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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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Hot Links: Arlington leaders enjoy Cowboys perk, Frisco residents concerned about battery plant Not enough money for Texas roads? Think again. Hot Links: Government told to pay for traffic-jam alerts, even though taxpayers subsidized system Hot Links: Why is Dallas County getting so much more swine flu vaccine per capita than neighbors? Hot Links: Why was Collin DWI case aborted? Hot Links: Frisco, company battles over emissions Local senator questions NTTA's late-fee collection Hot Links: Can Texas use death penalty fairly? Categories
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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 25, 2010
The Star-Telegram did a nice job this weekend showing how there has been, in fact, public money to spare. Since 1991, nearly $1 billion has been dedicated to projects that had "little to do with mobility," the newspaper reported. Two examples: $16.1 million for the Battleship Texas restoration project on the Texas coast and $262 million spent on highway rest stops across the state, including one for $10 million off Interstate 35 with Wi-Fi connections (shown at right). Who's to blame? Texas transportation officials say the federal government ties their hands by requiring spending on enhancement projects, as these are called, in order to get a much larger chunk of construction change. Once the money is here, state lawmakers then push to use it on pet projects, such as $2 million for a Houston fire museum. Do you have thoughts on how government is deciding to spend these transportation dollars? 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 "Not enough money for Texas roads? Think again." is tagged: funding , highways , pork , Recovery Act , rest stops , roads , Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee , Texas Department of Transportation , Texas Transportation Commission December 14, 2009
But state and local governments can't post the alerts unless they pay the contractor a fee, The New York Times reports today, citing a non-yet-public audit by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general. Never mind that taxpayers have committed more than $50 million to the project. The transportation department responded to the audit, according to Times, by citing "nine letters from members of Congress -- many of whom had received frequent campaign contributions from executives at Traffic.com -- who demanded, among other requests, that it skip a competitive bidding process and give more money to Traffic.com." The story does not identify the politicians. It says Traffic.com, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Navteq, didn't respond to a request for comment. In case you're wondering, yes, Traffic.com alerts do appear on dallasnews.com. Do you have a tip about traffic? Government contracts? 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: Government told to pay for traffic-jam alerts, even though taxpayers subsidized system" is tagged: alert , dallasnews.com , electronic signs , freeways , government contract , highways , inspector general , message board , Navteq , taxpayers , traffic , traffic jam , Traffic.com , transportation department November 5, 2009
Dallas County: 8.3 Dallas County's rate is also higher than that of major urban counties elsewhere in the state: Travis County (Austin): 7.7 The allocation figures only cover shipments to private health-care providers. They have received the vast majority of vaccine in Texas. Want to check my math or look up another county's allocation? Click on the "Doses by County" link on this Department of State Health Services site. Then look up the county population total on the U.S. Census site. State health officials say they consider several factors when allocating vaccine, including its current scarcity, providers' requests and the need for geographic balance. Do you have a tip about swine flu vaccine allocation? 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: Why is Dallas County getting so much more swine flu vaccine per capita than neighbors?" is tagged: allocation , Bexar County , Census , Collin County , Dallas County , Denton County , Department of State Health Services , Ellis County , H1N1 , Harris County , Johnson County , Kaufman County , Parker County , Rockwall County , swine flu , Tarrant County , Travis County , vaccine , Wise County November 2, 2009
Now Walker has quit the DA's office. Collin County District Attorney John Roach says he's investigating. Walker is a former Frisco police officer. She graduated from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 2007, according to the State Bar. Do you have a tip about Kerrie Walker? DWI prosecutions? 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: Why was Collin DWI case aborted?" is tagged: Brett Shipp , Channel 8 , Collin County district attorney , driving while intoxicated , drunken driving , DWI , Frisco police , John Roach , Kerrie Walker , prosecution , Texas Wesleyan , WFAA-TV October 19, 2009
1. Frisco officials worry that expansion of Exide Technologies' battery recycling plant could increase lead pollution, The News' Matthew Haag and Valerie Wigglesworth report. As it now stands, lead emissions from the plant (shown right) make Collin County "one of only 18 counties nationwide not expected to meet new, more stringent air-quality standards." Exide has told the state that production increases won't raise emissions. 2. The investigation into two Dallas County constables gets weirder. Last week, Dallas County Judge Jim Foster ordered records seized from one of the two, Jaime Cortes. But, wait: Those must be returned after a judge sided with Cortes, who argued Foster lacked authority to take the materials. 3. The Catholic Diocese of Dallas is paying out $4.65 million to five more abuse victims, The News' Sam Hodges tells us. 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: Frisco, company battles over emissions" is tagged: battery plan , Catholic , Collin County , constables , Dallas County , Diocese , emissions , Exide Technologies , George Purefoy , Jaime Cortes , Jim Foster , lead , pollution , Rev. Thomas Behnke , settlement , sexual abuse , TCEQ , Texas Commission on Environmental Quality , towing , victims 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 September 17, 2009
1. Charles Dean Hood (right) may well deserve to die for murdering two people in Plano. But I'd feel a whole lot better about killing killers if I knew they got a fair trial. And that's very much in doubt here. The latest: Texas' highest court said yesterday that it's too late for the defense to use evidence that the trial judge and Collin County's DA were, um, romantically entangled. Defense attorneys tried to work this angle earlier but 2. The appeals court decision comes at a particularly difficult time for Texas' image. I recently summarized three other ongoing capital punishment embarrassments, including two in which there's real doubt about a convicted man's guilt. In one of those cases, the defendant has already been executed. Do you have a tip about law enforcement? 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: Can Texas use death penalty fairly?" is tagged: Cameron Todd Willingham , capital punishment , Charles Dean Hood , Collin County DA , death penalty , district attorney , judge , Michael Toney , Michael Wayne Richard , prosecutor , Sharon Keller , Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , Tom O'Connell , Verla Sue Holland 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 August 28, 2009
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 25, 2009
Not surprisingly, there were no arrests in the rash of tire slashings up in Plano this spring. Tires were hacked and punctured on more than a dozen vehicles on April 10, causing damage of roughly $15,000. Police didn't think they would catch the person since cases of this sort are usually so random. They were right. A request for information filed under the Texas Open Records Act with the Plano Police Department came back with the answer that no arrests have been made. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Tire slasher still on loose" is tagged: plano; tires; Problem Solver August 19, 2009
1. A new study raises questions about the promotional campaign for a cervical cancer vaccine that Gov. Rick Perry unsuccessfully tried to mandate for Texas girls. Gardasil manufacturer Merck funded messages by medical groups that "did not address the full complexity of the issues surrounding the vaccine and did not provide balanced recommendations on risks and benefits," the study says. It was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 2. Lake-wrecking zebra mussels are emerging in North Texas, WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reports. What is to be done about these little pests, which can clog public water-supply pipes? Do you have a tip about public health? 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: Study questions vaccine campaign " is tagged: cervical cancer , Channel 8 , Gardasil , Gov. Rick Perry , JAMA , Journal of the American Medical Association , lakes , Merck , North Texas , promotional campaign , vaccine , WFAA-TV , zebra mussels August 18, 2009
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 10, 2009
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 July 28, 2009
The action comes two months after UT Dallas' police chief, Colleen Ridge, resigned. A few weeks ago, the assistant chief and an officer who had been on leave were fired. Another employee also quit, and one more remains sidelined. That's a lot of HR paperwork. But what makes this potentially criminal? UT Dallas and prosecutors continue not to discuss it publicly. News reporter Holly Hacker did manage to narrow things down after receiving a letter from the University of Texas System's lawyers seeking permission from the state attorney general to keep records about the complaints private. The UT System lawyers indicate the police matters involve these multiple choices: a) ethical questions, b) standards of conduct, c) financial reporting and/or d) internal accounting practices. If you know the correct answer, post a comment or e-mail Holly or me directly. ![]() ![]() The entry "UT Dallas police under investigation, but for what?" is tagged: Colleen Ridge , Collin County district attorney , complaints , Debra Marable , firing , investigation , Mary Spradlin , police , resignations , Ryan Ballard , Tammy Grigg , University of Texas at Dallas , University of Texas System , UT Dallas July 15, 2009
1. The North Texas Tollway Authority is taking new steps to warn wrong-way drivers, Dallas Morning News transportation writer Michael Lindenberger reports. Read Michael's blog for more discussion about whether the blame for recent crashes lies entirely with drunken drivers or also with tollway design. 2. The recent Supreme Court decision requiring lab analysts to testify in court about their findings is a huge boost for crime suspects, The Washington Post reports. "This is the biggest case for the defense since Miranda," a defense lawyer tells the paper. Legal-minded readers, are you seeing any local impact yet? Do you have a tip about tollways? Lab analysts? 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: Dallas Tollway crashes all about DWI?" is tagged: crime suspects , Dallas Morning News , defense , drunken drivers , DWI , lab analysts , Michael Lindenberger , Miranda , North Texas Tollway Authority , Supreme Court , testify , tollway design , transportation blog , Washington Post , wrong-way crashes July 6, 2009
1. George Orwell would have appreciated this: Some students who failed the TAKS test are counted as passing for purposes of new school accountability rankings, Dallas Morning News reporters Holly Hacker and Jeffrey Weiss showed. Why? A formula predicts that these failers are likely to pass the next time. What if the prediction is wrong? No problem. The schools' rankings don't drop. 2. Charter schools are privately run, but we taxpayers finance them. So the government exercises fiscal oversight, right? Wrong, reports The Dallas Morning News' Matthew Haag. Onto that stage steps Imagine Schools, a nationwide charter school management company with a real estate program that some officials say hurts students. It's planning to expand into McKinney next year. State officials OK'd the move despite concerns that Imagine lacked non-profit status. Do you have a tip about school testing? Charter schools? 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: Love those Texas school-rule loopholes" is tagged: accountability rankings , charter schools , failing , fiscal oversight , formula , Holly Hacker , Imagine Schools , Jeffrey Weiss , management company , Matthew Haag , McKinney , non-profit status , passing , publicly financed , TAKS , taxpayers , TEA , Texas Education Agency June 29, 2009
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 18, 2009
1. The city of Dallas raised taxes in 2007, faced a funding deficit in 2008 and is staring down a "brutal" one right now. Council member Carolyn Davis, though, stands by the $1,700 that she spent to travel to sunny Belize last year for what she described as a "trade mission." She's not on the city's economic development committee, and officials cannot cite for The News' Dave Levinthal any tangible benefit from the trip. 2. Up in Frisco, city officials reported having a $3 million shortfall four months ago, forcing a 4 percent budget cut and freezing of 28 unfilled jobs. But the council voted this week to shell out $25,000 to plan ornamental entry markers at the city limits -- and set the stage to spend more to commission artwork and designs, The News' Valerie Wigglesworth reports. In the grand scope, this spending is a small fraction of the two cities' budgets, I realize. But you have to wonder about the message it sends to residents at a time when services will be cut or taxes will be raised. Do you have an opinion? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Tight city budgets? Not too tight" is tagged: art , Belize , budget , Carolyn Davis , council , cuts , Dallas , entryways , Frisco , taxpayer , trade mission , travel June 16, 2009
There is a reason why the lane is not being used. It was shut down last October from Bethany Drive in Allen to Park Boulevard in Plano so that a contractor could build a wide center support for a bridge at Parker Road. The closure is necessary to keep workers safe as they do the work, Hartzel said. "We're hopeful to get this back open by October," he said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: HOV shut down for a year" is tagged: Central Expressway , highway , HOV , Plano , Problem Solver , road June 15, 2009
Seems like basic information, no? This led Brandon Formby, The News' beat writer in Irving, to explore in a story Sunday other less-than-transparent moves by the council and the impact on city business. A couple of council members took umbrage with the story's thesis -- and the Gonzalez flap in particular. They put the onus on residents to pay closer attention. "You've got to participate in the process," said City Council member Rick Stopfer. "You can't just sit back and say, 'They didn't tell me everything I wanted to know.' " ![]() ![]() The entry "Is Irving latest in trend away from transparency?" is tagged: city council , city manager , compensation , economic development , Irving , openness , Plano , raise , Sally Bane , Tommy Gonzalez , transparency June 8, 2009
The 2000 U.S. Census did show that Plano's population at the time was 10.2 percent Asian. But that percentage was made up of several separate Asian populations, who speak different languages. But the Asian populations are believed to have grown, so Plano is watching closely to see what happens with the 2010 census, said Diane Zucco, the city's secretary. "While we may have seen a marked increase in the Asian population, it's not reflected during elections yet, because we have not had a census since 2000," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Multilingual ballot rules" is tagged: Asian , ballots , elections , Plano , Problem Solver , voter rights June 5, 2009
"PLANO SHOULD BE ASHAMED," the reader wrote, "OTHER CITIES HAVE THEIR RECORDS ONLINE!" I first touched base with our Plano beat writer, Ted Kim. He told me the Plano Economic Development Board recently overhauled its Web site. That could explain the limited number of agendas and minutes, he said. Then I contacted Sally Bane, the board's executive director. I e-mailed her a link to the blog post with the comment and asked four questions: ![]() ![]() The entry "Reader talkback: Is Plano board transparent?" is tagged: agendas , economic development , meetings , Open Meetings Act , Plano , Plano Economic Development Board , Public Information Act , Reader Talkback , Sally Bane June 3, 2009
1. More public servants in legal trouble: News broke late last night that two Dallas police officers are under criminal investigation for allegedly beating up a prisoner in the city's drunk tank, Tanya Eiserer reports. They were apparently caught on video, too. 2. Transportation officials blame the increase in wrong-way driving deaths on the Dallas North Tollway primarily on drunks behind the wheel, Scott Goldstein tells us. They're taking safety measures, but a MADD rep says it's not enough. What do you think? 3. The Texas Department of Transportation is a frequent whipping boy of residents and politicians frustrated over congestion and construction. Sometimes it's deserved, sometimes it's not. But Michael Lindenberger's story raises the question: What happens if the agency can't be rescued from closure? 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, June 3, 2009" is tagged: alcohol , assaults , closure , crashes , Dallas North Tollway , Dallas police , DPD , drunk tank , drunken driving , fatalities , Sunset Commission , Texas Department of Transportation , TxDOT , video , wrong way June 2, 2009
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 May 11, 2009
1. A man held in Collin County jail for 83 days for missing jury duty was released Saturday after his case was profiled by DMN Problem Solver columnist Katie Fairbank. She had found a series of mistakes by court officials that contributed to his stay. 2. The Los Angeles Times is publishing an interesting series on how school officials can't -- or won't -- get troubled teachers out of the classroom. The latest installment looks at those with past allegations of sexual misconduct. It reminds me of a 2006 News series that explored how teachers with criminal records managed to get hired in Dallas ISD. 3. In New Jersey, roughly 40 cents of every dollar spent by government comes through contracts awarded to companies outside the normal bidding process, an Asbury Park Press investigation found. This left me wondering what the figure for Texas might look like -- higher, lower? 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, May, 11, 2009" is tagged: bad teachers , Collin County jail , contracts , DISD , Fairbank , insider deals , jury duty , Los Angeles , Maupin , New Jersey , no-bid , sexual misconduct May 9, 2009
Masonry contractor, Douglas Maupin, simply didn't attend. So Collin County authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. Six years later, he was picked up during a traffic stop and taken to jail. He's been there for 83 days -- but that may be over now that the DMN Problem Solver columnist, Katie Fairbank, has begun asking questions. She found a myriad of mistakes that left him there so long. Confusion among judges' staff. Failure to allow him access to a public defender. The case raises interesting questions, Katie notes. In Collin County, the average cost of holding an inmate is $69.70 a day. Doing the math, Maupin's case totaled roughly $5,785. Was that worth the taxpayer expense? Was the public's interest served? ![]() ![]() The entry "Skip jury duty in Collin? At your risk. Ask this guy." is tagged: arrest , Chris Oldner , Collin County , court , courthouse , Douglas Maupin , jail , jury duty , warrant May 5, 2009
2. Plano's new animal-control rules are causing confusion. Plano beatwriter Ted Kim has a handy tip sheet to help. (Residents, for instance, can be fined for failing to "visibly carry" pooper scoopers when walking pets.) 3. A government panel said yesterday that KBR, the Houston-based contractor assisting U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, is the subject of at least 16 reports of alleged fraud or improper conduct. A company spokeswoman defended KBR's record and told the Associated Press that it has been quick to report employee wrongdoing.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, May, 5, 2009" is tagged: Afghanistan , animal control , constables , contractors , Department of Public Safety , DPS , Iraq , KBR , Pets , Plano April 29, 2009
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 main problem is that there's no one right way to measure progress against smog. The official version says Dallas-Fort Worth is making pretty good progress. The American Lung Association, in its 10th annual State of the Air report being released Wednesday, finds things getting worse. As is so often the case, both versions of reality arise from the same raw data. It's just shaken and stirred with different goals in mind. ![]() ![]() The entry "North Texas smog: Making clean-air progress? " is tagged: air , American Lung Association , environment , EPA , health , North Texas , ozone , smog April 24, 2009
When the reader called police to see how the investigation was progressing, she was told that no one was handling the case. "There's probably $15,000 of damage. I don't want it to just go away. I called and they said no one was assigned to it," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Waiting for Plano PD" is tagged: criminal mischief , plano , police , problem solver , tire slashing April 15, 2009
1. Happy Tax Day! Now sober up and consider this question: Is your tax preparer a crook? No problem, a Fort Worth Star-Telegram investigation finds. It focuses on a woman who has a history of financial crime but continues to work as a storefront tax preparer -- a profession that Texas and most other states don't regulate. Nor are there national standards, the IRS admits. The Fort Worth woman now faces charges that she helped clients cheat the IRS out of millions by claiming bogus dependents and bogus business expenses. 2. Plano ISD is shelving a proposal to quit penalizing middle-schoolers for cheating or late assignments, Dallas Morning News reporter Matthew Haag reports. This comes just a week after Matt showed, using an open-records request, that teachers were dubious about the plan.
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, April 15, 2009" is tagged: Barrett Wissman , Carlyle Group , cheating , corruption , grading , HFV Asset Management , Hunt family , IRS , Matthew Haag , open records , pension fund , Plano ISD , Plano schools , regulation , securities fraud , tax evasion , tax preparer April 14, 2009
Next door to Costco on Central Expressway is a trailer park where, in 1997, I went searching for the mother of a seventh-grade overdose victim named Victor Garcia (right). That was when we first started hearing about drug dealers' brilliant marketing strategy of mixing heroin with sleeping pill ingredients and calling it something cool. Back then it was chiva. Now, of course, it is cheese. Today it sounds like heroin has killed two more young people in North Texas. That puts the total since 2005 at around three dozen. Is anybody besides low-level dealers ever going to be punished? There have been a few bigger fish charged, but not many. ![]() ![]() The entry "Cheese heroin: Dealers keep killing our kids" has no entry tags. April 9, 2009
News reporter Sarah Perry tells us that a "bridge over State Highway 114 near the Texas Motor Speedway could be closed for nearly two months for emergency repairs." "The bridge on FM 156 was closed Wednesday after crews discovered a damaged beam on its underside, said Keith Nabors, a maintenance supervisor for TxDOT." Bridge and roadway quality was thrust into the national spotlight when the I-35W bridge across the Mississippi River collapsed Aug. 1, 2007, killing 13. The collapse was caused by design flaws. More than 1 in 4 of America's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. So take some time and check the bridges near where you live and drive on our new searchable database.
![]() ![]() The entry "Check the health of bridges across North Texas" is tagged: bridges , collin , dallas , denton , infrastructure , north texas , rockwall , tarrant , texas 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 |