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Investigative journalism in the public interest. That’s what we focus on in Dallas-Fort Worth and throughout Texas. Join the conversation. Help us expose the problems and provide solutions. February 2010
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Problem Solver: Finding average temperatures Texas nursing-home regulator: We'll move faster Problem Solver: Telecom services out Hot Links: New safety probe of Southwest Airlines Problem Solver: Couple owes hefty utility bills Problem Solver: The bill is in the mail Hot Links: Arlington leaders enjoy Cowboys perk, Frisco residents concerned about battery plant Hot Links: Updates on Barnett Shale emissions, Parkland bonuses, Dallas constables inquiry Categories
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February 17, 2010
The easiest place to go is the National Weather Service. To find the average for each month, the information is located in the notes. To do a month-to-month comparison, you'll have to pull the information out yourself, though. To look into things on a daily basis, I go to the University of Dayton's website where they keep average daily temperatures for the Dallas area. They also use the official weather service numbers and it's really easy to read. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Finding average temperatures" is tagged: Problem Solver; average temperatures; National Weather Service; utility bills February 16, 2010
Chris Traylor, the new commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services, vows to improve response times soon. The agency says it "expects to complete 1,550 nursing home investigations during a two-week, statewide blitz later this month" and will start hiring 35 new investigators next month. Do you have a tip about a nursing home? Regulators? Send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Texas nursing-home regulator: We'll move faster" is tagged: abuse , Chris Traylor , Department of Aging and Disability Services , investigation , nursing homes , regulation February 12, 2010
Remember that if you have someone disabled, newborn, elderly or ill in your home to tell that to the customer service people who answer your call. I wrote about a woman who needed help getting AT&T to fix her services in last Sunday's column. That column points out two things everyone should do when calling in a repair problem: Ask if there could be a reduction in the wait time and a credit for the days service was down.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Telecom services out" is tagged: Problem Solver; utilities; AT&T; weather February 9, 2010
The latest: Federal regulators suspect Southwest Airlines, for several years, flew dozens of jets whose fuselage repairs didn't follow approved procedures. Previously: I'll stop for now. If you need more scary stories right away, go to dallasnews.com and type these terms into the search box: Dave Michaels (investigative reporter in our Washington bureau) and Southwest Airlines. Southwest says safety is its top priority. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: New safety probe of Southwest Airlines " is tagged: cracks , Dave Michaels , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , fuselage , maintenance , regulators , repairs , safety , Southwest Airlines February 5, 2010
There are a number of churches and charities which help when a current utility bill is beyond a person's resources. That helps keep the lights and water on. But in the case of Todd and Shirley Ritrovato of Greenville, the utility debt was 14 years old. and created when their daughter was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. The Ritrovatos have known they owe the money for the past two years, but have not had much extra money to pay it. The couple lives on less than $700 a month, along with food stamps and housing assistance. I've had some readers interested in helping out. If that's you, Hunt County Shared Ministries is willing to handle any donations for the couple. The address is 3724 Oneal St ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Couple owes hefty utility bills" is tagged: Problem Solver; GEUS; Greenville Electric Utility System; utilities; charity; Hunt County Shared Ministries February 4, 2010
That was the case for John Bigony. He tried to get the electric bill on his rental house for months. He knew that if he ignored the situation, he'd wind up with a whopper of a bill someday down the road. TXU Energy got him a statement soon after I called. They also charged him less than the original quote since the meter was changed out during that period. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: The bill is in the mail" is tagged: Problem Solver; Electric bill; TXU Energy; February 1, 2010
1. Arlington's mayor and council members have reaped free tickets and food at the city's luxury suite at publicly subsidized Cowboys Stadium, the Star-Telegram reports. The market value of the "perk of the office," as one leader called it, is around $400,000. Some observers fear this creates a conflict of interest. 2. In Frisco, residents living near a battery-recycling plant continue to worry that their health is at risk. The News' Valerie Wigglesworth and Matthew Haag cite study results from 15 years ago that found 45 children had "lead levels that today are linked to myriad health issues, from learning disabilities to behavior problems to brain damage." Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Arlington leaders enjoy Cowboys perk, Frisco residents concerned about battery plant" is tagged: Arlington , Cowboys Stadium , Environ Corp. , Exide Technologies , exposure , food , Frisco , GNB Battery Technologies , Law Engineering and Environmental Services Inc. , lead , Mel LeBlanc , perk , Robert Cluck , suite , Texas Department of State Health Services , tickets January 28, 2010
1. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found levels of cancer-causing benzene in the air at North Texas sites impacted by Barnett Shale gas drilling, The News and other outlets reported. A state official said there was no "widespread air-quality issue." But the mayor of one Denton County town faulted the state's testing, saying it didn't get enough samples from populated areas because "I don't think they want to find anything." 2. The board of Dallas County's public hospital, Parkland Memorial, is standing by the bonuses -- I forgot, we're supposed to call these incentives -- paid to executives worth 19 percent to 31 percent of their base pay. That caused consternation last week among rank-and-file employees. The hospital had cut jobs recently and handed them merit raises of mostly 2 percent. 3. The Dallas County district attorney's investigation of misconduct allegations inside constable offices produced its first charges Wednesday. Among other things, Lt. Howard Watson was accused of coercing sex from two women in exchanging for not arresting them. He has been unavailable for comment. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Updates on Barnett Shale emissions, Parkland bonuses, Dallas constables inquiry" is tagged: Barnett Shale , benzene , bonuses , bribery , constables , Dallas County , DISH , drilling , emissions , executive compensation , Howard Watson , incentives , Jaime Cortes , misconduct , natural gas , Parkland Memorial , pay , Precinct 5 , sexual assault , TCEQ January 27, 2010
Robert McKenzie continues to struggle after being declared dead accidently by a local hospital. Most recently, he had problems trying to get his health care coverage reinstated. The 72-year-old man was working with the Social Security Administration to get his Medicare card back, but instead got an expired Medicaid card in the mail. I made a call on his behalf and I've been promised he should get the correct card in the next few weeks. McKenzie may actually qualify for Medicaid though, so his case worker is looking into that for him. He and his wife support their grandchildren on limited funds. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Prematurely dead, still troubled" is tagged: Medicaid , Medicare , Problem Solver , Robert McKenzie , Social Security Administration January 26, 2010
Where meters sit on a homesite is decided by the overall subdivision design and placement of the gas main. The gas company runs the line to the house, but it becomes the homeowner's responsibility to maintain the piping from the meter to the home. Things are a bit different on the commercial end though. Builders say they have to pay to install the gas lines from the curb to the building, regardless of where the meter is placed. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Gas line responsibility" is tagged: Atmos Energy , developers , gas lines , natural gas , Problem Solver
As I wrote today, IRS officials told Congress last fall that there are more than 160 active criminal investigations involving the homebuyer credit around the country. But where are those investigations? The IRS won't say. Texas is disproportionately represented in the suspicious claims uncovered by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration? Why? Again, the IRS is mute. IRS has made a point of saying that tax fraud is something they take seriously, and those who ignore the law will be held accountable. But so far, there has been only one prosecution and one civil lawsuit filed against tax preparers accused of filing fraudulent claims. Is that all there is? Until the IRS talks, we're left wondering. ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: IRS silence invites questions about possible homebuyer tax-credit fraud" is tagged: first-time homebuyers , fraud , homes , Internal Revenue Service , investigations , IRS , prosecution , tax credits January 20, 2010
The News' Randy Lee Loftis writes that companies can use a certain type of unregulated fluid that has high levels of benzene -- which can cause leukemia and other disorders -- as part of the drilling process. Some residents in Denton and Tarrant counties were already worried about drilling's impact on the air, drinking water and safety. In some cases, research backed up their worries. A spokeswoman for the Texas Railroad Commission told Randy that state rules have prevented cases of groundwater contamination. So the agency "does not see a need to monitor fracturing fluids," she said. Do you have thoughts on drilling in the Barnett Shale or have tips on other stories? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Loophole lets drillers inject benzene into ground?" is tagged: Denton , distillates , energy , Environmental Working Group , fracking , gas drilling , Hood , Johnson , Ramona Nye , Safe Drinking Water Act , Tarrant , Texas Railroad Commission , Wise January 19, 2010
1. Another public servant in trouble: A former Irving police officer pleaded guilty to defrauding a Housing and Urban Development program that sought to revitalize slumping neighborhoods by enticing law enforcers to live there with a 50 percent discount off the list price on a home. 2. Were you customers of these electric providers -- Pre-Buy Electric of Grapevine and National Power Inc. of Houston? If so, you may be due a refund after the Texas Public Utility Commission penalized each nearly $2 million. Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Irving ex-police officer, Texas electric providers accused of gaming system facing penalties" is tagged: Good Neighbor Next Door/Officer Next Door , Housing and Urban Development , HUD , Irving , James Jacks , National Power Inc. , police , Pre-Buy Electric , Public Utility Commission , PUC , Ramon Anthony Reyes Jr. , retail electric , U.S. Attorney's office , violations , wholesale pwoer January 15, 2010
Can they increase the fee with a locked-in rate, she asked? The answer is yes. According to the Public Utility Commission, retail electric providers are allowed to increase the bills if transmission rates increases. There are other instances as well, such as charges for "storm recovery." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: PUC lets Oncor, electric providers increase fees to customers' fixed-rate plans" is tagged: electric bills , Problem Solver , PUC January 14, 2010
1. Two mortgage companies in Tarrant County were hit with subpoenas as part of a U.S. Housing and Urban Development investigation, The News' Dave Michaels reported from Washington. They were among 15 that the feds alleged had "significant" failure rates with federally insured loans. 2. One of the convicted defendants in last year's Dallas City Hall corruption trial is now accused of following around a juror, The News' Jason Trahan reported. The presiding judge said in a hearing Wednesday that she was "very concerned" by the allegations, which include ex-Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee approaching the juror in a movie theater to discuss the case. Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Mortgage fraud, City Hall trial weirdness" is tagged: Alacrity Financial Services , Americare Investment Group , Arlington , bailout , Barbara Lynn , borrowers , bribery , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , default , Don Hill , extortion , FBI , Federal Housing Administration , FHA , HUD , loans , Southlake , trial January 12, 2010
The Better Business Bureau has identified these and others as the top 10 scams of 2009. These targeted consumers and small businesses with the hope of deceiving them into disclosing private financial data or conducting transactions that lock them into a never-ending cycle of charges, the BBB said. "While many of the scams on the list are perennial problems, some scams were distinct in 2009 because of the economic climate and scammers' penchant for taking advantage of the top headlines," said Jeannette Kopko, BBB spokesperson in Dallas. Any readers out there have stories to share about these rip-offs? ![]() ![]() The entry "Rip-offs getting creative, Better Business warns" is tagged: Acai Supplements , anti-aging , Better Business Bureau , debt assistance , foreclosure rescue , free trial offers , grant scams , Jeannette Kopko , job hunter scams , lottery , mystery shopping , over-payment , phishing , robocalls , spam , sweepstakes , work from home January 11, 2010
I wrote this past weekend about a woman who had run into that problem. Since the column ran I've heard from several others who want the directories, but don't know how to get them. AT&T delivers White Pages and Yellow Pages once a year in the Dallas area and have just started doing it for 2010. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: How to get phone directories" is tagged: AT&T , directories , phone books , problem solver , White Pages , Yellow Pages January 6, 2010
What Camp fails to mention in his biography is that he left law enforcement after being accused of beating his wife. Luckily The News' Steve Thompson filled in information gaps for us. The omissions matter because Camp is seeking publicity for his newest business. He wants to speed missing-child cases by letting parents proactively store and share information about their little ones that could be used in the event of something terrible. Donna Norris -- the mother of Amber Hagerman (right), the Arlington girl whose abduction and slaying inspired the Amber Alert system -- is one of his business partners. She said Camp disclosed his past to her, "and I'm OK with that ... It's just a shame that someone has to bring it up, because all we're about is saving children's lives." ![]() ![]() The entry "Arlington victim's mom works with accused ex-cop" is tagged: Amber Child Safety Systems , Amber Hagerman , Donna Norris , investigations , missing child , Tad A. Camp , Tiponi Foundation December 10, 2009
I researched the issue officially after a reader contacted me asking what she should do about her son's outdated ID. The Transportation Security Administration does have procedures in place if this happens. Make sure you bring your expired photo ID and any renewal paperwork to the security checkpoint. Also, be prepared for additional screening. Several years ago, I lost my own license on a trip. Fortunately, I still had my outdated one in my wallet and I was able to board after some an additional pat down screening. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Flying with outdated identification" is tagged: Problem Solver; Transportation Security Administration; security; photo ID December 7, 2009
It obviously brought up a sore subject for numerous readers who are waiting for any type of broadband product in their neighborhood -- let alone one that is considered cutting edge. "I live in Henderson County off a very populated state highway south of Athens. We barely have telephone service, much less broadband," one reader wrote. "Where on earth do rural residents have access? I currently subscribe to a dial-up service." The state of Texas applied for stimulus funds to find out exactly. At the end of July, a contract was awarded to map broadband availability in the state. A statement from the Department of Agriculture at the time said that the "initial phase of broadband mapping" should be done by the beginning of February. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Broadband sore spot" is tagged: AT&T , broadband , Problem Solver , stimulus funds , Texas Department of Agriculture November 30, 2009
Bank chairman Barry Orr blamed the bank's problems on the the lousy home-building market and "a significant fraud loss," The Dallas Morning News' Brendan Case reported. What kind of fraud? All Orr would say was "customer fraud, not internal fraud." Jefferson Bank's management team was dismissed as of Sept. 1. The institution agreed to follow Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. orders but did not admit wrongdoing. Readers, can you tell us more about what's going on here? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas bank admits 'customer fraud' but won't elaborate. Readers, can you tell us more?" is tagged: banking , Barry Orr , cease and desist , customer fraud , FDIC , Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. , fraud , Jefferson Bank , regulation , regulators November 24, 2009
Hilda Esquibel of Flower Mound was trying to reduce her mortgage payment after her job situation changed and her salary was cut. She let Chase Bank know, but instead of a mortgage modification she started getting collection notices. Interesting, because she'd never missed a payment. The bank verified to me that she was fully current on her loan and didn't have to worry about her credit. All the same, Chase didn't say explain how the mistake occurred. Esquibel decided to get a loan from a family member and pay off the mortgage instead of getting a new loan with Chase. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Mortgage sent to collections" is tagged: Chase Bank; Problem Solver; mortgage November 17, 2009
Now here's the latest, from Dallas Morning News reporter Jason Trahan: Texas DPS officials say 5-Minute Inspections, the Houston company that issued the bus' inspection sticker, routinely awarded such certificates without actually inspecting the vehicles. 5-Minute Inspections' Web site says: "need a quick inspection? tired of dealing with crooks? Come see the 5 Minute Inspection TEAM!" Readers, do you know of other businesses that are doing this? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Inspection sticker but no inspection?" is tagged: 5-Minute Inspections , auto inspection , bus crash , DPS , Houston , Jason Trahan , National Transportation Safety Board , NTSB , Sherman , sticker , Texas Department of Public Safety November 16, 2009
Robert McKenzie of Dallas was shocked to hear he was declared dead. When he left Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas in July he was actually feeling fine. It wasn't until later that he found that the hospital had mistakenly marked him deceased instead of discharged. "My income, even my Medicare was cut off," McKenzie told Problem Solver. "I'm 72 years Once Presbyterian found out it was an issue, workers tried to make things right. "We did notice the mistake pretty quickly and notified Social Security. We were shocked when you called, and we found out that it hadn't been fixed," said Stephen O'Brien, a spokesman for Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. "We made a mistake, plain and simple. We goofed, and we apologized. We reviewed our processes and identified this as a coding error. It was an isolated incident." The hospital offered McKenzie a settlement to try and make up for the hardship, which he accepted. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Dead instead of discharged" is tagged: Presbyterian Hospital Dallas , Problem Solver November 11, 2009
Now, mysteriously, Dowdy Ferry says it does have written deals, The Dallas Morning News' Kevin Krause reports today. And somehow I wasn't shocked to see that Dan Wyde (right) is the lawyer doing the talking for the towing firm. It reminded me of a 2006 story about Wyde's history. He was running for DA at the time and had attracted attention for using his synagogue's private membership directory to send campaign solicitation e-mails. Among the other Wyde controversies mentioned in the story: * As a young prosecutor, he left the DA's office after allegations that "he had an improper discussion with a jail inmate without the man's defense attorney being present." * Later, as a judge, he began contempt-of-court proceedings against a prosecutor who allegedly disparaged him in a private conversation outside Wyde's presence. Another judge ruled that Wyde's effort had no legal basis and raised "serious free-speech issues." * A defense attorney was barred from his courtroom for four years because she would not apologize in writing for questioning one of his rulings. Another judge ordered Wyde to recuse himself from more than a dozen cases that the defense attorney had pending in his court. Wyde denied any wrongdoing. Do you have a tip about constables? Towing firms? Lawyers? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Memories of Dallas lawyer Dan Wyde" is tagged: constable , Dan Wyde , Derick Evans , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , impound , Jaime Cortes , Kevin Krause , towing , vehicle seizure November 10, 2009
Patsy Thompson wrote to Problem Solver saying she would like to take all three. She has a piece of land and several other animals. She would have been happy to add the mix. "You just want to take them all. I'll drive up there and get them," she said. I contacted the city of Garland immediately and they checked for me and the kittens were no longer there. Unfortunately, the city was unable to say where they went without identifying numbers. They may have been adopted. They may have been euthanized. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Kittens gone, but where?" is tagged: animal shelter , Garland , kittens , Problem solver November 4, 2009
In several cases, I've found that there was a misread when the replacement was made. In the case of Gary Borman of Mesquite, the amount of electricity his family used doubled on his next bill. But that was incorrect. It turned out that Oncor's reading was off by 1,000 kilowatt-hours. To fix the situation, he wound up with an $89 credit. When companies figure out a misread, it can often take several months for the credit to wind up on the bill. Oncor sends the corrected information to the electricity provider, which then has to make the credit. Even with my involvement, it took weeks for Borman to see his money. That's an added frustration after a lot of aggravation.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Electric meter misread" is tagged: electric bills , meter , Oncor , Problem Solver , TXU Energy November 2, 2009
Now a spokeswoman for Jeff Vitt's Star Medical Group says he did nothing wrong and blames the dispute on a communication problem -- failure to clarify the distinction between Star Medical and another Vitt company called Flu Shots of America. Texas health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said Friday that Star claimed to be a private medical practice, making it eligible for an early shipment of vaccine. The state's theory has been that such practices are the best way to reach the highest-risk patients first. But Vitt's business turned out to be what the state calls a mass vaccinator, and it was selling shots to anyone willing to pay $20. Vitt's spokeswoman, Elaine Vitt, said in an email today: ![]() ![]() The entry "Flu Shots of America owner Jeff Vitt denies misrepresenting himself to get vaccine stash" is tagged: CDC , Department of State Health Services , DSHS , Elaine Vitt , Farmers Branch , Flu Shots of America , H1N1 , Jeff Vitt , mass vaccinator , Star Medical Group , swine flu , Texas health department , vaccine October 28, 2009
Here's a partial list of National Transportation Safety Board findings, in chronological order: * Federal authorities ordered the bus company off the road because of safety violations. Do you have a tip about transportation safety? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: The bus ride from hell" is tagged: Angel de la Torre , Angel Tours , Barrett Broussard , bus crash , bus safety , Iguala BusMex , National Transportation Safety Board , NTSB , Todd Gillman October 20, 2009
1. The Dallas City Council spent much of Monday talking about ethics reform, The News' Rudy Bush reports on the City Hall blog. Among the proposals: lobbyist registration, bans on lobbyist gifts and new requirements on zoning cases. The point of the last one: weakening the type of power that Hill, as a council member, wielded over developers who needed his approval for their projects in his district. The plan calls for multiple council members to weigh in on zoning cases. 2. I'm getting to this item a little late, and some of you may wish you hadn't ever seen it. The McClatchy newspaper chain found that Moody's Investors Service "punished executives who questioned why the company was risking its reputation by putting its profits ahead of providing trustworthy ratings for investment offerings." Doesn't restore your confidence in Wall Street, does it? Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas council mulls ethics after Hill trial" is tagged: Angela Hunt , bribery , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Council , Don Hill , ethics , housing collapse , investment ratings , lobbyists , Moody's Investors Service , reform , Securities and Exchange Commission , toxic assets October 19, 2009
People who used their tags and parked in the lots often found they were charged the more-expensive terminal rates, rather than the reduced price. Problem Solver requested records and found that about 1,500 people were overcharged and issued refunds during 2008 and the first six months of this year. The airport decided to take a look, too, and found that some additional people deserved a refund, but hadn't gotten one. So, without being asked, they settled the accounts for some additional people. Fewer than 100, according to the airport. If you think you may have been charged too much -- and you still have your paperwork --let them review your case. You may get some money back. Turns out, the rather-ancient parking system had a lot of bugs that needed to be worked out. But the airport thinks it's finally got it all done. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Airport fixes overcharges" is tagged: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , DFW , Express , parking , Problem Solver October 14, 2009
I received a call from a reader that an elderly woman's caregiver was not taking care of her. The reader said the caregiver wasn't showing up daily, but she was frightened of the worker and was afraid of a confrontation, so didn't want to say anything. So, she asked me to look into the situation. I reported the problem to both the caregiver's employer and to Adult Protective Services. The state investigated the situation and said that the elderly woman is getting adequate care. The reader agrees that the situation is better for the elderly woman and that the caregiver is now coming to work. If you see an abusive situation of the elderly, children or the disabled, you can call APS to investigate. Their toll-free number, 1-800-252-5400, is answered round-the-clock. You might experience a wait though. It took about an hour for me to get through.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Reporting neglect of the elderly" is tagged: Adult Protective Services , elderly , Problem Solver October 12, 2009
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's watchdog columnist, Dave Lieber, reported this weekend on similar complaints he's hearing. One reader was told he could be arrested if he didn't pay up. A top NTTA official says the fees -- $25 per toll violation, plus other costs -- are needed to cover its collections operation. But state Sen. Jane Nelson is skeptical. "It's gotten out of hand," she told Lieber. "What really bothers me is this is not supposed to be a revenue source for the NTTA." The implication: Funding is tight as NTTA expands with more toll roads. Nelson also told Lieber that when she's made inquiries about this with agency officials, "They've been very defensive."
![]() ![]() The entry "Local senator questions NTTA's late-fee collection" is tagged: administrative , Allen Clemson , collection , collection agency , fees , Jane Nelson , late , North Texas Tollway Authority , NTTA , toll roads , tolls
1. Back in 2002, The News' Doug J. Swanson told you how Texas lets doctors keep licenses despite criminal behavior and other misconduct. The state pledged reforms after the stories, et cetera et cetera. Fast forward seven years. Enter another News reporter, Brooks Egerton. And you can guess where I'm headed. My question this morning: Is anyone in a position of power dialing the Texas Medical Board to ask why it let these doctors remain active? 2. A Boston firm seeking a billion-dollar contract from the Texas State Board of Education has given gifts to two key members who then failed to disclose them, News freelance writer Jeff Horwitz writes. Explanation from one of the two: He thought he had received the gifts out of friendship, not because he served on the board. The other member declined comment, which was probably a smarter move. Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Questions linger about state boards" is tagged: AEW Capital Management , discipline , doctors , finance committee , Irvin Zeitler Jr. , misconduct , physicians , psychiatrists , real estate , Rene Nuñez , Rick Agosto , surgeons , Texas Medical Board , Texas State Board of Education October 7, 2009
That's up from last month, but better than a year ago, when the PUC received 1,849 electricity complaints in August 2008. Electricity prices dropped this year, leaving people feeling more satisfied with their service. The PUC lists the complaints, but cautions consumers to "keep in mind that large companies will naturally have a greater total number of complaints because of their size." The companies with the lowest complaint rate are Green Mountain Mega Energy and Nueces Electric Cooperative Reliant Energy. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: PUC lists company complaints" is tagged: electricity , Elizabeth Souder , Katie Fairbank , Problem Solver , PUC
1. Cory Young (right), an 18-year-old in Keller, recently died from drinking poppy tea, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Boiling seeds or seed pods essentially creates cheap, homemade morphine, of God-only-knows how strong a concentration. "The kids 2. Cory is not the first area resident to die this way, according to another grieving family's Web site. They've documented several deaths around the country, including another one in Tarrant County early this year. Do you have a tip about drugs? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Poppy tea kills two North Texans" is tagged: Cory Young , morphine , overdose , poppy pods , poppy seeds , poppy tea October 5, 2009
One of the readers said today that they were never told that their filing fee was not refundable. "Not once were we told by any of the dozens of Chase personnel that we spoke to did they ever mention that the $750 was non-refundable," wrote Jo Ann Douglas. "The spokesman's (Chase) rhetoric does not match what their employees are actually saying or doing!" ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Refinancing problematic" is tagged: Chase Bank , mortgage , Problem Solver , refinance
1. Yes, utility operator Ken Weaver (right) really was a stock car driver. But college football star? College baseball star? College degree? That stuff was all made up, my colleagues Steve McGonigle and Ed Timms discovered. They found that Weaver also has a record of plane and car theft. But the Texas Public Utility Commission didn't seem to notice. It let him run Freedom Power, which sells prepaid electricity to the poor and amassed the highest rate of consumer complaints of any electricity provider in Texas. 2. Comments posted on my colleague Dave Tarrant's report from Jordan suggest that many readers don't want any back story on Ellis County terrorism suspect Hosam Smadi. But for those of you who do, this piece is a must-read. 3. Keashia Matthews, the Arlington mom at the center of a scandal we exposed over how Child Protective Services works, is defending herself to Channel 8. Sort of, anyway. My favorite quote from the TV piece regards the thought that has haunted her since she left her toddler to die in a hot truck: "Just what I could have done different." Do you have a tip about child welfare? CPS? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Does PUC care about exec's record?" is tagged: Arlington , child death , Child Protective Services , consumer complaints , CPS , Darrell Singleton , Dave Tarrant , day care , deregulation , Ed Timms , electricity , Freedom Power , Hosam Smadi , Italy , Jordan , Keashia Matthews , Ken Weaver , prepaid service , Public Utility Commission , PUC , scandal , Steve McGonigle , terrorism September 30, 2009
As my story in today's paper notes, Texas is the heart of the U.S. chemical industry, especially along the Gulf Coast from Beaumont-Port Arthur (right) to Corpus Christi. The toxic substances law regulates chemicals as they come into contact with people through products or industrial uses. Risks from chemical emissions into the air fall under the Clean Air Act. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Toxic chemicals next on EPA's hit list" is tagged: Environmental Protection Agency , EPA , Lisa Jackson , toxic chemicals , Toxic Substances Control Act September 28, 2009
"Your read left me and certainly Adrin Kirk with an empty helpless feeling," wrote John Mitro. This was the first impasse that I have written about. The appliance store would not give a refund. The appliances were used and not covered by warranty. Kirk could report the store to different consumer groups, but that wouldn't get her money back. She could try small claims court, but she's already spent more time than she wanted to on this. So, this is one of those situations where the consumer is left unhappy. Maybe someone handy will be interested in purchasing the appliances. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Column frustrates readers" is tagged: consumer , JD's Appliances , problem solver , refrigerator , washing machine September 23, 2009
"Every responsible airline executive I know thinks these things are an outrage," he said yesterday, when he testified before Congress. The bill was born in large part out of December 2006 storms in Texas, during which many people were stuck on parked American flights for more than eight hours. That led the Fort Worth-based carrier to talk of reform and a four-hour limit. "Because no similar situation has occurred in the 80-plus years of American's history, it is a rule that may never be used again," the airline told Congress and reporters at the time. But the rule soon turned out not to be a rule, as The Dallas Morning News' Terry Maxon reported in 2007.
The Air Transport Association, which represents major airlines, says new rules are a bad idea. Do you have a tip about airlines? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: American Airlines' ex-boss breaks ranks with industry, supports passenger-rights bill" is tagged: Air Transport Association , American Airlines , FlyersRights.org , ground delays , Kate Hanni , parked flights , passenger rights , Robert Crandall , storms , stranded , Terry Maxon September 21, 2009
But United Surgical Partners International's relationship with the not-for-profit Baylor system goes back a decade, mirroring the growth in physician-owned hospitals (Baylor Medical Center at Frisco shown in photo) and ambulatory surgical facilities. Baylor chief executive Joel Allison is on the board of directors of USPI as is former Baylor CEO Boone Powell Jr. Allison receives no compensation for his board service, according to USPI's financial filings with the SEC. Powell received $35,000 in cash and another $11,000 in stock awards from USPI in 2008. Former Baylor executive Brett Brodnax is an executive vice president for Dallas-based USPI and its chief development officer.
![]() ![]() The entry "Baylor's silent partner in doctor-owned hospitals" is tagged: ambulatory surgical centers , Anderson & Stowe , Baylor Health Care System , Carson , doctor-owned hospitals , Donald Steen , Joel Allison , Thomas Scully , United Surgical Partners International , Welsh
1. The idea was competition would lower Texans' health-care costs. What patients got instead were fatter bills and less effective treatments, according to a Dallas Morning News multi-day series called "The Cost of Care" that began Sunday. Some of my colleagues who contributed reporting will be blogging here on their findings this week. 2. Closing arguments are expected to begin later this morning in the Dallas City Hall corruption trial, The News' Jason Trahan reports. After these end, jurors will deliberate on a verdict for what could be weeks. 3. I didn't hear NBC give a shout-out last night to the Arlington voters who agreed to subsidize the new Cowboys Stadium. The upshot: NBC did compare it to the pyramids, Parthenon, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal and Roman Coliseum. We'll see if it attracts similar numbers of tourists so that Arlington can recoup the tax dollars residents are giving Jerry Jones. Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Health-care bills falling? Didn't think so." is tagged: Arlington , bribery , corruption , Cost of Care , Cowboys Stadium , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , doctors , Don Hill , exams , football , Health care , hospitals , Jerry Jones , medical bills , nurses , patients , Sheila Farrington , tax subsidies , treatment , trial September 14, 2009
1. Another family is accusing child psychiatrist William Olmsted (right) of misconduct with their daughter. And they're likewise mad at the Texas Medical Board, saying that it did nothing after they complained. Last week, Dallas Morning News writer Diane Jennings reported that the board let Olmsted keep his medical license after a Dallas County court put him on probation for molesting a girl. Board officials won't talk about why they chose this disciplinary route. 2. The Plano Chamber of Commerce wants residents to shop within the city, News reporter Theodore Kim reports. Seems that sales tax revenue has plummeted as new shopping magnets have beckoned further north. How long will it be, do you think, before Frisco starts losing out to the next big thing even further north? What will be the first Dallas suburb in Oklahoma? Do you have a tip about doctor discipline? The Texas Medical Board? Other professional disciplinary issues? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: 2nd rap vs. Dallas molester-doctor" is tagged: child psychiatriast , Diane Jennings , doctor discipline , doctors , Frisco , medical license , molestation , Oklahoma , Plano Chamber of Commerce , probation , sales tax , shopping , sprawl , Texas Medical Board , Theodore Kim , William Olmsted September 11, 2009
1. A Dallas County court put child psychiatrist William Olmsted (right) on probation for child molestation. But he can still work as a doctor. That's because the Texas Medical Board recently decided not to take his license away, as Dallas Morning News reporter Diane Jennings shows today. The board decided it was enough to limit his practice to treatment of men, in a group setting. Olmsted must also get a psychiatric evaluation, attend "professional boundaries" courses and pay a fine. All of which recalls my colleague Doug Swanson's 2002 investigation showing that the board was reluctant to punish doctors who sexually assaulted or otherwise harmed patients. And it recalls Doug's 2007 follow-up on a Texas legislator who was in business with a doctor and called a special hearing to see whether the board was too aggressive in its discipline. 2. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert says real police officers will begin checking out car-burglary complaints in person instead of letting civilian call takers handle the task by phone. And there will be a sweeping review of all 2009 reports that Dallas police labeled untrustworthy. The changes come in direct response to News reporters Steve Thompson and Tanya Eiserer's recent findings that cops weren't counting all crimes. 3. Today's update on the Dallas Episcopal Diocese's stockbroker-priest scandal: A second clergyman has left his pulpit -- and he's talking about suing parishioners who accuse him of investment-related misconduct. Do you have a tip about doctor discipline? The Texas Medical Board? Other professional disciplinary issues? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas molester keeps medical license" is tagged: Bishop James Stanton , Brooks Egerton , car burglary , child abuse , child psychiatriast , crime statistics , Dallas Episcopal Diocese , Dallas mayor , Dallas police , Diane Jennings , discipline , First Canterbury Securities , leave of absence , molestation , parishioners , Paul Lambert , probation , Raymond Jennison , reforms , Steve Thompson , stockbroker-priest scandal , suffragan bishop , Tanya Eiserer , Texas Medical Board , Tom Leppert , William Olmsted , William Warnky September 4, 2009
Effective immediately, priests are "barred from soliciting, providing or selling secular products or services to parishioners," a diocesan press release says. It quotes Stanton thusly: "This new policy is designed to eliminate any conflicts of interest, and we hope these changes will raise the level of confidence in our clergy and that of the people under their care." Diocesan leaders previously told me that priests had long been prohibited from financial involvement with parishioners. But it turns out that the policy was pretty vague -- it read, according to the press release: "The relationship of members of the clergy with fellow clergy and with members of the laity must be of the highest moral and professional character." Stanton recently suspended Warnky from the ministry after financial regulators barred him from selling securities. The regulators acted because Warnky failed to pay a former parishioner, D.R. Marshall, $50,000 for stock fraud.
Another former member of Warnky's parish (Good Samaritan, near White Rock Lake) told diocesan officials this week that Jennison mistreated her when she complained to him, in late 2007, about Warnky. ![]() ![]() The entry "Tougher rules ordered for Dallas Episcopal clergy; another stockbroker-priest may be suspended" is tagged: Bishop James Stanton , clergy , D.R. Marshall , Dallas Episcopal Diocese , First Canterbury Securities , Garland , Good Samaritan Episcopal Church , Jeanette Prasifka , misconduct , Paul Lambert , priest , Raymond Jennison , St. David's Episcopal Church , stock fraud , stockbroker , William Warnky
1. American Airlines is rejoining Southwest on the list of carriers facing regulators' ire over maintenance practices. According to The Wall Street Journal, the FAA suspects that AA mothballed a plane to hide defects. The move reportedly occurred as regulators investigated possible improper repairs to at least 16 MD-80s. American says allegations of impropriety "misrepresent the facts." Southwest, meanwhile, recently got permission to keep flying dozens of planes with unauthorized parts. Back in the spring, you may recall, the FAA made both airlines cancel hundreds of flights over inspection and repair issues.
Do you have a tip about aviation safety? Probationers? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Did AA make bad repairs, too?" is tagged: American Airlines , canceled flights , Dan Morales , FAA , Federal Aviation Admininstration , mail fraud , maintenance , regulation , regulators , repairs , settlement , Southwest Airlines , tax fraud , Texas attorney general , tobacco lawsuit , unauthorized parts September 3, 2009
The so-called Hitting Machine played for America's Team from 1984-90 and, according to a federal indictment, went on to work in businesses that played off his former employer's name. They allegedly included America's Team Mortgage, America's Team Realty, America's Team Funding Group, Cowboys Realty and Cowboys Mortgage. Lockhart, of Carrollton, and eight others are accused of running a scheme from 2001 to 2005 that generated "approximately $20.5 million in fraudulent loans" in the Dallas area, federal prosecutors said. ![]() ![]() The entry "Ex-Dallas Cowboy charged with mortgage fraud" is tagged: America's Team , America's Team Funding Group , America's Team Mortgage , America's Team Realty , Carrollton , Cowboys Mortgage , Cowboys Realty , Dallas Cowboys , Eugene Lockhart , Hitting Machine , mortgage fraud September 2, 2009
1. What has become of Robert Peters? He was principal of Lang Middle School (right) but "left" DISD after a TAKS cheating scandal recently came to light, my co-worker Tawnell Hobbs reports. Dallas school district boss Michael Hinojosa says Peters bears some responsibility for what happened and has quit cooperating with investigators. Teachers probably aren't responsible and students definitely aren't, Hinojosa adds. Check out Tawnell's DISD blog, where skeptical commenters are already having a field day. 2. Hold your breath: The FAA says Southwest Airlines can take until Christmas Eve to replace unauthorized parts on its planes, as The Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson reports. Do you have a tip about Lang Middle School? Robert Peters? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: DISD blames principal for cheating" is tagged: cheating , Dallas Independent School District , DISD , DISD blog , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , Lang Middle School , maintenance , Michael Hinojosa , principal , Robert Peters , Southwest Airlines , TAKS , Tawnell Hobbs , testing , unauthorized parts September 1, 2009
There are often delays between fixes at the meter and an electric bill. Unfortunately, this went on for some months and Harton was concerned about how he would be able to know if the looming bill was correct by the time it arrived. "I called TXU in early June to inform them and got little help," Harton wrote. "I asked them how to contact Oncor in regards to the meter problem and was not given any assistance there as well." Problem Solver relayed his information. He finally got a bill this month. It was indeed a whopper, coming in at $1,200. Harton said he plans to pay at his own pace.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Where's the electric bill?" is tagged: electricity; meter; Problem Solver; TXU Energy August 31, 2009
The woman, who asked that her name not be used, is retired and living on Social Security. She lives alone and has no family to turn to for a loan. She has no credit cards and no savings to draw on. She supplements her income by substitute teaching during the school year, but that wasn't going to help her out of this situation any time soon. "I won't get even a small check from school for at least six weeks, and these faucets have been leaking for months. I'm an environmentalist, so I just hate wasting this water, and the bill is huge. I'll have to be two weeks late to even pay it," she said. "These leaks are a constant stream in both the kitchen sink and bath tub, wasting many gallons per hour. This is my family home and fixtures are old. It was built in 1956," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Plumber to the rescue" is tagged: problem solver; plumber; water
1. See the red ring around this little boy's neck? It's a reminder of the window-blind cord that nearly killed him a few months ago. His family, the Yearouts of Garland, say last week's federal recall of several brands of window blinds didn't go far enough in addressing strangulation risks, The Dallas Morning News' Ray Leszcynski reports. The Yearouts now advocate banning corded products from day-care facilities in Texas. Thinking about all this took me back to my recent post on killer bassinets. 2. Is part of the Southwest Airlines fleet about to be grounded? The News' Eric Torbenson says the hometown air carrier is about out of time to resolve its latest maintenance mess. Do you have a tip about a household product? Southwest Airlines? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Window blinds nearly kill Garland boy " is tagged: bassinet , child friendly , Consumer Product Safety Commission , cords , day care , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , Garland , maintenance , recall , safety , Southwest Airlines , strangulation , window blinds , Yearout August 28, 2009
I learned today that two months ago, Stanton quietly stripped the Rev. Keith Roberson (below right) of his collar for three years for "conduct unbecoming a member Here's a partial translation that I coaxed out of Stanton's top aide, Bishop Suffragan Paul Lambert: The conduct was directed at women at the Terrell church where Roberson worked, Good Shepherd. "It was more harassment than anything," and "it was nothing physical." Roberson declined to comment today. He runs an optical repair business in Fort Worth called J.R. Optical, whose Web site says: "I am an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church and I uphold the values and character traits associated with a life of personal commitment and service to the Lord. I live by the Scripture verse 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' I am honest, open, professional, congenial, and stand by my word." Lambert acknowledged that Roberson previously left another parish -- he wouldn't say which one -- amid controversy. "It was a bad match," he said. "It was not sexual harassment." Years ago, Roberson also worked briefly as a fill-in priest at Good Samaritan, where Warnky was the priest in charge until this week. It hasn't been decided yet how long Warnky will be out of ministry. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another Dallas Episcopal priest suspended" is tagged: Bishop James Stanton , Bishop Suffragan , Dallas , Episcopal Diocese , Good Samaritan Episcopal Church , Good Shepherd Episcopal Church , Keith Roberson , Paul Lambert , suspended , William Warnky
"Kate, is there anything that I can do to go after these people and get some sort of restitution?" one of the readers asked? Columnist Pamela Yip wrote about this type of scam in June, but unfortunately the reader didn't see her warning. There are various twists to the shopping con. One has the shopper giving the con artist access to bank information to cash their "paycheck." Another has the shopper receiving a money order to buy several small items then sending back the cash to their "employer." The money order winds up as a fake and is later denied at the bank. The cash and employer are long gone by that time. There is usually no recourse in getting any money back, but if you're caught up in something like this you should report it to the authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission and Texas Attorney General's office. These scams seem to proliferate, but at least if the right people have the information a few thieves may get caught. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Readers caught in shopping scam" is tagged: secret; shopper; scam; con; Problem Solver;
1. The controversy surrounding the car-towing practices of Dallas County constables Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes grows more interesting by the day. Evans has now hired powerful state Sen. Royce West (right) as his lawyer amid a corruption investigation by the Dallas County District Attorney's office, reports Kevin Krause. West has been a major donor and adviser to DA Craig Watkins. And Watkins' office, meanwhile, defends constables when they face civil lawsuits. What do you make of all these potential conflicts of interest?
Do you have a tip about constables? Senators? Prosecutors? Car dealers? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: New twist in Dallas constable inquiry" is tagged: conflicts of interest , constables , counter-suit , Craig Watkins , Dallas County , David Stephens , Derick Evans , district attorney , Jaguar , Jaime Cortes , Kevin Krause , lawsuit , Millennium Motor Cars , Plano , Royce West , Terry Box , towing , warranty claims August 26, 2009
Stanton said he was unaware of what I discovered late yesterday: A Dallas judge put the Rev. William Warnky (below right) on 10 years of probation in 2006 for contempt of court after he failed to pay about $50,000 in child support to his second wife. Warnky should have disclosed this to Dallas Episcopal Diocese leaders, the bishop said. "Mercy," he added. "That is a very serious This spring, the Texas attorney general's office sought to jail Warnky because of continuing child-support failures. The judge let him stay on probation. Warnky has been making payments since, the AG's office said. The priest declined to comment today. He led services Sunday at his church, Good Samaritan, which is a few blocks south of White Rock Lake. Stanton said his suspension from ministry took effect Monday. ![]() ![]() The entry "Dallas priest suspended over stock-fraud case" is tagged: Bishop James Stanton , bishop suffragan , child support , contempt of court , Episcopal Diocese , Financial Industry Regulatory Authority , FINRA , First Canterbury Securities , Good Samaritan Episcopal Church , jail , Paul Lambert , priest , probation , securities fraud , stockbroker , suspension , Texas attorney general , William Warnky August 24, 2009
Ronnie Dawson of Greenville couldn't pay his electric bill and was worried about how he'd survive. It wasn't the heat so much as the lack of refrigeration for the insulin that he takes daily for his diabetes.
The bill from city-owned Greenville Electric Utility System was initially a little more than $365. But Dawson, 56, asked for another read of his meter. That did knock $89 off the total, but the clock was ticking. He now had fewer than 48 hours to come up with $276. "It might not be much to you, but it is to me when I don't have [the money] and they won't work with me," said Dawson. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Diabetic gets help on bill" is tagged: Greenville; air conditioner; Adult Protective ; municipal owned electric company , Problem Solver; GEUS August 21, 2009
1. The bassinet pictured at right looks like a place where a baby would enjoy sweet dreams. But it's really a death trap, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The latest apparent victim is a 6-month-old girl in Fort Worth. Four baby deaths have now been linked to convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" bassinets manufactured by Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa. Two have died since the federal commission issued a recall and safety alert a year ago. 2. The Fort Worth victim, who hasn't been publicly identified, died in January. So why is the safety commission only now sounding the alarm again? New commission chair Inez Tenenbaum said she could not discuss the death because it remains under investigation, according to the Associated Press. 3. What has become of Simplicity? Here's what the commission says: "SFCA Inc., the Reading, Pa.-based company that purchased the assets of juvenile product manufacturer Simplicity Inc. after foreclosure, no longer appears to be conducting day to day operations. SFCA Inc. is no longer answering phone calls or responding to e-mails from consumers." Do you have a tip about product safety? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: FW baby dies in recalled bassinet" is tagged: baby , bassinet , Consumer Product Safety Commission , Fort Worth , Inez Tenenbaum , investigation , recall , safety alert , SFCA , Simplicity August 19, 2009
Michael Gutierrez, spokesman for the electricity provider, made sure that the bill was corrected soon after I notified him about the problem. It turns out that the company's new computer system added a DBA, which is short hand for "Doing Business As," before Rifkin's name and then listed it as a commercial account. "The next day, I did receive my billing history," Rifkin said. "I will now be able to see how much money we are saving with the new windows that we installed." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: TXU Energy fixes billing" is tagged: TXU Energy; commercial rate; Problem Solver; electric bill August 18, 2009
Cisnero, who is in a coma with a tracheotomy, feeding tube and numerous broken bones, is doing well in a second nursing home that was found for her. She is showing improvement, her family says. "Alyssa is doing better at this new home. They are working with her and doing rehabilitation," said her sister Jessica Bustillos. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Accident victim improving " is tagged: Methodist Hospital; Problem Solver; nursing home
1. Execs of Dallas-based Aces Wired have pleaded guilty to running a gambling operation, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The company, which runs game rooms in several Texas counties, previously insisted that its machines met state requirements by not awarding cash prizes. Now it will forfeit more than $1 million, and the bosses will be put on probation. Prosecutors had planned to present allegations at trial that the execs bribed a Fort Worth police officer, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported recently. 2. Plano resident William Fletcher pleaded guilty to securities fraud three years ago and was put on probation. Now he's been charged with doing it again and using the proceeds to pay court-ordered restitution from the 2006 case, The Dallas Morning News' Elizabeth Souder reports. Will Fletcher -- who did business under the names Texas Oil Equities and Raptor Oil & Gas -- get probation again? Do you have a tip about gambling? Regulators? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Gambling crackdown in North Texas?" is tagged: Aces Wires , bribery , cash prizes , eight liners , Fort Worth police , gambling , game rooms , probation , Raptor Oil & Gas , regulators , restitution , securities fraud , Texas Oil Equities , William Fletcher August 17, 2009
Oncor runs the power transmission lines and reads meters for the various companies that provide electricity in North Texas. Stecko was concerned that if the Dallas-based power company read his meter early, he'd wind up with a cancellation fee for switching electricity providers before the end of his contract. If Oncor read it late, then he'd be subject to the month-to-month variable rate, which "can be very expensive." He also objected to paying the $7.25 fee that Oncor charges to get an out-of-cycle meter read because he figured he'd wind up doing that every year as he shopped for the best rate when his contract expired. Turns out that as of Sunday, the rules change and he won't have to pay anything extra to have his meter read whenever he changes electricity providers. And he won't have to worry about timing things perfectly any more either. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: PUC changes meter rules" is tagged: electricity; Oncor; meters; Public Utilities Commission; Problem Solver August 14, 2009
1. Oncor customers will pay a total of $115 million more statewide after the Public Utility Commission agreed to the company's request for higher rates, The News' Elizabeth Souder reports. That move ignored a previous ruling by a panel of administrative law judges that found Oncor should get only $30 million to subsidize an "imprudent" purchase of high-tech meters that didn't meet PUC requirements. 2. Star-Telegram watchdog columnist, Dave Lieber, has a nice piece on a 78-year-old military veteran who can't get his food stamps allotment renewed because of confusion within the Health and Human Services Commission. Some residents have sued to try and get results. 3. An employee who helped stage those infamous fights among the mentally disabled residents at a state-run Corpus Christi school was convicted Thursday. Those were not the only problems at the facility, which operates under the oversight of the Department of Aging and Disability Services. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Revisiting Texas' "State of Neglect"" is tagged: abuse , Department of Aging and Disability Services , fight club , fights , food stamps , Health and Human Services Commission , mentally disabled , meters , neglect , News investigations , Oncor , Public Utility Commission , rates , State of Neglect August 13, 2009
1. Federal prosecutors, in the meat of their case, scored as developer-turned-informant James R. "Bill" Fisher testified about paying a load of money to Don Hill's associates and finally winning his vote. However, in a boost to Hill's defense, Fisher acknowledged Hill never asked for cash and Fisher never paid him directly. (Trial is recessed until Monday, fyi.) 2. We know Rick Perry is the longest serving governor the state's had. And we know before then, he toiled in Austin as well. So why was he also claiming a home in College Station to get a tax exemption? He dropped it after the Associated Press broke the story this week. 3. Now for a little media talk: The Texas House is apparently blocking a Houston-based online news organization from covering an upcoming session. I know this news org, Texas Watchdog, is a competitor to The News. But c'mon, House. We Texans need more -- not fewer -- journalists covering Austin. Give them access. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: City Hall trial news, Perry's tax break" is tagged: bribery , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Darren Reagan , Don Hill , extortion , governor , homestead , House , House of Representatives , housing , James R. "Bill" Fisher , Marcus Busch , media access , Rick Perry , tax exemption , Texas Watchdog , trial August 11, 2009
Not theirs. It parked in the Gulf. It also returned to Texas early because of a medical emergency. Despite my intervention, Carnival only refunded the couple a total of $80 in port taxes and offered 50 percent off a future cruise. So the Diekens disputed the remaining $1,770 they paid to their credit card. "They took it off completely," said Dieken. He said he is now satisfied with the result.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Couple gets card refund for cruise" is tagged: Carnival; cruise; Problem Solver; swine flu; Mexico
1. Co-defendant Allen McGill (shown at right) testified Monday that his sham Black State Employees Association of Texas opposed a housing developer's project to force the hiring of minority contractors who'd give it kickbacks later, The News' Jason Trahan reports. Once the developer played ball, the opposition lifted. McGill and his cohort, Darren Reagan, realized that they were ones worked over months later: The developer was an FBI informant. 2. The Hearst network of newspapers, which includes Houston and San Antonio, is wrapping up a series that finds about 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. That echoes The News' State of Neglect investigative series, which earlier this year found that Texas lets hospitals hide their mistakes from the public. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: In Dallas, "support" ain't what it seems" is tagged: Allen McGill , Black State Employees Association of Texas , bribery , BSEAT , corruption , Dallas City Hall , Darren Reagan , deaths , doctors , errors , hospitals , medical , medicine , mistakes , nurses , trial August 10, 2009
Margaret said she reported that her air conditioner was leaking and no longer putting out cool air last week to the out-of-state owner of Cherokee Village Apartments. She said a worker showed up and cut out a piece of carpet that was soaked from the leak. But he didn't do anything to repair the air conditioner. "No cold air comes out, and they didn't fix it," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Older woman needs AC help" is tagged: Problem Solver; air conditioning; apartment
1. Holly K. Hacker's Sunday story found half of college-bound graduates from some North Texas high schools earned less than a C average their freshman year. That includes middling results from kids at Dallas' nationally recognized magnet school. The state's higher education commissioner said it was a "serious problem" that students are "stunned when they arrive on a college campus." Look up your school with this online database. 2. Current and former members of the non-profit that runs the Alamo has been squabbling over finances. That brings this to light: The state may own the landmark, but no agency provides management oversight. That worries San Antonio's mayor, The News' Marjorie Korn reports. 3. News reporters aren't the only ones who fight for records. An audit released this morning shows the FDIC wouldn't share documents with the State Auditor's Office as part of a review of the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Are Texas students ready for college?" is tagged: Alamo , colleges , Daughters of the Republic of Texas , David Stewart , Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending , FDIC , Patti Atkins , public information , public universities , Raymund Paredes , records , Rick Perry , San Antonio , State Auditor's Office , TAKS , Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board August 6, 2009
1. In its latest audit released yesterday, the auditor's office cited 19 examples in which the dental board's online database didn't have up-to-date disciplinary actions against practitioners. Because the public can use that information, the gap "puts patients at risk of receiving services from licensees who have committed repeated violations." The audit is dense reading. So I recommend you first check out the story by The News' Terrence Stutz. 2. Dallas City Hall trial item A: The state passed laws requiring community approval for the type of low-income housing projects at the heart of the corruption case. Testimony reiterated how some co-defendants feigned community opposition to allegedly extract kickbacks from developers. 3. Dallas City Hall trial item B: Laura Miller's name came up again, as I predicted. The defense questioned Dallas' housing director about Miller's appointment of Brian Potashnik, a major campaign contributor of hers, to a task force that created policy benefiting his company. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: What's with Texas' dental regulators?" is tagged: audit , Brian Potashnik , bribery , complaints , corruption , Dallas City Hall , Darren Reagan , dentists , disciplinary , Don Hill , enforcement , hygienists , Jerry Killingsworth , John Keel , kickbacks , Laura Miller , Southwest Housing Development , State Auditor's Office , State Board of Dental Examiners , trial August 5, 2009
Soon after the blog went up, a spokesperson from Oncor contacted us and requested to speak with Lachica. After Oncor re-read the meter and verified the reading, he agreed to accept the bill and paid. "[My wife] has been watching the meter to track our usages, and we're just going to wait and see how much the bill is going to be this time," Lachica said. Spokeswoman Carol Peters attributes the sharp increase in usage to the unexpectedly warm weather. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem solver: Oncor, reader resolve dispute" is tagged: bill , electric , Mesquite , meter , misread , Oncor , problem solver
1. There's a new twist in the controversial dealings between Dallas County constables and the troubled towing company they're using: One of the law enforcers gave a worker from the firm a job, The News' Kevin Krause blogs. A state agency is investigating. 2. Dallas' housing director testified in the City Hall bribery trial that he thought Don Hill and co-defendant D'Angelo Lee were too cozy with developer Brian Potashnik, The News' Jason Trahan reports. Hill approved Potashnik's projects against recommendations from the housing department, which we reported in this 2005 story. 3. The New York Times explores the pharmaceutical industry's influence on scientific research: A company secretly paid a ghostwriter to draft published papers backing hormone therapy in women, benefiting later as sales of the drugs it produced soared. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas constable's ties to tow firm grow" is tagged: Bill Fisher , Brian Potashnik , constables , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Dallas County , Derick Evans , Don Hill , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , Elsevier , hormone replacement therapy , Jaime Cortes , New York Times , pharmaceutical , PLoS Medicine , Premarin , Prempro , Southwest Housing Development , Wyeth August 4, 2009
Some questioned whether she had been drunk or drugged when she had her accident. No, she wasn't. She had no alcohol or drugs in her bloodstream, her family says. Others wanted to know if she was on welfare. She was not. She worked for her grandfather in his electrical supply store for about eight years.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Readers debate victim's case" is tagged: Health; Methodist Hospital; Problem Solver; nursing home August 3, 2009
Methodist Dallas Medical Center was recently working to move Cisnero to one of the few nursing homes locally that would accept her. But her family had found that home appalling during a previous stay, so they refused to sign a release allowing the transfer. "They [Methodist] gave us an ultimatum. Either you find a place or she goes to your house," said Cisnero's sister Jessica Bustillos. "That's basically sending her to her deathbed." The family said they appreciated the care offered by Methodist's medical staff, but they were offended by how they were treated by the administration. A spokeswoman for Methodist said they were unable to speak about specifics of this case because of patient privacy. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Woman transferred to home " is tagged: Problem Solver; Methodist; nursing home; coma July 30, 2009
Fortunately, TXU Energy spokesman Michael Gutierrez and a team of customer service workers have graciously fixed more than four-dozen of the accounts they've been sent by Problem Solver. They also helped out in the case of Paula Reynolds, who had her meter misread by 1,981 kilowatt-hours. Oncor caught the problem, but Reynolds has spent months trying to get her bill to accurately reflect the credit. Last week, TXU closed the loop on that problem. "The account has been given a credit of $77.97 for that billing period and, as a courtesy, we applied a credit of $25.50," Gutierrez said.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: TXU Energy fixes accounts " is tagged: electricity; TXU Energy; Oncor; Problem Solver
1. State regulators are now investigating the car-towing company used by two Dallas County constables that has created controversy in recent weeks, The News' Kevin Krause reports. The company -- which has no county oversight -- is run by a troubled businessman who also has an auto salvage shop. 2. Protections for federal employees who blow the whistle on corruption were expanded yesterday, USA Today tells us. Most can now request that a jury hear their case, excluding intelligence agency employees. Advocates wanted protections for all workers. 3. Perhaps the biggest story in Dallas is the City Hall bribery trial. But it's not the only corruption case in the courts. A suburban D.C. jury is deliberating the fate of former U.S. congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot links: Towing firm, whistleblowers, bribe trial" is tagged: bribery , congressman , constables , corruption , Dallas City Hall , Dallas County , Derick Evans , Don Hill , Dowdy Ferry Auto , FBI , federal , indictment , Jaime Cortes , legislation , prosecutors , protections , trial , whistleblowers , William Jefferson July 29, 2009
Lachica said his July 2009 meter read a usage of 1,508 kilowatt-hours, as compared to about 800 kwh from the same month last year. That's even though he has not bought new appliances or changed any usage habits. "I talked to a couple of our neighbors and they experienced the same thing," Lachica said in an e-mail to us. "I would really appreciate if you would continue to investigate this matter because I believe that lots of people are being ripped off." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Oncor meter irks another reader" is tagged: bill , electric , Mesquite , meter , misread , Oncor , Problem Solver July 28, 2009
"I need air, it is 107 degrees in my room," Monk said. "I need help. I can't live in hell all my life." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Burn victim needs cooler home" is tagged: problem solver; air conditioning; apartment July 27, 2009
The suit targets the Coppell-based SAT and ACT Test Prep Center and its operators, a Cedar Hill couple named Frances Stuart and John Joseph Stuart (at right, after his recent arrest on unrelated charges -- more on that below). I just tried to reach the Stuarts at the Coppell business and got a recording saying that the phone had been temporarily disconnected. I also left a message for them at the Student Resource Center, a virtually identical business that Frances set up in May, using a downtown Dallas address. My original blog post about consumer complaints led me to do a little digging about the Stuarts. I discovered that John had been convicted of sexually exploiting a child in Arizona, was a registered sex offender -- and had failed to tell police that he was working at the prep center. Cedar Hill police responded by arresting him. The AG's office says the Stuarts' telemarketers made calls to several states, "falsely telling parents that their children had expressed an interest" in test-prep software. Many who bought the material "discovered that the CD they received matched an outdated, 2006 version that was offered by a nationally recognized company" for far less. The Stuarts have previously denied wrongdoing. I last heard from them early this month, when Frances posted a comment on another of my blog posts and told me to "go to hell." ![]() ![]() The entry "AG sues owners of Coppell test-prep company" is tagged: Cedar Hill , college prep , consumer , Coppell , downtown Dallas , Frances Stuart , fraud , John Stuart , lawsuit , SAT and ACT Prep Center , sex offender , Student Resource Center , telemarketing , test-prep software , Texas attorney general
1. Food and Drug Administration data found that "deviations" from good food-manufacturing processes were found in nearly a third of 16,500 safety inspections during the last fiscal year, the Chicago Tribune reported. 2. So you want to eat organic food and are willing to pay the higher price. Can you be sure you're getting what you're buying? The agency responsible for ensuring such authenticity is overworked and understaffed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Do you have a tip these or other subjects? Send me an e-mail or leave me a comment. Like social networking? Follow us on Twitter at DMNInvestigates and ReeseDunklin. You can also join our Facebook group at DallasNews Digs. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Is food safety under scrutiny enough?" is tagged: Department of Agriculture , FDA , Food and Drug Administration , Food Inc. processing , health , National Organic Program , overhaul , safety inspections , USDA Organic , violations July 21, 2009
1. Wouldn't you like a deal like this? A businessman whose companies have stripped vehicles and sold parts builds a troubled record that includes loads of unpaid taxes. Yet he manages to get exclusive contracts with two Dallas County constables ... to tow vehicles. He and the constables end up doing so at a rate greater than some of the area's biggest suburban police forces. And, as The News' Kevin Krause tells us, he faces no oversight. 2. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration kept private research that showed driver inattention from cellphone use was similar to that of drunken driving. The agency worried Congress would become upset because it wanted researchers simply to gather data, not lobby states for action. Consumer groups now accuse the government of cover up, The New York Times reports. Do you have a tip these or other subjects? Send me an e-mail or leave me a comment. Like social networking? Follow us on Twitter at DMNInvestigates and ReeseDunklin. You can also join our Facebook group at DallasNews Digs. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Why did constables give this guy towing deal? Did agency cover up cellphone data?" is tagged: campaign contributions , cell phones , constables , contracts , Dallas County , Derick Evans , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , drivers , drunken driving , federal agency , inattention , Jaime Cortes , National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , Public Citizen , The Center for Auto Safety , towing , Transportation Department , vehicles July 20, 2009
When a new meter is installed, the technician takes the final reading in the field. The old meter is then taken to a warehouse and read a second time before it is recycled. That information is then entered into a database, where it is analyzed for problems. A review shows that the technicians misread the meters for five of the readers. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Electricity bill fixes" is tagged: Problem Solver; TXU Energy; electricity; Oncor July 13, 2009
"Today's article (DMN Problem Solver) was incredibly timely! I called NTTA this morning regarding a 'Late Notice' I received for a charge ($6.17) that I knew I had paid on time. The 'Late Notice' assessed me a $2.50 late fee, for a total of $8.67. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Another TollTag tale" is tagged: Tollway; TollTag; Problem Solver; NTTA; North Texas Tollway Authority
She e-mailed. "The email response said, 'We're too busy to look into this and we'll get back with you later.' The 'later' was a $103 collection agency notice," she said. The problem was that the North Texas Tollway Authority didn't know Udell had paid her bills. "The problem is there were no reference numbers on the checks, so they couldn't be cashed," said Sherita Coffelt, public information officer for the tollway authority. "The customer service director called her and worked it out. Everything should be good." Udell confirmed that things should be fixed. Still, "I don't know why it's so difficult to get to someone," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: TollTag Troubles" is tagged: Problem Solver; TollTag; North Texas Tollway Authority; July 10, 2009
When her daughter moved out of her apartment the landlord claimed the place was "trashed." But the daughter had hired a cleaning crew to scour the place. "Besides having lived there for two years, we had the carpets constantly cleaned, and [there were] some holes in the wall where we put pictures, it was clean," the daughter told my colleague Daphne Chen. "'Trashed' is the farthest thing from any truth at all." Now, the landlord is threatening to take the tenant to small claims court. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Apartment deposit advice" is tagged: Apartment; tenants; Problem Solver; deposit; landlord
1. Dallas banned public display of real-looking toy guns in 2007. But that did not stop a couple of guys from nearly getting shot by police recently, as The Dallas Morning News' Steve Thompson reports today. Do we need a law that bans the replicas outright, as other governments have tried? Who makes these products? Why is their manufacture allowed? Why do parents buy them for their kids? 2. The New York Times says John Shipley, an FBI agent in Texas, has been charged with running an unlicensed business: dealing guns that ended up in Mexico, used in narco-vs.-army shootouts. Do you have a tip about real guns? Fake guns? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Fake guns can be really deadly in Dallas" is tagged: army , ban , Dallas police , fake guns , FBI , John Shipley , manufacture , Mexico , narco , New York Times , parental responsibility , public display , replica guns , shootouts , toy guns , unlicensed gun dealer July 9, 2009
Now let's look at a mansion in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. Printz is a real estate lawyer. He sold the seven-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bath place for about $6 million, public records show. Records show that he also owns 80 acres of undeveloped land a little further north, in Napa Valley. His business partner, James S. Goody, owns about five acres there, plus a home in San Francisco valued at $1.7 million. I could not locate them for comment this afternoon. The Web site for their company, Bay Equity Real Estate Acquisitions, lists no contact information. A phone number I found elsewhere online is answered by a recording that does not state the company's name. ![]() ![]() The entry "Sweltering Pleasant Grove apartments: Follow the money to California real estate bigwigs" is tagged: air conditioning , apartment complex , Balch Springs , bankruptcy , Barclay Square , Bay Equity Real Estate Acquisitions , Brian Printz , court hearing , heat , James Goody , Kenneth Chaiken , Louisiana , low income , mansion , Marin County , Napa Valley , Oklahoma , Pleasant Grove , San Francisco , Texas Bay Barclay Square , Zillow.com
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: How to complain about A/C" is tagged: tenants rights; Problem Solver; apartment; landlord; air conditioning July 7, 2009
One person wrote that her family had a "crummy experience" last spring break, while another said she doesn't understand what the fuss is about because she often prefers to skip ports and stay on the ship. The upset reader said her family missed seeing Jamaica because the seven-day cruise returned to Galveston one day after it left because of a medical emergency. "What mayhem on the ship!" she wrote. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Cruisers weigh in on portless trip" is tagged: Carnival; cruise; port; Problem Solver; medical emergency
1. Despite Six Flags Over Texas' best efforts, some info is finally getting out about what went wrong with the Texas Giant last week. The wooden roller coaster promises "sheer white-knuckle terror" when it's working right. Sounds like its failure was pretty scary, too -- a safety inspector told me the last car on the train lost its proper track position and was dragged up to 300 feet, gouging the rails. 2. Six Flags isn't the only amusement park with safety problems. Federal regulators are investigating a deadly monorail crash that occurred early Sunday at Disney World, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Do you have a tip about amusement parks? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: New Six Flags coaster-failure details" is tagged: Disney World , failure , fatal crash , federal regulators , inspector , monorail , NTSB , Orlando Sentinel , safety problems , Six Flags Over Texas , Texas Giant , The Dallas Morning News , wooden roller coaster July 6, 2009
"On Friday, the ride was thoroughly inspected by Six Flags engineers and an inspector from the Texas Department of Insurance and has been cleared to reopen." The insurance department begged to differ with part of that statement. "We did not do any inspections," department spokesman Jerry Hagins said today. "We do not have any inspectors." Regular readers of this blog already knew as much from Thursday's post about the wooden coaster's safety woes. It was shut down most of last week for reasons Parker initially would not explain. Later she said that hot, dry weather had caused track misalignment. Hagins said recent news coverage did lead the insurance department to ask Six Flags to have the ride checked. In Texas, amusement parks' insurers hire the inspectors who certify -- usually once a year -- that rides are safe. So I went back to the Six Flags spokeswoman for clarification. Her reply: "The Texas Department of Insurance gives final approval for the ride once a third party inspection is completed and passed." To which Hagins clarified further: "We don't give final approval for a ride." The state merely issues a sticker after getting a signed statement from the insurer's inspector. Earlier in the day, I asked the Six Flags spokeswoman what was done to get the Texas Giant ready to roll again. This was the reply: "We have no further comment." ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: More ??? on Six Flags Over Texas" is tagged: amusement park , certificate , engineers , hot weather , inspection , Jerry Hagins , ride , safety , Six Flags Over Texas , spokeswoman Sharon Parker , sticker , Texas Department of Insurance , Texas Giant , track misalignment , wooden roller coaster
But it didn't. The ship went out into the Gulf of Mexico, basically parked, then sped back to Galveston one day early, the couple said. Because of the change in itinerary, Carnival says it has refunded each passenger his or her $40 in port taxes and will offer 50 percent off a future cruise as a "goodwill gesture." "Our first experience was so horrible, I don't know if I want to spend another week on a ship," Kathy Lynn Dieken said. "We were essentially lied to." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Carnival misses ports" is tagged: Problem Solver; cruise; Carnival; ports; medical emergency July 2, 2009
Spokeswoman Sharon Parker said today that hot, dry weather caused misalignment of the wooden track. The ride will remain closed all day today, she added. But she did not initially answer this question: Did any riders report pain or injury when the ride was stopped Monday afternoon? Late today, she emailed this response: "Our First Aid department did not inform me of any." Amusement parks must tell the Texas Department of Insurance about all injuries that require a physician's attention, TDI spokesman Jerry Hagins said. But they only need to file reports quarterly, so there's no way to get new info today. State officials do not inspect the rides or require owners to notify them when safety problems arise. The state does require owners' insurance companies to hire an inspector. That person must perform an annual check and certify to the state that rides are fit to operate.
![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Six Flags Over Texas update " is tagged: annual check , certificate , hot weather , injury report , inspect , insurance company , Jerry Hagins , misalignment , pain , roller coaster , safety problems , Sharon Parker , Six Flags Over Texas , sticker , Texas Department of Insurance , Texas Giant , wooden track July 1, 2009
But spokeswoman Sharon Parker won't talk about what's wrong, beyond saying that staff "detected an error with one of the cars on the track." What kind of error? "I haven't been given that information yet," she told me. "I'm just holding tight until the engineers provide me with that information." Why aren't they telling people more? Parker's response: "Our priority right now is getting to the root of it and making sure that we get it up and running safely. To me that's the No. 1 priority. I'm in constant communication with them. When the time is appropriate they will let me know, and I will convey that information to you guys. Until that time there is nothing else to share." The ride is scheduled for a $10 million renovation next year, as my newspaper reported in March. No major injuries were reported on the ride last year, according to this terrific searchable database published by the San Antonio Express-News. It covers all injury reports that Texas amusement parks must make to the state Department of Insurance. Six Flags made headlines last month when its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection. ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Six Flags Over Texas" is tagged: amusement park , bankruptcy , engineers , renovation , safety , San Antonio Express-News , Sharon Parker , Six Flags Over Texas , Texas Department of Insurance , Texas Giant June 30, 2009
"What I was hoping you could do is maybe investigate the money issue and put it in the paper. This may give us a chance to get some money back," said one of the student violin players. The student musicians were initially told that they'd get a refund from the hotel. But after the trip was called off, they found out that probably wasn't going to happen, because the cancellation occurred just a week prior to their arrival.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Mesquite students get refund" is tagged: swine flu; mesquite; schools; orchestra; trip; hotel refund June 29, 2009
Reader "STC" was correct that Texas' Local Government Code, chapter 176, requires public officials to fill out forms disclosing conflicts of interest with prospective government contractors. But there appears to be several loopholes in the law. The biggest seems to be that the state law defines a conflict as a financial relationship, employment or business. Friendship -- which you and I might think warrants a heads-up to the public -- does not. Even if there is a financial relationship, it may not have to be disclosed under chapter 176, depending on the money at stake and the timing of the transaction. ![]() ![]() The entry "Reader Talkback: Disclosing conflicts of interest" is tagged: Attorney General , Chapter 171 , Chapter 176 , conflicts of interest , disclosures , filings , Local Government Code , public officials , reporting , Texas Ethics Commission , votes
Because the carwashes are franchises, the $86 in gift cards actually are not good anywhere else but the place they were purchased. Even so, Kristin Poulain, manager of the Kwik Kar Lube & Tune in east Plano, said she'd be happy to honor them. Poulain said the credit could be used for oil changes, as well as carwashes and detail service. McComas was delighted with the offer. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Kwik Kar credit" is tagged: Problem Solver; car wash; consumer; Kwik Kar June 25, 2009
It turns out they do a lot of recycling. Tons of it. Specifically, more than 7,813 tons of material since 1996. The airport collects recycling all over the place, too. There are 86 public-use newspaper recycling containers, 76 public-use plastic bottle recycling containers and 80 administrative office mixed paper-recycling bins. The airport has almost doubled its primary recycling collection from 550 tons to 978 tons annually, Magana said. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: D/FW Airport recycles tons" is tagged: Problem Solver; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; D/FW; recycling June 24, 2009
"That's an extra $7 a day for each person paying this," he said. "There is no incentive to fix their system when you figure how much they've been making on this." The airport says there is a faulty data connection in its computerized system, so information is not always relayed from the Express North lot to the toll booths at the airport exits. When that happens, customers are charged at the higher terminal rate. The airport is working on fixing the connection. Airport spokesman David Magana said the problem "should be corrected by the end of the month." ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Airport overcharging on parking" is tagged: problem solver; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; DFW; parking; TollTag
1. Last year, Susan Hyde lost her paramedic's certification and her kids because she subjected them to dozens of medical treatments they apparently didn't need. This year, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie hired her as a patient care assistant, according to Dallas Morning News reporter Jon Nielsen. How and why did this happen? Hospital officials won't say. One possibility is that a background check focused only on criminal records -- and Hyde doesn't have one. 2. Addison-based Debt Relief USA said it could help you with your bills. Then it filed for bankruptcy, The News' Pamela Yip reports. Click here for updates on that case and a lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general. Also note that the Addison company is not affiliated with a New Jersey one that operates the Web site www.debtreliefusa.org. (I confused the two earlier.) Do you have a tip about background checks? Bankruptcy? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: How did Ellis woman get care job?" is tagged: Addison , background check , bankruptcy , Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie , child custody , criminal record , Debt Relief USA , debt settlement , Ellis County , Jon Nielsen , medical child abuse , Pamela Yip , paramedic certification , patient care assistant , Susan Hyde June 22, 2009
1. The entire back page is about Zicam, a line of homeopathic cold remedies. "Based on the FDA's recommendations, we have voluntarily taken two nasal products off the shelves," the ad says. But it never says what the safety issue is: Hundreds of users claim the non-prescription products have destroyed their sense of smell. The manufacturer, Matrixx Initiatives, disputes this -- but also has paid millions to settle claims from customers, The New York Times reports. Another thing the ad doesn't mention is this sharply worded warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2. Back up to yesterday's paper for an excellent set-up piece on the Dallas City Hall corruption trial, which is getting under way this morning in federal court. My colleague Jason Trahan did a terrific job of laying out the issues and the players. This morning's update: Developer-defendants Brian and Cheryl Potashnik didn't show up in court. Do you have a tip about over-the-counter drugs? The City Hall trial? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: This ad is nothing to sneeze at" is tagged: advertising , anosmia , Brian Potashnik , Cheryl Potashnik , cold remedies , consumer complaints , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Don Hill , FDA , federal court , Food and Drug Administration , homeopathic , Judge Barbara Lynn , Matrixx Initiatives , nasal gel , non-prescription , over the counter , Ray Jackson , Sheila Hill , smell , trial , voluntary removal , warning letter , Zicam June 15, 2009
1. One backdrop to Texas A&M president Elsa Murano's resignation is an emphasis among Perry friends and associates in commercializing research, the Austin American-Statesman reports. Perry, an A&M alum, is said to exert influence in other ways. This increasingly upsets the faculty members "by what they perceive as a command-and-control management style" by the Perry-picked chancellor and Board of Regents. 2. The state Insurance Commissioner, Perry appointee Mike Geeslin, will decide how much State Farm Insurance owes -- if anything -- as part of overcharging complaints on homeowner policies. The options: The state consumer advocate's office says $785 million plus interest; the Texas Department of Insurance says $250 million plus interest; and State Farm says zip. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Gov. Rick Perry's wide, vast reach" is tagged: chancellor , Elsa Murano , homeowners , insurance commissioner , Mike Geeslin , Mike McKinney , overcharging , policies , president , resignation , Rick Perry , State Farm Insurance , Texas A&M , Texas Department of Insurance June 12, 2009
1. Recession? What recession? Irving's City Council voted last night to pay City Manager Tommy Gonzalez more than $390,000 a year. That makes him the highest paid city manager in the area and maybe the state, my dogged colleague Brandon Formby reports. Gonzalez made news last week with text messages saying the Dallas Cowboys organization "pushes things thru" City Hall and built a practice facility that "probably never was structurally sound enough." He made those observations shortly after the facility collapsed; Brandon obtained the texts with an open-records request. 2. Frontiers of outsourcing: Southwest Airlines has reversed course and will use a company in El Salvador, Aeroman, to perform some "heavy" maintenance work. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: The richest city manager of them all?" is tagged: Aeroman , Brandon Formby , Brooks Egerton , City Manager Tommy Gonzalez , collapse , Dallas Cowboys , El Salvador , highest paid , Irving City Council , maintenance , open-records request , outsourcing , pay raise , practice facility , salary , Southwest Airlines June 11, 2009
1. Dallas Cowboys officials knew before building their practice facility that a new, similar structure erected by the same contractor had recently collapsed, I'm reporting today in The Dallas Morning News. 2. Another disaster killed three construction workers yesterday in Austin. The project's developer, Gary Perkins, has deep ties to the Dallas and Denton County areas. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Cowboys knew about prior collapse " is tagged: Austin , Cobalt Land Development , collapse , construction safety , construction workers , Dallas Cowboys , Gary Perkins , Philadelphia warehouse , practice facility , Summit Structures June 9, 2009
1. Judges must not hear cases involving major campaign contributors, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. So what do we do in Texas with litigation involving billionaire home builder Bob Perry, who has given big bucks to all nine justices on the state's highest court? 2. Many new details of the tainted-syringe scandal are emerging in a ProPublica/Chicago Tribune report. It paints a chilling picture of problems at the Food and Drug Administration. Among the four people who've died is a Texas toddler. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: What if all the judges have a conflict? " is tagged: Bob Perry , campaign contributions , Chicago Tribune , conflict of interest , donors , FDA , Food and Drug Administration , ProPublica , recusal , tainted syringes , Texas Supreme Court , U.S. Supreme Court
That's when things went wrong. He stepped right through the ceiling over the garage, leaving a gaping hole in the sheetrock. "He said he'd fix it, but he disappeared, and we've never seen him again. This is one 4-by-8 foot sheet of sheetrock. More ironic, is that the young man who stepped through the ceiling said that his regular job was hanging sheetrock," said the reader in a telephone interview. A lot of phone calls from the reader to the installation company and DirecTV resulted in nothing but a lot of frustration. "It's been years. No one seems to care that they put the hole in the garage. You can get a college degree in four years. You can serve as president in four years. It would be a miracle if you can get this settled," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Ceiling repairs" is tagged: consumer , DirecTV , Problem Solver June 2, 2009
Each month, Weempe would get another fraudulent charge and then would ask Capital One to shut down the account. "I just want the thing closed, but they say they can't cancel it until it has a zero balance for two months. I can't get a zero balance with this yahoo over there charging things," she said. "I do not know where to turn," she continued. "I have begged and pleaded, sent them letters, talked to the Attorney General's office. I've called my state representative and reported it to the police department. They just threw up their hands. Can you help me?" ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Credit card quandry" is tagged: Capital One , credit card , identity theft , problem solver
1. What's leading to all the fatal wrong-way crashes on the Dallas North Tollway? Overnight we had yet another one. Police say alcohol may be a factor in what The News' Scott Goldstein counts as the fifth such crash since October. 2. Are some homeowners' associations getting a little overzealous? One in Lake Highlands threatened to tow the vehicle of a Vietnam vet if he didn't remove military decals that he had displayed on his ride, News columnist James Ragland tell us. The HOA likened it to advertising. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, June 2, 2009" is tagged: car stickers , crashes , Dallas North Tollway , decals , fatalities , Frank Larison , HOA , homeowners associations , Lake Highlands , Woodlands II on the Creek , wrong way June 1, 2009
In the latest installment of our Citizen Watchdog column, Jennifer LaFleur shows us a new online tool that we can use to keep track of the $2.2 billion in funding for new roads, bridges, bike paths and walking trails due to Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation is operating the site. The information is organized by county. After clicking on a particular project, you can pull up a construction schedule, location map, funding breakdown and construction company in charge. Jennifer used the TxDOT site to find that Harris County leads the state so far in the number of projects with 18. Tarrant County has the highest dollar amount, more than $1.2 billion. Did you find the TxDOT site helpful? Did you spot an interesting trend? Leave us a comment and let us know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Citizen Watchdog: Stimulus fueling road work" is tagged: bike paths , bridges , Citizen Watchdog , federal funding , infrastructure , Jennifer LaFleur , online data , Recovery and Reinvestment Act , road construction , search tools , stimulus , tax dollars , TxDOT
1. The city of Dallas' budget deficit just got a little worse. The Trinity River toll road and park project will require $29 million and 20 additional months to test the shaky levees, Michael Lindenberger reports. City council members have already had trouble letting go to favored programs. 2. Texas lawmakers have spent lots of time this session trying to tweak controversial college admissions rules. Up in Illinois, legislators have been much more hands-on, a Chicago Tribune investigation found: They've influenced which students get into the University of Illinois and even overruled the admissions department. 3. The former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman kept enforcement staffers from pursuing cases against companies and punishing violators. The Washington Post reports his predecessor is trying to increase such investigations of abuses linked to the financial crisis. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, June 1, 2009" is tagged: abuses , budget , college admissions , Dallas , financial crisis , Leppert , SEC , Securities and Exchange Commission , toll road , Trinity River , university May 28, 2009
Employees of the Beaumont-based company pledged two years of product protection and "new, unused" replacements, the AG said. But customers -- who paid between $100 and $1000 for a warranty -- didn't get all of that, according to a sampling of 2,000 consumer complaints cited in the lawsuit: "An active duty military man and his family in Arlington, Texas purchased a washing machine with a four year extended warranty from Conn's shortly before Christmas 2008. The machine was defective upon delivery and Conn's technicians could not repair it but falsely reported back to Conn's that the machine had been repaired. Six weeks later, the machine was still not repaired, and the man was deployed for Army training, leaving his wife and children without a working washing machine." Conn's vice chairman Bill Nylin said in a statement that it has tried to respond to the AG's complaints by creating a customer help group to improve customer satisfaction and increasing the number of call service operators. The AG seeks up to $20,000 per violation and up to $250,000 for ones involving customers 65 years of age or older. "Our top priority is providing our customers with a high level of customer service, highly trained and knowledgeable sales personnel, and outstanding product repair service," Nylin said. ![]() ![]() The entry "AG sues Conn's over "high pressure" tactics" is tagged: AG , attorney general , complaints , Conn's , consumer , Greg Abbott , lawsuit , Texas
2. Another man walked free after he was cleared by DNA-based evidence in Dallas County, Jennifer Emily tells us. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation to increase compensation to those wrongly convicted. 3. Texas has had some characters of televangelists. Robert Tilton was perhaps the biggest. His speaking in tongues and pitching for donations were always striking. His empire collapsed like several of his contemporaries, but he's still toiling in Florida, Scott Parks reports.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, May 28, 2009" is tagged: Dallas County commissioners , DNA , evidence , exoneration , FBI , Jim Foster , John Wiley Price , Robert Tilton , televangelist , wrongly convicted May 22, 2009
"I have not heard this particular issue addressed. I trust that our local health departments have some plans in the works?" she asks. The short answer is no. There are no new inspections or rules being created specific to H1N1, better known as swine flu. Industry folks say that's because food workers are already cautioned to wash their hands and are told not to report to work if they suffer from "diarrhea, vomiting, contagious illness, severe acne, boils, certain skin conditions, jaundice, etc." "It would be the standard advice regardless of what illness is involved. Employees need to practice good hygiene and stay home if they're sick. But nothing special for H1N1 flu," said Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. So far, none of the roughly 700 cases of swine flu in Texas were contracted in a restaurant setting. The Texas Restaurant Association credits safety requirements already in place. "It's a huge part of their business. It's not necessarily swine flu related, but they [restaurants] are subject to high sanitation standards," said Wendy Saari, spokeswoman for the association.
![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Avoiding swine flu" is tagged: disease , H1N1 , restaurant , swine flu May 20, 2009
1. I'm a few days behind in posting this unbelievable child-safety story. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that despite the FDA's claim that a chemical in baby bottles is safe, agency e-mails show regulators "relied on chemical industry lobbyists to examine bisphenol A's risks, track legislation to ban it and even monitor press coverage." 2. The U.S. Department of Education is reviewing gender-bias complaints that boys sports get a disproportionate amount of good equipment and facilities at Colleyville Heritage High School, the Star-Telegram reports. 3. Are you trying to make sense of the federal legislation designed to crackdown on credit-card companies and provide consumers relief? The New York Times has a helpful primer. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, May, 20, 2009" is tagged: baby bottles , Colleyville-Grapevine , crackdown , credit card , FDA , Food and Drug Administration , gender bias , Heritage High School , high school , interest rates , safety , sports , Title IX May 19, 2009
Our new "They won't talk" feature focuses on McKoy today because he wouldn't tell Dallas Morning News staff writer Michael Lindenberger what the fair's expenses were last year. The issue arose because the fair says it's launching a year-round amusement park on the midway. The State Fair of Texas is a tax-exempt corporation. It will have to disclose its expenses to the IRS soon enough if it hasn't already -- and that filing will be a public record. So why stonewall the public now? The fair's latest available filing is for 2007. It shows, among other things: * Expenses were about $40 million -- $5.5 million more than revenues.
![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: State Fair of Texas" is tagged: Brooks Egerton , Errol McKoy , Fair Park , Form 990 , IRS , Michael Lindenberger , State Fair of Texas , tax filing , They won't talk , year-round amusement park May 12, 2009
1. Your car warranty is about to expire!!! So claim the automated phone calls that pester Americans by the millions and that a U.S. senator wants to stop. 2. Federal regulators accuse former Dallas Cowboys player Michael Kiselak, his Westlake firm and related parties of misleading investors, The Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson reports. An online bio says Kiselak also founded the Sports Business Network to help fellow ex-pro athletes. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, May 12, 2009" is tagged: automated phone calls , car warranty , consumer , Dallas Cowboys , fraud , investors , Kiselak , Michael Kiselak , SEC , Sports Business Network , Westlake May 11, 2009
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners' database lets you see whether the dentist has an active license or has faced disciplinary action. You can't get specifics on the punishment, but there is enough to get you started. Jennifer reminds us of one caveat when using the database: In 2005, the Texas state auditor found gaps in the TSBDE's processes for disciplining licensees and found the agency was not always enforcing sanctions against licensees. It also found problems with the agency's procedures for doing criminal background checks of licensees. The agency, for what it is worth, also was subject to critical audits in 2002, 2000 and 1997. ![]() ![]() The entry "Citizen Watchdog: Scrub your dentist's past" is tagged: database , dentists , discipline , license , online , Texas State Board of Dental Examiners , TSBDE
A couple of them wrote to me to complain about how American Airlines handled the weather. I'm aware of what bad weather does to airline schedules since I've had plans disrupted waiting for my husband - an American pilot - to get home. So I made some calls. One reader was really happy with how things turned out. The other -- not so much. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Air travel weather woes" is tagged: airport , American Airlines , delays , luggage , Problem Solver , storms , Weather May 6, 2009
I heard from David Walters, a Certified Public Accountant in DeSoto, about problems he experienced with late postmarks. "I mailed an envelope with 30 corporation tax extensions on March 16, 2009 (due date for mailing is Mar 15, which fell on a Sunday.) The postmark showed March 19 !! The IRS disallowed all 30 extensions," he wrote. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: More post office problems" is tagged: April 15 , Internal Revenue Service , IRS , post office , problem solver , tax deadline
1. Dallas ISD faces a robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul quandary. Make cuts in 31 specialized programs, including magnet schools and learning centers? Or give up $105 million in federal funding? Tawnell D. Hobbs posted a district report, and Jon Nielsen grabbed board member reaction. The Dallas Observer weighs in, too. 2. AARP has a theory about Texas' high electricity prices, and deregulation is only partly to blame, Elizabeth Souder tells us. The group thinks bills in the Texas Legislature would help, but those haven't been voted out of committee. 3. The city of Fort Worth has failed to collect $167 million in traffic fines during the last five years, the Star-Telegram reports, and some may have to be written off. I'm always scared my permanent record will be ruined if I don't pay. Silly me. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, May, 6, 2009" is tagged: AARP , citations , cuts , deregulation , DISD , Electric Reliability Council of Texas , electricity prices , Elizabeth Souder , Fort Worth , learning centers , magnet schools , programs , Tawnell D. Hobbs , traffic May 4, 2009
2. Doug J. Swanson recently wrote about a push by state lawmakers to regulate the profitable payday loans industry. The city of Irving isn't waiting on reform and proposes a limit to the interest rates lenders can charge, Brandon Formby reports. 3. Gov. Rick Perry's appointees to state boards and commissions have contributed nearly $5 million to his political campaign, the Houston Chronicle reports. A watchdog group called it patronage, but a spokesman for the governor said the money did not factor into his decisions.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, May, 4, 2009" is tagged: bubble , collapse , contributions , Cowboys , indoor practice facility , Irving , loans , OSHA , payday , political campaigns , Rick Perry May 3, 2009
So was this building just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It's an odd thought, given that the whole point of the steel-framed, fabric-covered building is to give the team a place to practice in bad weather. The manufacturers, Summit Structures and Cover-All Building Systems, tout their work in building other sports facilities, including ones for the New England Patriots and Texas A&M. But I can't find any mention on the company Web sites of the Cowboys facility. Why? Another issue we're looking at: A Summit-built warehouse in Pennsylvania partially collapsed during a 2003 snowstorm, less than two months after opening. A 2007 court order blamed Summit for design flaws. "We design for snow load and wind load," an executive for the manufacturers told a Canadian newspaper in 2003, as I reported today in The News. "It's not a bubble."
![]() ![]() The entry "Why did the Cowboys practice facility collapse?" is tagged: bubble , collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , design flaws , Irving , New England Patriots , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures , Texas A&M , warehouse collapse May 1, 2009
Cedar Hill police arrested him Thursday after I reported that Stuart hadn't disclosed he was running the SAT and ACT Prep Center near a day care and middle school in Coppell. I initially checked his background after he told me, with no explanation, that he preferred to use the last name Miller. His business still faces inquiries from the Texas attorney general over the consumer complaints and from the state comptroller for not paying sales tax. THIS JUST IN from comptroller spokesman R.J. DeSilva: "The company didn't comply with our request to apply for a sales tax permit. So we will be in the process of estimating an amount of liability they owe. The taxpayer can then contest the amount in an administrative hearing at the Comptroller's office." ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: Coppell test-prep biz owner free on bail" is tagged: Cedar Hill , consumer , Coppell , John Stuart , SAT and ACT Prep Center , sex offender registration , Texas attorney general , Texas comptroller
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the down payment should be returned in a situation like that. So, I made some calls to the dealership. During one of those calls, I was assured that the dealership always returns deposits in this type of case. The reader called to say she did get her money back and thanked the newspaper for the help. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Down payment dilemma" is tagged: car dealership , down payment , loan rates , problem solver , Texas Department of Transportation April 30, 2009
Fortunately, the company is listening. It fixed the account for the reader who originally wrote in to say she was double-billed and for numerous other people who sent me their account numbers. Spokesman Mike Gutierrez promises to continue looking into any other problems which might have developed when it switched systems. If you are seeing issues with your bill, send me your information, and I'll pass it along. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Double billing update" is tagged: double bill , electric company , problem solver , TXU
My piece focused on Tonya Collins, right, a Colleyville businesswoman accused of stealing millions from people who sought her help in becoming parents. After it ran, I spoke to Deborah Haworth, who used to work for Collins and was a friend of hers since they were young. She told me she visited Collins and her seven children last Thanksgiving. Haworth was impressed by the 4,400-square-foot home where Collins lived, the two new vehicles she bought, and private schools where she sent her children. At the time, Haworth figured that Collins "must be signing up [new] parents to support her family." She began to doubt that once the scandal broke. "Many times I sat down and thought, OK, where exactly is this money coming from?" Haworth said. "Never in a billion years would I think that she was just draining the trust accounts." ![]() ![]() The entry "Pondering surrogacy scandal's missing millions" is tagged: Colleyville , egg donors , escrow company , FBI , investigation , Michael Charles Independent Financial Holdings Group , Postal Service , surrogacy , surrogate mothers , SurroGenesis , Tonya Collins
1. I said it in yesterday's Hot Links, and I'll say it again: Swine-flu news coverage needs more perspective. Every kind of flu kills. Today's gold star for combating hysteria goes to this report in the Los Angeles Times. 2. Dallas Morning News reporter Tanya Eiserer dug out the outrage story of the day: A police officer who was branded a liar, fired and banned from testifying got his job back and went right on testifying. Now an untold number of court cases may be ruined. 3. Federal transportation officials are finally ordering a national review of bus safety. This comes after a series of deadly accidents, including one blamed on a retread tire that killed 17 religious pilgrims near Dallas. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 30, 2009" is tagged: bus crash , bus safety , Dallas County district attorney , Dallas police , hysteria , pilgrims , Randy Sundquist , retread , Sherman , swine flu , Tanya Eiserer April 29, 2009
Here's what I've learned: SAT and ACT Prep Center co-owner John Joseph Stuart (right) is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of sexually exploiting a child in Arizona six years ago. State law requires offenders to tell authorities where they live and work. Stuart apparently did fine on the first requirement -- he disclosed his address to police in the Dallas suburb of Cedar Hill, where he owns a home. But he didn't tell the cops about the prep center, which shares a parking lot with a day care center and is around the corner from Coppell Middle School West. He said he was self-employed as a housing remodeler. Stuart, who is 32, didn't respond to my messages this week. His wife told me to call their attorney, who didn't respond to a message either. ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: Test-prep biz owner has sex-crime past" is tagged: Cedar Hill , consumer complaints , Coppell , day care , John Stuart , middle school , SAT and ACT Prep Center , sex offender registration
I'll try to update this as I find other tools. If I missed something, send me an email, and I'll add it to the list. 1. The World Health Organization has a helpful Web site. The highlights include FAQs on such topics as contracting swine flu, tips for treating it and food safety measures. You can check the flu's stage in the pandemic alert chart, download audio and print press briefings, and sign up for RSS feeds. 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has its own FAQs, counts U.S. cases and posts travel advisories. You can download podcasts and guides for treating sick children, pregnant women and airline passengers. And if you love Twitter, you can follow the CDC's tweets. 3. In Texas, the Department of State Health Services dedicates a page, which includes the latest press releases. Dallas County, Tarrant County and Collin County are tracking the number of local cases. 4. The Association of Health Care Journalists has links to video of government hearings and downloadable transcripts of officials' testimony. Other links are available only to members. 5. Last but not least, DallasNews.com has a survival guide with additional tools, Web links, Twitter pages and archives of news stories. ![]() ![]() The entry "Tracking swine flu: Resources and tools " is tagged: CDC , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Department of State Health Services , outbreak , resources , swine flu , WHO , World Health Organization
The bill -- approved by state lawmakers yesterday despite industry objection -- follows the hyperthermia death of a 4-month-old boy left alone in a van for four hours. The charge for failing to install alarms would be a misdemeanor, the Associated Press reported. We've had our share of cases like these in North Texas. I think back to a 2006 case that Brooks Egerton and I covered: Four-year-old Jacob Fox, above, who was forgotten in a van and died in 104-degree heat. All of this had me wondering: Was Wisconsin onto a novel idea that Texas should consider? Presently Texas does not require day cares to equip vehicles with such alarms, a spokesman for the Department of Family and Protective Services told me. Leaving children under age 7 in a vehicle for longer than five minutes is a Class C misdemeanor, unless they have someone 14 or older with them.
![]() ![]() The entry "Alarms in day-care vehicles: Should Texas do it?" is tagged: day cares , deaths , Department of Family and Protective Services , Jacob Fox , left alone , vans , vehicles , Wisconsin April 27, 2009
Economic statistics -- largely pessimistic these days -- may hold clues to which industries are prime for job creation in Texas. Our latest installment of Citizen Watchdog column by Jennifer LaFleur (right) finds that health and education are two with such opportunities. Jennifer recommends two resources: The College Board, a nonprofit association of colleges, universities and other educational institutions, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Do you have a suggestion for a Citizen Watchdog column? Send us an e-mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "Citizen Watchdog: Using data for job leads" is tagged: Bureau of Labor Statistic , creation , economy , growth , jobs , The College Board
2. Some state lawmakers who wanted fast reform of the scandal-plagued juvenile justice system, the Texas Youth Commission, in 2007 are now urging a slowdown. Powerful senator, Houston's John Whitmore, questioned their actions: "They appear to be trying to protect the bloated bureaucracies," he told the Austin American-Statesman. 3. The investigations team had a couple of stories over the weekend, which we'll discuss more later. But I wanted to get you thinking about them now:
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, April 27, 2009" is tagged: bird strike , campaign contributors , data , Kay Bailey Hutchison , payday loans , plane collisions , reform , Rick Perry , surrogacy , TYC , youth prisons April 25, 2009
"That means that I got a bill showing I owed for two months because the new system doesn't remember my payment made to the old system last month. In the meantime, my credit report shows that I am late on last month's payment, which of course I made," she wrote. "Could you check to see if other TXU customers are having this problem - which they probably are - and if they know that in the meantime their credit report is showing them as late in payment?" TXU Energy did institute a new billing system at the beginning of the year, "but we're not seeing any instances of customers being double billed," said spokesman Mike Gutierrez. "Also, we don't report anything to credit bureaus until at least 90 days after the due date." Still, if the reader sends her account numbers to me at DMN Problem Solver, Gutierrez promises to personally investigate and make sure that any problems with her bill are fixed. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Double billing troubles" is tagged: bill , credit report , electric company , problem solver , TXU April 24, 2009
Now that they've lost that fight, we're learning that there have been at least 19 serious strikes at D/FW International Airport in recent years and two more at Dallas Love Field. The Dallas Morning News and other media sought the data after North Texas native Chesley Sullenberger (right) landed a bird-crippled jet in New York's Hudson River. Check out the Federal Aviation Administration data for yourself, if you like. ![]() ![]() The entry "Bird strikes seriously damage 19 planes at D/FW " is tagged: aviation , bird strikes , Chesley Sullenberger , D/FW International Airport , data , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , jet , Love Field , open records , secrecy , U.S. Airways Flight 1549 April 23, 2009
1. A sports development without public financing? Minor league baseball near downtown Dallas? That's what these guys say. The site was once considered for the new Cowboys stadium, which is now going up in Arlington. Last we heard, development was not exactly booming in that area. Or at Dallas' Victory project. 2. I like wine just fine. But I'm not so sure about the Texas Legislature's priorities. Lawmakers can't seem to pass a bill requiring pharmaceutical companies to report the gifts they give to health care providers, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw reports. But they are suspending rules and fast-tracking a bill that would allow BYOB at restaurants. Here's the official analysis of S.B. 2523. 3. When illegal immigrants go to jail in the United States, what happens to their children? Some are being adopted by citizens, The New York Times reports. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 23, 2009" is tagged: adoption , arena , BYOB , Cowboys , development , gifts , health care , Hicks , illegal immigrants , minor league baseball , Perot , pharmaceutical companies , restaurant , sports , stadium , Texas Legislature , Victory project , wine April 22, 2009
Some folks who lost thousands of dollars to a Garland religious tour company are getting their money back. "We are really thankful for people like you that didn't mind spending some of your time helping two senior citizens," south Louisiana residents Anne and Charles LaRose wrote me today. They said Renaissance owner Robert "Bob" Grove had repaid about $4,000 for a trip to Catholic shrines in Canada that never happened. Another Louisiana couple, Louis and Carol Gaignard, say they've been refunded a similar amount. Grove has said that he had to cancel some trips when too few people signed up, and that he had trouble recovering money from suppliers. The Texas attorney general continues to review the situation. Spokesman Tom Kelley declined to comment today. The AG sued Grove in 2003, alleging that he took hundreds of thousands of dollars from consumers by tricking them into thinking he was sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church. His company, then operating under a different name, was fined more than $2 million. Grove took refuge in bankruptcy court and avoided paying. Priests have continued to appear in his advertising and to serve as spiritual directors on his tours. ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: Garland religious tour biz repays clients" is tagged: Catholic , consumer protection , refunds , religious tours , Renaissance Pilgrimages , travel April 21, 2009
2. Dallas-Fort Worth ranked high on Forbes' just-released list of top U.S. metro areas for job growth. But The News' Jason Trahan tells us about a more illicit type of business expansion in North Texas: Mexican drug traffickers using their base here to move shipments to Italian mafia. 3. U.S. Rep Joe Barton of Arlington is one of few lawmakers to spend his campaign dollars on the stock market and lost about $100,000 in the first quarter, the Star-Telegram reports. The practice is legal, and Barton says he has generally come out ahead. One Congressional watchdog questions Barton's use of the funds.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, April 21, 2009" is tagged: Bus safety , campaign funds , Congress , crashes , drug traffickers , Italy , motor coach , stock market Joe Barton April 20, 2009
How is that? I take your unanswered questions and problems in local government and business, and seek out ways to get the situations fixed. Your trash hasn't been picked up for months? Feel you've been ripped off? Aware of wrongdoing? Send me an e-mail. Or write me a letter at P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas, 75265. The column will publish in the print edition each Monday in the metro section. Or, for those of you who can't wait, I invite you to check in on our DMN Investigates blog for updates and posts on new questions I'm addressing. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Helping readers" is tagged: Katie Fairbank , local government , problem solver , reader questions , solutions
The ex-employee accused the Florida-based company of overcharging Texas public agencies that made purchases, in part, through a national contract for office and classroom supplies. His information has led to investigations in multiple states, and Office Depot has responded in some cases by repaying nearly $3 million. When we asked Texas AG spokesman Tom Kelley for a status report, he declined to comment. "We don't acknowledge investigations," he told The News. Office Depot, though, did acknowledge receiving what amounts to a subpoena from the AG. Spokesman Jason Shockley said the company was cooperating. "We intend to vigorously defend any allegations of wrongdoing lodged against our company," he said in a written statement. ![]() ![]() The entry "Did Office Depot overcharge Texas taxpayers?" is tagged: Attorney General , classroom supplies , David Sherwin , Office Depot , office products , overcharging complaints , U.S. Communities
2. Credit-card companies are attracting a lot of attention from Washington. And not the good kind. The Obama administration is planning a crackdown on companies that it says deceive some Americans into paying "extraordinarily high" interest rates. This comes as Congress mulls a credit card "bill of rights" that would require greater disclosure of terms, Reuters reports. 3. The nation's patchwork food safety system makes it difficult to quickly pinpoint causes of outbreaks like the kinds that have struck peanuts and pistachios this year, experts tell The New York Times. A major cause: Each state investigates and inspects differently. "It's a huge challenge," said an associate commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, April 20, 2009" is tagged: credit cards , Drinking water , drugs , environment , EPA , FDA , food safety , interest rates , peanuts , pistachios April 17, 2009
I called the Texas Comptroller's Office after I couldn't find The SAT and ACT Prep Center in the state's online database of sales taxpayers. The comptroller will investigate, spokesman R.J. DeSilva said. Company co-owner John Stuart gave me this reason for not paying: "We don't sell in Texas." But the Better Business Bureau in Dallas says it has received complaints from Texas and around the country. The Texas Attorney General's office now says it, too, is reviewing consumer complaints about the company. ![]() ![]() The entry "Tax officials, AG looking at Coppell test-prep firm" is tagged: ACT , attorney general , college prep , complaint , consumer , refund , SAT , test prep , Texas comptroller
2. Still nervous about eating peanuts and pistachios? In light of recent salmonella outbreaks, a new study by an ex-FDA official recommends an overhaul the nation's food-safety system, The Washington Post reports. The pitch: standardize basic safety rules, improve coordination by streamlining inspectors at all levels under one parent agency, and spend $350 million over five years on underfunded states and cities. 3. The state estimates that about 3 percent of Texas nursing homes have no sprinkler systems, or lack sufficient ones, to prevent fires. A House bill by state Rep. Carol Kent of Dallas would add $3 million in funding for fixing the safety hazards, Robert Garrett of The News' Austin bureau reports. But, we wonder, how are the nursing homes still operating?
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, April 17, 2009" is tagged: Carol Kent , certification , FDA , fire hazards , food safety , Katherine Leal Unmuth , nursing homes , peanuts , pistachios , qualifications , Robert Garrett , salmonella , Teachers April 16, 2009
1. Let's start with a bang: the biggest real-estate bankruptcy in U.S. history. Shopping-mall owner General Growth Properties filed for protection from creditors today. At least for now, it will keep running its malls around the country, including the Galleria and several other big names in the Dallas area. Who wins and who loses from this? 2. Fallout from the collapse of Texas billionaire Allen Stanford's financial empire: Four Dallas-area brokers are accused of profiting from fraudulent CDs sold through an offshore Stanford bank, Dallas Morning News reporter Gary Jacobson writes. 3. Texas Youth Commission workers who were fired during the 2007 abuse scandal could get their jobs back because of a federal judge's ruling, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw writes. How bad was the abuse, which The News played a lead role in uncovering? Check out this video package. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 16, 2009" has no entry tags. April 14, 2009
1. OK, the good news first: No one has been hurt since stadium lighting poles (like the one pictured here) started falling at Texas high schools. But the rest of this investigative report from Cox Newspapers is terrifying. Denton, Tarrant and Ellis counties are among those where tragedy nearly has struck. The steel poles have a common -- and unregulated -- manufacturing lineage. 2. Bedford resident Jan Tidwell, a reader of this blog, sent us a frantic post yesterday. The local power company wanted to chop down her old oak trees. Dallas Morning News reporter Sherry Jacobson and videographer Nathan Hunsinger hustled to craft these balanced looks at the situation. Is Oncor overzealous in cutting trees near power lines? Or are homeowners like Jan putting shade ahead of safety? 3. We've been trying to avoid the White House puppy story, reasoning that there were too many other reporters covering this trivia. But Dallas Morning News reporter Jeffrey Weiss changed our mind today with a look at the risks associated with the Obamas' North Texas-bred pooch. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, April 14, 2009" has no entry tags. April 13, 2009
2. Taxpayers shouldn't fund state employees' personal use of government vehicles, state Rep. Terri Hodge of Dallas says. She estimates such usage at four state agencies cost a combined $3.8 million in one year, the Austin American-Statesman reports. 3. We've been blogging steadily about legislative efforts that would curtail government accountability by making private state workers' date-of-birth information. Supporters say they're trying to prevent ID theft. But the legislation does nothing to prevent cases like this one reported by The News' Katherine Leal Unmuth.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, April 13, 2009" is tagged: Child safety , government vehicles , ID theft , Irving , personal use , public information , school district April 12, 2009
1. Is your wallboard making you sick? There are growing complaints about fumes from Chinese drywall, which began pouring into this country after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, the Associated Press reports. Government agencies are investigating, lawsuits are flying in the Southeast, and some national politicians want to ban the stuff. Is there a problem in North Texas? 2. Dallas is not alone in charging drivers a fee for crashing their cars. Other cash-strapped local governments are trying this and even wilder ways to raise money, The New York Times reports. Would you believe a "streetlight user fee?" Know any other charges we ought to check out? 3. State employees who care for Texans with profound disabilities are working huge amounts of overtime, costing taxpayers millions and possibly endangering patients. That's the conclusion of Dallas Morning News database editor Ryan McNeill and investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Sunday, April 12, 2009" is tagged: Chinese drywall , construction , disabled , fumes , housing , overtime , patient care , state employees , state schools , user fees April 10, 2009
2. Congressional earmarks are as controversial a subject as it gets in Washington. The Star-Telegram finds some local legislators consider them radioactive, while others see them as a way to deliver for North Texas. 3. Another public servant is in legal trouble: The feds arrested an ex-Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on civil-rights violations after an indictment alleged he stole from Latino motorists during traffic stops in the Kingsville area.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, April 10, 2009" is tagged: civil rights , DPS , Earmarks , food safety , peanut plant , public servant in legal trouble , salmonella , your tax dollars April 9, 2009
According to the BBB: * Telemarketers tell parents that the test-prep software "is somehow connected with the student's high school, or that the student ordered the product." I called company co-owner John Stuart for a response and left a message. He called back and introduced himself as John Miller. Why the different name? "Well, Stuart is my legal last name, but I use the name Miller." Soon he was telling me that the BBB "is nothing but a scam" and that its report of complaints "doesn't carry any weight."
![]() ![]() The entry "Consumer alert on Coppell test-prep company" is tagged: ACT , attorney general , BBB , Better Business Bureau , consumer complaint , SAT , test prep April 8, 2009
Sounds like I'm guaranteed to get at least $500 cash plus a cruise, trip to Vegas or trip to Orlando. The cards come from an address in North Richland Hills and don't say who is being so darn generous or why. Have you tried to claim your prize? Tell me what happened.
![]() ![]() The entry "Hurry! Call! You have won a big prize!" is tagged: cruise , gift , no obligation , prize , promotion April 7, 2009
The Obama Administration began a program earlier this year to help refinance or revise mortgages, making monthly payments more affordable so residents could stay in their houses. But the Federal Trade Commission says it found about 70 companies that have started "deceptively marketing" similar services, possibly violating law. The FTC has taken civil action against some already, including one that spent $9 million on TV and radio ads in less than a year. On the criminal side, the FBI says it is increasing investigations and has a caseload of about 2,100. "These companies are kicking people when they're down, charging enormous upfront fees and sabotaging homeowners who could be getting help for free," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said.
![]() ![]() The entry "Latest scam targets those seeking mortgage relief" is tagged: consumer alert , foreclosures , Mortgage fraud , refinancing
VA hospitals in Florida (Miami, at right), Tennessee (Murfreesboro, near Nashville), and Georgia (Augusta) -- and maybe all over the country -- apparently weren't sterilizing a tube between procedures. They were waiting till the end of the day. One colonoscopy patient now has tested positive for HIV, the Associated Press reports. AP has been covering this story for months and previously reported that more than a dozen patients had tested positive for hepatitis. The Veterans Affairs Department says it's investigating whether there's a link between the sterilization failures and the infections. It says the problem was corrected by mid-March. Readers, can you shed light on Texas VA hospitals' sterilization procedures? ![]() ![]() The entry "VA sterilization failures = deadly diseases?" is tagged: colonoscopy , contamination , health care , VA hospital , veterans
It is the year's second major food scare. Nine deaths and 600 illnesses led to a massive recall of peanuts, including those processed in West Texas. The Associated Press reported "dead rodents, feces and feathers" had been found in a crawl space above a production area at a Plainview plant. Obama's pledge comes after two decades of decreasing inspections by the Food and Drug Administration. Meanwhile, annual food-borne outbreaks more than doubled in the past decade. "You get what you pay for," a former FDA official told The News. "If we bail out banks and don't bail out the FDA, we are going to continue to have these crises." ![]() ![]() The entry "Food scares prompting crackdown on lax safety" is tagged: FDA , Food safety , health , peanuts , pistachios , recalls , salmonella April 6, 2009
Toronto-based Weizhen Tang targeted Chinese Americans and Chinese Canadians, authorities say. Similar complaints are pending in Canada. His Plano companies include WinWin Capital Management. On his blog, Tang admits hurting investors but denies stealing. Tang raised up to $75 million, the feds say. That's real money, but still a far cry from claims involving the politically well-connected Texas billionaire Allen Stanford. In a new interview with ABC, he denied wrongdoing, cried and threatened to punch a reporter. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another alleged Ponzi, this one in Plano" is tagged: Allen Stanford , investment fraud , Plano , Ponzi schemes , Weizhen Tang
I looked into it because I thought the answer might help a lot of people. Turns out the situation stinks for him, but it is probably legit. Banks are required to have an "availability policy," which sets out how soon deposited money can be spent. Also, federal law sets guidelines, but there are lots of loopholes. ![]() ![]() The entry "Reader wonders if bank hold on deposit is OK " is tagged: bank , check cashing , checking account , deposit , FDIC , fees
A funeral home owned by a Houston-based corporation is accused of mishandling an estimated 200 corpses, including those of veterans awaiting burial at Arlington National Cemetery. The Washington Post reports that Virginia authorities are now investigating whistleblower complaints that bodies were left decomposing in unrefrigerated garages and hallways. The funeral home's parent company is Service Corporation International, the largest cemetery operator in the nation. An executive told The Post that a SCI inspection found its facilities "to be completely sanitary and in compliance" with regulations. In 2003, SCI reached a $100 million settlement over allegations at two Florida cemeteries of "burying people in the wrong places, breaking open vaults to squeeze in other remains and, in some instances, tossing bones into the woods," the Associated Press reported.
![]() ![]() The entry "Cemetery accused of mishandling vets' remains" is tagged: Funeral homes , Service Corporation International , veterans , whistleblower
First, I remain surprised by Gov. Rick Perry's office saying back in February it had no plans for a Web site that would help Texans track stimulus money coming here. Luckily, the state comptroller's office has launched such a resource. We will leave a link to it on blog for easy reference. Second, readers asked about data posted in a May 2008 column on problem gas pumps around the state. The Texas Department of Agriculture regularly posts records on its Web site about issues with pumps, such as not properly measuring fuel. If you're new to Citizen Watchdog, we've built an archive of past columns that you can mine for leads on helpful records and data.
![]() ![]() The entry "Citizen Watchdog: Gas pumps, tracking stimulus" is tagged: Citizen Watchdog , gas , Jennifer LaFleur , Perry , pumps , stimulus
2. The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston received $44,000 in improper royalties for classroom materials used in a statewide pre-K program it runs, the Houston Chronicle reports. The other problem is, university officials had told lawmakers last year they hadn't taken the payments. A state senator and representative are now calling for a review. 3. The White House may require new management at companies that seek federal bailout assistance, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday. Some critics say he has a double standard because, unlike the ouster of GM's chairman last week, he hasn't pushed for leadership change in the banking industry.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, April 6, 2009" is tagged: airline safety , American Airlines , bailout , education , FAA , Geithner , University of Texas April 4, 2009
A state advisory committee recommended in 2006 that lawmakers start using sales-tax dollars intended for parks on parks, which would increase spending by up to $85 million. The money would help fix equipment that had fell into disrepair through wear and tear, hire more employees and buy park land for the first time since 1967. State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville succeeded a year later in winning money for parks and historical sites. He's back this year with House Bill 7, which The Dallas Morning News' editorial board supported today. Legislative neglect aside, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has not done itself favors. The State Auditor's Office found in 2007 that the agency lost out on $16 million in revenue by giving undocumented discounts to visitors and not collecting after-hours entrance fees. Auditors for the state and department had dinged the department on the issues going back to the 1990s. "The delay in addressing these weaknesses is not attributed to particular individuals but, rather, is a reflection of the State Parks Division's limited expertise in business and fiscal management." Do you support the increase in parks funding? Do you think the department can manage its own financial house? Can't decide: then read the legislation itself after the jump. ![]() ![]() The entry "Can state parks manage funds they may soon get?" is tagged: government , legislature , Parks and wildlife , your tax dollars April 3, 2009
Starting today, we'll also draw attention to particular feedback in an occasional feature, "Reader Talkback." For this first edition, I'll help answer a question from two of you and share a link sent to us an alert reader. So let's get started after the jump. ![]() ![]() The entry "A new feature: Reader talkback" is tagged: consumer safety , day cares , IRS , Ponzi scheme , Reader talkback , Stanford April 2, 2009
Kimberly Saenz's (right) alleged actions alone would make this one of those criminal cases that ends up on Dateline NBC or 60 Minutes. But it is made more baffling by the apparent failure of her supervisors to realize, or disclose, that the series of deaths in 2007 and 2008 were suspicious. The Texas Department of State Health Services also found that workers at the Lufkin DaVita Dialysis center kept shoddy medical records, The Lufkin Daily News reported. Because of that, it was difficult for authorities to know whether 14 additional deaths in a matter of months were also because of Saenz's poisoning. DaVita initially called these isolated incidents. Nineteen? The center, nevertheless, is back in business. ![]() ![]() The entry "Shoddy records leave questions in poisonings" is tagged: Department of State Health Services , Health care , patient deaths , safety
Few are confused now. Not after authorities accused seemingly successful financiers, Bernie Madoff and Texas' own Allen Stanford, of running the Ponzi investment shams that looted thousands of folks of their life savings. The IRS promised increased enforcement of offshore bank accounts, which Madoff and Stanford had used to park billions, and sought to recover the income taxes that went unpaid. The IRS is starting to follow through, opening about 100 criminal investigations into wealthy Americans who use Swiss bank UBS. The New York Times also reports that agents are even preparing indictments.
![]() ![]() The entry "IRS cracking down on offshore accounts" is tagged: investing , IRS , Madoff , offshore accounts , Ponzi schemes , Stanford April 1, 2009
Two state senators think the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission could beef up warnings to parents about recalls of child products. The feds send out news releases just fine, the two say, but little other action happens. The people who need the information most don't get it. The dangerous toys and equipment stay in circulation. And, as a result, an average of 100 kids die annually. So Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and Sen. Judith Zaffirini are shepherding legislation that would require licensed Texas day cares to certify they read all recall bulletins and remove the unsafe products or repair them. Their bill, along with a companion in the House, would also mandate that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services broaden inspections to search for tainted products still in use at day cares.
![]() ![]() The entry "Texas senators say feds fall short on child safety" has no entry tags.
1.) A lawyer for the state's highest criminal court judge -- and certainly most controversial -- said Tuesday that "it's absolutely an inadvertent error" that she failed to report about $2 million in real estate holdings as required on state filings. Perhaps we'll find out what really happened soon enough: civil and criminal complaints were filed the same day against judge Sharon Keller, the investigation team's Steve McGonigle reports. 2.) Several Dallas City Council candidates, on the other hand, are reporting large stakes in stocks and real estate on financial statements. That could present conflicts of interest down the line if they win office, the metro desk's Dave Levinthal and Rudolph Bush report. 3.) One more food product for consumers to think twice about eating: Pistachios. In the wake of another salmonella scare, Plano-based Frito-Lay is recalling its in-shell Salted Pistachios, the business desk's Karen Robinson-Jacobs reports.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, April 1, 2009" is tagged: consumer , ethics , food recalls , investigations , open government |