02/07/2010

West reporters' notebook

02/09/2010

Man's fatal shooting in car south of White Rock Lake investigated
Dallas police detectives spent Monday investigating a fatal early morning shooting near a sports bar just south of White Rock Lake.

NEW

N. Texas officials preparing 2011 Super Bowl playbook
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Although chants of "Who Dat" have barely faded, officials planning next year's Super Bowl in Arlington have begun analyzing the good and the bad from their trip to Florida.

Carolyn T. Shamis: Real estate agent specialized in upscale condos
Carolyn T. Shamis found a niche for her flamboyant personality in the 1970s – selling upscale condos in Dallas.

5 days of projects, events scheduled around NBA All-Star Game to help community
The NBA All-Star Game is more than just the game.

Rockwall residents criticize country clubs' conditions

Democrats throw support to Johnson after Hodge's guilty plea
An array of prominent Democrats on Monday endorsed lawyer Eric Johnson for state representative in District 100, an area of southern Dallas that for 14 years has been represented by Terri Hodge.

FBI takes new look at white men's killing of black teen in 1955
It was just a "playful night of gunfire," a top investigator for the Texas Rangers said.

Dr. John F. Hickman became psychiatrist to heal people, build relationships
Dr. John F. Hickman decided to specialize in psychiatry because the field allowed him to heal people and build relationships.

Gov. Rick Perry calls for tighter border security measures
IRVING – Gov. Rick Perry tried to shore up his border security credentials Monday as he campaigned for re-election by calling for a Predator drone at the Texas-Mexico border and highlighting a transnational gang initiative.

Dallas council eager to see if auditor thinks police are producing reliable crime statistics
The city auditor is examining how Dallas police collect crime statistics, and the findings are expected soon.

Oak Cliff charter school's art program making its mark in contest, online
Five years ago, Faith Family Academy in Oak Cliff had one art teacher and a limited art program. Now, its students' art is gaining attention and accolades locally and in cyberspace.

Trappings of NBA All-Star Jam Session going up at Dallas Convention Center
Fans would have to dodge forklifts and carts to play some three-on-three right now inside the Dallas Convention Center.

GO & DO: ALL-STAR JAM SESSION

02/08/2010

Cold, rainy week to warm up for All-Stars
There have been years in which spring has seemed to arrive in North Texas by this time in February, when flowering trees were already in bloom.

Regional roundup for 2-8

02/07/2010

Deborah Fleck: Former Irving resident shares Grammy spotlight with Taylor Swift
Liz Wagner Rose stood in the spotlight last Sunday night – right next to Taylor Swift.

West education notes

TIMELINE: WATSON IN CALIFORNIA
July 1977 – Dessory Channels is born.

Jailed Dallas County constable deputy left trail of troubles in California
Howard Watson was an enigma even before he went from being one of Dallas County Constable Jaime Cortes' most senior deputies to a suspect in several felony crimes.

Dallas race forum focuses on criminal justice system
Speaking at a Dallas forum on race, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins said Saturday that the criminal justice system is the perfect laboratory to examine the issue of racial inequality.

University of Texas at Dallas chess recruiter helps keep team on top

JOHN F. RHODES/DMN

Players such as Daniel Ludwig are the best recruiting tools for the University of Texas at Dallas chess team, one of the country's best. But with the field becoming more crowded, the work of a college chess team recruiter is becoming more competitive every year.
Link: UTD's chess team
More education news

Social Security faces rocky political road
Beyond the thick curtain of finger-wagging last week over huge deficits and an unsustainable debt, a familiar battle resurfaced over the future of Social Security.

Lewisville ISD proposal to streamline buses would change school hours, save money
The Lewisville school district will discuss a proposal Monday that would save $500,000 to $720,000 by adding more bus routes to drivers' schedules.

Climate change, pollution are suspects in rusty blackbirds' plummeting numbers
From North Texas to Florida, a high-pitched voice is strangely missing from the chatter of wintering birds.

Regional Briefs
FAR NORTHEAST DALLAS

Dallas Morning News Charities drive raises $1.2 million for people in need
Our 24th Dallas Morning News Charities campaign ended last week on a high note.

Council election ruling remakes Irving's May 8 races
A federal judge's order last week that Irving immediately start using a system of single-member districts and at-large seats will affect almost every aspect of City Council elections this year.

Repeat offender who impersonated marshal in Dallas County gets 24-month term
Terrell resident Darrien Hathcock is a familiar face to law enforcement officers in North Texas, so when he tried to impersonate one of them, it didn't turn out well.

Alleged cockfighting ring raided in Navarro County, Texas
Navarro County authorities on Saturday afternoon raided an alleged cockfighting ring at a residence in Emmett, a town about 22 miles southwest of Corsicana. Navarro County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Cox said about 40 people were arrested and 150 roosters were seized. About 20 to 30 people fled into nearby woods during the raid.

Dallas-area cities see a small windfall in raising fees for parks, permits, recreation centers
Many North Texas cities have solved budget shortfalls by slashing costs and raising property-tax rates. But in this down economy a number have turned to a subtler tactic: raising discretionary fees.

Excerpts of e-mails from CEO Mike Roberts in Haiti
Mike Roberts, CEO of Dallas-based SourceDirect, a computer services company, donated the use of his company jet to take medical workers and supplies to Haiti. He flew in on the first flight and sent daily e-mail updates to his wife, Rachel. Here are some excerpts:

In Haiti, North Texas CEO tries to make order out of chaos
PETIONVILLE, Haiti – Mike Roberts has made a fortune imposing order on chaos.

Dallas Good Kid: Daley Epstein of Yavneh Academy

Dallas Community Calendar

North Texas Super Bowl Committee's booth a big draw in Florida
Just like Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the replica Cowboys Stadium at the Super Bowl XLIV media center has generated a big buzz for the past week.

02/06/2010

Drunken driver in wrong-way tollway crash gets 20-year sentence
A drunken driver who killed a woman while traveling the wrong way on the Dallas North Tollway was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.

Dallas County commissioners seek Texas attorney general's opinion in dispute with DA
The dispute between Dallas County commissioners and District Attorney Craig Watkins over who should represent them in lawsuits could be decided by the Texas attorney general.

AT A GLANCE: DALLAS COUNTY DA VS. COMMISSIONERS
2008 jail documentary: Sheriff Lupe Valdez wanted to invite a film crew into her jails, but commissioners balked, citing liability concerns. District Attorney Craig Watkins agreed that she controls access to the jails, prompting commissioners to hire their own lawyers to win a court order halting the project.

University of Texas campuses propose tuition increases over next two years
Tuition at some campuses in the University of Texas System is expected to jump again this fall as the universities face a mix of economic pressures, from historic declines in endowments to possible state budget cuts.

Dallas' Caraway endorses Shami for Texas governor
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway is backing Farouk Shami, the deep-pocketed underdog Democrat, for governor.

Regional Roundup

Judge sends Dallas ISD, Oak Cliff preservation group to mediation over razing former church
A Dallas judge on Friday ordered a reluctant Dallas school district and an Oak Cliff preservation group to mediation in their dispute over the proposed demolition of a former church.

Oak Cliff Mardis Gras filled with beads and bikes
They'll be carrying on this weekend in Oak Cliff – all for a good cause.

Lanes reopen after chemical spill shuts down I-635 near Dallas North Tollway
Motorists traveling on one of the busiest freeways in North Texas got a late start to their weekend Friday after a chemical spill shut down Interstate 635.

Dr. John F. Hickman: Psychiatrist wanted to heal people, build relationships
Dr. John F. Hickman decided to specialize in psychiatry because the field allowed him to heal people and build relationships.

Raymund Paredes' fundraising deal raises questions, concerns
Raymund Paredes earns $180,000 as commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A related nonprofit group pays him $40,000 more a year to raise funds.

Magazine salesman gets 3 life sentences for raping, setting elderly woman on fire
A mentally challenged magazine salesman sentenced Friday to three life sentences for raping and setting afire an elderly woman testified that the sex was consensual and the fire was accidental.

Woman dies in Duncanville crash with man fleeing police
DUNCANVILLE – College student Gladys Isela Barrientos was on her way home from Bible study.

HOW TO HELP
The family of Gladys Barrientos has asked that memorials be given to establish a scholarship fund in her name at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, 3900 Rugged Drive, Dallas, Texas 75224. Call 214-339-6561.

The Dallas Morning News Charities collects $1.2 million to help needy residents
The Dallas Morning News Charities raised more than $1.2 million for the homeless and hungry during its 24th annual campaign despite tough economic times.

AGENCIES AIDED BY THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS CHARITIES

Services scheduled for restaurateur Gina Marie Campisi
Gina Marie Campisi was just completing her first steps as a restaurateur, following in the family tradition started 60 years earlier by her grandfather Joe Campisi with his Campisi's Egyptian.

02/05/2010

Recession can't stop Super Bowl partying, but it scales down spending
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Super Bowl is the nation's biggest sporting event, but for many here this week, it's also the glitziest and priciest party of the year.

Super Bowl XLV logo emphasizes game's history but doesn't slight Cowboys Stadium
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The logo for Super Bowl XLV in Arlington is a simple, monochromatic design featuring the Lombardi Trophy towering over Cowboys Stadium.

Video of fatal Oak Lawn beating released; rewards offered
Even after the attack that ultimately caused his death, David Robert Jackson remained upbeat.

Dallas-Fort Worth area news briefs for Feb. 5
A grand jury has indicted one man in the slaying of Agha Faran Khan last fall, but it declined to indict another man who was arrested in the case.

Stephen Clifton Phillips: Lumber company owner in Cedar Hill
Stephen Clifton Phillips had a deep affection for people and embraced his business, family and community.

Candidate trying to unseat Hall says he's waiting to funnel cash
WASHINGTON – Congressional candidate Jerry Ray Hall boasts of ponying up $500,000 of his own money to defeat longtime incumbent Rep. Ralph Hall in March's Republican primary.

Grand Prairie businessman returning to Haiti homeland to help
Who knows what moves a man to reconnect with his past after spending decades pushing painful memories to the back of his mind.

Grand Prairie rape victim, 79, takes stand
An elderly Grand Prairie woman who was raped and set on fire by a man who sold magazines door-to-door testified Thursday that she wondered during the attack if it would be the last thing that ever happened to her.

Collin County districts dissolve special-education cooperative
Collin County's growth is usually measured in things added, such as highways, shopping malls, subdivisions, event centers and stadiums.

East Texas on edge over church fires
Church members watched in horror as Grace Community Church in Athens went up in flames a few weeks ago.

02/04/2010

Irving mayor delays vote on water, sewer fee increase
The Irving city staff's push to increase water and sewer fees was delayed Wednesday after Mayor Herbert Gears said he pulled the item from the city council agenda.

Family sues Terrell ISD over alleged assault of 12-year-old girl; district officials deny liability
A Kaufman County woman is charging that the Terrell school district failed to protect her 12-year-old daughter from a sexual assault by other students in a classroom while the teacher sat nearby.

Man indicted in fatal motorcycle accident
A Collin County grand jury indicted a man from The Colony on a manslaughter charge this week in connection with a fatal motorcycle crash in Frisco. James Ronald Coye, 24, also was indicted on a charge of aggravated perjury.

UT Southwestern scientist Kim Orth wins Welch Foundation's Norman Hackerman Award
Fellow scientists honored a molecular biology professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center on Wednesday for a groundbreaking discovery.

North Texas Super Bowl host committee to study South Florida's performance
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The groups organizing Sunday's Super Bowl and the one next year couldn't be more different.

Former Dallas mayor takes travel break, talks up 'smart trade' in D.C.
WASHINGTON – Sometime before Christmas, Ron Kirk realized he had just circled the globe twice in a month pitching the Obama trade agenda: Singapore, India, China, home for Thanksgiving, back to Singapore, back to China.

Judge orders Irving to use new council election system
U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis on Wednesday ordered Irving to begin using a City Council election system that incorporates a mix of single-member districts and at-large seats.

Who's responsible for Carrollton streetlight?
Problem: The streetlight at the corner of Lymington and Rosehill roads has been out for several months. Residents contacted Oncor and other entities to no avail.

Streetlight out on Elmridge Drive at Hillcrest in Dallas
Problem: A streetlight at the northeast corner of Elmridge Drive at Hillcrest Road in Far North Dallas has been out for several months.

Teacher morale scores plunge at majority of DISD schools, survey finds
Teacher morale has dipped or plummeted in the majority of Dallas public schools, with many educators saying they endure inexperienced, unprofessional or intimidating principals while facing overwhelming pressure to increase test scores.

Garbage pickup in Dallas will be once-weekly starting in March
Whether you like it or not, the clock is ticking on twice-weekly garbage collection in Dallas.

Dallas Good Kid: Raphael Parens of J.J. Pearce

Dallas Community Calendar
Dallas County Community College District's 2010 African American Read-In , a celebration of black literature, will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. This year's theme is "Leaders Are Readers!" and features an original stage production and regional and national writers, celebrities and others. Free; seating is limited. Visit www.readin.dcccd.edu.

02/03/2010

More storms, cold rain rolling into Dallas area this afternoon
A fresh series of storms will roll across the Dallas area beginning this afternoon, bringing up to 1.5 inches of rain before moving off late Thursday.

Perry calls Hutchison big spender; she says he's too cozy with lobbyists
Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison sparred Tuesday over who can best move Texas forward.

Hearing set today on Dallas City Hall juror's accusations of improper contact against D'Angelo Lee
Former Dallas Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee, convicted of shaking down developers during last year's City Hall public corruption trial, will appear in court today at a hearing to determine whether he had improper contact with a juror in his case.

Darryl Beeson: 'Wine Guy' persona opened up world of wine
Darryl Beeson was the "Wine Guy," the easy-going persona he used to introduce people to his passion.

Arlington couple convicted of enslaving Nigerian widow
A federal jury found an Arlington couple guilty Tuesday of compelling a Nigerian widow to work as their servant for nine years.