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Thursday, February 28, 2008
Chuck Norris: The man, the myth, the madness
This important report from the Tribune-Herald staff:
So who did most people come to see during Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s campaign stop in Waco Thursday afternoon — Chuck or Huck?
Most of those interviewed by the Tribune-Herald claimed they were there to see Huck — or “Huckleberry,” as one devoted follower from Bosque County put it. But action star and contemporary cultural phenomenon Chuck Norris, a Huckabee supporter who together with his wife travels with the candidate from town to town, certainly created plenty of buzz at the Waco Hilton.
When Diana Teichelman, 53, of Valley Mills, was encountered by a Tribune-Herald reporter, she was exclaiming excitedly to friends, “He kissed me! He kissed me!”
She wasn’t talking about Mike Huckabee.
“I asked him if he would kiss me,” Diana said. “And I said if his wife was there, it would be a lot easier because he wouldn’t have to really explain anything.”
So Chuck Norris kissed her, all for the sake of his candidate and the American way.
Even so, Diana insisted she came to the rally to see Mike Huckabee.
Baylor University student Shayli Hughes, 20, said she was there to see Huckabee — “I didn’t even know Chuck Norris was going to be here,” the McAllen resident said — but friend David Hammack, 22, of San Diego, said he came to the rally because he strongly suspected Norris would be on hand.
Asked about the allure of Chuck Norris, David — with a straight face — said the action hero had accomplished much, including, as a teen, impregnating an entire convent of nuns who in turn produced the 1972 Miami Dolphins, “the only undefeated team in NFL history.”
Right.
This is one of the most common quips and jokes made about Norris who, yes, truly is a cultural hero, much to the shock of those who saw his martial arts movies back in the 1980s and ’90s.
Local businessman Bill Johnson said he was there to see both Huckabee and Norris. Even got his cowboy hat signed by them.
The action star, Johnson said, once invited the dying child of a friend to the set of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” Norris’ popular TV show. The boy, J.R. Dixon, died shortly afterward, just shy of his 7th birthday.
“Chuck Norris is a wonderful guy,” Johnson told the Tribune-Herald. “You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats kids.”
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Community advisory committee votes to recommend WISD hold bond election in May
The Waco Independent School District facilities committee, made up of community members, voted tonight to recommend the school board go out for a May bond election.
The vote was 18 to 8 that the district should pursue an election in May, rather than delay it until November. Though many options were presented, the committee did not come to a consensus on a particular board package.
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Burning train car fills Waco-area sky with black smoke
A train car on fire has slowed traffic on Interstate 35. The car is engulfed in flames, sending large clouds of black smoke into the air and across I-35 near Bruceville-Eddy, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said. No one has been injured in the blaze, which was reported just before 6 p.m. Traffic is slowed on I-35 and access roads near the blaze. A DPS spokeswoman said the car contains refrigerator coils and other recyclable materials, but was unsure if hazardous materials are involved.
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Huckabee speaks at Waco rally
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and a Southern Baptist pastor, addressed about 1,000 people gathered at a rally today at the Waco Hilton.
Tribune-Herald reporter Emily Ingram was at the scene, which she described as being as enthusiastic as a rock concert.
Among those on hand to offer their support for Huckabee’s candidacy was pop culture icon and actor Chuck Norris, star of the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Huckabee noted that Norris was a major reason many attended the rally.
“Hey, I’m not stupid,” he said. “I know y’all showed up for Chuck Norris. Well, I’ll say this: I showed up for him, too.
“Chuck Norris doesn’t just draw a crowd. Chuck Norris shows up and the crowd materializes,” he joked.
Huckabee, who trails Arizona Sen. John McCain in the chase for the nomination, told the crowd the race isn’t over yet.
“Most assume that the real race is between Hillary and Obama,” Huckabee said. “I’m sure they assume the Republicans have already decided their candidate. But I don’t believe that’s so … until someone has 1,191 delegates, we don’t have a nominee yet.”
In appealing for people to vote for Huckabee, Norris said the former Arkansas governor is ready to lead.
Huckabee “is a man who has experience, a man who has youth and he has a vision to lead us forward,” Norris said. “People, we need this desperately.”
Norris said despite Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s seemingly insurmountable lead, he knew Texans would not let the odds stand in their way.
“What I like about Texans is that we are free thinkers,” Norris said. “We don’t let the pundits tell us what to do.”
A Baylor student on stage led the crowd in the “Sic ‘em Bears” chant, which Norris joined as the crowd went into a frenzy.
The room hosting the event holds normally 500 people, a Hilton spokesman said, but 660 were crammed inside and more than 150 people stood in an overflow area in the lobby.
Matt Hess, 29, the education director at the local World Hunger Relief Farm, was among the local residents gathered to listen to Huckabee.
“We want to make sure that Christians aren’t just represented by some values, but also take a stand against hunger and poverty,” Hess said. “So we’re hoping to hear Huckabee speak on those issues today.”
Several college students were in attendance, with people ranging in age from toddlers to senior citizens waiting for the event.
John and Linda Tomlinson of Hillsboro, ages 65 and 64, respectively, were among those waiting to listen to Huckabee.
They both said they had cast their ballots for the former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist pastor during early voting.
“We hope he becomes president,” John Tomlinson said. “That’s what we hope and pray for every day. We pray for a righteous leader.”
When asked if it was unusual for Waco to host such an event, Linda Tomlinson laughed and said, “Huckabee being here, that’s not every day that it happens. But we do have a president who comes to town pretty often.”
The reference, of course, was to President Bush, who frequently returns to his ranch just west of Crawford.
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UHS boys basketball coach says he won’t be retained
University High School boys’ basketball coach Kevin Greenleaf said Thursday he was notified on Wednesday that his teaching contract at the school will not be renewed.
Greenleaf just finished his third season at University, but missed much of the season after he was injured on the sidelines at the University-Waco High football game in October.
University finished 9-26 overall and 2-8 in District 16-4A after forfeiting two games because an ineligible player participated in those games.
Greenleaf said he took responsibility for the ineligible player, but also said he was cleared by a District 16-4A committee of knowingly using the ineligible player.
Greenleaf said he was called into University principal Nolan Correa’s office on Wednesday afternoon and notified of the decision.
“He said, ‘I think it’s your fault that our team was not in the playoffs,’ ” Greenleaf said. “But sitting in front of him was a letter from the committee saying I was cleared on that. They didn’t find anything that I intentionally did wrong.”
Greenleaf said he believed Correa has been wanting to make a change with the boys’ basketball coaching position and has been looking for a reason to dismiss Greenleaf.
“I think he used this here to make the move he wanted to make,” said Greenleaf, referring to the Trojans’ forfeited district games.
Correa said he could not comment.
“That’s a personnel issue,” he said. “I don’t talk about personnel issues.”
An attempt was made by the Tribune-Herald to reach Waco ISD athletic director Johanna Denson on Thursday afternoon but a phone message was not returned.
Greenleaf, who has 16 years of coaching experience, got his first head coaching opportunity when he came to University before the start of the 2005-06 season.
He said he had been offered the opportunity to resign to keep a nonrenewed contract off his record. But he said his continuing need for medical care as a result of his knee injury made him turn that offer down.
“(Correa) not renewing my contract, I don’t think that’s going to break my career,” Greenleaf said. “My main concern is I want to make sure my knee gets healed so I can work.”
Greenleaf was on the University sidelines as an assistant coach when a Waco High running back and a University defender collided with him. He needed surgery to repair damage to his right knee and was on crutches until mid-January.
Greenleaf said he will continue to teach classes at University through this school year.
“I don’t have any hard feelings,” Greenleaf said. “I’m going to continue with these guys in the offseason program and hopefully find a place for some of them to go to college.”
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McCain to hold town hall meeting in Waco Monday
Over on our Election ‘08 blog, David Doerr lets us know that Republican frontrunner John McCain will host an event at the HOT Fair & Rodeo complex on Monday.
Click here for the full scoop.
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Pictures galore from youth basketball awards
There’s no shortage of online photos from Waco’s parks and recreation department’s youth basketball awards banquet. See anyone you know?
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Actors who back Obama coming to Waco
It’s not Barack Obama himself, but for young supporters of the president candidate, the America College Tour for Change will stop in Waco tomorrow with actors Adam Rodriguez of CSI: Miami and Sophia Bush of One Tree Hill.
It’s one of several stops that includes Richardson, Lubbock, Denton and Arlington.
Obama’s campaign headquarters are at 1818 Columbus Ave. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the program starts at 10.
If you don’t know Rodriguez or Bush, here’s what they look like.
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More on our Bassmaster champ
Dallas Morning News outdoors writer Ray Sasser takes his turn today writing about 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones. The Waco resident is a Highland Park graduate.
The column is headlined “Good-guy Texan celebrates Classic win” and Sasser does a good job informing readers about Jones’ win and what’s ahead for him.
Permalink | | Categories: Headlines, Pro & college sports
Governor appoints 2 new TSTC regents
The Texas State Technical College board of regents has two new faces to replace those whose terms expired.
Cesar Maldonado of Harlingen and Gene Seaman of Corpus Christi were appointed today by Gov. Rick Perry to replace Connie de la Garza and Jerilyn K. Pfeifer.
Maldonado and Seaman will serve on the TSTC board through Aug. 31, 2013. Regent Mike Northcutt of Longview was reappointed.
The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
The new appointees are on the nine-member board that governs the system. The only local regent is China Spring resident and Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Barbara Rusling.
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Federal agents stop by Davidian compound
Today marks 15 years since the Branch Davidian standoff began at Mount Carmel when the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the compound. Gunfire was exchanged, resulting in the deaths of four ATF agents and six Davidians.
Staff photographer Rod Aydelotte, who was among the Trib staffers covering the siege and subsequent 51-day standoff in 1993, said four carloads of federal agents left the compound this morning after paying their respects to the ATF agents who died a decade and a half ago.
From there, they joined an estimated 100 law officers at the police memorial at Indian Spring Park for a similar ceremony.
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Overnight fire damages Waco apartment
An overnight fire that is being called accidental by Waco fire officials caused considerable damage to a one-bedroom garage apartment in the 1500 block of Indiana Avenue.
Waco fire marshal Jerry Hawk said gas and electricity were turned off in the apartment, and it appeared the resident had been heating the apartment with a “lot of candles” and by “burning things” in cans.
The apartment’s resident had told a neighbor that she was asleep on the couch when the fire started in her bedroom, Hawk said. When the fire department arrived, he said the resident could not be located.
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Car fire may be arson
Waco fire officials say an overnight vehicle fire in front of a home is being investigating as arson.
Fire marshal Jerry Hawk said that shortly before 3:30 a.m., firefighters extinguished a blaze in a 1998 Mazda 626 parked in the driveway of the home in the 2700 block of South 12th Street.
Hawk said a resident of the home told him that she was awakened by the car’s alarm.
When the woman went to turn off the alarm, she noticed the vehicle’s back window cracked, she told Hawk, and said she hadn’t left it that way. Seconds after she walked back in the house, fire sparked around the rear of the vehicle, Hawk said.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, and Hawk said the damage to the vehicle is barely noticeable.
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Hillary Clinton coming to Waco Friday
According to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s Web site, she’ll be stopping in Waco for an “Early Vote Rally with Veterans and Flag Officers.”
The rally is from noon to 3 p.m. at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave. Organizers say they expect Clinton to arrive about 2 p.m., but advise those planning to attend to come well before then because they’ll have to go through metal detectors and such.
Here’s the Web site’s description of the event:
Join Hillary for an Early Vote Rally with Veterans and Flag Officers at the Waco Convention Center in Waco! Hillary has spent the past 35 years fighting for American families and she has real solutions to tackle the tough issues we’re facing. Join Hillary in Waco to learn more about her lifetime record of results. Host: Texas For Hillary
Be sure to keep up with campaign coverage locally by checking out Trib political reporter David Doerr’s blog.
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Photos from Lady Bears’ win in slide show
We’ve got loads of images online in our slide show from last night’s Lady Bear 76-62 victory over Colorado. Pictures like the one below:
If you haven’t read it already, Jerry Hill has the story here.
Permalink | | Categories: Baylor sports
Former Waco weatherman retiring after 50 years
Longtime Houston Channel 13 weatherman Doug Brown is being lauded by his colleagues as he is retiring after 50 years in the business. According to the story on the ABC13 Web site, Brown’s second stop in his career was in Waco.
According to his bio on the station’s Web site, he arrived at KTRK-TV in 1975 as the station’s weathercaster for Eyewitness News This Morning.
Before that the Brady native and Baylor graduate was in Waco at KWTX-TV.
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It’s Thursday, Waco … and it’ll be windy
We’re starting out cool, but skies will remain sunny and we should hit a high near 75.
Expect a windy day, with a south-southwest wind between 15 and 25 mph. Gusts could reach 35 mph.
The recording station at Waco Regional Airport says it’s 48 degrees with a wind chill of 42.
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