows the "shadow" was taken in April 2005. He said there was no change in the tumor's size between that scan and the one he ordered last month. Dr. Flavill said the tumor is slow-growing.
State District Judge Chris Oldner is expected to announce a verdict today in Ms. Schlosser's second capital murder trial. The first ended in a mistrial after a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity.
In his decision, Judge Oldner can consider the tumor and its possible impact on Ms. Schlosser's actions when she killed Maggie. No mention was made of the tumor in the first trial because no one knew it existed.
Dr. Flavill said psychosis and environmental factors – such as someone validating hallucinations – could worsen the problems caused by the tumor.
Ms. Schlosser, diagnosed as having postpartum psychosis and depression after Maggie's home birth, told psychiatrists she believed God told her to cut off Maggie's arms, as well as her own limbs and head. Other hallucinations included a black dog chasing her, bloody streets turning into prophets heralding the end of days, and believing a little boy was Jesus Christ.
A mid-brain tumor could be caused by several factors including a stroke or something pushing on that part of the brain. It could cause "peduncular hallucinosis," which could "produce formed, complex visual hallucinations," Dr. Flavill said.
Austin J. Everett, an assistant clinical professor in neurology at the University of California at San Francisco, said Thursday that it's likely that all Ms. Schlosser's brain injuries worked together to cause her kill her daughter.
"I would wonder if it's all tied together," Dr. Everett said. "All of her behavior problems might be a manifestation of her abnormal brain function."
Dr. Everett said patients with peduncular hallucinosis are usually aware that their often colorful hallucinations are not part of reality. But he said Ms. Schlosser's other brain problems would make it more difficult for her to realize this.
Her neurologist says it could have sparked behavior in baby's death
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
MCKINNEY, Texas - Dena Schlosser's life-threatening brain tumor could have fueled the religious delusions and hallucinations psychiatrists believe caused her to kill her infant daughter, her neurologist said Thursday.
Ms. Schlosser's tumor was made public last week during a court hearing. Initially, Ms. Schlosser's attorney, David Haynes, said this week that the tumor was on the pituitary gland. A tumor on a pituitary gland could cause confusion and agitation but probably would not cause hallucinations, neurologists said.
Mr. Haynes could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has said that he believes the tumor contributed to Ms. Schlosser' actions the day Maggie died.
Her neurologist said Thursday that the growth – in her mid-brain – could have exacerbated the complex delusions and hallucinations caused by her postpartum psychosis.
"It [the tumor] would further disturb her sense of reality," said the neurologist, Dr. Paul Flavill, who examined Ms. Schlosser, 37. He has an office in McKinney.
Ms. Schlosser admitted killing 10-month-old Maggie Schlosser by severing the baby's arms in the family's Plano home in November 2004 while listening to religious hymns.
It is unclear whether Ms. Schlosser had the tumor the day Maggie died, but Dr. Flavill said he believes she did. The brain scan that shows the "shadow" was taken in April 2005. He said there was no change in the tumor's size between that scan and the one he ordered last month. Dr. Flavill said the tumor is slow-growing.
State District Judge Chris Oldner is expected to announce a verdict today in Ms. Schlosser's second capital murder trial. The first ended in a mistrial after a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity.
In his decision, Judge Oldner can consider the tumor and its possible impact on Ms. Schlosser's actions when she killed Maggie. No mention was made of the tumor in the first trial because no one knew it existed.
Dr. Flavill said psychosis and environmental factors – such as someone validating hallucinations – could worsen the problems caused by the tumor.
Ms. Schlosser, diagnosed as having postpartum psychosis and depression after Maggie's home birth, told psychiatrists she believed God told her to cut off Maggie's arms, as well as her own limbs and head. Other hallucinations included a black dog chasing her, bloody streets turning into prophets heralding the end of days, and believing a little boy was Jesus Christ.
A mid-brain tumor could be caused by several factors including a stroke or something pushing on that part of the brain. It could cause "peduncular hallucinosis," which could "produce formed, complex visual hallucinations," Dr. Flavill said.
Austin J. Everett, an assistant clinical professor in neurology at the University of California at San Francisco, said Thursday that it's likely that all Ms. Schlosser's brain injuries worked together to cause her kill her daughter.
"I would wonder if it's all tied together," Dr. Everett said. "All of her behavior problems might be a manifestation of her abnormal brain function."
Dr. Everett said patients with peduncular hallucinosis are usually aware that their often colorful hallucinations are not part of reality. But he said Ms. Schlosser's other brain problems would make it more difficult for her to realize this.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Perry: No special election for DeLay's seat
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he won't call an emergency special election to replace resigning Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, meaning candidates for the suburban Houston congressional seat will have to wait for the November election.
DeLay, who is under indictment in Texas on charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, announced this week that he will resign sometime before mid-June.
"If I don't get (DeLay's letter of resignation) by close of business tomorrow, the election will be in November," Perry said Thursday.
Perry has the authority to call an emergency special election anytime or wait for the next uniform election date, which is May 13. DeLay would have to resign this week for a May election. After that, the next election date is Nov. 7.
The Democratic candidate in the race is former U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, who lost his seat when DeLay redesigned the state's congressional districts in 2004. Lampson called on Perry Thursday to set a May 13 special election so the district would be represented after DeLay leaves.
A committee of Republican precinct chairmen from the four counties that comprise DeLay's 22nd Congressional District will choose a new GOP candidate.
Potential candidates include Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, who worked with Houston's mayor to help the city absorb Hurricane Katrina refugees; Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace; state Rep. Charlie Howard of Sugar Land; and state Rep. Robert Talton of Pasadena.
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday he won't call an emergency special election to replace resigning Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, meaning candidates for the suburban Houston congressional seat will have to wait for the November election.
DeLay, who is under indictment in Texas on charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, announced this week that he will resign sometime before mid-June.
"If I don't get (DeLay's letter of resignation) by close of business tomorrow, the election will be in November," Perry said Thursday.
Perry has the authority to call an emergency special election anytime or wait for the next uniform election date, which is May 13. DeLay would have to resign this week for a May election. After that, the next election date is Nov. 7.
The Democratic candidate in the race is former U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, who lost his seat when DeLay redesigned the state's congressional districts in 2004. Lampson called on Perry Thursday to set a May 13 special election so the district would be represented after DeLay leaves.
A committee of Republican precinct chairmen from the four counties that comprise DeLay's 22nd Congressional District will choose a new GOP candidate.
Potential candidates include Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, who worked with Houston's mayor to help the city absorb Hurricane Katrina refugees; Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace; state Rep. Charlie Howard of Sugar Land; and state Rep. Robert Talton of Pasadena.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Police: Man invades home, sexually assaults child
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police are guarding a home as Mansfield police, FBI and the Texas Rangers search for a man wanted for a home invasion and sexual assault of a child.
Police and firefighters spent Thursday passing out fliers in hopes of catching the man. In the meantime, they have urged everyone to keep their guards up.
"It's overwhelming," said neighbor Roy Shipman.
Police said a man broke into the home and sexually assaulted a child in the middle of the night as the family slept.
"The juvenile victim did physically and verbally resist [and] then the suspect fled the scene," said Thad Penkala, Mansfield police public information officer.
The neighborhood is only three or four years old and is home to several families with children.
Authorities urged everyone to lock all doors and windows and set alarms.
"Sometimes people they think that, 'Well, my alarm system is only for when I'm not at home,' [but] it's for when they go to sleep also," Penkala said.
And while many are thinking of the young victim, it brings to light the harsh reality that crime knows no boundaries.
"It can happen to anybody anytime," said another neighbor. "People just need to be aware and try not to take things for granted."
The victim is young, so police did not get much of a suspect description. However, detectives are utilizing all resources to catch the man before he strikes again.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police are guarding a home as Mansfield police, FBI and the Texas Rangers search for a man wanted for a home invasion and sexual assault of a child.
Police and firefighters spent Thursday passing out fliers in hopes of catching the man. In the meantime, they have urged everyone to keep their guards up.
"It's overwhelming," said neighbor Roy Shipman.
Police said a man broke into the home and sexually assaulted a child in the middle of the night as the family slept.
"The juvenile victim did physically and verbally resist [and] then the suspect fled the scene," said Thad Penkala, Mansfield police public information officer.
The neighborhood is only three or four years old and is home to several families with children.
Authorities urged everyone to lock all doors and windows and set alarms.
"Sometimes people they think that, 'Well, my alarm system is only for when I'm not at home,' [but] it's for when they go to sleep also," Penkala said.
And while many are thinking of the young victim, it brings to light the harsh reality that crime knows no boundaries.
"It can happen to anybody anytime," said another neighbor. "People just need to be aware and try not to take things for granted."
The victim is young, so police did not get much of a suspect description. However, detectives are utilizing all resources to catch the man before he strikes again.
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests