Lewisville will soon have 12.3 miles more trails for walking and biking, connected to rail stations thanks to a project from the Denton County Transit Authority (DCTA) and a grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments. (NCTCOG) with City of Lewisville matching funds.

DCTA is building its Lewisville Bike Trail mostly along its right of way. The trail will run from the Highland Village / Lewisville Lake Station on the North, down the rail right-of-way to the KCS railroad crossing on Mill street, then via the Valley Ridge Boulevard extension to College Street, east of the Old Town Station, then across the eastern side of Railroad Park, and across to the DCTA right-of-way, and southward down to Hebron Station. The northern end will connect to the trails leading to Denton, and the southern end will connect to Carrollton. From the northern station to the southern station, the trail is about 8.1 miles, and will consist of 12 foot wide concrete. DCTA will spend a total of $3.5 million on the project, the majority of which is budgeted in its 2014/15 Capital Improvement Plan. The DCTA trail is part of the regional Veloweb trail system. We have reached out to DCTA for details on construction status and timing.

- See DCTA's Lewisville Bike Trail Map

In May, the City of Lewisville applied for a grant from NCTCOG to build the 4.2 mile Garden Ridge Trail, and that grant was recently approved. The $2 million project is paid for with about $1.5 million in NCTCOG funds originating with the State of Texas’ Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and a half-million dollar match from the City of Lewisville. The trail begins at the DCTA Highland Village / Lewisville Lake Station, crossing the new bridge over I-35E, then going down Garden Ridge, and connecting via a greenbelt to Highland Village, and continuing down Garden Ridge to Valley Parkway. From Valley Parkway, the trail splits off at Civic Circle, and both sections end at Main Street.

1.25 miles of the trail will be 12 foot wide concrete through the Garden Ridge median with the remainder at 6-8 feet enhanced sidewalks. The City of Lewisville will contract for the construction of this trail, will include 4.2 miles of shared-use paths, sidewalk, ADA ramps and shared pavement markings for bicycles in the driving lanes.
- See Garden Ridge Trail schematic Attachment
- See City of Lewisville Trails Master Plan

In an effort to help people safely get rid of unused medicine, Lewisville Police Department has installed a collection box in the jail lobby, located at 1187 W. Main Street. The lobby is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Residents will no longer have to store these medications until an annual event to dispose of them properly. Simply leave the medication in its original container* and deposit it in the red metal box located in the lobby.

Accepted:
- Prescriptions (including liquids, pills, capsules, patches, ointments, and others)
- Over-the-counter medications
- Vitamins
- Samples
- Pet Medications

Not Accepted:
- Syringes / Needles / Sharps
- Inhalers
- Thermometers
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Liquids, lotions, or ointments (that are not prescriptions)
- Illicit Schedule 1 drugs like marijuana, heroin, MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, GHB, psilocybin, methaqualone, khat, bath salts.
- Medications collected by businesses or clinics. (They pay for their own disposal. This service is for individuals.)

The primary purposes of the drug disposal program are to keep the drugs from going down the drain and entering the water supply or damaging the environment, as well as reducing the chance that the drugs could be abused.

For drugs that cannot be disposed of in the collection box, it is recommended to seal them in a bag and place them in the trash to go to the landfill. If it is an illicit substance that can be abused, and for whatever reason you prefer not to involve the police, Police Chief Russ Kerbow says that you can mix it with coffee grounds or kitty litter to reduce any chances of having it fished out.

For more information about disposing of drugs, read the DEA drug disposal fact sheet.

Flower Mound also has a collection box at their police department at 4150 Kirkpatrick Lane.

*Notes: For privacy reasons, DEA encourages persons not to place prescription bottles in collection receptacles. While LTJ certainly does not provide legal advice, our recommendation would be to remove just the portion of the label containing your name and prescription number, but leaving the name of the drug so that authorities can dispose of it properly. Chief Kerbow said "I don't think we can control whether it is in an original container or not. They are free to remove their name, no question."

Contains material from a submitted report. Photo by Lewisville Texan Journal

City, KLB, Ag Extension to host rain barrel class Oct. 28
Keep Lewisville Beautiful is partnering with the City of Lewisville and Texas AgriLife Extension Office for a special two-hour interactive course, “Saving from a Rainy Day; How to Make a Rain Barrel.” The class will be held Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Kealy Operations Center, 1100 N. Kealy Street.

The class costs $50, which includes all the materials needed to construct a rain barrel to take home at the conclusion of the course. Reservations and prepayment are required. Seats are limited to the first 50 people to sign up. RSVP is required by Friday, Oct. 24.

This class is open to all participants (Lewisville residency not required). Register at http://dallas.tamu.edu. For more information, contact Keep Lewisville Beautiful at 972.538.5949 or email info@keeplewisvillebeautiful.org.

Nebraska Furniture Mart to hold hiring event at MCL Grand
Nebraska Furniture Mart will hold a hiring event at Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles Street, Oct. 28-29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The 1.86 million-square-foot store being built at the southeast corner of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Plano Parkway in The Colony will sell thousands of pieces of furniture, electronics, computers, flooring and other home products. The facility will have 2,200 employees. It will open to customers next spring.

For more information on the event, visit nfm.com/careers.

Southern Denton County Business & Community Expo - "Discover Local" - October 30th
Join The Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, October 30th at the Frederick P. Herring Recreation Center from 3-7 for our annual Southern Denton County Business & Community Expo. This is your chance to "Discover Local".

This is a kid and family friendly event featuring:
- Taste of Southern Denton County
- Health & Safety Fair
- Kids Zone
- Business Expo
- Live performances by the area cheer leaders, martial arts performers, dance groups, etc.

This is a FREE, fun-filled event that you don't want to miss!

Local Author Fair entry deadline Oct. 31
To celebrate National Novel Writing Month, Lewisville Public Library is hosting its second Local Author Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15, 1-3 p.m., in the Glenmore Savage Community Room, 1197 W. Main Street.

Authors and publishers who want to display and sell their work at the fair must apply to participate. Space is limited and not guaranteed. Authors must be either self-published or traditionally published. Participation is limited to authors with printed books. Applications must be received by Friday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m.

Authors selected to participate will be notified via email by Wednesday, Nov. 5. If selected, the library will need a high resolution photo of the author and at least one book cover image to be used in promoting the event. The library will provide each author with one table and two chairs. Free Wi-Fi is available. Electrical outlets are limited. The author is responsible for tablecloths, cash boxes, signs and any other supplies. No accommodation for banners, posters or other wall and ceiling hangings is available. Display boards should fit in the confines of the table space.

Book sales are welcome. Authors wanting to sell their books are responsible for providing the books, having change available, and donating 10 percent of sales to the Friends of the Lewisville Public Library at the end of the fair. No one can exhibit at the table other than the assigned author.

“Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr.” at MCL Grand Nov. 6-9
The Acting Studio will present “Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr.” with four shows Nov. 6-9, at Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles Street.

Performances will be held Nov. 6-8 starting at 7 p.m., and Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16-18 per person. Advance tickets can be purchased at tix.com.

Journey “under the sea” with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” adapted from Disney’s 2008 Broadway production. In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home – and her fins – behind and live in the world above. But first she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton; make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula; and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl whose enchanting voice he’s been seeking.

Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, located at 100 N. Charles Street, between Main and Church streets, opened in January 2011. The 40,000-square-foot facility features a 296-seat proscenium theater, black box theater, dance recital hall, art gallery, five art classrooms and a large courtyard. Medical Center of Lewisville has a multi-year agreement with the city for naming rights at the center.

To reach MCL Grand from Interstate 35E, take exit 452 and proceed east on Main Street to Charles Street. MCL Grand will be on the left. Free public parking is available along Main and Church streets, or at Lewisville City Hall across Church Street from the center.

For details about upcoming events, or rental information for the facility, please visit MCLGrand.com or call 972.219.8446.

Senior Center Searching for Craft Fair Vendors
Calling all crafters! The Seniors In Motion program is preparing for its annual Craft Fair and is looking for unique crafters and vendors who sell a variety of handmade arts and crafts such as needlework, decoupage, jewelry, paintings, flower arrangements, quilts, home décor, and much more. The fair will be held November 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors can rent a table for $30. For more information or to register for a table, please contact Dawn Garber at 972.874.6110 or at dawn.garber@flower-mound.com.

Lewisville Lake Symphony to host annual fundraiser, Music of the Night – the Phantom’s Gala
The Lewisville Lake Symphony will host its annual Gala at 6 p.m. on November 1 at the Royal Affairs Ballroom, 140 E. Main St., in Lewisville. Guests will be treated to dinner, wine, and entertainment from vocalist Don LeBlanc, along with a silent and live auction. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on auction items such as vacations, hand-crafted jewelry, event tickets, custom portraits, and much more. Tickets for the event are $75 and can be purchased online. For more information about the Lewisville Lake Symphony or to purchase tickets, please visit www.lewisvillesymphony.org.

As construction continues on Interstate 35E near FM 407, Bogard Lane will be closed between McGee Lane and the southbound I-35E frontage road beginning Monday, Oct. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 27.

Detours are as follows:

Motorists needing to access Bogard Lane from the southbound I-35E frontage road will be routed to FM 407 then north onto McGee Lane and back to Bogard Lane.

Motorists needing to access the southbound I-35E frontage road from Bogard Lane will travel south on McGee Lane and then east on FM 407.

The 35Express team will hold a series of community meetings in October to provide updates on the $1.4 billion highway project. The meetings, held twice a year, are an opportunity for the public to get up-to-speed on the work that has been completed on the project and learn about upcoming construction. Each meeting will highlight a different segment of the 30-mile corridor.

The meeting for the middle segment of the project in Lewisville, Highland Village, Lake Dallas and Hickory Creek will be held Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m., at Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles Street.

By Shannon Richardson

In honor of Red Ribbon Week at LISD, I’d like to share with you a story that happened to the daughter of a friend of mine.

This is a story about Molly.

Molly likes to party. Molly goes to lots of parties and concerts.

Lots of famous people know Molly.

Some famous musicians write songs about Molly.

Sometimes at concerts you hear people shout ‘Do you know Molly?’ or “Have you seen Molly?”

Maybe even you knew Molly once.

Molly sounds like a pretty popular person, but really, Molly is a killer.

Molly killed my friend’s daughter, Jessica.

Jessica had just moved to San Marcos to attend Texas State University. One weekend about a month ago, Jessica had attended a concert at Austin City Limits Music festival. It was at the concert that Jessica met Molly.

From the moment Jessica met Molly, there was trouble. Molly caused Jessica to shake and tremble; her heart racing. Jessica’s skin grew ashy in color. Her arms and legs began to flail. She lost consciousness and collapsed. And at 21 years of age, Jessica went into cardiac arrest-a heart attack. She just couldn’t handle Molly. Jessica’s friends flagged a policeman down for help. The policeman called paramedics. The paramedics performed CPR on Jessica to try to keep her alive. Then the paramedics took Jessica to the hospital while the police went to Jessica’s parents’ house to tell them the bad news: their only daughter was in very serious condition at the hospital.

While in the hospital, Jessica’s temperature shot to a dangerously high 106 degrees, hot enough to cause brain damage. Her eyes and nose began to bleed. Soon, her brain did too. The hospital put Jessica in a temperature-induced coma to cool her body down and try to help it heal. By the time her parents arrived, Jessica was near death. Three days later, Jessica was gone.

From Lewisville Police Department:

On Friday, October 24th at 6:37 p.m. the Lewisville Fire and Police Departments were dispatched to a major accident at a mobile home park located at 1708 Bunker Hill Lane.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that a sixteen year-old Lewisville resident was told by her father that she could start the car in preparation for leaving their house. Her father was teaching her some basics of car operations and she placed the 4-door Nissan Sentra in reverse, accelerating rapidly out of the driveway. She crossed the road and struck Eric Lozano, a 12 year-old Lewisville resident pinning him against a home. A 10 year old was also struck but not seriously injured.

Lewisville Paramedics transported Lozano to the Medical Center of Lewisville where he was pronounced deceased.

The juvenile driver did not have a drivers license.

Fatality Investigator Persinger is currently investigating this case.

Friday Afternoon, local dignitaries from Denton County, and the cities in and around County Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell's Precinct 3, gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 40,700 square foot, two story, LEED Gold certified building. According to the Denton County Capital Improvements Program document for 2013, the Denton County Precinct 3 Government Center will cost $8.5 million, and will house Commissioner Mitchell's office, as well as Justice of the Peace Becky Kerbow's office and court, Constable Jerry Raburn's Office, the tax office, Department of Public Safety, adult probation, and a satellite office for the County Clerk.

The building will be located across Civic Circle from the old building, at the corner of Civic Circle and Valley Parkway, behind the current Child Protective Services building.

The LEED Certified two-story building will be very energy and water-efficient with state-of-the-art electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems, and is constructed with local brick and cast stone and a standing seam metal roof. Landscaping will utilize indigenous Texas plants.

County officials believe the new building will decrease operating costs and allow for more efficient operations and accomodation of the public. The existing Lee Walker Government Center that currently houses the County Commissioner's office, JP, and Constable offices, will be renovated in a later phase and used to house other departments currently in leased spaces.

Construction is expected to take about a year for the new Denton County Precinct 3 Government Center.

Friday Afternoon, The Lewisville Texan Journal obtained probable cause affidavits from the Lewisville Police Department that clarified the details of the shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon at The Madison apartment complex on Round Grove Road. The affidavits received were not only from the incident Wednesday, but from two prior incidents we learned about in one of the suspects’ criminal histories.

We reported previously that the shooting happened around 4:30 p.m., but the affidavit puts the time of the first 911 calls at 4:11 p.m. Police said that two witnesses who were on scene during the shooting were able to describe the incident.

The story that detectives were able to put together for the affidavit on Wednesday night to obtain an arrest warrant is as follows:

Lewisville Police have arrested 18 year old Tyrone Damon Ebron in a shooting that happened Wednesday around 4:30 p.m. in front of The Madison Apartments on FM 3040 at Oakbend. Ebron is held in Lewisville jail. Arrested at 6:25 p.m. Thursday, he is currently being held without bail on charges of deadly conduct - discharge of a firearm, and unlawful carrying of a firearm by a felon.

Police radio traffic recorded Wednesday indicated that Ebron was the one who was injured in the shootout and self-presented at Medical Center of Lewisville. LPD Captain Dan Rochelle said that Ebron had been transferred from Medical Center of Lewisville to Medical Center of Plano, which is where police arrested him tonight.

Denton County jail records show Ebron had prior charges of marijuana possession, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and evading arrest from November of last year, and trespassing, evading arrest, and possession of marijuana in March of 2014.

Police said yesterday that there were two groups of males there who "don't like each other very much." One member of a group pulled a gun and began shooting at the other group. A member of the other group pulled his own gun and returned fire. Rochelle said that police do know the groups had agreed to meet at The Madison, because a couple of the individuals live there.

Witnesses told police that a white or gray Honda Civic with several people in it drove up. Someone in the car shot at someone on foot, and the person on foot shot back. The people on foot ran down Oakbend where the fight continued. Ebron was the subject on foot.

There have not been any arrests yet for the other party in the shooting. Rochelle said LPD was not yet ready to release information on the other shooter.

We asked Rochelle directly about the possibility of gang involvement for Ebron, based on radio traffic we heard yesterday. Rochelle said that he could not comment on whether or not Ebron was involved in a gang.

Update #1 - 9:04 p.m.:
We have now confirmed that Ebron is known to Lewisville Police as a member of the Bloods criminal gang. Rochelle said that like every city, Lewisville does have some gang members. "We're not L.A.," said Rochelle. "We don't have hundreds of gang members taking over every street corner."

DPS crime records show mug shots for Ebron dating back to 2009, when he would have been 13. Ebron recently served a 180 sentence in Denton County Jail for his second offense of evading arrest, which is a state jail felony. He was released on September 8th after serving that sentence.

The Lewisville Texan Journal has located a twitter account which appears to belong to Ebron, and that references "thuggin'" and what appear to be references to smoking marijuana.

We also learned that Ebron's gunshot wound was to his gluteal area (his derriere).

Update #2 - 9:55 p.m.:
An alert reader told us that Tyrone Ebron was the one arrested last November after officers investigated a shooting in the 300 block of Teakwood Lane. Here's what Lewisville PD reported to the media on that incident:

On Tuesday, November 5th, at approximately 11:45 p.m., officers responded to a report of gunshots in the 300 block of Teakwood Lane. Residents reported hearing 10 gunshots in the area. Officer Slavens discovered that two different houses had been struck by gunfire. This is the second report of deadly conduct in this immediate area. Both cases are being investigated by Detective Shawn Dority.

On Thursday, November 8th, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Officer Ricky Jones observed two people walking in the 300 block of Teakwood Lane. The two subjects entered the alley directly behind the two residences that had previously been struck by gunfire. Officer Joseph Fernandez was called to the area to assist Officer Jones. Officer Fernandez made contact with the subjects that Officer Jones had described. During the contact, one of the subjects, a 17 year-old male, fled from Officer Fernandez. Officers David Nicaud and Fernandez pursued the subject to the 200 block of Heritage Hill where he was taken into custody. The subject was arrested for evading detention. During a search incident to arrest, he was found to be in possession of a handgun and marijuana. Officers also charged him with unlawful carrying weapons and possession of marijuana. The other person that had been detained was not charged with any crime. The investigation is continuing to determine what, if any, role these subjects may have in the deadly conduct investigations.