News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Pair fights church on sharing confessions

Exclusive: Watermark says telling others of sins is in bylaws

By MICHAEL GRABELL and JEFFREY WEISS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Does a church have the right to publicly reveal a person's private sins? A Dallas court is being asked to decide whether Watermark Community Church can do exactly that to a man and a woman identified in court records as "John Doe" and "Jane Roe."

Their attorney says that the pair thought they had revealed their sins to Watermark's pastor confidentially and that their behavior should not be made public.

Church officials say they are only following a process of church discipline outlined in the Gospel of Matthew and written into the church's bylaws.

"Basically, we're being sued because we're seeking to love 'John Doe' in accordance with the principles outlined by God's word," said the pastor, the Rev. Todd Wagner.

Neither church officials nor the pair's attorney would specify the behavior involved.

Leaders of the northeast Dallas church said they recently became aware that "John Doe," who joined the church more than a year ago, was "having some struggles in his walk with Christ," Mr. Wagner said.

Church elders began the process of "care and correction" described in Matthew: Confront the person one to one, then with several others, then "tell it to the church." At every step, the person is asked to stop the offending behavior.

In this case, the man refused the private interventions and said he was quitting the church, church officials said. But Watermark's bylaws say a member "may not resign from membership in an attempt to avoid such care and correction."

Watermark's next step would have been to send more than a dozen letters to people who know "John Doe" – half to Watermark members and half to members of other churches who know and have worked with him.

That's when the lawsuit was filed.

"The basis of the lawsuit was the church wanted to go outside of the church and the community at large, including potentially even their employers," said Jeff Tillotson, attorney for the man and woman.

They obtained a temporary restraining order April 28, preventing the church from releasing information about them.

But the order was dismissed May 5 by Associate Judge Sheryl McFarlin after Watermark's lawyers argued that it violated the church's right to freely exercise its religion.

The case is winding its way through appeals.

Mr. Tillotson said the case holds major implications for church members in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"The typical notion of a Dallasite is that if you don't like a church, you can just leave, and that's that is apparently not shared by some of these churches," he said. "And then when you say I want to get off this merry-go-round, their response is you can't quit to avoid discipline."

[TexasStooge]

Dallas officer injured in accident

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas police officer was involved in a serious accident while chasing a suspect Friday morning in Far East Dallas.

Police said the officer, whose name was not released, was involved in a chase along with other Dallas officers and Dallas County sheriff's deputies around 10:20 a.m. A vehicle with two suspects inside and the officer's vehicle apparently collided near a convenience store at Peavy Road and North Buckner Boulevard.

Police said the sheriff's deputies began chasing the Pontiac sedan after it fled during a routine traffic stop.

Fire and emergency crews had to work to free the officer and the suspects after they were pinned in their vehicles, which were both heavily damaged.

The officer and suspects were taken to Baylor University Medical Center in unknown condition.

WFAA-TV contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Toddler killed in drive-by shooting

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a drive-by shooting that left a toddler dead.

Just before midnight Thursday, shots riddled a house in the 2600 block of Overland Drive.

One of the bullets struck 18-month old Eva Maria Gallegos in the head. She was pronounced dead at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

"Right now, police are looking for a small red four-door, possibly a Nissan Sentra," said Farmers Branch director of communications Tom Bryson. "Investigators are trying to get more information at this point, but anyone with any information about this crime needs to call the Farmers Branch Police Department at 972-484-3620."

Eva's father, Jesus Gallegos, told News 8 that he was in the house with the child's grandfather and several uncles when the shots rang out.

Gallegos said he had been released from prison about three weeks ago after serving an 15-month sentence. He would not say anything about the crime for which he was convicted.

Gallegos said he didn't have any problems with anybody and was just trying to start a new life with his baby girl.

[TexasStooge]

Fort Worth couple injured in house fire

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A couple is recovering from smoke inhalation Friday after fire broke out overnight in their southeast Fort Worth home.

Fort Worth fire Lt. Kent Worley said Charles Butler, 59, is in critical condition and Mary Moore, 60, is in serious condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where they were flown for treatment.

A 15-year-old girl, who lived in the home, was treated and released at the scene.

Lt. Worley said the fire started around 12:45 a.m. in the 5200 block of Flamingo Road. Two teenage neighbors saw the fire, rushed inside the home and helped Butler escape.

“They saw him coming into the living room,” Lt. Worley said. “He passed out in their arms.”

Firefighters then rescued Moore from the bedroom, he said.

The blaze was started by improper use of an extension cord that was connected to a window-unit air-conditioner, Lt. Worley said. The cord was not designed for a large appliance.

Damage to the home is estimated at $40,000.

[TexasStooge]

TV news wars shuffle the deck

TV: WFAA ABC 8 continues streak at 5 p.m. slot, loses ground at 6

By ED BARK / The Dallas Morning News

KXAS NBC 5 coasted to a 14th straight "sweeps" victory in the 10 p.m. local news wars while KTVT CBS 11 was the only station without at least one win in the three major ratings categories.

The four-week May competition otherwise saw hotly competitive races at 5 and 6 p.m. and during the increasingly important 6 to 7 a.m. wake-up hour. It was the second sweeps period fought on a new battleground in which instant "overnight" data is available on advertiser-craved younger audiences.

NBC 5 bested KDFW Fox 4 in the early morning battle for total viewers but slipped to second among both 25- to 54-year-olds and 18- to 49-year-olds.

The two stations tied in the number of households, which does not count the number of people actually watching. Nationally and locally, the household measurement is considered a less important ratings category, behind total viewers.

WFAA ABC 8 prevailed across the board at 5 p.m., extending a winning streak dating to the November 1987 "sweeps." But there were three victors at 6 p.m., where Channel 8 also had dominated for two decades.

ABC 8 continued to stretch its streak in households at 6 p.m., nipping NBC 5 by one-tenth of a rating point (2,300 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth viewing area). But NBC 5 barely turned the tables among total viewers, drawing just 617 more of them.

ABC 8 and Fox 4 tied at 6 p.m. with 25- to 54-year-olds, which all four stations agree is the key "target" demographic for newscasts. Fox 4 narrowly outpointed ABC 8 among 18- to 49-year-olds.

CBS 11's best showing came at 10 p.m., where it edged Channel 8 for second place in total viewers. ABC 8 otherwise held the runner-up spot in the two younger-viewer categories and in households.

CBS 11 easily had the largest 9:45 to 10 p.m. "lead-in" audiences courtesy of CBS' strong prime-time lineup. But it again suffered the sharpest audience drop-off at the outset of 10 p.m. newscasts. Channel 5's news, in contrast, showed the biggest viewer gains at 10 p.m.

The stations now will regroup and retool during the summer and early fall for the November sweeps.
_____________________________________________________________

They haven't said anything about KDAF WB 33 (soon to be CW 33) News @ Nine.

[TexasStooge]

Hybrid wolves cause neighbors to row

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

KEMP, Texas - Breeding hybrid wolves is Bill Lambert's passion.

"One of my primary concerns is my animals and how they live. And that they're happy," he says.

Darlene Murphy is Lambert's neighbor.

She shot a video several months which she says shows a three-hour dog fight which Lambert stood by and watched, while a dog was attacked.

"Isn't it the owner's responsibility to keep the dogs from fighting each other? It's no different than putting two Pit Bulls together. You know they're going to fight," she says.

"I don't get involved sometimes if I see it's not a real fight, if it's a scrapping or a hierarchy situation. I will oversee it - they are fighting like two brothers, nine- and ten-years-old.

Hybrid wolves are legal in Texas. They're part-wolf and part-dog and they're not considered wild animals.

Murphy and Lambert have lived across the street from each other for more than ten years.

But as the breed became more accepted and Lambert expanded, Murphy became more fed up.

"It is hard to get out and enjoy your yard, do any kind of yard work. You're home watching TV and all of a sudden the noise is so overwhelming you can't hear your TV," she says.

Murphy has called police and officials dozens of times to complain.

Officials have investigated Lambert and each time he's been found to be operating a legal, safe business.

So now each side is building higher, more secure fences.

"The only reason he put up the privacy fence was to stop me from videotaping," says Murphy.

"I spent thousands of dollars on that wall to keep her from berating me, while I am feeding my puppies," Lambert added.

Now both Lambert and Murphy say after years of arguing and collecting lots of information about each other, lawsuits may be the only way to settle this dispute.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas officer and suspects injured in chase

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas police officer and two people in a car he was chasing were injured after the cars slammed into each other in Far East Dallas.

Witnesses said the vehicle being chased lost control about 10:20 a.m. in the 2900 block of North Buckner Boulevard and Peavy Road after trying to make a U-turn. The vehicle collided with the officer’s squad car.

Both were heavily damaged and came to rest against a telephone booth outside a convenience store and gas station.

Police said the officer, whose name was not released but who is a 10-year department veteran assigned to the northeast division, suffered injuries to his left arm along with cuts and bruises, and was listed in stable condition at Baylor University Medical Center at noon Friday.

An unidentified man and woman who were inside the vehicle that police were chasing were seriously injured in the accident and were also taken to Baylor, where they were both listed in critical condition, Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said.

The chase began shortly before 10 a.m. on southbound Interstate 45 near the Illinois Avenue exit. Sgt. Don Peritz, Dallas County sheriff’s spokesman, said a constable attempted to make a traffic stop on a green Pontiac Grand Prix with expired inspection and registration stickers, but the driver fled.

Dallas police and sheriff’s deputies joined the chase as it continued along Interstate 20 past Highway 175 and onto Buckner Boulevard.

Witnesses said the suspect made a sharp right turn onto northbound Peavy Road from Buckner Blvd., then attempted a U-turn. The suspect appeared to lose control and collided with the Dallas officer’s cruiser, which was already headed south on Peavy.

The cars ended up next to each other against the phone booth, which was leaning precariously after the impact. The police car’s front end was smashed, leaving the officer pinned for several minutes before fire crews were able to pull him out. The Grand Prix was totaled, with part of the passenger side completely destroyed.

Jermaine Anderson, who lives at the Casa Bella Apartments nearby, was walking in the complex’s parking lot when he heard a car speeding northeast on Peavy.

“I heard it going real, real fast, and I heard the siren,” Mr. Anderson said. “He was still trying to outrun the cop.”

He said he saw the suspect’s car attempt to make the U-turn, then smash into the police car.

“It was pretty bad; it was real loud,” he said of the collision. “I saw the car spin like a doughnut, and he lost control … it looked like something you’d see on ‘COPS.’”

Dozens of Dallas police officers, sheriff’s personnel and constables rushed to the scene along with fire personnel, and a crowd quickly gathered around the perimeter of the police line set up around the wreckage.

[TexasStooge]

Suspect dies, officer injured in accident

By MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A suspect in a police chase was killed and a Dallas officer was one of two people injured after a police cruiser and the suspect's vehicle slammed into each other in Far East Dallas.

Witnesses said the vehicle being chased lost control about 10:20 a.m. in the 2900 block of North Buckner Boulevard and Peavy Road after trying to make a U-turn. The vehicle collided with the officer’s squad car.

Both were heavily damaged and came to rest against a telephone booth outside a convenience store and gas station.

Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said Officer Steven C. Oliphant, a nearly eight-year department veteran assigned to the northeast division, suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung in the accident, as well as injuries to his left arm, cuts and bruises. He was listed in stable condition at Baylor University Medical Center Friday afternoon, and is expected to make a full recovery.

A man and woman in the vehicle that police were chasing were also taken to Baylor. The Dallas County Medical Examiner confirmed the male suspect, whose name was not immediately available, died at the hospital around 11:15 a.m. The female suspect, Trisha White of Alvarado, was listed in critical condition, Cpl. Geron said.

The chase began shortly before 10 a.m. on southbound Interstate 45 near the Illinois Avenue exit. Sgt. Don Peritz, Dallas County sheriff’s spokesman, said a constable attempted to make a traffic stop on a green Pontiac Grand Prix with expired inspection and registration stickers, but the driver fled.

Dallas police and sheriff’s deputies joined the chase as it continued along Interstate 20 past Highway 175 and onto Buckner Boulevard.

Witnesses said the suspect made a sharp right turn onto northbound Peavy Road from Buckner Blvd., then attempted a U-turn. The suspect appeared to lose control and collided with the Dallas officer’s cruiser, which was already headed south on Peavy.

The cars ended up next to each other against the phone booth, which was leaning precariously after the impact. The police car’s front end was smashed, leaving the officer pinned for several minutes before fire crews were able to pull him out. The Grand Prix was totaled, with part of the passenger side completely destroyed.

Jermaine Anderson, who lives at the Casa Bella Apartments nearby, was walking in the complex’s parking lot when he heard a car speeding northeast on Peavy.

“I heard it going real, real fast, and I heard the sirens,” Mr. Anderson said. “He was still trying to outrun the cops.”

He said he saw the suspect’s car attempt to make the U-turn, then smash into the police car.

“It was pretty bad; it was real loud,” he said of the collision. “I saw the car spin like a doughnut, and he lost control … it looked like something you’d see on ‘COPS.’”

Dozens of Dallas police officers, sheriff’s personnel and constables rushed to the scene along with fire personnel, and a crowd quickly gathered around the perimeter of the police line set up around the wreckage.


WFAA ABC 8
Crews worked to free the officer and the suspects from their cars.

[TexasStooge]

Police crackdown on vendors of bootleg DVDs

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

The Da Vinci Code is the movie many want to own but selling it is illegal.

It's a felony to sell bootleg copies of movies but there are stores all over North Texas doing it.

Movie Studios hire detectives to find these places, like the one inside the Soul Bizarre.

With the help of local police they put them out of business.

The store was already selling copies of The Da Vinci Code.

Dallas police have shut the place down, confiscating nearly $25,000 in bootleg DVDs and some music.

A woman selling the videos was put into handcuffs and hauled off to jail. She was found carrying a weapon in her purse.

"Sometimes they will have that. Most of the time this is not a crime of violence but they deal with cash money so that is why they are concerned about their cash business being robbed," said one officer.

And police say consumers are also being robbed.

"On the copies you will hear everyone getting up asking for a Coke, go to the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, whatever, you can tell it's poor quality," the officer added.

Police say they are finding stores selling bootleg DVDs all over Dallas and have shut down at least three in the last few weeks.

There are other places under surveillance now and police say they plan to shut those down too.

[TexasStooge]

Uproar over music teacher's reassignment

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

RICHARDSON, Texas - The re-assignment of a popular Richardson teacher is striking a sour note with parents and students.

Dozens of people converged on the school district administration building to protest the district's decision to move the veteran teacher to another school.

Caroline Keller is a 36 year veteran. For the last 21 years, she's taught music at Arapaho Elementary.

In 2001, she was the district's 'teacher of the year.'

That's why so many students and parents are having a difficult time understanding why the district would want to reassign her.

"I have grown children, 21 and 23. Their memories of Caroline Keller are some of their strongest memories of elementary school. It shaped their lives," said parent Cindy Roberts.

More than 50 parents, students and former students, came to the Richardson ISD administration building to protest her reassignment.

"If you lose such a good teacher, things are going to fall apart," said Brian Shnider, a former student.

Keller says the district reassigned her after designating her a teacher 'in need of assistance.' Under the Texas Education Agency Program, educators evaluated as "unsatisfactory" or "below expectations" develop intervention plans to improve.

"I don't really think they actually have a fair case. If it was in a court of law, it wouldn't win." said Caroline Wright, a former student.

School administrators would not talk with us on what they consider a personnel matter.

Keller's lawyers advised her not to talk with us either.

[TexasStooge]

North Texas gang violence 'getting worse,' say police

By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - A burst of gunfire at a house in Farmer's Branch has claimed the life of another North Texas child. Police say it was a single bullet to the head that killed 18-month-old Eva Maria Gallegos.

They also say the violence we've seen in the past few weeks isn't limited to North Texas.

The story is the same all over the state.

Believe it or not, they say the hot, dry weather is somewhat to blame but it is the weapons - more lethal than ever - that are the real problem.

Eva Maria Gallegos was sleeping in a room at the back of the house but its walls offered no protection from the bullet that killed her in the middle of the night.

"What I understand right now is that there were at least six, possibly more shots fired at the house. I don't know what type of weapon was involved. That is something police investigators are going to determine," said City of Farmers Branch's Tom Bryson.

What police are finding more often on the street are high powered assault weapons. Guns that fire lethal ammunition that tears through walls and hits more than one target. Guns, police say, that have gotten cheaper and easier for gangs to find since the federal ban on assault weapons was lifted nearly two years ago.

"Once those bullets are fired, they keep traveling. They'll travel through car doors and they were designed to hurt people and kill people," said Lt. Deal Sullivan, from the Fort Worth Police Department.

In Fort Worth, there's been an all out assault on graffiti - the calling card of gang members.

Police say it's more than an eyesore - and the first tip off to people in a neighborhood that violence is moving in.

With summer still a few weeks away - police say it is important everyone get involved to try and stop the trouble before it starts.

"It's difficult faulting someone who wants to be part of a group but it's not difficult to question the kind of group they gravitate towards based on the criminal behavior and activities that we've seen play out," Sullivan added.

Police say graffiti - is how gangs communicate and mark their territory. So they want people to report it - so they can follow the message as well.

[TexasStooge]

Man's body recovered at Grapevine Lake

GRAPEVINE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Game wardens on Friday recovered the body of a man who disappeared at Grapevine Lake on Tuesday.

Cristian Bisacco, 28, of Irving, went under around 5 p.m. Tuesday while swimming in the middle of the lake, said Capt. Scott Haney of the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Fort Worth district. Officials searched for three days, he said.

The man’s body drifted to shore around 7 a.m. Friday.

The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office ruled the death an accident. Mr. Biascco had been riding a Jet Ski with a female companion, officials said. He took off his life jacket to go for a swim. The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, was rescued.

[TexasStooge]

Garland accident kills 2 grads

Police say driver was speeding before car hit utility pole, broke apart

By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News

GARLAND, Texas - A single-car accident claimed the lives of two recent high school graduates Friday night in Garland.

Police said the 18-year-olds were speeding west on an Interstate 30 service road in a 1991 Acura when the driver lost control under the Zion Road bridge about 7 p.m.

The car skidded about 300 feet and hit a utility pole on the driver's side, snapping the car in two.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, Garland police Officer Joe Harn said. The passenger was taken to Mesquite Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The teens' names were not released, pending notification of relatives. Friends of the family declined to comment at the scene.

The passenger was removed from the front of the vehicle, which was found about 40 feet from the utility pole. The back half of the vehicle was wrapped around the pole.

Investigators found a Lakeview Centennial High School tassel inside the car. Graduation ceremonies were last Saturday.

Witnesses told police that there were reports of street racing near the scene of the crash, but Officer Harn said it was unclear whether the Acura had been racing.

"Right now, this is a car wreck that hit a telephone pole," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Rape, robbery reported at Frisco subdivision

By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO, Texas – A Frisco woman was raped, beaten, and her car was broken into at a residential swimming pool Thursday night, Frisco police said.

The 43-year-old woman, who is not being identified because she is the victim of a sexual assault, went into the bathroom at the Hickory Springs subdivision swimming pool about 8 p.m. to change clothes after swimming, said Frisco police spokeswoman Gina McFarlin.

A man was waiting inside and attacked her. He then broke into her car – the only one in the parking lot – and stole some items, and rode away on a bicycle, Sgt. McFarlin said.

Police responded to a call from a family member of the woman at 8:32 p.m. Officials have been talking to neighbors near the intersection of Rolling Brook and Fossil Ridge drives, near the pool, but no one had been arrested late Friday.

"Residents should not swim alone, especially at night. Be aware of your surroundings. Check all stalls in the bathroom upon entering. And report any suspicious persons in the area," Sgt. McFarlin said.

[TexasStooge]

Siege ends in Fort Worth; two dead

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — Two people were shot and killed early Saturday in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide.

When police arrived at a house in the 3400 block of Lorraine Street just before 1 a.m., they found the body of a woman who had allegedly been shot by an ex-boyfriend.

The department's SWAT team was called in when the suspect barricaded himself inside another house.

After holding police at bay for several hours, the siege ended at 5 a.m. Saturday when police entered the building and found the suspect dead of a gunshot wound.

The names of the man and woman were not released.

WFAA-TV photojournalist Robert Flagg contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

2 Garland high school graduates die in wreck

Carol Cavazos, WFAA ABC 8

GARLAND, Texas - Two 18-year-olds were killed in a car crash on Friday after their car skidded off a service road and hit a utility pole.

The pair had graduated from Garland's Lake View Centennial High School last week.

The driver, Zachary Jones, died at the scene of the wreck, while passenger, Zachary Roberts, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a Mesquite hospital.

The accident, involving just their car, took place on the west bound service road of I.H. 30 at Zion Road around 7:00 pm.

Witnesses said the teens were traveling at a high speed before they hit the pole.

The impact of the crash was so severe, it cut the car in half, catapulting the passenger compartment some 50 feet.

"I knew it was bad just by the sound of it, just loud, and when we looked out we seen that the car was in half," said Vicki Thomas.

"So we got on the phone with 911 and my husband came out to see if he could help anyone."

Friends have erected a makeshift memorial, with a cross and flowers, at the scene of the wreck.

"They were fun and goofy and just fun to hang out with," said Jessica Vecchio, a friend.

Zachary Jones, the more outgoing of the two, had just gotten his red, 1991 Acura Integra last week.

He was best friends with Zachary Roberts, who friends said was the quiet one.

While friends say they wouldn't be surprised if speed was a factor, they also agree the pair have gone too fast.

A candle light vigil is set for 8:30 p.m. at the scene of the accident.

The funeral for Zachary Jones will take place Tuesday 10 a.m. at the New World Methodist Church in Garland.

[TexasStooge]

Officer shoots unarmed man outside Dallas apartment

By ALAN MELSON / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - An off-duty Dallas police officer shot and killed a man at an Old East Dallas apartment complex Saturday morning after the man threatened the officer and lunged at him, police said.

The shooting occurred just after 9 a.m. in a breezeway at The Linden In Town apartment complex in the 2800 block of North Carroll Avenue, Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said. The man, whose name was not released pending notification of family members, was shot four times by the officer, who lived at the complex and was responding to a loud-music complaint at the request of complex management.

There were no indications that the man was armed, Cpl. Geron said.

The man who was shot and another man who may have been a resident at the complex were drinking and causing a disturbance at a swimming pool within the complex late Friday night. At about 5 a.m. Saturday, the two men went back up to a third-floor apartment and threw three chairs off the balcony, which smashed to the ground below, Cpl. Geron said.

Ramiro Rutiaga, who lives in a nearby apartment, said the noise woke him up.

“They were … throwing furniture in the pool, drinking and being loud,” Mr. Rutiaga said. “Then they went in and turned on the music real loud on their balcony.”

At 6:20 a.m. a resident at the complex called 911 to report loud music coming from the apartment. At 8 a.m., that resident called apartment management to report the music was still causing a disturbance, Cpl. Geron said.

He said Dallas central patrol division officer Michael Tayem, 23, is a resident at the complex who works part-time in an assistant management role there. He was contacted by another manager and asked to check out the disturbance.

Shortly after 8 a.m., Tayem told investigators he crossed through the pool area, heard the loud music and observed the broken chairs. After he looked up and saw the two men standing on the balcony, he went up to the apartment and knocked on the door.

Cpl. Geron said Officer Tayem, who was not in uniform, identified himself and flashed his badge after one of the men opened the door, and instructed him to turn the music down and clean up the mess. At that point, the second man, who was sitting shirtless inside the apartment, began loudly cursing the officer. The first man stepped out of the apartment, closed the door and said the other man was intoxicated, and implored Officer Tayem to let him take care of the problem. The officer agreed, and left.

After Officer Tayem advised a maintenance man about the broken chairs near the pool, he returned to the building where the two men were located and saw the shirtless man in a breezeway on the ground floor.

Cpl. Geron said the man began coming towards Officer Tayem as soon as he noticed him, cursing and threatening the officer with physical violence. Officer Tayem, observing that the individual was intoxicated and belligerent, told the man that he was under arrest and then tried to call 911. Officer Tayem said the man grabbed his arm but he was able to break free, and the individual then tried to walk up the stairs.

After Officer Tayem stopped the man was walking away, he said he put him on the ground, but the man immediately got back up, put up his fists and threatened the officer before charging at him. The officer drew his service weapon and fired multiple times, striking the suspect who then fell to the ground.

Resident Jay Doucette said he heard the shots as they were fired.

“I didn’t think anything about it until I heard the sirens and saw swarms of police,” he said.

The second man, whose name was not released, came outside after the shooting and was detained by police, who took him to headquarters for questioning. Dallas police Sgt. Gary Kirkpatrick said Saturday afternoon that it is unlikely he will be charged.

Cpl. Geron said Officer Tayem, a nearly four-year veteran of the department’s central patrol division, will be placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation is under way. The department’s special investigative unit came to the scene, and an internal affairs inquiry will be opened as well.

“One of the key focuses of the investigation is to see what, if any, alternative the officer had, and we’ll certainly be looking at that,” he said. “Officers are, as a matter of law, allowed to carry their weapons off-duty, but as far as the specific circumstances, they are under investigation.”

Cpl. Geron also said the significant size difference between the officer and the man who was shot may have played a role in the situation. Officer Tayem is about five feet, five inches tall and weighs about 140-150 pounds, but the other man was about six feet tall and may have weighed 200 pounds or more.

[TexasStooge]

Saving money goes on vacation checklist

By SUZANNE MARTA / The Dallas Morning News

For most consumers, high gas prices won't mean canceling their summer vacations.

But forecasters warn that rising costs for airline tickets, lodging and gasoline could force vacationers to pinch pennies wherever they can on their summer getaways.

Consumers are choosing closer, cheaper destinations and shortening their trips, analysts say. They're also expected to select more modest hotels and restaurants.

"We expect it to be a more challenging summer than we've seen in the last few years," said Suzanne Cook, senior vice president for research at the Travel Industry Association of America.

The key factor this year is gas prices. Researchers say gas at $3 a gallon is a tipping point for many consumers. About 10 percent of consumers seriously consider canceling their trips when gas hits $3, the travel group says. About 26 percent reported that they might cancel a vacation if gas prices went between $3 and $3.24 a gallon.

"People surveyed seem much more pessimistic than ever before," Dr. Cook said.

Some cities and businesses are responding to price sensitivity in their marketing campaigns.

St. Louis is pitching what it says are more than 60 free attractions, such as Forest Park, home to a zoo and an art museum.

Doral Tesoro Hotel and Golf Club, near Texas Motor Speedway, will pay a $40 gas refund to guests who stay at least two nights.

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington has a $15 discount on up to six tickets if customers bring in a recent gas receipt.

Many travelers will look to economize while on the road, but others are finding savings before they leave.

Grapevine resident Lisa Massey started her family's summer vacation planning – and saving – in January. Like 88 percent of travelers, the Masseys plan to drive rather than fly.

Other cuts

Instead of scaling back their vacation, the family found ways to trim costs on other things. The family of four has opted to spend less on landscaping and put off other home-related purchases.

Shortening or even canceling the trip wasn't an option. With busy work schedules and other commitments, taking time out for a family trip "was just too important," Ms. Massey said.

High gas prices could spell stronger demand for regional parks such as those operated by Six Flags Inc.

"When gas prices are high, people tend to pull in and find destinations close to home," Dr. Cook said.

Six Flags is expecting a strong year, based on early signals from its spring business. The amusement park just added 10 rides, its largest expansion in history.

Unlike the last rides added to the park – Superman and the massive Titan roller coaster – the new attractions are expected to broaden Six Flags' customer base by catering to families.

"Thrill rides are great, but we understand they're not for everyone," said Sandra Daniels, a Six Flags spokeswoman.

With 45 percent of its customers coming from outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Six Flags is closely watching how rising gas prices affect attendance.

Stretching dollars

"Families are looking for ways to stretch their dollars, but they still want to have a good time," Ms. Daniels said.

With AstroWorld's closure last fall, the Arlington park expects to share the Houston customers with the company's San Antonio location.

New Braunfels-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks is gearing up for a busy year.

The company recently opened a $35 million park on Galveston Island, with a Wasserfest section that features a convertible roof and walls for sunshade or protection from inclement weather.

Schlitterbahn also has locations in New Braunfels and on South Padre Island.

Regional customers

Like Six Flags, Schlitterbahn relies on regional customers.

Jeffrey Siebert, Schlitterbahn's spokesman, said that last year's attendance dipped slightly as traditional visitors ventured farther away. With gas prices higher this year, "more people may decide to stay closer to home," he said.

In Corpus Christi, weather may play a bigger factor than fuel prices.

Hurricane factor

Each time a hurricane develops in the Gulf of Mexico, "people start to change their plans," said Tom Schmid, executive director for the Texas State Aquarium and chairman of the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Even if a hurricane doesn't hit us, it still hurts our business."

Mr. Schmid said spring visitor levels were strong, a benchmark that typically signals a strong summer season. The Texas State Aquarium recently opened the Living Shores, a new exhibit with lots of hands-on features.

Higher airfares

Rising fuel prices also mean higher airfares.

But with the industry's efforts to shift capacity to more profitable international routes, finding a good deal on an airline ticket can seem nearly impossible.

Total domestic airline capacity is down between 4 percent and 5 percent this summer compared with summer 2005, but travel demand appears up 3 percent to 4 percent over last year. That combination gives airlines the ability to raise fares and still fill their planes to record levels.

At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the number of travelers this summer is expected to dip 2 percent, largely due to schedule changes at American Airlines Inc.

"The number of cheap seats are drying up like a bad drought," said Tom Parsons, owner and fare watcher for Arlington-based Bestfares.com.

Flexible travelers

Flexible travelers who don't need to fly on weekends will have the best luck at finding deals, though with such high demand, many of those cheapest tickets have already sold.

For Dallas-area travelers, Mr. Parsons suggests pricing the first or last flights of the day, when few connecting passengers are likely to be filling seats.

Prices in August, when school is back in session, are also better.

"Tickets that were $200 are now more like $400," Mr. Parsons said. "This could be one of the most expensive summers since 9/11."

Staff writer Eric Torbenson contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

2 dead in Fort Worth murder-suicide

FORT WORTH, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) — Two people were shot and killed early Saturday in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide.

When police arrived at a house in the 3400 block of Northwest Lorraine Street just before 1 a.m., they found the body of Sonia Barrera, 38, who had allegedly been shot by an ex-boyfriend.

The department's SWAT team was called in when the suspect barricaded himself inside another house.

After holding police at bay for several hours, the siege ended at 5 a.m. Saturday when police entered the building and found the suspect dead of a gunshot wound.

The name of the man was not released.

WFAA ABC 8 contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas firm's tactics spur accreditation debate

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

First of three parts

For a newborn college, the road to respectability runs through accreditation. It can take a school up to a decade to earn the nation's official mark of quality.

But last year some Dallas investors, keen to quickly launch a profitable revolution in higher education, found a shortcut to accreditation.

They bought it.

Whether that was a legitimate purchase is hotly debated. But there's no question that the new school embodies the tensions between traditional academic values and a new movement toward no-frills, assembly-line for-profit education that claims it can be both cheaper and better.

The American College of Education – whose leaders include former Dallas Superintendent Mike Moses and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige – bought a dying Catholic school in suburban Chicago named Barat College.

ACE didn't buy Barat's campus. It didn't keep any of Barat's professors or students. It isn't legally allowed to use Barat's name, and ACE isn't using any part of its curriculum. But ACE did buy Barat's accreditation with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

So far, North Central has agreed to let ACE keep it. When ACE held its first classes in Chicago last October – with no campus and a faculty that commuted from Dallas – it was every bit as accredited as Harvard and Yale.

North Central's directory of schools even lists ACE as being accredited since 1943 – even though the school didn't exist until 2005.

Some in academia have cried foul. A member of the American Association of University Professors committee that watches over accreditation issues said the situation "sickened" her.

"It really bothers me that you have someone essentially buying an institution in name only. It's a shell game," said Denise Tanguay, an associate dean at Eastern Michigan University. "It's the people who make up the quality of an institution; it's not the name or a piece of paper. ... If all of the folks who staffed Barat College are now gone, then you don't have anything left to accredit."

ACE's leaders say they're rewriting the rules, not breaking them. Their goal is to create the country's first national college of education. They want to supplant the education-school establishment, injecting business values of efficiency and profitability into what they see as the expensive and fuzzy-headed schools that produce America's teachers and principals.

Its first effort is in Chicago, but it hopes to open programs from coast to coast by this fall, featuring a standardized curriculum and tuition that will eventually drop to a small fraction of its competition's. Accreditation is a vital part of that plan, because it opens the legal doors to expansion, gives credibility to the fledgling enterprise, and allows ACE's students to receive federal financial aid.

ACE's founder, Dallas businessman Randy Best, argues it was legitimate to keep Barat's accreditation, partly because the college had to meet other academic and financial requirements and partly because it shares some of Barat's philosophy.

"We didn't want to be a brand-new college of education," he said. "We wanted a history. We wanted to be a continuation of a tradition. Whether that was right or wrong, that was very much in our minds."

But ACE's claim to Barat's history has angered some of the old college's loyalists – not to mention those who believe ACE should have to earn its accreditation the traditional way.

"I find it fraudulent and crassly misleading," Sister Sally Furay, a former Barat College board member, law professor and member of the religious order that founded Barat in 1858, wrote in response to questions from The News. "If ACE wants to adopt some of the same values [as Barat], advocated by numerous good institutions, that is their prerogative. But it is false and deceptive to claim a nonexistent connection to Barat College."

The Barat deal looks much less controversial to investment experts.

"From a business perspective, it's a pretty logical approach, a 'buy rather than build' approach," said Sean Gallagher, a senior analyst at Eduventures, which tracks the for-profit education market. "If it's going to take a couple years to get accreditation, those years are very valuable from an investment perspective."

Founder's vision

Mr. Best, ACE's founder, is best known in education circles for his last company, Voyager Expanded Learning, which sells a phonics-based reading curriculum to public schools. Mr. Best sold it to a Michigan company last year for $361 million.

His new idea is to build the first truly national college of education, training teachers and principals across the country. Today's teachers aren't being taught key practical and research-based methods for reaching children, he said. Mr. Best said he wants to cut the cost of teacher training by about 80 percent, by standardizing the curriculum and replacing some in-person class time with online education.

"I believe that public education has to take responsibility itself for its instructional quality," he said. "To me, that means that public school districts need to act as colleges of education. I want to be their supplier."

He hopes to link ACE with the other education businesses he is launching: a chain of global for-profit universities and a college-level curriculum he hopes to sell to high schools.

ACE has assembled an all-star group of educators for the effort. Dr. Moses came on board not long after resigning as Dallas ISD's superintendent in August 2004.

"If you look back in the mid-'90s, a lot of people were asking the private sector to become more interested in education," Dr. Moses said. "And so you saw a lot of people step up – textbook companies, technology companies, a lot of literacy companies, including Voyager. I don't think that's going to go away."

Mr. Best also brought in Mr. Paige, the former Houston superintendent and education secretary, to be a board member and a senior adviser. Other board members included a former commander of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, a former Houston school board president, and a senior vice president of the testing company ACT.

From the start, the company's leadership team had big dreams: programs all around the country, online learning, contracting with school districts to improve their professional development programs. But ACE needed a place to start.

That ended up being the remains of a dying college in suburban Chicago.

Barat College (pronounced BERR-uh) was founded in 1858 as an academy for young women by the Society of the Sacred Heart, an order of Catholic nuns. It expanded to a four-year college in 1919 and was named for the order's since-sainted founder, Madeleine Sophie Barat.

The college trained generations of young women in the liberal arts, including many who went on to become teachers. As a Catholic institution, it had a strong focus on issues of social justice and serving the poor. It was heavily influenced by Bernard Sheil, the controversial Chicago archbishop who was an outspoken advocate for the poor and marginalized.

Barat produced a number of notable alumnae, including the first female mayor of Chicago, but its history was not always happy. Enrollment was often below 1,000 students, and financial difficulties were common. It switched to a nonreligious board of directors and started accepting men as students, but money was always short.

In 2001, Barat merged itself into the DePaul University system of campuses, the largest Catholic university in America.

DePaul invested millions in improving Barat's campus and building new academic programs. But enrollment did not increase as much as hoped, and in February 2004, DePaul's board voted to close Barat the following spring and sell its assets.

Striking a deal

More than a dozen organizations expressed interest, including Mr. Best's Dallas start-up. Negotiations ensued, and in March 2005, DePaul announced that a deal had been struck. Both sides have declined to disclose the terms, but according to public records filed with the state of Illinois, DePaul became a part owner of ACE in the transaction.

"They had the resources to be successful," DePaul spokeswoman Denise Mattson said. "They had people, an expert team, and the finances to succeed, where some others had more of an idea and the promise or hope of success."

What exactly did ACE purchase? It bought Barat's 15,000-volume library – about a third the size of a small Dallas branch library – and some computer equipment. But it kept only one Barat employee: the college's librarian.

It also did not purchase the campus, which was later sold separately to a housing developer. Mr. Best said the fact that he did not have to buy Barat's campus was one of the biggest reasons ACE bought it instead of some other college.

Most important, the sale included "permits and other authorizations by or of governmental authorities, education agencies, or other third parties," including its accreditation.

Accreditation is extremely valuable to a for-profit college. For example, Texas law does not allow out-of-state colleges to expand to Texas unless they are accredited. ACE hopes to start operations in Texas this fall. If it had had to go through the normal accreditation process – which commonly takes four years or more – such an expansion could have been delayed several years.

Former Barat officials and employees said the Barat tradition is more than shelves of library books and a few permits.

"ACE has had no relationship with the real educational business of Barat College: its faculty, its students, its broad liberal arts curriculum, its spiritual roots, and the long Catholic heritage, all of which made Barat College what it was," Sister Furay wrote. "ACE has no genuine link with this heritage."

Dr. Tanguay, the Eastern Michigan dean, said she believes accreditation should not be passed along as an asset. "They should be starting from scratch," she said.

In Barat's footsteps?

But ACE officials say they are serving as guardians of Barat's mission. Dr. Moses points out that the education department was Barat's largest and that it offered master's degrees in education. At the moment, ACE's only academic program is a master's degree program in education, in which 25 Chicago public-school teachers are currently enrolled.

"It's a continuation of the Barat mission," said Dr. Moses, who now chairs ACE's board and served for a time as its CEO. "Their mission was to serve urban and suburban students in the field of education, and other offerings as well. We're a continuation."

Within two years, ACE officials say, they hope to add programs in business and computer science, which were also popular offerings at Barat. It hopes to eventually add bachelor's degrees, too.

And as ACE hires more professors based in Chicago – rather than those who commute from Dallas, as most have so far – it may hire some former Barat faculty, said ACE spokeswoman Rena Pederson, a former editor at The News.

"We were very interested in a number of things that Barat College provides – the tradition, the mission," said Joe May, ACE's vice president for administrative services. "Our agreement was that we would pick up where Barat had ended, and that's exactly what we did. We'll be putting our own stamp on it."

At least one former top Barat official has no problem with ACE's actions. The Rev. Edward Udovic was president at Barat at the time of the ACE sale. He said that while former Barat officials may have emotional attachments to the old school, the sale of assets to ACE was appropriate. "There is a distinction between Barat College and Barat Campus, and DePaul divested them as separate entities, even though some people with an historic connection to the campus do not separate the two," he wrote in an e-mail.

Mr. Best said he would have liked to purchase one other part of Barat: its name. Despite the pronunciation problems it poses, "We thought it was a neat name. It would have been perfect to use the name in our name," perhaps as the Barat American College of Education. But a group of alumni and supporters did not want the name to be sold.

After reviewing some of ACE's promotional material – in which it says it "will embrace and build on the history of Barat College" – the American head of the Society of the Sacred Heart issued a statement wishing ACE no ill.

"Certainly, if the American College of Education provides prospective teachers with a quality education deeply rooted in spiritual values, we would wish them well," wrote Sister Kathleen Conan, the religious order's provincial based in St. Louis.

"But we would want them to do it in their name, not in ours."

Regional accreditor

For colleges in Illinois, the regional accreditor is the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, specifically its Higher Learning Commission. North Central's policies allow a college's accreditation to be passed to a new owner if a number of criteria are met, including "that the academic programs will continue" and "that the institutional mission remains unchanged."

"I think we're looking for the spirit of the mission as much as the technical aspects of it," said Karen Solinski, the accreditor's assistant director for legal and governmental affairs. She said that ACE's interest in teacher training matches up with Barat's, even if the programs are not identical.

"The fact that they don't have the exact same courses, that's immaterial," said North Central associate director Robert Appleson. "That's getting into micromanagement."

Steven Crow, North Central's executive director, said that ACE's current offerings are close enough to Barat's – "A master's of education is a master's of education," he said – to allow ACE to avoid the standard process. "The decision to transfer the accreditation was a reasonable decision," he said.

ACE officials say critics are off base. "Nothing could be further from the truth than to say we purchased the accreditation," Ms. Pederson said. She noted that ACE still had to submit a large number of documents to verify its financial stability, its governance structure and the quality of its academic programs.

"That is an excruciating process," Mr. Best said. "I bet you we prepared a book 3, 4 inches thick."

ACE officials also had to undergo a site visit by a North Central team in February. That team recommended approving the transfer of Barat's accreditation to ACE. That transfer must still be formally approved by North Central's board, but Dr. Crow said he is "confident they will validate it."

Ms. Solinski acknowledged that, had ACE not bought Barat's assets but otherwise launched in exactly the same manner, it would be facing a multiyear wait for accreditation. "If it were a brand-new institution, it would be starting from scratch," she said. "But that isn't what happened."

However, that's how Illinois regulators see ACE.

All Illinois colleges must seek approval from the state's Board of Higher Education to enroll students or grant degrees. When ACE bought Barat, it attempted to use Barat's old state approvals. But state officials determined that ACE was not substantially continuing Barat College.

"As you are aware, we are treating this application as a request for a brand new institution in Illinois," wrote S. Lynn Murphy, the board's senior associate director, in an e-mail to ACE officials. "Continued references to Barat will only confuse things and raise additional questions."

In the end, ACE had to apply on its own for operating authority, which was granted last summer. Gary Alexander, Dr. Murphy's boss, said that ACE looks like a solid addition to the Illinois college market.

"They dealt with us very straightforwardly, and the quality of their product looks good," he said. "We hope they can do the job." But ACE had to go through the same state approval process other new colleges do.

When asked what Illinois regulators thought of North Central's decision to let ACE keep Barat's accreditation, Dr. Alexander said: "We were surprised at that. That's as discreetly as I'll put it."

Bernard Ricca, an education professor at Barat until its closure, doesn't blame DePaul or ACE for the accreditation dispute. "It really seems that DePaul had the legal right to do what they did, but it seems to me that North Central didn't do their job," he said. "Not based on whether ACE is good, bad or indifferent, because I don't know. But there's a problem with the process."

College without doors

Just like Illinois, Texas requires colleges to seek state approval before opening their doors in the state. But Mr. Best said he believes he has found a way to deal with that rule: Just don't have any doors.

ACE has not yet applied for operating authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a process that takes at least several months. But it wants to be able to start work in several rural Texas school districts this fall.

Mr. Best said ACE would legally be able to train Texas teachers without state approval as long as none of its instructors were physically in the state. Instead, they could be beamed over the Internet. That would mean ACE qualifies as a "distance learning" program under Texas law, which he said does not require state operating approval.

"The professor is there, but they're online," he said. "It could be live. But they aren't in the state."

To navigate the thickets of authorizations and accreditations, ACE recently hired a top lawyer from the Apollo Group, the parent company of the University of Phoenix. "This is a new world to me," Mr. Best said.

But David Linkletter, a program specialist at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, said he isn't sure what Mr. Best describes would pass legal muster. And Dr. Crow at North Central said that ACE would need to seek a separate approval from his agency to offer distance-learning classes or to expand outside Illinois.

No matter where ACE expands, Barat loyalists say they're upset with what the company has done in their small Chicago suburb of Lake Forest. Sheila Smith, a businesswoman who formerly chaired Barat's board of trustees, now leads the Barat Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to continue Barat's legacy by funding scholarships, women's leadership programs and other efforts.

She said she is not opposed to for-profit education; for a time she actually tried to get her foundation to partner with a different for-profit college, Corinthian, to buy back Barat from DePaul.

But she said she finds it offensive that ACE is promoting its ties to Barat.

"I don't think they are interested in Barat's values," she said. "I think they're just in the education business. And that's different."