Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2008 > July > 29
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
100 again, again, again
The high today at Waco Regional Airport was 101, marking a second four-day-in-a-row streak for 100-degree temperatures (the first one was last week, with two 90-degree days separating the two streaks).
Most forecasts, including the National Weather Service’s and the one here on wacotrib.com think we’ll have a high only in the upper 90s the next couple of days. The Weather Channel and KCEN-TV think otherwise. The deciding factor will probably be whether the 20% chance of rain comes in.
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Inmate finds skeletal remains near state prison in Falls County
An state prison inmate on a work detail found skeletal remains in Falls County this morning.
The prisoner found the remains at 7:40 a.m. as he was working in a wooded area on private property next to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Marlin Unit, on the south side of State Highway 6, a Falls County Sheriff’s press release stated.
Investigators believe the remains have been on the property for several months, after an initial investigation of the scene, the release stated.
Falls County Justice of the Peace Sharon Maxey sent the remains for autopsy at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office where officials will conduct a DNA test to identify the remains.
No other information on the remains was available this afternoon.
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Southern California earthquake causes minor injuries, damage
Scattered minor damage and a few minor injuries have been reported in the aftermath of an earthquake that was strongly felt across Southern California.
The magnitude-5.4 jolt struck at 11:42 a.m. Tuesday and was felt from Los Angeles south to San Diego, and as far east as Las Vegas. The quake — considered moderate — was centered 29 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles near the city of Chino Hills.
Here’s the latest from the Associated Press.
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Video released in Governor’s Mansion arson investigation
Texas Department of Public Safety officials have released grainy videos and still photos recorded by security cameras the night of the Governor’s Mansion fire in Austin.
One video shows a man walking on a sidewalk near the mansion; a second video shows a man running on a sidewalk immediately after the fire began. Authorities said they are not sure if it is the same person.
Here’s the full story from the Austin American-Statesman.
To watch the videos, click here.
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U.S., Iraqi forces launch operation in Diyala
U.S. and Iraqi troops began a new operation today in Diyala, considered the last major insurgent safe haven near the capital.
Checkpoints went up around the province and authorities banned unofficial traffic as they began searching for insurgents in the provincial capital, Baqouba.
“It is a dream for residents of this province to live in peace, away from killings and kidnappings,” Fadhil Hussein, a 48-year-old man, said from central Baqouba. Khayria Hussein, a 50-year old resident, said her family was praying to “God to make this operation successful.”
For more on the military operation, click here.
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Beijing skies clearing in lead-up to Olympics
Beijing skies have been hazy at best, smoggy at worst, but winds and rain are helping the Chinese curb pollution in preparation for the Olympics.
Beijing officials had already set restrictions for air pollution, trying to clear skies before the world audience arrives for the 2008 Summer Games. Half of the city’s 3.3 million cars have been parked till after the Games, construction has been halted and some factories shuttered.
Still a haze persisted over the city, until winds and rain began to clear skies Tuesday, showing how much of a role weather plays in eliminating pollutants. Chinese officials have explored cloud seeding to further improve conditions.
For more on the Chinese efforts, click here. For a preview of the upcoming Olympic Games, visit wacotrib.com/olympics.
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Iran blames U.S. for nuclear proliferation, AIDS
Iran’s president on Tuesday blamed the U.S. and other “big powers” for nuclear proliferation and AIDS, and accused them of exploiting the U.N. for their own gain and the developing world’s loss.
But, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, time was on the poor countries’ side.
“The big powers are going down,” Ahmadinejad told foreign ministers of the Nonaligned Movement meeting in Tehran. “They have come to the end of their power, and the world is on the verge of entering a new, promising era.”
For more on the Iranian president’s comments, see the Associated Press story.
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Release your inner hound dog for Elvis week
Are you a fan of The King? Do you sing Elvis Presley songs in the shower? Do you want to win a karaoke contest?
Officials at Graceland are teaming up with MySpace to let you bring your inner Elvis to the forefront.
MySpace users can go to ksolo.myspace.com and record one of three Elvis classics: “Suspicious Minds,” “Hound Dog,” or “If I Can Dream.”
If your rendition gets at least 100 hits on MySpace, your recording will be entered into a karaoke contest for a chance to sing at Graceland’s annual commemoration of Elvis’ death.
Recordings can be submitted until Aug. 4.
For more on the contest, see the Associated Press story.
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Canadian woman gives birth to 18th child
A Romanian immigrant to Canada has given birth to her 18th child.
Livia Ionce, 44, gave birth on July 22 to a baby girl, Abigail, weighing in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.
Proud father Alexandru Ionce said the couple hasn’t planned out how many children they would have, but let God decide the matter for them. They’re open to having more children.
For more on the unique family, click here.
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Ryan Seacrest bit by shark
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest told his radio audience Monday that he had been bitten by a shark over the weekend.
He admitted to being in pain and needing Advil, but said overall that finding the shark’s tooth was like finding a splinter.
For more on Seacrest, click here for a report from our sister paper, the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
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Commissioner Mashek calls for county to take back downtown jail
The McLennan County Commissioners Court engaged in lively discussion today about the county’s jail overcowding situation, and Pct. 3 Commissioner Joe Mashek called for the county to resume control of the downtown jail, thereby gaining additional time and space to explore other options.
The downtown jail is currently operated privately by Community Education Centers. While this contract is set to expire on Oct. 1, a clause in the contract allows McLennan County to resume control of this facility by giving 10 days notice.
Mashek said doing this would give the county an additional four- to five-year window to “explore other options and make a sound decision.”
This would put plans to construct a new 1,000 bed jail on hold.
About 40-50 uniformed jailers attended the commissioner’s meeting.
Mashek said these county employees deserve a quick resolution to the jail debate because they’ve been fearful for their jobs.
One option previously presented involves allowing a private company, such as Community Education Centers, to take over all of the county jail operations.
This plan has been opposed by the jailers, who say the standards of private companies are not as strong, and that pay rates and benefits for employees are also lower, resulting in fewer applicants for jailer positions.
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Chicago legislator calls for students to skip first day school
Illinois State Sen. James Meeks encouraged Chicago students of poorer urban schools to skip the first day of classes and instead spend the day trying to enroll at a more affluent suburban school.
“Today we are back to two-tiered schools — white and affluent on one side, and black, brown and poor on the other,” said Meeks, who also is a minister on the city’s South Side. “That’s an injustice and it’s immoral.”
The Chicago Public School District, the nation’s third largest, spends about $10,000 per student. The suburban New Trier district spends around $17,000 annually on each of its students, according to state reports.
For more on the planned protest, click here.
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Bacteria found at California beaches
Given the cost of travel these days, you might want to read this and rethink that vacation to the California beaches.
The National Resources Defense Council says it tested for the bacteria found in human and animal waste at 75 percent of California’s public beaches from April through October 2007.
It found unhealthy levels of bacteria at seven percent of those beaches. The worst offenders are at Catalina Island and Santa Monica.
For more from the Associated Press on this study, click here.
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Here are the top party colleges and stone-cold sober schools
Seeking a school where you can party? The University of Florida might be the place for you. A Princeton Review study lists the Gainesville, Fla., school as the top party atmosphere for the first time. Florida has been in the top 20 list for several years.
Students attribute the party atmosphere to the number of national championships the school has won in football and basketball in recent years.
For those wanting something closer to home, the University of Texas at Austin came in at number 8 and Big 12 foe Colorado at number 13.
For the complete story on the review, click here.
And here is a list of the top 20 party schools, and another list of 20 “stone-cold-sober” schools.
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PETA asks military to stop tests on animals
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter Monday to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asking for the cancellation of military testing on animals, replacing the program with human simulators.
The letter accuses the military of conducting gunshot, burn and chemical tests on monkeys, pigs and goats.
The Pentagon did not respond to requests by the Associated Press for comment.
For more on PETA’s request, click here.
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Possible pipe bombs found at Ohio post offices
Authorities have evacuated the areas surrounding the post offices of two small Ohio communities this morning after finding what might be pipe bombs at the locations.
A bomb squad from Columbus has been summoned to the neighboring communities of Guysville and Stewart.
For the latest on this incident, click here.
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Report: U.S. security system needs revamping
A report from the Project on National Security Reform mandated by Congress recommends revamping the nation’s security system under the next president.
The study shows that frequent feuds between Cabinet and other agency heads causes the president to waste too much time settling internal disputes. The report also shows that services are frequently duplicated by various agencies.
A final version with recommended reforms, including a proposal for new security legislation, is expected to be issued in October.
For more on the study, click here.
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President refuses to commute execution for former Army cook
President Bush confirmed Monday that execution was the only suitable punishment for a former Army cook accused of multiple rapes and murders.
Ronald A. Gray was convicted of committing four murders and eight rapes while stationed at Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, between April 1986 and January 1987. He had appealed to the president to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
The appeal marks the first time in 46 years that a military death row case has been appealed to the president and the first confirmation of execution since the Eisenhower administration, 51 years ago.
For more on the case, click here.
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New president to inherit half-trillion dollar deficit
Estimates for the budget deficit for the current fiscal year hit $482 billion, according to a White House report yesterday. That figure will get worse when funds for the war in Iraq are added later and may get even worse if the economy does not improve like the Bush administration expects.
While this deficit is the largest in history, budget deficits in the 1980s and early ’90s represented a larger percentage of the nation’s economy.
The winner of the November elections will inherit the deficit, but neither candidate is backing down from his campaign platform — McCain to extend the Bush tax cuts and Obama to expand health care and education.
For more on the deficit and its implications, click here.
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Los Angeles to set moratorium on new fast food restaurants
The Los Angeles City Council today will consider a one-year moratorium on new fast food restaurants in south Los Angeles. The moratorium passed in committee next week and now awaits a vote by the full council.
The moratorium is designed to give officials time to recruit healthier restaurants to the area. Currently, south Los Angeles has only fast food chains serving it. The moratorium could be stretched to two years if necessary.
Restaurant association officials say the moratorium is misguided because healthier restaurants would already be located in the area if they felt it was profitable. A moratorium on fast food will not help recruit any other business, restaurant representatives claim.
For more on the debate, click here.
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Report on Governor’s Mansion fire shows fire watch problems
The Department of Public Safety report on the Texas Governor’s Mansion shows security orders weren’t posted and a fire watch was not conducted by all personnel, even after security cameras showed a person throwing a Molotov cocktail at the mansion. A single security official noticed the fire alarm seven minutes later.
Authorities have released security video showing a suspect in the arson case and asking for help identifying the person shown. You can see the video here.
For details from the report, click here.
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Troopers: As many as half of Texas drivers may be uninsured
A pilot study conducted since June 2 in Travis County reveals that 25.2 percent of drivers stopped in the Austin area do not have valid auto liability insurance. The study conducted with TexasSure equipment allowed troopers to use computers to immediately check the insurance status of drivers pulled over for other traffic violations.
More scary is the verbal report from troopers that more than half of drivers in some parts of the state are uninsured.
For details on the study and its findings, click here.
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July 29 weather: Ditto
What more can you say about summer weather in Waco but that it will be more of the same. Forecasts today call for a high around 101 with a heat index of 104. Tonight’s low will be around 79.
There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday, but I’m not holding my breath.
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