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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. March 2010
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They won't talk: Dallas County judges White and Creuzot silent on why they pardoned convicts Another Rick Perry appointee charged with misbehaving around youth; latest case at SMU Open-records revelation: Mesquite school board member Randy Dobbs' laptop contained adult porn Muslim activist group CAIR is unusually quiet about longtime board member's deportation Terri Hodge case: Hey, what's this line all about? Hot Links: Updates on Barnett Shale emissions, Parkland bonuses, Dallas constables inquiry Problem Solver: Prematurely dead, still troubled Not enough money for Texas roads? Think again. Job cuts, tax hikes and exec bonuses at Parkland Irving ex-police officer, Texas electric providers accused of gaming system facing penalties Categories
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March 1, 2010
A little-known provision in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure lets judges turn back the hands of time. They may "set aside the verdict or permit the defendant to withdraw the defendant's plea," the code says, and they can Caveats: People convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes are not eligible. Also, judges and licensing agencies who later deal with pardoned probationers may consider their criminal histories. Here's the fallout, as reported by Kevin: Former Constable Aurelio Castillo was convicted in 2000 of receiving an illegal campaign donation but now is free to run for county clerk, thanks to Judge Ernest White (above right). And David Chang, a former Dallas police officer who was convicted in 1996 of stealing from motorists during traffic stops, was free to run for Balch Springs mayor in 2008 (he lost). His pardon came from Judge John Creuzot (lower right). ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Dallas County judges White and Creuzot silent on why they pardoned convicts" is tagged: Aurelio Castillo , Balch Springs , clemency , Code of Criminal Procedure , constable , county clerk , criminal court , Dallas County , David Chang , discharge , dismissal , district judges , Ernest White , John Creuzot , mayor , pardon , probation February 26, 2010
The latest mess involves businessman Lee William "Bill" McNutt III (right), whom Perry named Texas Commission on the Arts chair in December. McNutt has since been arrested for trespassing at Southern Methodist University, reports Lori Stahl of The Dallas Morning News. SMU says it warned him to stay away in 2008 after getting "multiple student complaints against Mr. McNutt alleging behavior that violates University policy, such as offering alcohol to minors." McNutt, 54, graduated from SMU and was founding president of its Young Alumni Association, a governor's press release said. He worked in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and the first President George Bush, according to the arts commission. McNutt has resigned from the commission, The Daily Mustang is now reporting. He's also a deacon at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. The previous Perry-appointee mess involved Catherine Evans, a former Dallas County state district judge. Perry named her Texas Youth Commission ombudsman in September. Several weeks later, she was charged with trying to smuggle a knife, a cellphone and prescription drugs into an East Texas TYC facility. Please let me know if you get more information about what's going with either of these matters. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another Rick Perry appointee charged with misbehaving around youth; latest case at SMU" is tagged: Bill McNutt , Catherine Evans , chairman , George Bush , George H.W. Bush , Highland Park , Highland Park Presbyterian Church , Lee William "Bill" McNutt III , Lori Stahl , minors , ombudsman , Rick Perry , Ronald Reagan , SMU , smuggling , Southern Methodist University , Texas Commission on the Arts , Texas Youth Commission , trespassing , TYC , University Park , Young Alumni Association February 24, 2010
Whatever it was made Dobbs (right) resign, even though officials said he'd committed no crime. So reporter Karel Holloway did what good reporters do: She filed an open-records request. And now, at last, the tawdry truth is out, thanks to a ruling from the Texas attorney general: Dobbs' laptop contained "hundreds of pornographic images and videos of clearly adult male subject," Karel reports today, citing a police report. "Dobbs was a participant in many of the images."
![]() ![]() The entry "Open-records revelation: Mesquite school board member Randy Dobbs' laptop contained adult porn" is tagged: Karel Holloway , laptop , Mesquite Independent School District , Mesquite police , MISD , open records , pornography , Randy Dobbs , Texas attorney general February 23, 2010
Recently, for example, it denounced the introduction of full-body scanners in airports as a violation of Islamic rules about modesty. Its Web site carries many press releases on a variety of civil rights issues. But CAIR has been quiet about the recent deportation order against Richardson resident Nabil Sadoun (left), a longtime member of the group's national and DFW chapter boards. When I asked national CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper for an interview, he responded with this e-mail: "Peace. Perhaps speak to his attorney. She is the best source of information on the case." Hooper did not respond when I followed up with written questions about CAIR's view of the deportation case and its relationship with Sadoun. Sadoun's attorney, Kimberly Kinser of Richardson, didn't respond to my phone call and e-mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "Muslim activist group CAIR is unusually quiet about longtime board member's deportation" is tagged: Abdurahman Alamoudi , Brighter Horizons Academy , CAIR , civil rights , Council on American-Islamic Relations , deportation , Hamas , Holy Land Foundation , Ibrahim Hooper , imam , Islamic Society of North Texas , Jordan , Kimberly Kinser , Mousa Abu Marzook , Muslims , Nabil Sadoun , Richardson , suicide bombings , Syria , terrorism , Tulsa , United Association for Studies and Research February 3, 2010
Federal prosecutors noted that some of the $73,000 that went unreported on her tax returns was "campaign contributions made by various donors to Hodge, which she used for her own personal benefit ... ." But that's where they left it. I re-read the 2007 indictment against Hodge, as well as a 2008 filing citing supplemental evidence that authorities had gathered. I didn't see anywhere allegations of her using campaign contributions for personal use. Prosecutors say in today's plea agreement that they will present later a routine supplement. Perhaps that's the time and place when they will elaborate on the contributions. For now, they remained focused on the rent payments Hodge received -- and failed to report to the IRS -- from Dallas developers Brian and Cheryl Potashnik, whose low-income housing projects needed her support for millions in public subsidies. Until we hear more from the prosecution, I'm left wondering who made these campaign contributions, were there any strings attached, and how did Hodge use them for her personal benefit? ![]() ![]() The entry "Terri Hodge case: Hey, what's this line all about? " is tagged: bribery , corruption , Dallas City Hall , FBI , fraud , Gladys Evelyn Hodge , IRS , Potashnik , representative , Southwest Housing Development , tax credits , tax returns , Terri Hodge , trial 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 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 January 21, 2010
That impression sure seems wrong today. The News' Sherry Jacobson reports that 27 of Parkland's executives received bonuses over the holidays -- presumably the same ones who'd months earlier declined merit raises. These bonuses ranged between 19 percent and 31 percent per person, and totaled nearly $2 million. I should warn you against calling these bonuses. Incentive is the preferred noun, Parkland's board chairwoman says. That's because the executives met job-performance goals -- like reducing the hospital's hideously long emergency room waits, blamed in the death of one man in 2008. To those improvements, I'm sure everyone will say, "Job well done." But will everyone agree with
Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Job cuts, tax hikes and exec bonuses at Parkland" is tagged: bonuses , compensation , executives , incentives , John M. Haupert , Lauren McDonald , Parkland Memorial Hospital , pay , rewards , Ron Anderson , salary 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 13, 2010
The News' Randy Lee Loftis reminds us in his story that this is merely the latest dinging the Trinity has taken. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality -- an agency frequently accused of having a light touch -- previously deemed the river unsafe for extended human contact because of a high level of pollutants. Not the kind of assessments Dallas city leaders want to hear as they seek to develop the Trinity into a business and recreation destination. ![]() ![]() The entry "Trinity River among Texas' most polluted waters" is tagged: advocacy group , Clean Waters Act , Environment Texas , Environmental Protection Agency , Gulf Coast , Riverfront , Texas Commission on Environment Quality , tollway , Trinity River January 8, 2010
At right is what the facility looked like when under construction in 2008. Below are scenes from Wednesday's collapse. ![]() ![]() The entry "Photos of Cowboys builder's latest collapse" is tagged: collapse , Dallas Cowboys , Meadville Tribune , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Pennsylvania , practice facility
This one's at a fairgrounds in northwest Pennsylvania, reports a little paper there called The Meadville Tribune. And fortunately, no one was hurt -- unlike here, where one Cowboys staffer was permanently paralyzed below the waist, another suffered a broken neck without paralysis, and 10 others were injured less seriously. Last fall, a federal agency blamed the Cowboys collapse on a long series of design failures and warned that many similar tent-like structures remain in use around the world. "All of those buildings, the National Institute of Standards and Technology said, need to be checked for similar problems," we reported in October. A judge in Philadelphia previously blamed a third collapse there on design errors by the same company: Canada-based Cover-All Building Systems and its U.S. subsidiary, Summit Structures. It has denied wrongdoing and insisted its buildings are safe. The Philadelphia collapse occurred after a heavy snow in early 2003, as did the latest Pennsylvania collapse. Last year's disaster in Irving occurred during a thunderstorm.
If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another collapse for Cowboys facility's builder" is tagged: collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , fairgrounds , Meadville Tribune , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures January 7, 2010
That bribe now has him staring down a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and $250,000 fine, as part of a plea deal he reached this week. Any time a public official like this is involved in bribes, I'm interested. But authorities were a tad vague in court records and a press release on a few details. Now I'm even more curious. They say the case involves just one bribe, way back in 2005, but had Hernandez had solicited others? They don't reveal his job at the IRS or describe the "U.S. taxpayer" who paid the $2,000. And they write that the case "is being investigated" by four federal agencies, so is there more to come? I emailed U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Kathy Colvin about those points late yesterday. As I wait to hear back from her, I wondered whether any of you in blogosphere could fill in these blanks?
Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Public servant in trouble: IRS employee in Dallas" is tagged: bribery , FBI , Federal Bureau of Investigations , Fernando Hernandez , HUD , ICE , Internal Revenue Service , IRS , public servant , U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration January 5, 2010
1. Politically connected Texas billionaire Allen Stanford may be in trouble with the feds over an alleged Ponzi scheme. But U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas, shown at right, still loves him. Sessions said so in an email. It's not the first time in recent months that Sessions has shown himself loyal to campaign contributors. 2. Deporting immigrants who commit crimes is one thing. Enforcing penalties after they illegally re-enter the U.S. is a more complicated matter, The News' Jason Trahan reported. 3. We've highlighted the investigation into the Dallas police's methods of classifying -- or not classifying -- some crimes, leading to a rosier crime rate. News beat writers Steve Thompson and Tanya Eiserer updated their fine work with a story showing that the department will change the way it handles car burglaries. 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: Stories you may have missed, part I" is tagged: Allen Stanford , campaign finance , car burglaries , contributors , crime rate , Dallas PD , David Kunkle , deportation , DPD , illegal immigrants , Pete Sessions , Ponzi , re-entry , statistics January 4, 2010
1. If you're catching up on the recent rise in terror threats, The News published a nice takeout by The Washington Post exploring Al-Qaeda's re-emergence in Yemen. Yemen is the base of the imam who advised the Army psychiatrist behind the Fort Hood killings, as my colleague Brooks Egerton has blogged, and has apparent ties to the Nigerian who tried to blow up a plane bound for Detroit. 2. Much has been written about the economic wonders of the new Cowboys Stadium. The News' Jeff Mosier reminds us that in one instance what Jerry giveth Arlington, he taketh from Dallas. Fair Park had a "hollow feeling" as the annual Cotton Bowl football game was played out west for the first time Saturday. Makes you wonder what the economic losses were for Dallas? 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: Yemen threats grow beyond Fort Hood, Fair Park misses departed Cotton Bowl game" is tagged: airplane , Al-Qaeda , Al-Qaida , Anwar al-Awlaki , Arlington , bombing , college , Cotton Bowl , Cowboys Stadium , Dallas , Detroit , economic impact , Fair Park , football , Fort Hood , Jerry Jones , killings , Nidal Malik Hasan , Nigeria , plane , shootings , terror , terrorism , Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , Yemen 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 December 10, 2009
That was "an unfair depiction of a couple who lived modestly compared to their wealth," says Sara Marotto of In that light, check out this video tour of Eric's home in Addison (right), which is now for sale. The original list price of $2.9 million has been cut to a cool $2,495,000. Eric is listed as a million-dollar donor to the new performing arts center in Courts are now trying to sort out what went wrong with and what will become of the Brausses' real-estate empire, as The News' Gary Jacobson reported recently. ![]() ![]() The entry "Dallas mogul 'lived modestly,' writer says" is tagged: Addison , AT&T Performing Arts Center , Eric Brauss , for sale , movie , slasher , The Dead Don't Scream , Today Realty Advisors December 8, 2009
Some commenters pointed toward Brazil. Now Dallas Morning News reporter Gary Jacobson is finding some evidence of that in court documents. One filing in Dallas state court quotes a Nov. 17 email from Brauss as saying he was on a "very primitive tour in the Amazon rainforest." And a Nov. 20 email from Brauss to one of his investors purportedly said: "Sorry I did not get back to you until now, but needed to wait for my lawyer's directions...Until we come to an agreement with you...I need to stay here in South America." As The News reported last week, Brauss' Today Realty Advisors, which invested in hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of projects, has closed its Far North Dallas headquarters. In court, several investors seek restitution of what they allege are millions of dollars in diverted funds. Gary's working on a longer story now. Among the questions he's trying to answer: Has Brauss already made good on his $1 million donation to the new performing arts center in Downtown Dallas?
![]() ![]() The entry "Update on Dallas investor/arts kingpin Eric Brauss: He claims to be chilling out in South America" is tagged: Amazon , AT&T Performing Arts Center , Brazil , Downtown Dallas , Eric Brauss , Gary Jacobson , investor , mogul , performing arts center , philanthropist , real estate , Today Realty Advisors December 4, 2009
In 2004, he and wife Christine (right) were described as owners of three Maybachs -- German luxury cars worth over $300,000 each. Eric was also named as the owner of a $160,000 watch. In 2007, they made the list of million-dollar donors to the new performing arts center downtown. And they gave $50,000 that year for a Dallas Opera gala. Now comes word from News reporter Steve Brown that Eric is nowhere to be found. And the Far North Dallas headquarters of his Today Realty Advisors is shut down. Late last month, a Dallas court granted investors a temporary order that bars the Brausses from spending or transferring millions held by real estate partnerships. Local real estate execs told Steve they don't know whether Brauss is still in the country. He's from Germany and also has lived in Canada, where Today Realty has another office. Do you have a tip about Eric Brauss? 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: What has become of Eric Brauss, the Dallas real estate mogul and patron of the arts?" is tagged: AT&T Performing Arts Center , Canada , Christine Brauss , Dallas Opera , Dallas Symphony , Eric Brauss , Germany , Maybach , performing arts center , Steve Brown , Today Realty Advisors December 1, 2009
1. Catherine Evans (right), a former state district judge in Dallas County, faces a felony charge of trying to smuggle a knife and other contraband into a Texas Youth Commission facility, reports Christy Hoppe of The Dallas Morning News. That's embarrassing all by itself. It's made worse by the fact that Gov. Rick Perry recently named Evans TYC ombudsman -- a job in which she was supposed to make sure that juveniles in state lockups were kept safe from harm. Evans has resigned and could not be reached for comment Monday. Why do we need an ombudsman? Well, the agency has a history of physical and sexual abuse scandals, as The News showed in a 2007 series of investigative reports.
Do you have a tip about TYC? TDCJ? 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: Ex-Dallas judge embarrasses TYC; smuggling scandal also hits adult prison system" is tagged: abuse , Arcade Comeaux , Arcade Joseph Comeaux , Catherine Evans , Christy Hoppe , escape , judge , juvenile , lockup , Michelle Lyons , ombudsman , rapist , Rick Perry , smuggling , TDCJ , Texas Department of Criminal Justice , Texas Youth Commission , TYC , wanted 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 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
Some of the constables' employees say they've been pressured to sell the tickets. The constables, through their lawyers, deny wrongdoing. Do you have a tip about constables? 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: How Dallas Co. constables raise cash " is tagged: campaign contribution , campaign finance , charity , constables , Dallas County , Derick Evans , Ed Timms , fund raising , Jaime Cortes , Kevin Krause , nonprofit , raffle , tickets November 13, 2009
Coming soon? Now that about 22 million people have gotten sick around the country and 3,900 have died? The Dallas Morning News got tired of waiting for the state to provide data. So reporter Jeffrey Weiss wrote an open-records request for vaccine shipment information. What resulted is our own searchable database of providers in the Dallas area who are supposed to have the shots and mist. Check it out. Do you have a tip about swine flu? The Department of State Health Services? 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: Find H1N1 vaccine with our database" is tagged: CDC , Centers for Disease Control , Department of State Health Services , H1N1 , Jeffrey Weiss , mist , searchable database , shot , swine flu , vaccine 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 9, 2009
My co-worker Holly Hacker recently introduced me to a terrific do-it-yourself reporting tool called Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas. It's maintained by the state's higher education board and contains a long list of unaccredited schools, diploma mills and more. Holly used the list most recently for a story about Carrie Gordon, who is mayor of the little Dallas suburb of Balch Springs and a Dallas city planner. She likes to call herself Dr. Gordon, though her degree comes from a defunct correspondence school on the state list.
Using degrees from such places is a crime if it helps you obtain any financial benefit "or gain a position in government with authority over another person, regardless of whether the actor receives compensation for the position," the state says. These ladies have not been charged with wrongdoing. Do you have a tip about people using questionable degrees? 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: Two Dallas-area leaders are touting worthless degrees; can you help us find more?" is tagged: Balch Springs , bogus degree , Carrie Gordon , Columbia Pacific University , correspondence school , Dallas city planner , Dallas school board , diploma mill , distance learning , fake degree , Holly Hacker , illegal degree , Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas , Juanita Wallace , Madison University , mayor , NAACP , Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board , unaccredited , virtual campus , worthless degree 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 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 3, 2009
You're a high-risk patient. You need a swine flu vaccine. Your doctor has none. Where can you get help? We're hearing this anguished question over and over again. The Texas Department of State Health Services knows the answer -- and isn't sharing it. Its Web site has the obligatory FAQ section, but this question isn't on the list. Another section of the site is labeled "H1N1 vaccine distribution," with categories for allocations by county, to local health departments and to private providers. But there are no links -- only the words "coming soon." Early this morning, my colleague Jeff Weiss asked state health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams: "Why does the state not post on its Web site the names of every provider that you've ordered vaccine shipped to and the amount of vaccine that you have had shipped there to date?" Her only responses:
![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: State officials withhold info on which health-care providers have H1N1 vaccine" is tagged: Carrie Williams , Dallas County Health Department , Farmers Branch , Flu Shots of America , H1N1 , high risk , Jeff Vitt , mass clinic , Star Medical Group , swine flu , Texas Department of State Health Services , vaccine
At the time, no one would say what that something was. So Dallas Morning News reporter Karel Holloway filed an open-records request. And now comes word that the computer's hard drive has been wiped. When? Why? By whom? Mesquite school officials aren't explaining. Do you have a tip about Randy Dobbs? Mesquite schools? 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: Mesquite ISD computer mystery grows" is tagged: computer , erased , hard drive , Karel Holloway , laptop , Mesquite Independent School District , MISD , open records , Randy Dobbs , wiped 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 30, 2009
And Vitt's clinic (right) has been vaccinating anybody willing to pay $20 -- not just those in highest-risk groups who are supposed to be first in line. They are, according to the Centers for Disease Control, "pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact, children 6 months through 4 years of age, and children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions." The state health department says it is investigating. Vitt says he has done nothing wrong. Do you have a tip about Flu Shots of America? 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 does Farmers Branch entrepeneur have more swine vaccine doses than county?" is tagged: CDC , Centers for Disease Control , Dallas County Health Department , Farmers Branch , Flu Shots of America , H1N1 , Jeff Vitt , swine flu , vaccine October 26, 2009
1. Death-penalty opponents such as the Innocence Project say Texas executed an innocent man in Cameron Todd Willingham. Not so fast, concluded an investigative report I co-authored with Steve McGonigle and Gary Jacobson. We found that Willingham did much to incriminate himself after the 1991 Corsicana house fire that killed his three little girls (right). And the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a long statement from Willingham's ex-wife, Stacy Kuykendall, that reinforces our findings. 2. Police-beat reporters Tanya Eiserer and Steve Thompson raised new doubts about Dallas crime statistics. They found that DPD doesn't consider crimes such as this to be attempted burglary: Masked men are seen on video attacking a business entrance with bolt cutters and an ax. Because they failed to get inside and fled when an alarm sounded, police said it was only "criminal mischief." 3. Dallas County constables have dramatically increased traffic enforcement, Ed Timms and Kevin Krause reported. They followed up today with a look at other types of expansion that have essentially turned constables' offices into their own police departments. Do you have a tip about a capital case? Crime stats? Constables? 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 Texas execute an innocent man? Dunno. But Willingham's story doesn't add up." is tagged: arson , attempted burglary , Barry Scheck , burglary , Cameron Todd Willingham , capital punishment , constables , Corsicana , crime statistics , Dallas County , Dallas police , death penalty , DPD , Ed Timms , Gary Jacobson , Innocence Project , Kevin Krause , Stacy Kuykendall , Steve McGonigle , Steve Thompson , Tanya Eiserer , traffic enforcement , Willingham October 20, 2009
Richardson quit using carbon monoxide gas in its shelter earlier this year, according to city officials. The chamber was removed from the animal services facility last week, Richardson City Secretary Pamela Schmidt confirmed. Meanwhile, Garland Citizens for Reform of the Animal SHelter (Garland CRASH) are planning a protest outside tonight's Garland City Council meeting. Garland changed its euthanasia policy earlier this month after The Dallas Morning News reported that the shelter had illegally gassed some animals. The new policy, to be fully implemented by Jan. 1, restricts the use of carbon monoxide gas only to animals that could pose a danger to staff. That policy doesn't go far enough, according to a news release. "The city council has made it clear that it does not care what the citizens want, and that the council will do nothing to end the gassing of feral cats, wildlife, and so-called 'dangerous animals'," the release says. "Public pleas to the city council over several weeks have been ignored and ridiculed, including 19 speakers (all Garlanders) and 67 filed cards (most Garlanders) opposing gassing at the last two city council meetings. Nobody has spoken in favor of gassing."
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Richardson removes chamber" is tagged: animal shelter , carbon monoxide chamber , cat , dog , euthanasia , Garland , Problem Solver , Richardson 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 9, 2009
1. Attention family-violence victims in Dallas: Was Mickey East (right) the detective assigned to your case? Did he work it or just stash the file in his garage? That's the question raised by Dallas Morning News reporter Tanya Eiserer's story today. East has been put on auto-pound duty while officials reassess more than 2,000 cases. This mess comes close on the heels of another massive DPD review -- of crime reports the police labeled unfounded without investigating. That probe followed an investigation by Tanya and colleague Steve Thompson into car-burglary claims that were ignored. 2. How tight is security at U.S. airports? An American Airlines passenger flying from San Antonio to Thailand via Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has been arrested while changing planes in Japan. Seems he had a loaded handgun in his bag, the Japan Times reports. U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials say that the security breach occurred in San Antonio and that they're investigating. Do you have a tip about Mickey East? The Transportation Security Administration? 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: DPD files stashed in cop's garage" is tagged: AA , airport , American Airlines , Bangkok , crime statistics , D/FW Airport , Dallas police , Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , DPD , family violence , gun , Japan , Mickey East , Narita , San Antonio International Airport , security , Steve Thompson , Tanya Eiserer , Thailand , Transportation Security Administration October 8, 2009
1. Richard Miles (right) is on the verge of being exonerated for a 1994 murder and attempted murder, my colleagues Steve McGonigle and Jennifer Emily report. He would be the second man cleared by District Attorney Craig Watkins without DNA evidence. The key factor here: Dallas police evidence pointing to another man was missing from prosecution files and apparently withheld from the defense.
Do you have a tip about the players in the Miles case? 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: Exoneration without DNA evidence?" is tagged: confirmed guilt , Craig Watkins , Dallas County district attorney , Dallas police , DNA , exculpatory evidence , exoneration , frivolous claim , Richard Miles , Timothy Hill , withheld evidence , wrongful conviction October 6, 2009
The federal report also urges all owners, designers and builders of similar steel-framed, fabric-covered structures to evaluate their safety. Canada-based Cover-All Building Systems has said it designed the structure to withstand 90 mph winds, as required by the city of Irving's building code. But "the wind speed at the time and location of the collapse was in the range of 55 mph to 65 mph," the federal report says. The disaster left Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm permanently paralyzed below the waist. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis suffered a broken neck but escaped paralysis. Ten others suffered lesser injuries. No other nearby structures suffered significant damage during the May 2 thunderstorm.
![]() ![]() The entry "Federal report blames Dallas Cowboys practice facility collapse on several design flaws" is tagged: building code , collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , design flaw , Irving , JCI , Jeffrey Galland , Joe DeCamillis , microburst , National Institute of Standards and Technology , NIST , practice facility , Rich Behm , Rich Dalrymple , S2 Engineers , Scott Jacobs , Summit Structures , thunderstorm , Valley Ranch
1. As a now-convicted Don Hill wonders why jurors and God did not "give us this one," I wondered when the other public official enmeshed in the FBI's bribery investigation will go on trial. The News' Gromer Jeffers Jr. happened to report today that the judge is asking about possible courts dates for State Rep. Terri Hodge (shown at right). Meanwhile, it appears some are already trying to undercut her 2010 re-election opponent. Their argument: He's too educated. 2. On the list of people who can consistently strike fear into Child Protective Services, state Sen. Jane Nelson has got to be near the very top. She has long led reform efforts targeting the agency. Now she is questioning whether four recent deaths of children while under CPS' watch, including that of an Arlington toddler, is a broader pattern, report The News' Brooks Egerton and Scott Goldstein. 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 City Hall, CPS cases not done yet" is tagged: abuse , bribery , Child Protective Services , CPS , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Darrell "Tre" Singleton III , Darren Reagan , death , Don Hill , extortion , FBI , federal investigation , Gladys Evelyn Hodge , hot car , Jane Nelson , Keashia Matthews , kickbacks , neglect , Sheila Farrington , Terri Hodge , trial October 5, 2009
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 29, 2009
1. Gov. Rick Perry's re-election campaign is paying "volunteers" to recruit more "volunteers," The Dallas Morning News' Gromer Jeffers reports today. My favorite quote in the story is from Dallas County Republican Party chairman Jonathan Neerman (right), who was a volunteer in Perry's 2006 campaign and said there were no cash rewards then. "I want my check," he said.
Do you have a tip about politics? 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: Perry campaign pays 'volunteers' " is tagged: consultant , Dallas County Republican Party , Democratic Party , endowment , Gromer Jeffers , investment , Jeff Horwitz , Jonathan Neerman , re-election campaign , Rick Agosto , Rick Perry , State Board of Education , Texas Permanent School Fund , volunteer September 25, 2009
In addition to the father defending Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, he told the Agence France-Presse that his son "suffered psychological problems after the death of his mother of cancer in 2007, when he decided to go to the United States to live and study with his friend. "But regardless of these problems," he added, "I know my son is innocent." You can read more of the Agence France-Presse story here. And you can catch up on the latest developments from The Morning News on our Crime Blog, and even read the criminal complaint for yourself. ![]() ![]() The entry "Alleged Dallas bomber's father speaks in Jordan: 'We as a family never believed in terrorism'" is tagged: bomb , car , Dallas , downtown , FBI , Fountain Place , Hosam Maher Husein Smadi , Italy , Jordanian , skyscraper , terrorist
1. The more you need help, the less likely you are to get it. That seems to be the logic transportation officials are using in deciding how to spend federal stimulus money. Reports USA Today: "Dallas trails only Los Angeles in miles of bad roads, yet it has received less than 1% of the $530 million that Texas approved for road repairs." A TXDoT official says our roads are so bad that fixes would cost too much to be eligible for funds. 2. The Dallas Morning News' Victor Godinez has a fascinating back story today about the Perot family confidant who's accused of insider trading. Reza Saleh, it turns out, helped rescue Perot employees from a prison in his native Iran 30 years ago. Now he's adding to the embarrassment facing Perot-affiliated investments this year. My colleagues Gary Jacobson and Brendan Case wrote a few months ago about the multi-billion dollar collapse of a family hedge fund. Do you have a tip about street repairs? Hedge funds? 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.N ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Stimulus money bypasses Dallas roads" is tagged: Brendan Case , Gary Jacobson , hedge fund , insider trading , Iran , Parkcentral Capital Management , Perot , Reza Saleh , road repairs , SEC , Securities and Exchange Commission , stimulus , Texas Department of Transportation , TXDoT , USA Today , Victor Godinez September 24, 2009
1. Maria Refugia Camarillo (right) gets to spend the next 44 months of her golden years in federal prison, a judge decided yesterday. The 72-year-old Fort Worth grandma arranged sham marriages for up to $12,000 apiece between many members of her extended family and green-card seeking immigrants. More details are in a Justice Department news release issued when she pleaded guilty in July. 2. Lubbock lawyer Kevin Glasheen stands to make millions representing 12 former prisoners who have been exonerated by DNA evidence and are seeking compensation from the state. But now, The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports, one of the Dallas exonerees has hired a different lawyer to sue Glasheen. Lawyer 2 alleges that Lawyer 1 did no legal work and shouldn't collect a $1 million fee. Glasheen denies the claim. 3. Reza Saleh made about $8.6 million by trading on advance knowledge of Dell's purchase of Perot Systems, federal regulators alleged yesterday. Saleh's employer, according to The News' Victor Godinez: Parkcentral Capital Management, an affiliate of Perot Investments. Do you have a tip about marriage? Lawyers? Insider trading? 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 granny's immigrant marriage racket" is tagged: compensation , Dell , DNA , exoneration , exoneree , green card , immigration , insider trading , Jennifer Emily , Kevin Glasheen , Maria Refugia Camarillo , marriage fraud , Parkcentral Capital Management , Perot Investments , Perot Systems , Reza Saleh , scam , scheme , SEC , Securities and Exchange Commission , sham marriage , Steven Charles Phillips September 22, 2009
In today's Hot Links, Dallas-area TV stations show public employees endangering schoolkids on roadways. 1. Channel 8 obtained dash-cam video of a Dallas police response that sped through active school zones and past school buses. Doesn't Chief David Kunkle's strict speeding policy apply here?
Do you have a tip about schools and 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: Dallas kids endangered on way to class" is tagged: autistic , bus driver , Channel 11 , Channel 8 , Dallas County Schools , Dallas police , David Kunkle , KTVT , mentally disabled , school buses , school zones , special needs , speeding , WFAA
So, I thought I better make some points: ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Inflamed debate over shelter" is tagged: animal shelter , animals , carbon monoxide euthanasia , cat , dog , problem solver September 21, 2009
Garland is self-insured, so no outside insurance companies are inspecting the city's chamber either. Officials over the shelter say the carbon monoxide that is in use is actually less dangerous than chlorine chemicals which are used at the water treatment plant. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Records show shelter problems" is tagged: animal shelter , carbon monoxide , cat , dog , euthanasia , Problem Solver September 18, 2009
The trip is part of Fort Worth's Sister Cities program, which sends a delegation to seven locales around the world to glad-hand and talk a little business. Fort Worth has provided about $350,000 in public funding toward this and usually pays the cost of a couple of elected officials to attend -- in this case, two to Swaziland at a cost of nearly $10,000. The timing could not have been worse. Just last week, the council approved budget cuts and fee hikes for residents. One of the traveling council members insisted, "This is not about tourism. This is about AIDS in Africa and the significant issues that are faced in that part of the world. It is very important we have these exchanges." The Sister Cities trip reminded me of other recent examples of big-ticket municipal travel -- Rowlett, Dallas and Mesquite. Leaves you wondering taxpayers believe they're getting a good value, or whether they'd like their neighborhood library open a few more hours.
Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Another city in North Texas cuts services, but elected officials keep traveling" is tagged: Dallas , elected officials , foreign , Fort Worth , Mesquite , municipal , overseas , Rowlett , Sister Cities , Travel , trips September 16, 2009
1. Was he trying to make the Guinness Book of World Records? Michael Meissner (right) worked for 17 small-town police agencies in 18 years, The Dallas Morning News reports today. Now he's jailed, facing child-porn and organized crime charges in Dallas and Tarrant counties. He worked most recently for a town in Central Texas, but it's hard to understand how that was possible. WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported two years ago that Meissner lost his peace officer's license in 2003, used a phony college degree and had an arrest record.
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: Child-porn charge for North Texas cop " is tagged: Byron Harris , Channel 8 , child porn , Dallas municipal court , disbarred , gypsy cop , judge , Michael Meissner , organized crime , peace officer license , probate , State Bar of Texas , stealing , TCLEOSE , Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education , Tiffany Lewis , WFAA 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 9, 2009
The company -- which is seeking to reorganize and now uses the name S2 Engineers -- also has issued its first statement about the collapse: "Scott Jacobs and JCI stand by the services rendered for Summit Structures regarding the Dallas Cowboys indoor practice facility. Mr. Jacobs and JCI do not have any further comment at this time as litigation is pending." Pennsylvania-based Summit and its Canada-based parent, Cover-All Building Systems, designed and built the practice facility in 2003. The two people most seriously injured in its May 2 collapse -- Cowboys staffers Rich Behm and Joe DeCamillis -- sued the two companies and JCI last month, alleging that they conspired to conceal the giant tent-like structure's defects. ![]() ![]() The entry "Firm tied to Cowboys collapse files for bankruptcy" is tagged: collapse , conspiracy , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , defects , Frank Branson , Irving , JCI , Jeffrey Galland , Joe DeCamillis , practice facility , Rich Behm , S2 Engineers , Scott Jacobs , Summit Structures , tent-like structure
1. Dallas City Council member Dwaine Caraway (the frowning guy in the suit) and Police Chief David Kunkle (the animated guy with the badge) say they're going to fix problems that Dallas Morning News reporters Steve Thompson and Tanya Eiserer exposed Sunday: Cops aren't counting all car burglaries, which skews crime stats. 2. Read deep into my colleague Kevin Krause's roundup today of Dallas County Commissioners Court activity, and you'll see that two top security officials have quit under fire. But county officials are saying precious little about why emergency management director Robie Robinson and security chief Alonzo Banks quit. Do you have a tip about Dallas police practices? Dallas County safety officials? 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: Some Dallas car burglaries not counted" is tagged: Alonzo Banks , car burglaries , crime statistics , Dallas County commissioners , Dallas police , David Kunkle , Dwaine Caraway , emergency management director , investigation , Kevin Krause , Robie Robinson , security chief , Steve Thompson , Tanya Eiserer September 8, 2009
Roughly one-third of all animals leave alive from the Garland shelter each year. That average is similar to the national shelter average, but poor when compared to neighboring Plano's live placement rate of 80 percent. I requested an interview with Garland Animal Services manager Diana Oats but was referred to the city's public information office. I then filed a Texas Open Records Act request for data involving the shelter's advisory board, as well as the shelter's operations and budget during the past three years. For the thousands of animals that are euthanized each year, shelter staff estimates that carbon monoxide gas is used between 60 percent and 70 percent of the time. Lethal injection is used for puppies or kittens under four months old and for dogs or cats with obvious respiratory distress, according to Jason Chessher, deputy director of Garland's health department. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Shelter uses gas to euthanise" is tagged: garland animal shelter; Problem Solver; euthanisia; carbon monoxide gas September 4, 2009
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 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
1. This is 2009, right? And entering a suspect's bail info in one Dallas County computer doesn't get it into other computers? And a man (Ezequiel Moreno, right) accused of sexually abusing a teen and plotting her kidnapping can get out of jail because the computers aren't connected, as my colleagues Scott Goldstein and Jennifer Emily report today? And Dallas County commissioners want to cut spending on criminal justice? 2. Do shrinking newspaper budgets make it easier for government officials to hide what goes on in courtrooms, as The New York Times reports today? Does a bear poop in the woods? Do you have a tip about Dallas County government? 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: Kidnap-sex abuse suspect set free; Dallas County's computer system blamed" is tagged: budget cuts , commissioners , computers , courtrooms , criminal justice , Dallas County , Ezequiel Moreno , jail , Jennifer Emily , kidnapping , legal battle , New York Times , newspapers , openness , plot , public access , Scott Goldstein , sexual abuse , technology 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
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 27, 2009
1. Who killed pastor Carol Daniels (right) in her Christ Holy Sanctified Church? Why? And why are authorities warning other pastors to be wary in the little Oklahoma town of Anadarko, about 200 miles north of Dallas? The authorities aren't talking publicly. 2. Why has the Dallas County Precinct 5 constable's office been the target of so many criminal investigations? Kevin Krause, who covers Dallas County for The Dallas Morning News, traces the ugly history back almost a decade on the paper's crime blog. Do you have a tip about a mystery? 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: One pastor killed, others warned " is tagged: Anadarko , Carol Daniels , Christ Holy Sanctified Church , constable , criminal investigation , Dallas County , Jaime Cortes , Kevin Krause , murder , mystery , pastor , Precinct 5 August 25, 2009
Scouting aide Rich Behm (above right) and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis (below right) accuse all the defendants The prominent Dallas trial lawyer Frank Branson represents both Behm, who is permanently paralyzed below the waist, and DeCamillis, who suffered a broken neck but escaped paralysis. ![]() ![]() The entry "First Cowboys-collapse lawsuits claim conspiracy" is tagged: broken neck , collapse , conspiracy , cover-up , Dallas Cowboys , Frank Branson , Joe DeCamillis , lawsuit , negligence , paralyzed , practice facility , Rich Behm , tent-like structure , trial lawyer August 24, 2009
1. The Richardson school district is back in session today. And David Simmons (pictured at right) is being paid $300,000 not to be superintendent any more, as Dallas Morning News reporter Jeff Weiss explains. Why? School board members suggest that the payoff is the most efficient way to get rid of Simmons, who quit Aug. 3. And why did they want him out, given that the district has a balanced budget and four straight years of "recognized" status? They aren't giving much of an explanation. 2. Securities regulators told William Warnky last week not to work as a stockbroker because he defrauded a former client and disregarded an order to repay him $50,000. What will become of Warnky's other career as a priest? We're waiting to hear from Dallas Episcopal Bishop James Stanton or his No. 2, Bishop Suffragan Paul Lambert. Do you have a tip about RISD? David Simmons? The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas? William Warnky? 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: RISD boss gone but still getting paid" is tagged: Bishop James Stanton , David Simmons , Episcopal Diocese , First Canterbury Securities , Good Samaritan Episcopal Church , Jeffrey Weiss , Paul Lambert , payoff , Richardson Independent School District , Richardson schools , RISD , stockbroker , superintendent , William Warnky August 20, 2009
1. Sharon Keller says she would do it again. The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (at right, waiting for her misconduct trial to begin) testified Wednesday that there was no reason to keep the court open late in 2007 for a death-row inmate's last-minute appeal. Hours later, the killer was executed. Now that the tables are turned and she's facing trial, Keller faces possible removal from the bench. And this isn't the former Dallas County prosecutor's only legal woe; another stems from her failure to list millions in personal assets on a financial disclosure form, as my colleague Steve McGonigle's investigation showed. 2. The Dallas suburb of Richardson spends more than $800,000 a year on employee car allowances, Dallas Morning News reporter Ian McCann finds. Many of the employees do lots of on-the-job driving -- but some are just getting perks. How does this compare to what other cities do? Are city-owned car fleets a better alternative? Do you have a tip about judicial conduct? Car allowances? 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: Texas judge Keller is unrepentant" is tagged: Bill Keffler , car allowances , death row , executed , financial disclosure , Ian McCann , inmate , judge , Michael Wayne Richard , personal assets , Richardson , Sharon Keller , Steve McGonigle , Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct , Texas Court of Criminal Appeals 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 August 17, 2009
1. What is going on in the offices of Dallas County constables Jamie Cortes and Derick Evans? The News' Kevin Krause brings us another in an increasing list of stories on their activities, which always seem to involve vehicles or a towing company they're employing. 2. Dallas' Mexican consulate office is under investigation for financial improprieties, The News' Alfredo Corchado tells us. Similar allegations arose a few months ago. Trend or coincidence? 3. Tarrant County College trustee Robyn Medina Winnett was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting, the Star-Telegram reports. It's the latest unflattering headline for TCC's administration. 4. Haven't heard from former U.S. House Majority Leader and Texas' own Dick Armey in a while. Talking Points Memo's Muckraker blog explores how Armey's lobbying firm apparently received blowback from his advocacy group's role in organizing health-care protests. 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: Money questions for Dallas constables, Mexican consulate, Tarrant County College admin" is tagged: consulate , Dallas County constables , Derick Evans , Dick Armey , DLA Piper , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , Enrique Hubbard , FreedomWorks , investigation , Jamie Cortes , Mexican , Mexico , Robyn Medina Winnett , shoplifting , Tarrant County College 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 12, 2009
1. "It's pay to play." There's your quote of the day from Fisher (shown at right), as prosecutors proceeded to walk him through a series of incidents where co-defendants, chiefly former Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee, hit him up for financial favors in exchange for votes. One example: Lee gave a not-so-subtle hint that he liked Fisher's colleague's swanky leather coat and volunteered his own coat size. 2. Details of Lee's antics may not be surprising to trialwatchers. This, however, may be: High-powered political consultant, Carol Reed, was among those advising Fisher to go ahead and pay a security firm run by deceased councilman James Fantroy at a time when the developer needed the official's votes. Columnist James Ragland notes the advice came after the conflict of interest had caused a ruckus publicly. 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: A glimpse at how Dallas City Hall works" is tagged: Allen McGill , Bill Fisher , Brian Potashnik , bribery , Carol Reed , City Hall , D'Angelo Lee , Darren Reagan , Don Hill , extortion , James R. "Bill" Fisher , Marcus Busch , Southwest Housing Development Co. , 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 7, 2009
Superintendent David Simmons (shown at right) abruptly resigned at a board meeting Monday after what appeared to be a rosy tenure. And resigned weeks before the start of a new school year. The board president, Kim Quirk, said that she and her colleagues weren't happy with a focus on test scores and wanted a leader with a "more strategic vision." Seems an ambigious explanation. But Simmons, for his part, chose not to speak. Did he do something wrong? Did someone do him wrong? Now this: Simmons signed an agreement to receive a separation payout $300,000 that also calls for him and his former employers from making "disparaging remarks" about each other, The News' Jeffrey Weiss reports. For $300,000, it is only fair and reasonable that taxpayers get more answers. ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Richardson ISD's David Simmons" is tagged: David Simmons , Kim Quirk , resignation , Richardson Independent School District , RISD , school board , severance
University Park's attorney, Robert Dillard, read the law differently. He advised the City Council to block residents from addressing the issue when it came up during a meeting Tuesday because doing so may be a violation. That's after they had waited an hour for their turn. Needless to say, the residents were confused by the city's logic. So were experts interviewed by The News' Lori Stahl, whose story today quotes them as saying the Open Meetings Act allowed residents to have their say. "There is absolutely no basis for the city attorney's advice that allowing these comments would have been a violation" of the law, one expert told Lori. Dillard, incidentally, wouldn't talk about not letting the residents talk. ![]() ![]() The entry "University Park to residents: Zip it on pool talk" is tagged: Blackie Holmes II , Curtis Park , public comment , Robert Dillard , swimming pool , Texas Open Meetings Act , University Park August 5, 2009
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
1. The legendary football coach at Mesquite High School who pawned more than $100,000 in school equipment agreed to plead guilty late last week if the felony charges against him were reduced, The News' Matthew Haag reports. Questions still remain, though: Like why didn't the school board get to the bottom of this sooner? And why isn't the district's auditor digging deeper to root out other hints of financial fraud? 2. Did your schools see an improvement in the latest TAKS tests? Mine did. But don't forget this: The grading got easier this year, as some kids who failed were counted as having passed, The News' Holly K. Hacker explains. 3. We're learning a major narrative of the upcoming trial of the state's highest criminal court judge, Sharon Keller. She was the one who closed her office before a death-row inmate could file a last-minute appeal, ensuring his execution. The narrative: Did computer crashes really delay the inmate's lawyers from completing paperwork sooner? Keller is trying to raise those doubts, the Austin American-Statesman tells us. 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: Mesquite coach pleads, TAKS doubts" is tagged: 2009 , accountability tests , appeals , coach , courts , criminal charges , ethics , football , judge , Mesquite , pawn , pawning , pleaded , schools , scores , Sharon Keller , Steve Halpin , TAKS , Texas , trial July 31, 2009
1. Dallas Congressman Pete Sessions has ripped earmarks. And yet he gave a sweet one worth $1.6 million to an Illinois company that wants to build a blimp the military could use, Politico reports. A former aide to Sessions just so happens to lobby for said company, which said it had no government contracting experience. 2. Were you one of the Texas parents who locked in cheaper college tuition for your kiddo by prepaying years ago? Well, that piggy bank is nearly broke, the Houston Chronicle tells us. The state comptroller asks you not to panic just yet. 3. Jury of your peers? A Dallas County judge said prosecutors unfairly eliminated minorities from hearing the death-penalty case of a black man, leaving only whites, The News' Jennifer Emily reports. This reminds me of our investigation team's 2006 series, Striking Differences. It found both prosecutors and defense sought to remove jurors based on race. 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: Pete Session's fickle dislike of earmarks" is tagged: Adrian Plesha , all-white , blimp , college , comptroller , congressman , death penalty , earmark , James Broadnax , James Ferguson , Jim G. Ferguson Inc. , judge , juries , jury , lobbyist , Mike Snipes , military , minorities , Pete Sessions , prepay , race , strikes , Striking Differences , Susan Combs , Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan , Texas Tomorrow Fund , tuition , university July 30, 2009
The News' Holly K. Hacker reports today that the ex-police chief, Colleen Ridge, was allegedly using her university SUV to tool around town on personal errands and using a work credit card for unauthorized purchases. And then there's this: Ridge also used her position to benefit a private business venture with her husband and may have had her employees do labor for it. A lawyer for Ridge, who was put on leave and then resigned, denies the allegations. The chief had strong performance reviews over time, the lawyer added. Other police employees who were put on leave -- some were subsequently fired -- say they were treated unfairly by UT Dallas. Officials were upset that they didn't blow the whistle sooner, but a lawyer representing some of them say they were merely following Ridge's orders. Here's a question to ponder as this continues to unfold: What were Ridge's supervisors at UT Dallas and the University of Texas System doing to oversee her? ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: UTD chief used job for personal business?" is tagged: Colleen Ridge , Collin County district attorney , DA , police , University of Texas at Dallas , UT Dallas
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
1. One of the feds' star witnesses in the Dallas City Hall bribery trial, Southwest Housing Development's Brian Potashnik, finished four days of testimony yesterday. Some observers and blog commenters thought Potashnik stumbled at times to show Don Hill personally benefited from contracts given to associates. But Unfair Park's Jim Schutze had a different take. 2. Speaking of the Dallas City Council, some of its members are reluctant to trim their own office budgets amid a $190 million shortfall, The News' Rudy Bush reports. I'm sure city workers and residents will sympathize. 3. College sports' umbrella organization, NCAA, is facing lawsuits from former athletes who accuse it of cashing in on their likenesses in video games without sharing the proceeds. A ranking member of a Congressional panel has questioned why the NCAA still receives tax-free status as a nonprofit when it acts more like a commercial enterprise. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail. Use social networking to get your news? Follow us on Twitter at DMNInvestigates and ReeseDunklin. Or join our Facebook group at DallasNews Digs. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Bribery trial, budget cuts, NCAA lawsuit" is tagged: athletics , Brian Potashnik , bribery , budget , Charles Grassley , city council , college sports , corruption , cuts , Dallas City Hall , deficit , Don Hill , extortion , furloughs , lawsuits , NCAA , Southwest Housing Development , trial 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 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 July 24, 2009
1. Dallas County administrators are starting to take action against constables who violated policy by doing work outside their precincts to boost their statistics, helping them lobbying for more staff. The News' Kevin Krause reports that constables -- such as Jaime Cortes, who did this most frequently -- will lose a total of 31 positions. The taxpayer savings: $1.7 million. 2. A grand jury indicted South Texas state Rep. Kino Flores on allegations he didn't disclose sources of income, real estate deals and gifts, including one from a lobbyist, the Associated Press reported. 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: Dallas, state elected officials in binds" is tagged: budget , civil papers , commissioners , constables , Dallas County , deputies , ethics violations , gifts , indictment , Jaime Cortes , job cuts , Kino Flores , lobbyist , policy violations , state representative July 22, 2009
The News' Jason Trahan mentioned the item during his live-blogging from the federal courthouse today. I e-mailed Jason during the trial's lunch break to get a few more details. He told me that Potashnik (shown at right) didn't name the church and identified the pastor only as a Rev. Johnson, who has since died. We may learn more specifics when prosecutors enter exhibits into the record, Jason tells me. For now, I'm left wondering: Did someone instruct Potashnik to pay the church? Does this happen often with churches in Dallas? If any of you know other examples, post a comment or send me a private e-mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "Church paid to back builder in Dallas City Hall trial" is tagged: affordable housing , Brian Potashnik , bribery , corruption , Dallas City Hall , extortion , FBI , Justice Department , low income , Southwest Housing Development Co. , tax credits , trial
Or will it be the day that his smiling demeanor changes? We're about to find out, as questioning of the low-income housing developer who has pleaded guilty to bribing Hill begins this morning. The News' Jason Trahan is stationed at the federal courthouse and live-blogging the developments. In a News interview four years ago, lawyers for developer Brian Potashnik explained his role for the first time, framing him as a victim of opportunistic city officials. ![]() ![]() The entry "Big day in Dallas City Hall trial: Developer testifies" is tagged: Brian Potashnik , bribery , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Don Hill , extortion , FBI , investigation , Justice Department , prosecutors , Southwest Housing Development Co. , trial
1. Dallas County commissioners decided to consider instituting policies to control towing contracts of vehicles by law enforcement agencies under their control. The News' Kevin Krause has been telling us about two constables who have an arrangement with a troubled businessman that includes no oversight. 2. The Irving City Council will hear details today about how the staff there retains planning and inspection documents, an issue that arose after the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility collapsed months ago. Some building records had been destroyed, as The News' Brandon Formby first reported. City councilwoman Beth Van Duyne has called for an investigation. 3. Sensing distrust in the gay community, the Fort Worth City Council requested an independent federal investigation into last month's police raid at a gay bar that turned violent. Meanwhile, newly released records show the supervisor for one of the raid's officers had previously warned that he had "a history of poor decisions and bad judgment," The News' Scott Farwell 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: Officials taking action on controversies" is tagged: bar , city council , commissioners , contracts , Dallas County constables , Dallas Cowboys , Derick Evans , destruction , documents , Dowdy Ferry Auto , Fort Worth , gay , indoor , Irving , Jaime Cortes , practice facility , raid , retention , TABC , Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission , towing , vehicles 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
1. Dallas County's tax office holds secret hearings at which you can gain title to a vehicle with no evidence of ownership, Kevin Krause reports today. A big beneficiary of the process is County Commissioner John Wiley Price, a car collector. 2. Children as young as 10 are on Texas' public sex-offender registry, Diane Jennings reported in Sunday's paper. Other states will put kids as young as 7 on the lists. Diane did a great job of showing the lifelong consequences to everyone in a family in which two boys molested their sister. 3. Can someone tell me how children could be locked up and starving in a Dallas motel bathroom without someone in the outside world noticing? Scott Goldstein reports on a horror story that unraveled only when one of the parents sought police aid. Do you have a tip about the tax assessor? Child abuse? 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: Car titles come easy in Dallas County " is tagged: Abneris Santiago , Alfred Santiago , car collector , Dallas County , Dallas police , Diane Jennings , incest , John Wiley Price , juvenile offender , Kevin Krause , molest , motel , no evidence , ownership , Scott Goldstein , secret hearings , sex offender registry , starvation , tax assessor , tax office , vehicle title July 16, 2009
1. Irving's power structure is under siege. The local icon, Texas Stadium, is turning into an eyesore. The Dallas Cowboys will soon be playing in Arlington, leaving behind controversy over their practice facility's collapse and the city's dubious role in inspecting it. Now comes a federal judge's ruling that the city's at-large system for electing the City Council is illegal, as reported today by Jeff Mosier and Katherine Leal Unmuth of The Dallas Morning News. Members of the all-white council said they thought things were working just fine. Hispanics are about 40 percent of the population -- the largest group in town. 2. The Los Angeles Times has a fascinating look today at possible ties between drug lords and elected officials in Mexico. Seems a recently elected member of Congress there, Julio Cesar Godoy, is now a fugitive. He has been linked to a narco gang that has killed at least 16 police officers in recent days. He is also a half-brother of Michoacan state's governor. Do you have a tip about Irving? The Dallas Cowboys? 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: More shocks to the Irving system" is tagged: all white , Arlington , at-large system , City Council , collapse , congressman , Dallas Cowboys , drug war , fugitive , Hispanics , Irving , Jeff Mosier , Judge Jorge Solis , Julio Cesar Godoy , Katherine Leal Unmuth , La Familia , Los Angeles Times , Mexico , Michoacan , narco , police officer killings , practice facility , single-member districts , Texas Stadium , traffickers July 14, 2009
A recent tour of the second-most visited site in Dallas showed that the light was still broken and was topped with a milk crate and traffic cone. The trail was so eroded that wiring and sprinkler lines were exposed. Some of the sculpture pedestals looked dangerously unearthed. There was graffiti on the trash can. The water fountain was out of order. And cigarette butts and beer bottle tops peppered the ground. Weirdly, there was also a pair of pants resting on the trail. You'd think someone would need those. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Pioneer Plaza still shabby" is tagged: Pioneer Plaza; sculptures; cattle; art; Problem Solver 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 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
Rich Behm (right), the most seriously injured victim, has hired high-profile Dallas lawyer Frank Branson. Branson, in turn, asked a Dallas County court late last month to order a pre-litigation deposition of Nathan Stobbe, president of facility builder Summit Structures and its parent, Cover-All Building Systems. Court records show that the attorney also asked for all of the Canada-based company's documents related to the tent-like facility, which came crashing down during a thunderstorm May 2. Judge Sally Montgomery has taken no action on the petition, and no lawsuit has been filed. But Branson told me today that Stobbe had already submitted to questioning voluntarily. Branson said he had received some documents, too. "The defendants at this time seem to be cooperating," he said. "I'd like to get this case up and running as smoothly as possible for everybody's sake." ![]() ![]() The entry "Cowboys collapse update: Legal filings begin" is tagged: collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas County court , Dallas Cowboys , deposition , engineering errors , Frank Branson , Judge Sally Montgomery , Laurey Peat , lawsuit , litigation , Nathan Stobbe , Philadelphia , practice facility , Rich Behm , Summit Structures , workers' compensation
"Honestly, I'm sure that there's been progress -- but I don't see that anything significant has happened since May," a reader wrote. The workers didn't make their end of June deadline for the intersection near Dallas' White Rock Lake. But the Texas Department of Transportation assures commuters that an end really is in sight. "They are in the final stages of staining the asphalt and, hopefully, will be open by the end of the week," said agency spokesman Tony Hartzel. ![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: Intersection still not open" is tagged: Buckner; Garland; Problem Solver; Texas Department of Transportation 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
1. Another day, another long high-speed chase: This morning a woman eluded Dallas-area police officers for almost two hours. Yesterday a man did it for about 90 minutes. Dallas police themselves stayed out of the way -- their tight restrictions on speeding got even tighter last year after an officer racing to a disturbance without lights or siren killed a 10-year-old boy named Cole Berardi (lower right). 2. The latest reason to fear Veterans Affairs hospitals: A doctor who treated prostate cancer patients delivered faulty radiation implants in 92 of 116 cases, The New York Times reports. This comes right on the heels of the scandal over dirty colonoscopy equipment, which apparently infected patients with AIDS and hepatitis. Here's a full report from the VA's inspector general. Do you have a tip about police policy? VA hospitals? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas County chases worth the risks?" is tagged: AIDS , Cole Berardi , colonoscopy , constables , Dallas police , dirty equipment , Gary Kao , hepatitis , high-speed chase , inspector general , policy , pursuit , radiation oncologist , restrictions , speeding , VA hospitals , Veterans Affairs 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
Come to find out, the Academic Success Program's biggest backer, trustee Edwin Flores (at right), brought it to Dallas after its founder had approached him about securing its intellectual property rights more than 10 years, reports The News' Lori Stahl. Flores, a patent lawyer, said he did no work for Tom Urquidez. The businessman went on to make at least $250 in donations to the trustee's school board campaign in 2005. His son piloted the program in Flores' district. It's the latest turn for the $2 million Academic Success Program. Lori continues to tell us that despite promoting itself as a way to give a boost to low-income or would-be first-generation college kids, the program recruited students who didn't really need it: valedictorians and salutatorians, or those from middle- and upper-class families. That included Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's son. Do you think Flores and Hinojosa should recuse themselves from today's DISD board discussion about expanding the program? ![]() ![]() The entry "Is Dallas ISD trustee's link to program a conflict?" is tagged: Academic Success Program , college prep , Dallas Independent School District , DISD , Edwin Flores , Ivy League , Michael Hinojosa , Urquidez June 24, 2009
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 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
1. Will we never know where $15,000 in missing ticket revenue in Mesquite ISD's athletic department went? A secretary responsible for depositing it quit after questioning, and the internal auditor said costs to dig deeper were twice as much, The News' Matthew Haag reports. It's the latest financial scandal for Mesquite sports. 2. Why did Cheryl Potashnik miss a pretrial conference Monday in which all defendants charged in the FBI's Dallas City Hall public corruption case were present or had written excuses? Speculation is the co-owner of Southwest Housing Development Co., who along with husband Brian is accused of bribing public officials, may have struck a plea deal, The News' Jason Trahan tell us. 3. How will Texans vote on a proposal to limit eminent domain powers of government? Protect property owner rights? Or leave government with its ability to seize land and give it to private developers? 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: Where are the funds, the defendant?" is tagged: athletic department , audit , constitutional amendment , Dallas City Hall , election , Eminent domain , FBI , gag order , investigation , Mesquite , Potashnik , public corruption , Raynell Horton , secretary , ticket revenue , trial , vote 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 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 8, 2009
First, they have disclosed the name used by a man who received the funds: William "Bill" Ryan. They describe him as white, in his 60s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds, with wavy, graying hair. He is "very personable and animated," and has "a distinguishable New York accent." The officials say he is a "con man" who posed as a parishioner and probably is using a fake name. They say they have no photo of him -- but maybe somebody reading this does? Ryan and three others the diocese won't name received a series of Western Union payments in New York "over three and a half months," diocese spokeswoman Annette Gonzales Taylor said. She said the FBI has dropped its inquiry into the matter without coming to any conclusions about what happened. The FBI would not confirm or deny that. ![]() ![]() The entry "Can you help find Irving church's lost money?" is tagged: Annette Gonzales Taylor , Anthony "Tony" Densmore , Brooks Egerton , Church of the Incarnation , Dallas Catholic Diocese , FBI , Irving , missing funds , New York , scam , University of Dallas , Western Union , William "Bill" Ryan
1. Many readers are outraged by Jennifer Emily's story on a cop who was caught on audiotape ignoring a robbery suspect's request for an attorney. They complain that the Dallas DA's office is soft on crime because it dismissed robbery charges against Mario Wright; they don't like The Dallas Morning News' slant on the story. Now, I share their frustration that a violent man might have escaped justice. But folks, think before you whine: Cops who don't follow the rules wreck cases for prosecutors. And it's a waste of taxpayer money to pursue cases you can't win in court. 2. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, is mad at the press, too. He says liberal media bias is a greater threat to the nation than recession or terrorism. 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: Let's blame the media!" is tagged: Dallas County district attorney , Hot Links , Jennifer Emily , Jeremy Liebbe , liberal media bias , Mario Wright , Miranda , recession , request an attorney , robbery , terrorism , U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith June 5, 2009
Mark Titus, program manager of traffic management systems for the city of Dallas, had thought that the work at the intersection would be done at the beginning of June. Five days later, frustrated drivers are anxious to know what is going on, noting that there has been "minimal progress" and that they're still sitting for what-seems-like-forever at the traffic light. "Can you post an update? This construction has been dragging on FOREVER," wrote one reader. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Intersection still closed" is tagged: Buckner Boulevard , Garland Road , Problem Solver June 4, 2009
1. The interesting part of Matthew Haag's story on the felony indictment of Mesquite's legendary ex-football coach is that school board initially declined a year ago to prosecute. Instead, they opted to let the coach retire "due to health problems." Then the board expressed surprise upon learning the severity of the charges stemming from him pawning more than $100,000 in district equipment. What message is the board sending to its other employees? Why didn't it act when the allegations were first brought to its attention? 2. As a soon-to-be father, stories about day cares catch my attention. The Star-Telegram is reporting this morning that a worker at a Grapevine center was arrested on suspicion of fondling a youngster there. I checked the center's licensing history and found that it had fired a worker in the last year after a child was injured. 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, June 4, 2009" is tagged: child care , coach , criminal charges , day care , felony , fondling , football , Grapevine , Mesquite , Primrose , Steve Halpin June 3, 2009
We get some finger-pointing. We get some wagon-circling. And, ultimately, more questions about the city's watchdog role in this. Nugget No. 1: City Manager Tommy Gonzalez, right, referred to the team as an organization that "pushes things thru." That feeds suspicions of residents and at least one elected official who believe the franchise held sway in Irving. Nugget No. 2: Gonzalez goes on to write that the facility was a "big ole tent" that "probably never was structurally sound enough" to hold up against straight-line winds. ![]() ![]() The entry "Irving texts raise more questions in Cowboys saga" is tagged: Blackberry , collapse , Dallas Cowboys , football , indoor facility , Irving , messages , texts , Tommy Gonzalez
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
I recently got an email alerting me that I had some unclaimed money in an IRS account. Wow, that sounded too good to be true. And, in fact, it was. Turns out that my email is a perfect example of a modern scam called "phishing," which involves the criminal use of the Internet to try to gain access to sensitive information, such as credit card and social security numbers. In this case, the fake IRS message attempted to trick unsuspecting victims, like me, into revealing personal information that could then be used to access the victims' financial accounts. "This is a big topic," said Clay Sanford, an IRS spokesman in Dallas. Taxpayers have forwarded more than 33,000 of these scam e-mails to the IRS, he said, and there are more than 1,500 different schemes to date.
![]() ![]() The entry "Dallas IRS alerts taxpayers to email scam" is tagged: Clay Sanford , email , Internet scam , IRS , phishing , tax refund
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
"The ground has become so seriously eroded that walking from the lower area up to the top alongside the cattle is now very dangerous. There is a spot where pipes have been exposed at the narrowest part of the path, and if someone were to slip/trip there, they would run the risk of impalement," reader John Anderson said. In addition, an electrical box at the southwest corner of the pool also is a hazard, he said. Anderson asked for help in getting repairs done to the popular tourist site. "I haven't gotten a definitive response from anybody," he said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Sculpture erosion" is tagged: arts , cattle sculpture , Dallas , Pioneer Plaza , problem solver , tourism May 28, 2009
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 27, 2009
1. We're No. 2!!! Dallas is celebrating the loss of its standing as the big city with the worst crime rate in America, The Dallas Morning News' Tanya Eiserer reports. But keep reading her report to find the caveats. 2. We're No. 1!!! Dallas County is cementing its standing as the nation's leader in exonerations. Jerry Lee Evans is the latest man to go free for a heinous crime he didn't commit, The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports. 3. We're not as bad as Mexico!!! The Los Angeles Times offers a new measure today of how far narco-corruption has spread into local governments in our neighbor to the south. 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 27, 2009" is tagged: corruption , crime rate , Dallas , DNA , exoneration , Jennifer Emily , Jerry Lee Evans , Mexico , statistics , Tanya Eiserer May 26, 2009
An early one was: Why didn't the thunderstorm of May 2 wreck other structures nearby (right)? Ensuing ones included: Who was the final engineer of record? What happened to the city of Irving records that should show this? (See my colleague Brandon Formby's update on this issue.) Did the Cowboys know when they hired designer/manufacturer/builder Summit Structures in 2003 that one of the company's other big tentlike facilities had recently collapsed in Philadelphia, just six weeks after opening? Did Summit workers themselves build the Irving facility, or was the labor subcontracted? If so, to whom? Newer questions include: Why did the Cowboys, many months before the Irving disaster, hire building-collapse expert Charles Timbie -- the engineer who diagnosed design flaws behind the Philly warehouse failure? What exactly did he tell the team was wrong? Why did the team turn to a second consultant, a non-engineer and former drug dealer named Jeffrey Galland? Which of his recommended fixes were not done and why? The Cowboys are giving a blanket "no comment" to all my questions. Canada-based Summit isn't answering much of anything but did have local spokeswoman Laurey Peat put out this statement over the weekend (click below to read the whole thing): ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Dallas Cowboys, facility builder" is tagged: Brandon Formby , Brooks Egerton , Charles Timbie , city of Irving , collapse , Dallas Cowboys , Jeffrey Galland , Laurey Peat , microburst , Nathan Stobbe , National Weather Service , OSHA , Philadelphia warehouse , practice facility , Summit Structures , Texas A&M , thunderstorm
"Yesterday, for example, it took me seven minutes to get through the intersection (no kidding, I checked my clock)," he wrote. After timing the lights, he saw that drivers on Buckner were getting a far longer green than the drivers on Garland. In addition, he said, a red light at a shopping center parking lot was backing traffic up even further. "Is there a way to have the city set up an evaluation for this intersection? By the way, I have e-mailed the city a couple times about this over the last year or so and nothing ever comes of it." Mark Titus, program manager of traffic management systems for the city of Dallas, went out himself to check out what was going on with the intersection. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Stuck in traffic" is tagged: construction , red light , roads , street 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
2. State lawmakers are bogging down as they try to reform eminent-domain laws allowing property seizures for, among other things, economic development, Marcus Funk reports. 3. The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts -- the shimmering new home to the opera, ballet and theater shows -- may not get a $1.7 million public subsidy as soon as it hoped, City Hall reporter Rudy Bush blogs. Question: Does the center need the subsidy at all, given the city's budget woes?
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, May, 22, 2009" is tagged: ballet , Carla Ranger , Dallas Center for the Performing Arts , Dallas County Community College District , Dallas ISD , DCCCD , DISD , eminent domain , opera , property seizure , subsidy , theater May 21, 2009
1. They're not calling it another exoneration, but that's what it amounts to: Antrone Johnson won a retrial Wednesday for a sexual assault that the original prosecutor's notes say never happened, The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports. Dallas County DA Craig Watkins says he won't retry Johnson. (Sidebar: Anybody out there know what has become of the defendant's original lawyer, Vivian Ray Davis, who was convicted of bribing another prosecutor and surrendered his law license?) 2. DA Watkins, meanwhile, is warring over money with powerful fellow Democrat John Wiley Price, The News' Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports. What will the outcome of the budget fight mean for justice? 3. Here's a breaking story I want to know more about: American Airlines pilot fails breath test and is barred from operating a London-Chicago flight. 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, May 21, 2009" is tagged: American Airlines , Antrone Johnson , breath test , budget , Chicago , Craig Watkins , Dallas County district attorney , exoneration , Gromer Jeffers , Jennifer Emily , John Wiley Price , London , Patricia Hogue , pilot , Ray Davis , sexual assault May 16, 2009
Knowing he would have gotten a ticket for the same behavior, the reader was more than a little irritated. So he followed the squad cars at a high rate of speed -- for about 90 miles. Along the way, he reported the vehicles to a few law enforcement agencies: the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Sheriff's Department, the Waxahachie Police Department and the Red Oak Police Department. He also put in a call to the Dallas Police Department. "I called the Dallas Police Department from West, Texas. You'd think they at least would have called the officers to tell them to slow down," he said. He asked me to see if the officers were legitimately going over the speed limit and, if not, what had happened with his complaint. "I'd like you to check into it," he said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Cops talked to for speeding" is tagged: Dallas , police , Problem Solver May 15, 2009
A reader of my blog post yesterday said DART should follow Massachusetts' lead and ban drivers from carrying the things. Massachusetts acted after a Boston trolley driver crashed while texting, injuring 49 (lower right). "It bothers me, especially given the driving habits of some DART operators, that many of them wear Bluetooths (Blueteeth?) or talk on handsets while driving," the reader wrote. "Driving distracted when you're hauling people seems criminally stupid." DART spokesman Morgan Lyons says violators face the full range of discipline, including termination. He says there is no talk at the transit agency of banning bus and light rail drivers from carrying phones. DART changed course in 2000 and began allowing drivers (except Trinity Railway Express engineers) to carry cell phones on duty, the memo shows. But the phones were supposed to be out of sight, turned off and used only in emergencies. ![]() ![]() The entry "Should DART drivers carry cell phones?" is tagged: Addison , Arapaho , Boston , Brooks Egerton , bus , cell phone policy , Dallas , DART , Irving , Southern California , train crash , trolley crash May 11, 2009
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 8, 2009
Since then the questions have multiplied: Why did the Cowboys hire a designer/builder that had just suffered a collapse of another of its large steel-framed, fabric-wrapped buildings, in Philadelphia? What happened to the city of Irving records that are supposed to show which engineer approved the design? Is it a coincidence that other records show the same engineer supervised design of both failed structures? Our latest story makes me wonder: Is anybody in government going to seriously investigate what happened here? No answers so far. So we'll keep digging. Thanks to all who've joined the conversation here in recent days. ![]() ![]() The entry "Cowboys collapse update: Irving under scrutiny" is tagged: collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , Irving , National Institute of Standards and Technology , NIST , OSHA , practice facility , Summit Structures , Texas Board of Professional Engineers May 7, 2009
1. Have you heard the one about the two judges standing in a courtroom office? The first said he wanted a chat. The second said the first wanted to throw down. Next thing you know, a bunch of investigators and attorneys are called in to sort it out. It's no joke, Kevin Krause reports. 2. An Austin outpatient clinic improperly charged veterans for treating trauma from sexual assaults they had in the military, The New York Times reports. The Veteran Affairs Department was supposed to provide free care. 3. We have blogged about state lawmakers trying to strip date-of-birth information on government employees -- an important tool for conducting accurate background checks -- from the Texas Public Information Act. The concern, they say, is preventing identity theft. If DOBs were really a culprit, then why would the Texas Department of Public Safety have sold the same information for $50 million last year to country clubs, pizza delivery companies and driving schools, as Ryan McNeill tells us. 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, May, 7, 2009" is tagged: Austin , care , Carlos Cortez , counseling , dates of birth , Diane Patrick , Eric V. Moyé , fight , Helen Giddings , judges , Kevin Krause , military , open records , rape , Robert Duncan , Ryan McNeill , sexual assault , Texas Rangers , treatment 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 May 5, 2009
The engineer says he didn't work long at builder Summit Structures and didn't have much to do with the project. Dallas' Manhattan Construction Co., the general contractor, says it, too, had little involvement. The company listed as civil engineer on a building permit application says it had no involvement at all. What's next? Stay tuned. ![]() ![]() The entry "Cowboys update: One engineer, two collapses" is tagged: Brandon Formby , Brooks Egerton , collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , Duraweave , Enrique Tabak , Halff Associates , Intertape Polymer Group , Irving , Jim Kumpula , Manhattan Construction , microburst , National Weather Service , New England Patriots , OSHA , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures , training facility , WinStar World Casino
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 May 4, 2009
Under Irving's building code, the Cowboys, as general contractor, were required to notify the city that the re-roofing was completed and ready for inspection. A team spokesman declined today to answer questions about the work. Brandon obtained about two dozens city documents involving the facility, which collapsed Saturday as storms moved through North Texas. You can peruse them on the continuation. ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: Cowboys roof work went uninspected" is tagged: bubble , building , city of Irving , code , collapse , Dallas Cowboys , facility , indoor practice , inspections , roof
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their families. This is obviously a very difficult time for each of them and for the Cowboys organization. I have flown to Texas along with other representatives of our company to assist in anyway possible. We will be working with the Cowboy's organization and local professionals and officials to fully assess this severe weather event. Here is a statement from the National Weather Service regarding the conditions at the time: ![]() ![]() The entry "Manufacturer addresses Cowboys facility collapse" is tagged: collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , Irving , microburst , National Weather Service , practice facility , Summit Structures 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
"We dropped off the check at about 10:30 that night by handing it to one of the workers," one of the readers said. "Everyone was clapping and cheering. People were out there with baskets gathering mail." But then the readers found out that instead of squeezing by before the midnight tax deadline, their envelope was postmarked for April 16. "When we tried to find out what happened, boy, did we get the run-around. We're wondering how many others didn't get their things postmarked?" the reader asked. McKinney Boyd, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said the envelope "should have been postmarked on the 15th, if she [the reader] placed it with a postal employee." Still, he also said if things go wrong, there's not really anything anyone can do about it. "There is no recourse, simply because there is no way we can prove she handed it to a postal employee," he said. So in the future, it makes sense to get some proof -- such as purchasing registered or certified mail and keeping the receipt. Boyd said workers were inside the I-30 Turnpike post office until 12:30 a.m. that night to handle that type of mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Postmark is past due" is tagged: post office , problem solver , tax deadline April 30, 2009
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 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 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 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
1. Bad timing for the feds: A top lawyer in the Securities and Exchange Commission's Fort Worth office has been charged with assaulting a police officer. J. Kevin Edmundson is one of the attorneys who's supposed to be focusing on the fraud case against Texas billionaire Allen Stanford. Yes, Stanford's Web site is still up today, but a note on it warns: "As of April 24, 2009, the Stanford Financial website will be redirected to www.stanfordfinancialreceivership.com." 2. Change in our winds? The EPA wants deep cuts in cement kilns' emissions of mercury and other pollutants, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Randy Lee Loftis reports. What will that mean for the kilns in Midlothian, whose emissions often blow right toward nearby Dallas? Stay tuned. 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 22, 2009" is tagged: Allen Stanford , cement kilns , EPA , fraud , Kevin Edmundson , Midlothian , pollution , SEC April 21, 2009
"The Dallas Morning News does a great job in presenting the issues, but falls short in helping the public react or participate," he wrote. Elected officials seem to send out a lot of bulk campaign mailers with that information, but few of us actually save those for when we need them. We do have the DMN Voters Guide, information on local races and candidates, on our website. And The League of Women Voters also has an incredibly nice interactive guide. Just enter your zip code and it'll break out who represents you. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Reaching elected officials" is tagged: elected officials , problem solver , questions , solutions 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 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 13, 2009
Steve and Jen showed how shaky eyewitness identification practices put innocent Dallas County residents in prison.
![]() ![]() The entry "Dallas reporters honored for eyewitness project" is tagged: DNA , exoneration , eyewitness identification , Jennifer Emily , Steve McGonigle , wrongful conviction April 10, 2009
The school district itself was supposed to research employee records, but its system was riddled with holes and often ignored district and state rules. So, the newspaper took a crack at it. The reporting matched courthouse criminal conviction records with names, addresses and dates of births of school employees. We found that DISD was not doing its job and hiring people with criminal pasts to work with your children. Unfortunately, the ability to do that sort of investigation could soon be a thing of the past if some lawmakers get their way. ![]() ![]() The entry "Legislation could limit teacher investigations" is tagged: background checks , Dallas Independent School District , identity theft , open records , public information , teachers 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
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 |