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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Midway ISD officials name new elementary
The Midway Independent School District board chose a name for its new elementary school and decided on guidelines for how attendance zones for the new campus will be drawn during its meeting tonight.
The new school, to be located on South Hewitt Drive next to Hewitt Park, will be called Castleman Creek Elementary. The $16.6 million facility is set to open in time for the beginning of the 2009 school year.
In proposing the name, school board member Robbie Jones said he liked it over other suggestions that were more vague, such as Park Meadows Elementary.
“It gives it a good location name,” he said, noting that the district has followed that strategy when naming other schools in recent years such as South Bosque and Spring Valley elementaries
After deciding on a name, the board adopted a set of guidelines that will help the district develop attendance zones for the new campus. The most discussed item was whether to allow the grandfathering in of students at their current campuses.
The board looked at four options. At one end of the spectrum was a proposal to give all students the option of staying at their current campus once the new school opens, regardless of what attendance zone they fall into. The other extreme was an option that would prohibit grandfathering and require all students to attend the campus in their attendance zones.
Officials ended up going with an in-between option. When the new school opens in 2009, incoming fourth-graders and their younger siblings will be given the option of staying at their current campuses for one year. After that, all students will have to attend the campuses they are zoned for.
Superintendent Brad Lancaster recommended the option, saying it will help parents avoid having to drop children off at two elementary campuses. Since fourth is the last grade in the district’s elementary schools, those students will move on to a new campus the next year anyway.
The board also decided not to offer transportation for students who choose not to change schools during that one year. That, along with the fact that many families may find that the new campus is more convenient, will likely cut down on the number of students who ask to stay at their old schools, Lancaster said.
Those students most likely to remain at their current campuses are those who are redrawn into the attendance zone of another existing elementary rather than the new one, Lancaster said. In all, he estimated less than 100 students would likely ask to not change schools for a year. The new school will have a capacity of 600 students, but until the new zoning maps are drawn, the district is unsure how many students will be zoned for the campus, he said.
The board also decided not to make any changes to a previous grandfathering policy adopted in 2003. At that time, the district changed attendance zones to compensate for overcrowding at some schools. However, it allowed current students and their siblings to continue attending the same campus if they wanted.
Some 33 students remain at campuses outside their attendance zones because of that decision, officials said. Twenty received transportation through the end of this past school year, but that will not be provided starting this year. Under the original agreement, parents were told the district would only provide transportation for grandfathered students for five years, they said.
In a related matter, the board voted to commission a new demographic study and to form an advisory committee to help it draw up the new attendance zones. The advisory committee will have 14 parents and community members, as well as district personnel.
The committee is to come up with new attendance map options by October. Public hearings will then be held to give residents a chance to weigh in, with the board making its final decision in mid-November.
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Waco City Council approves Cameron Park fences, Ranger Museum money
The Waco City Council approved $600,000 for fences around the cliffs at Cameron Park at its meeting Tuesday.
The council also approved $433,000 for Austin firm PBS&J to continue archaeological work at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and agreed to be part of the Heart of Texas Council of Governments’ emergency phone notification system.
The Cameron Park fences arose out of safety concerns. In the last few years, at least seven people have fallen from Lovers Leap or other cliffs at the park.
Read Tribune-Herald staff writer J.B. Smith’s account of the ongoing Ranger situation here.
The HOTCOG system will allow cities and counties to quickly alert residents about everything from a broken water pipe to a tornado.
One advantage of the new system, officials said in April, is that it will overcome the hurdles of current notification systems, such as storm sirens not being audible indoors or available in some rural areas. Also, it will give officials the option of alerting residents about nonweather events and tailoring notifications to areas as small as a city block.
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Hill County storm tapering off; flash flood warning continues
2nd update, 7:15 pm: The Hill County storm is abating, but the flash flood threat continues. From the National Weather Service:
…A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR HILL COUNTY…
AT 657 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED AN
AREA OF HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN HILL COUNTY…MOVING NORTH AT 5
MPH. RADAR INDICATES THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY
FALLEN. ANOTHER HALF INCH OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH 815 PM.
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Dying follower of Charles Manson considered for release
California parole officials on Tuesday considered releasing a follower of Charles Manson who is dying of brain cancer, but the governor and others said her decades-old crimes were too brutal for her to be shown such mercy.
Susan Atkins’ doctors and officials at the women’s prison in Corona made the compassionate release request in March because of her deteriorating health. Atkins also has had her left leg amputated and is paralyzed on her right side, her husband and attorney, James Whitehouse, told the California Board of Parole Hearings.
Here’s the full story and a video interview with Atkins by journalist Dianne Sawyer.
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Two charged after shooting in North Waco
Police have identified two people arrested after a shooting in North Waco last night.
Ricardo Ramon, 33, and Melissa Ann Ramos, 33, both of Waco, have been charged in an fight that started after Ramon’s dog was hit by rocks, said Waco Police spokesman Steve Anderson.
Ramon allegedly saw a juvenile throw rocks as his dog shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Morrow Street. Ramon threatened to shoot the boy with a paintball gun, Anderson said.
The boy’s older brother, Arthur Steadman, 20, and Ramon began arguing, and Ramos brought out a pistol and handed it to Ramon, who fired into the air, Anderson said. Steadman and others fled inside their home, and Ramon began riding a motorcycle on the street.
Someone from Steadman’s home threw a knife as Ramon passed by on the bike, and then Ramon and Steadman and others began fighting, Anderson said.
Ramos then came out of her home on the same block and fired into the ground, Anderson said.
A struggle followed, and during the fight, Ramos was shot in the foot and Steadman was shot in the leg, Anderson said.
Steadman was treated and released from Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Ramos was treated and released from Hillcrest into police custody. She was charged with deadly conduct in the incident, and she was also wanted on unrelated charges of possession of a prohibited weapon and theft, Anderson said.
Ramos was released from the McLennan County Jail on $7,000 bond this morning, a jail spokeswoman said.
Ramon was taken to Providence Hospital for minor head injuries and then to the jail where he was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, Anderson said. He was being held at the jail in lieu of $45,000 bond and was awaiting arraignment on other charges this afternoon, a jail spokeswoman said.
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Heath Ledger’s parents react to his final performance in Batman movie
“The Dark Knight” premiered Monday night in New York, and Heath Ledger’s parents and family were there to see the results, Fox News reports.
Ledger, who portrays the Joker in the new Batman film, was found dead in his New York apartment in January. He was 28.
“Heath loved the experience of creating this character and working on the film. We are so proud of our boy,” the Ledgers said in a statement.
Here is the Fox News story, plus a “Dark Knight” post by the Trib’s Carl Hoover that contains links to a Batman quiz and more.
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‘Dark Knight’: Carl Hoover gives you a sneak preview of what to expect
Trib entertainment editor saw a critic’s screening of The Dark Knight Monday night and he says it “may be the best of the Batman films — as well as the most unsettling.
You can always read Carl’s takes on local and national entertainment on the Sound & Sight blog.
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Howard Dean coming to Crawford
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will be coming to Crawford Thursday morning, speaking as part of a national voter registration drive at 9 a.m. at the Crawford Community Center, 999 E. Fourth St.
His visit was teased on the front of today’s Trib, but here’s further details: Dean will arrive by bus at 9 a.m. and talk in the community center’s parking lot. State Rep. Jim Dunnam also will address the crowd.
Dean, of course, will always be remembered for that memorable speech in Iowa when he was a presidential candidate. On the off-chance you’ve forgotten, here you go:
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Midway trustees may name new elementary tonight
Midway school district trustees will meet at 7 tonight at the administration building, 901 Old Hewitt Road. Among the agenda items is naming the new elementary school that will be built along Hewitt Drive and creating the attendance zones that decide which schools students will go to.
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Suicide bombers kill 35 Iraqi recruits
Two suicide bombers posing as army recruits struck an Iraqi base just east of Baquba on Tuesday morning, killing at least 35 Iraqi recruits and wounding 63, the New York Times reports, citing the Iraqi police and medical officials in Diyala Province.
The Times writes: The attack came as Iraqi troops prepared for what their commanders predict will be a challenging fight to try to reclaim large areas of Diyala that remain sanctuaries for Salafist jihadist fighters and other antigovernment guerrillas.
The bombers, wearing belts packed with explosives, waded into a crowd of more than 200 recruits just after 8 a.m. and detonated about 30 seconds apart in front of the headquarters of an Iraqi brigade where the recruits had gathered. The attack happened at the Saad military base, which is about four miles east of Baquba, the provincial capital.
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Oil prices drop by $9 a barrel
Oil prices plummeted today, down as much as $9.26 a barrel, as investors feared that the nation’s financial woes could cut into demand, CNNMoney.com reports.
Will we see a change at the gas pump?
Light, sweet crude fell $6.35 to $138.83 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier prices dipped to $135.92.
Prices began to fall after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that high energy prices have sapped the purchasing power of U.S. households.
“It seemed to pick up steam after President Bush spoke about drilling off shore,” said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst with Alaron Trading in Chicago.
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Report: Belgium’s government collapses
Belgium, the country that reportedly is the birthplace of french fries, is in a mess right now.
According to this Associated Press story, Belgium’s government collapsed today as it’s been unable to resolve a divide over more self-rule for the country’s Dutch and French-speakers.
The gap was so wide the premier suggested the end of Belgium as a country was looming.
King Albert II immediately began political discussions with lawmakers to try to resolve the situation; talks are expected to take several days. He did not formally accept the resignation of government offered by Premier Yves Leterme late Monday, so Leterme’s government stays on in a caretaker capacity for now.
In an unusual declaration, the premier said Belgium’s constitutional crisis stems from the fact that “consensus politics” across Belgium’s widening linguistic divide no longer works.
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Bush: Financial system ‘basically sound’
President Bush said this morning that the nation’s troubled financial system is “basically sound” and urged lawmakers to quickly enact legislation to prop up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
He also called on the Democratic-run Congress to follow his example and lift a ban on offshore drilling to help increase domestic oil production.
“I readily concede it won’t produce a barrel of oil tomorrow, but it will reverse the psychology,” Bush told a White House news conference — his first since late April.
Bush said the two troubled mortgage companies play a central role in the nation’s housing-finance system and that government action to help them were not bailouts because the two would remain shareholder-owned companies.
— The Associated Press
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Bernanke: Economy has ‘numerous difficulties’
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress this morning that the fragile economy is facing “numerous difficulties” including persistent strains in financial markets, rising joblessness and housing problems — despite the Fed’s aggressive interest rate reductions and other fortifying steps.
At the same time, Bernanke, testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, sounded another warning that rising prices for energy and food are elevating inflation risks.
The situation, he said, poses “significant challenges” for Fed policymakers as they try to chart the best course for keeping the economy growing, while making sure inflation doesn’t dangerously flare up.
— The Associated Press
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Last night for auditions of ‘Children of Eden’
Waco Civic Theatre is holding its last night for auditions for its first show of the 2008-09 season, Stephen Schwartz’s “Children of Eden.”
Auditions begin at 7 p.m. at the theater, 1517 Lake Air Drive. No monologue is necessary, but those auditioning should come prepared to sing a prepared song (at least 30 seconds) and be willing to sing further as requested. Solo and chorus parts are available for ages 10 and up.
Theater organizers note that area church choir members are particularly-well suited for this musical based on the stories of Creation, Adam and Eve, and Noah from Genesis.
To ask questions, call 776-3863.
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Divided commissioners to talk with private company on jail
A divided McLennan County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 this morning to proceed with talks with a private detention company about a proposal received last week to privatize the county jail.
Commissioners Lester Gibson and Joe Mashek, representing Precincts 2 and 3 respectively, voted against the proposal, saying that it was a waste of time and possibly illegal to discuss privatizing the jail without written authorization from the sheriff.
Sheriff Larry Lynch for the fourth week in a row did not attend the commissioners meeting.
The local government code states that a county cannot enter into an agreement with a private detention company without the written authorization of the sheriff.
The meeting was again attended by 25-30 uniformed sheriff’s deputies who are opposed to the proposal.
Asked for comment in his office after the meeting, Lynch said, “I have no comment about anything.”
Community Education Centers, formerly Civigenics, submitted the only proposal. For more background on this story, click here.
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Physical fitness may slow Alzheimer’s
Getting a lot of exercise may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer’s disease, a preliminary study suggests.
Analysis found that participants who were more physically fit had less brain shrinkage than less-fit participants. However, they didn’t do significantly better on tests for mental performance.
That was a surprise, but maybe the study had too few patients to make an effect show up in the statistical analysis, said Dr. Jeffrey Burns, one of the study’s authors.
He also stressed that the work is only a starting point for exploring whether exercise and physical fitness can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. The study can’t prove an effect because the participants were evaluated only once rather than repeatedly over time, he said.
While brains shrink with normal aging, the rate is doubled in people with Alzheimer’s, he said.
— The Associated Press
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Interest high in whether Aussies gave pope a cat
The latest intrigue surrounding Pope Benedict XVI is whether he was given a cat while at the Catholic youth festival in Sydney, Australia.
Organizers of the Catholic youth festival in Sydney say they borrowed a gray cat named Bella to help the feline-loving pontiff pass the time at his retreat in Australia’s bush country, according to front-page stories in Australian newspapers today.
But Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi, pressed by reporters, said he has no knowledge of any cat.
Or maybe the cat’s got his tongue.
Read more here.
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Teen sobs during questioning in Gitmo video
A 16-year-old captured in Afghanistan and held at Guantanamo Bay sobs during his questioning, holding up his wounded arms and begging for help in a video released today that provided the first glimpse of interrogations at the U.S. military prison.
“Help me,” he cries repeatedly in despair.
The 10 minutes of video — selected by Omar Khadr’s Canadian lawyers from more than seven hours of footage recorded by a camera hidden in a vent — shows Khadr weeping, his face buried in his hands, as he is questioned by Canadian intelligence agents over four days in 2003.
The video, created by U.S. government agents at the prison in Cuba and originally marked as secret, provides insight into the effects of prolonged interrogation and detention on the Guantanamo prisoners.
— The Associated Press
Here’s some of that video.
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General Motors to make tough cuts
General Motors Corp. said today that it will lay off salaried workers, cut truck production, suspend its dividend, and borrow $2 billion to $3 billion to weather a severe downturn in the U.S. market.
GM said the moves will raise $15 billion to help cover losses and turn around its North American operations.
“In short, our plan is not a plan to survive. It is a plan to win,” GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in a broadcast to employees.
— The Associated Press
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Still talking about Hamilton’s homers
The talk of the baseball world today is the performance of Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby last night, even if he didn’t win. Minnesota’s Justin Morneau beat a tired Hamilton in the finals of the contest. But everyone is going to remember Hamilton and his record-setting 28 home runs in the first round.
If you didn’t watch any of the Derby and Hamilton’s towering blasts, here’s a recap courtesy ESPN:
And here’s a story about his performance Monday.
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Bush to talk about housing, financial woes
President Bush is preparing to hold a news conference, his first full-blown meeting with reporters at the White House since April 29.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush would open the 9:20 a.m. news conference with a statement about steps to help stabilize the housing and financial markets and his lifting of the executive ban on offshore oil drilling. He’ll also call on lawmakers to pass long-stalled spending bills.
The news conference today comes amid troubling developments in Afghanistan, where U.S. deaths have exceeded casualties in Iraq over the last two months. There also is turmoil in the financial markets where the government has been forced to throw a lifeline to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
— The Associated Press
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Bernanke to brief Congress on economy
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to brief Congress today on the economy, which has been walloped by high energy prices and fallout from the housing slump and credit crunch.
Bernanke’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee comes two days after the Fed and the Treasury Department came to the rescue of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, offering to throw them a financial lifeline.
The companies hold or guarantee more than $5 trillion in mortgages — almost half of the nation’s total. The Bush administration is asking Congress to increase lines of credit to Fannie and Freddie and to let the government buy their stock. The Fed has offered to let the companies draw emergency loans.
The testimony also comes amid a backdrop of rising oil prices and a slumping dollar, and as stock markets overseas tumble amid worries about the U.S. financial system.
On Monday, shares of U.S. banks and financial companies swooned on concern that the plan to shore up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would not be enough to keep them from failing, which could undermine the U.S. and global financial system.
— The Associated Press
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Clerk’s family decides to rob her workplace
In today’s “You’ve got to be kidding me!” category, police in Denton said they will not file charges against a clerk whose parents and husband were charged with robbing the pizza restaurant where she worked, officials said.
According to this Associated Press story, police said the clerk, Stephanie Martinez, didn’t know they planned to rob the Pizza Patron Friday night.
While the robbery was in progress, Martinez discovered her father was the robber when another clerk struck him, knocking him out and knocking off his wig and sunglasses. He was later apprehended after witnesses followed the getaway pickup.
“Her husband told us she didn’t know. He knew they were going to rob someplace but he thought it was going to be a convenience store,” police Sgt. James Brett said in a story in Monday’s online editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle.
A surveillance video corroborated Martinez’s story. A police report shows the trio was in custody within 14 minutes of the robbery.
Jose Miguel Martinez, 26, was charged with aggravated robbery and is free on $50,000 bail. Benjamin Ramirez, 41, and Sonia Palacios, 38, are both charged with aggravated robbery. Bail was set at $50,000 each, but they are being held without bail on immigration violations.
I’d be in a state of shock to learn my parents and spouse were holding me up.
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Repeat of yesterday would be welcome
I wouldn’t complain about another day of mostly cloudy skies with a high of 88 degrees like we had on Monday. Like yesterday’s forecast, we have a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
The forecast high for today is 95 degrees; of course, yesterday’s forecast called for a high 97 and we didn’t approach that. But we will have light winds today from the south-southeast, which generally means warmer conditions.
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