The news in and surrounding my area >>>

[TexasStooge]

These are the stories that are happening in the DFW area:

5 questions surrounding the Cowboys in the off-season

By Clarence E. Hill Jr., Star-Telegram Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys were knocked out of the playoffs by Carolina 29-10 last week. It marked the end of a surprisingly successful season under coach Bill Parcells in his first year with the team. After three consecutive 5-11 seasons, the Cowboys finished 10-6 and made the playoffs. They were in the hunt for the NFC East title until the final week.

The Star-Telegram takes a look at five questions surrounding the team this off-season.

Click here for full story.

[TexasStooge]

Man guilty of 29 tax violations

By Max B. Baker, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - After deliberating for more than 13 hours over two days, a federal jury Wednesday convicted Bedford businessman and tax protester Richard Simkanin on 29 counts of violating U.S. income tax laws.

The jury of six men and six women delivered its verdict shortly after 8 p.m. They remained deadlocked on two counts within the indictment, leading U.S. District Judge John McBryde to declare a mistrial on those charges.

Simkanin stood silently with his hands behind his back, showing no emotion, as a court clerk read the 29 guilty verdicts. Some supporters in the courtroom dabbed their eyes; others glared at the judge.

[TexasStooge]

Raid shuts down game room in southeast Tarrant County

By Bill Teeter, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Ninety-six game devices, including eight-liners and slot machines, were confiscated from a Mansfield Highway business Thursday by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department after undercover officers reported seeing gambling.

The machines and some cash were taken from the Pot of Gold Gameroom, and the owner, Mike Long, was given a citation accusing him of promoting gambling, Sheriff Dee Anderson said.

Thirty-three people who were playing the machines when the raid began received Class C misdemeanor citations.

Long said that his operation is legal because he makes patrons "independent contractors" of his business and that the real crime was for officers to raid his game room, housed in a 2-story metal building at 7204 Mansfield Highway.

[TexasStooge]

Ruthless power grab disregards voting rights

By Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A new congressional redistricting plan for Texas, designed to eliminate several powerful Democratic incumbents, took a giant step toward reality this week.

The Republican steamroller driven by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugarland, continues to make its trek toward this year's elections by destroying practically everything in its path, including communities of interest, rural voting strength and any semblance of minority political power.

Also decimated along the way, as three divisive special legislative sessions were called by the governor on this issue, were common courtesy, professional respect and the tradition of bipartisan cooperation in the Texas Senate. But so what?

[GulfBreezer]

Thanks for putting this all in one thread Texas!! It is like sitting down and reading a texas newspaper!! Much easier! Very interesting readings about what is going on in the Lone Star State!

[TexasStooge]

Dog owners might face doo process

By Anna M. Tinsley, Star-Telegram Staff Writer; Source: City of Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas - Pick up the poop...or face the consequences.

The city is stepping up enforcement of a long-dormant pooper-scooper law to clean up lawns, parks and walkways throughout the city.

Fort Worth has even created a new process for residents to turn in pet owners whose dogs leave droppings that aren't cleaned up.

"This is good," said City Councilman Clyde Picht, who first raised the issue with the city staff a few months ago. "We can't follow dogs around, and we can't watch every dog in town.

"But we can make people aware it is illegal."

[TexasStooge]

You're quite welcome Gulfbreezer.

[TexasStooge]

Teen gets 2 years' probation in assault

By Deanna Boyd, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

WEATHERFORD, Texas - A 16-year-old boy, one of four teens accused of sexually assaulting an Azle High School student after she was drugged at a party in October, was sentenced Friday to two years' probation.

The teen-ager also must undergo sex offender counseling and provide the Parker County district attorney's office with a statement about the incident, state District Judge Don Chrestman ordered at the teen's sentencing hearing.

The teen, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, pleaded guilty Dec. 15 to a charge of delinquent con-duct/sexual assault, a second-degree felony, as part of a plea agreement.

[TexasStooge]

Woman sentenced to 30 years

By Melody Mcdonald, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - A 26-year-old woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for throwing her toddler daughter off a second-story balcony moments after she shot and repeatedly stabbed the child's father.

The child and her father survived.

Aisha Monique Bailey reached an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted capital murder on Thursday in state District Judge Bob Gill's court.

One charge was for almost killing her daughter, Jazmine England, who was 14 months old at the time. The second charge stemmed from the attack on James England.

[TexasStooge]

Lewis, rival in primary scrap over redistricting

By Jack Douglas Jr., Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - In a dispute normally fought across party lines, state Rep. Glenn Lewis of Fort Worth said his opponent in the Democratic Party primary once threatened him with retribution if he did not follow a prepared "script" that opposed congressional redistricting.

Lewis said Marc Veasey, who was a staff member for U.S. Rep. Martin Frost when he met with Lewis during the summer, warned that "a couple of busloads" of people might "shout him down" if he strayed from the script.

[TexasStooge]

Trailer Fire Was A Cover-Up

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS-NBC5) -- The names of the two people killed in a trailer fire have been released. They are 38-year-old Benita Mendoza and 15-year-old Adrian Martinez.

Mendoza and Martinez did not die in the fire. Police said they were killed during an attack inside the trailer -- the fire was started to cover the crime.

Police got much of their information from the lone survivor, a 22-year-old woman who was tied up, stabbed and who then managed to make her way through the flames and outside.

Police got a vague description of a Hispanic man witnesses saw running from the trailer as the fire started.

As of late afternoon Sunday, police had not gotten any closer to an arrest.

[TexasStooge]

Bus Shooting Leaves Driver In Hospital, 1 Dead

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS-NBC5) -- A shooting on a Dart bus left one man dead and sent the driver to the hospital.

Police were not releasing the driver's name as of early Saturday, but said she was at Parkland Hospital in critical condition.

The incident happened around 11:30 Friday night in downtown Dallas.

Police said the shooting appeared to have been an attempted murder-suicide.

The male passenger was suspected to be the woman's estranged husband.

NBC 5 News was told the man shot the woman, who is a Dart bus driver, in the neck while she was in the driver's seat. Then the man turned the gun on himself.

As of early Saturday, it was not known if anyone else was on the bus at the time of the shooting, but no one else was injured.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas Chief Slapped With Discrimination Complaint

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS-NBC5) -- There is more turmoil in the Dallas Police Department as the city's acting police chief faces an employment discrimination complaint.

Acting Dallas police Chief Randy Hampton faces a formal complaint of age and race discrimination, filed by a longtime deputy chief.

Deputy police Chief Troy McClain filed a federal discrimination complaint saying, "I believe I have been discriminated against because of my race -- white."

McClain is upset that Hampton didn't temporarily promote him to replace a top aide on family leave. Hampton did promote an African-American, who McClain says has far less experience.

"This man is the most senior person in the department. Why would you possibly want to treat a person in this manner? It doesn't make sense," McClain's attorney, Doug Larson, said of his client.

Larson claims the trouble with the acting chief started in November when several SWAT team members were shot and Hampton reprimanded him for leaving a retreat to visit the hospital.

Both men are in the running to replace the fired Terrell Bolton as permanent chief.

"This is also in my opinion a crazy way to run the situation. I mean Hampton is after all just a caretaker until they select a real chief, whoever that might be," said McClain.

A police spokeswoman released a statement saying Hampton "will cooperate with any investigation but he's confident his record will show that he's always attempted to treat employees in a fair and equal manner."

[TexasStooge]

Skeletal Remains Those Of Opal Jennings

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC5) -- Remains found in far northwest Fort Worth have been identified as those of Opal Jo'Dace Jennings, a 6-year-old girl who disappeared in 1999, according to officials.

A forensic examination by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the identity of partial skeletal remains that were recovered in the 9900 block of Western Oaks between Dec. 31, 2003, and Jan. 2, 2004.

"We have done the DNA studies and we have confirmed that the remains are those of Opal Jennings," Medical Examiner Nizam Peerwani said.

Opal's skull was initially found, along with fragments of other bones.

Further searching over the next two days yielded additional bones as well as personal items, including the pink shoes Opal was wearing when she disappeared, officials said.

Officials have ruled the death a homicide.

"And the cause of death is due to a crushing blow to the head," Peerwani said.

According to officials, someone used a blunt instrument to kill the young girl.

Medical examiners were not able to determine if Opal had been sexually assaulted.

[TexasStooge]

Defendant gets life in 1996 slaying

By Melody Mcdonald, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Jurors deliberated about two hours Monday before convicting a 34-year-old man of capital murder for kidnapping and killing a young mother in 1996 after he wrongly believed she was a police informant planning to snitch on his methamphetamine-dealing business.

Kirk Alan Cantrell, dressed in a white button-down shirt and tan slacks, showed no reaction when state District Judge Wayne Salvant announced the verdict. Because prosecutors waived the death penalty, Cantrell was automatically sentenced to life in prison for the July 21, 1996, slaying of Gina Minette Dykman.

Cantrell will not be eligible for parole until he is 74 years old, after serving at least 40 years behind bars.

[TexasStooge]

MedStar worker arrested in sex assault

By Deanna Boyd, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - A 28-year-old former MedStar emergency medical technician was arrested Wednesday, accused along with a paramedic of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in the back of an ambulance last month.

Officials said the girl was a participant in MedStar's Explorer program and had been riding with the EMT and paramedic.

Police arrested James Christopher Russell at his Azle home Wednesday on a warrant accusing him of sexual assault of a child under 17. He was fired from MedStar on Jan. 2 because of the accusation.

Russell was booked at the Mansfield Jail, with bail set at $50,000.

His family declined to comment Wednesday.

[TexasStooge]

100,000 kids lose health coverage

By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – A popular government health insurance program has shed nearly 100,000 low-income children since state lawmakers approved budget cuts in May, and its rolls are shrinking faster than some advocates of the poor had expected.

Sharply declining enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program has sparked debate about whether the stricter rules passed by the Legislature went too far and could end up sending more uninsured children to hospital emergency rooms for care.

An additional restriction, a limit on some families' assets, is scheduled to take effect next month. State officials will begin denying coverage to families if they have cash, bank balances or securities exceeding $5,000 or own cars exceeding certain values.

On Tuesday, one advocate of poor Texans said the state should ease off on the asset limits, considering how rapidly CHIP enrollment plunged after other restrictions kicked in last fall.

"If you're meeting your budget target and this asset test was an optional provision, maybe you could consider pulling it back," said Anne Dunkelberg, health policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates on behalf of poor and low-income Texans.

However, one of the proponents of the tighter CHIP rules that the Legislature passed urged the state to move forward with the assets limits.

"I would have to call it common sense," said John Colyandro, director of the Texas Conservative Coalition, a group of lawmakers.

Low-income families with considerable assets shouldn't receive government help, he said, "and to the extent that people are on the rolls who should not be, we should know that."

Kristie Zamrazil, a spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services Commission, which runs CHIP, said the agency plans to proceed with the scheduled application of the asset limits late next month.

"The asset test was included in the assumptions that were used when the Legislature formulated the budget," she said.

Decline questioned

Ms. Zamrazil said it's unclear whether CHIP's enrollment decline has outstripped expectations.
Ms. Dunkelberg, a critic of changes that lawmakers and Gov. Rick Perry made in the program, circulated an "actuarial analysis" by the commission in June that suggests the decrease so far has been nearly twice what was expected.

However, Ms. Zamrazil said the analysis appears dated. She questioned whether it reflected budget cuts and changes in social programs that lawmakers passed in last year's regular session.

"I don't know why this table was generated or what it was used for," Ms. Zamrazil said.

Statewide, 416,302 youngsters were enrolled in CHIP this month, down from 513,742 in May, Ms. Zamrazil confirmed. She said the January numbers have not been posted on the commission's Web site because they were still being checked Tuesday.

Numbers for Dallas-Fort Worth were not available. But a spokeswoman for one area health-care provider expressed alarm at the 19 percent drop in statewide enrollment since May.

"Gosh, that makes me sick," said Julia Easley, advocacy manager at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

"Kids who are uninsured are ... much more likely to end up in an emergency room to get treatment for something like an ear infection, which could have been much more easily and cheaply handled in a doctor's office," she said.

"We've talked to lots of families who are very disappointed and distraught about losing CHIP ... and it's going to have a negative impact on emergency room capacity and volumes in hospitals all over Texas."

Ms. Dunkelberg, the advocate for poor people, said she hasn't analyzed the data closely but suspects that increased premiums and cost-sharing have discouraged many families from seeking to renew their children's coverage.

Increased premiums

In the mid-1990s, Congress designed CHIP to help families making too much money to qualify for Medicaid, which pays for health care for the poor and disabled, but too little to be able to afford private insurance. Texas' CHIP program started covering children in May 2000.
Until last fall, the Texas program charged annual, not monthly, premiums to families with incomes less than 150 percent of the poverty level – $27,600 for a family of four. The charge was $15 per year, regardless of how many children a family had.

Now those families' premiums are $180 a year.

Recertification

Other changes that began last fall included making families recertify that they are eligible twice a year, instead of once, and making first-time enrollees wait 90 days for coverage to begin. Also, certain deductions from income for job-related costs were disallowed.
Ms. Dunkelberg said she doesn't know whether CHIP rolls will be reduced more dramatically during the current two-year budget than had been expected.

By Sept. 1, 2005, the state expects a decline of more than 169,000 children – or one-third of the number enrolled last summer.

Even before the 19 percent enrollment decline in CHIP, Texas led the nation in the percentage of its residents who lack health insurance, with one of every four people uninsured.

"It's not unusual to see long lines of kids waiting for care, kids sitting in the hallways," said Children's Medical Center's Ms. Easley. "Hospitals are going to have an influx of uninsured children to emergency rooms."

[TexasStooge]

Prostitution Sting Nets 9

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS NBC5) -- Nine people were arrested in an undercover prostitution sting in Dallas Thursday night, and the number reportedly could have been higher if it wasn't so cold.

Police say they are trying to reduce prostitution, a continual problem associated with robberies and assaults.

Late Thursday night, police set up a sting operation along the northwest area of Harry Hines using undercover officers targeting people who pay for sex.

"Most of the time we are out here arresting the female prostitutes. Tonight, we are out here arresting the customers using female officers," Lt. John Dagen said.

[TexasStooge]

Zoo Nurses Snakes, Lizards Back To Health

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC5) -- Lizards and deadly snakes are being nursed back to health at the Fort Worth Zoo after a pet dealer allegedly failed to pick up a shipment of animals at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, NBC 5 reported.

The El Paso dealer ordered the animals from Tanzania, but never arrived for the crate, authorities said.

Many of the animals died.

"Most of what we can offer them is a safe, warm environment," said the zoo's Nancy Lung.

Experts said reptile shipments are fairly common, but it's rare for them to be abandoned.

[TexasStooge]

Voters Oust 8 Municipal Officials In Separate Recalls

Associated Press

Texas voters in separate recall elections succeeded in ousting five council members, a mayor and two city commissioners over the weekend.

Five of seven Haltom City councilmen were voted out of office in Saturday's recall election. Residents and the three remaining elected officials said it's now time to start healing political wounds. All the ousted council members had voted to fire City Manager Richard Torres in October.

In Kingsville, residents turned out in record numbers to recall the mayor and two commissioners. City officials do not know when an election to fill the three vacancies will take place.

The Haltom City attorney was expected at Monday night's council meeting to issue a legal opinion on whether the five recalled councilmen will be required to step down immediately.

"It's been sort of a mini-war here in Haltom City," resident Bill Lanford, who serves as chairman of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and had considered running for City Council in May, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Monday's editions. "There's not much bloodshed yet, but a lot of hurt feelings. We really need to move beyond that."

Voters overwhelmingly demanded the removal of council members David Averitt, Trae Fowler, Tracy Henderson, Bob Hurley and John Williams.

The recall would leave only two council members, Diane Bransom and Jim Sutton, as well as Mayor Calvin White.

"I am convinced good things are ahead for us, but the progress will be slow," White said. "It's not going to happen overnight."

Williams said the recall effort was destructive.

"The election is just a reflection of the city and the direction it wants to go -- a standstill," he said. "This wasn't about the city. This was just about personalities. They got mad and retaliated."

Some voters said the recall election was a waste of taxpayers' money.

"I think it's the dumbest thing I ever heard," said Carolyn Smith, 61, as she walked out of the polling place. "They could have waited until May."

All the recalled councilmen except Henderson faced re-election May 15. They can run again, except for Williams, who is barred from re-election this year because of term limits. About 68 percent of voters supported recall in an election that drew 12 percent of registered voters.

Kingsville City Manager Carlos Yerena and Assistant City Manager Corando Garza said that 2,016 people voted to recall Mayor Phil Esquivel Jr., with 1,608 people voting against his recall. The vote to recall Mayor Pro Tem Horacio "Hoss" Castillo was 2,154 for and 1,453 against. Recall of City Commissioner Arturo Pecos was supported by 2,108 voters, with 1,495 voting against the move.

Citizens for the Betterment of Kingsville had urged the recall because its members felt commissioners were not attending to city business and were showing disrespect for the city's residents.

Daniel Suson, president of the citizens' group, said high turnout meant a victory for the recall movement.

"They were tired of the city's name getting pulled through the dirt," Suson told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in Monday's online edition. "The city commissioners wanted to know from voters how they were doing. Tonight, they gave them an answer."