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Home My WebLink About2008-10-24 Euless ArticlesDISTRIBUTED TO: ,bIAYOR CITYCNCL CITYATTNY CRI'VI hfCKK4iLIIE RIDGWAY(2) DECK BROW,%' YOU!NG !VIcDO:VA LD COLL1:VS C. BARKER CETCHELL LIBRARY ADhIIN LIBR4R Y REF AIVIMAL CNTR DATE DI~TRJBLITED /0/dLl/~8 DamooFa~~~crE /o//a/ag NEWSPAPER FWST INSIDE THE POLICE SCANNER Is pet being held by a cat-nappef? , '. , EULESS - This was a purrrrfect crime - or was it? Someone took a cat and its car er out. of an apartment Mond while the resident was away for sev- eral hours, police said. The theft happened in the 300 block of Park Drive. The resident told police that, somebne entered his apartment- through an unlocked window and took the feline, named Oreo. According to police reports resident had been taking car Oreo for a friend. The man told that hiend may have entered .fis apart- ,,! . . . .- , , ment through fhe ;Nindow,to re- ' , . . STAR-TELEGRAM, , :,,,,,' ,; ; , :.-.I .. . . , . . . - <> ,..,,. .;;id ;j{?;.r ,.:::: y.;;. 1 < trieve the cat. . , . . > .. .. . . - .f :. .. .. . . ,-i:; ;, ,,.. ;; ;-v,,.,l! .% .. .. ... , ., , . z . . , . The resident hadn'i been able toconiact the friend and made the ieport just h case a real bad guy broke in, the police report states. +. You know, a cat burglar. - Domingo '~amiriz Jr. 1'. DISTRIBUTED TO: I I PAGE OF :CIA YOR CITY CiVCL CITY ATTiVY CRIICI MCKAIVIE RIDG N.2 Y(2) DECK BROCf'iV YOCfiVG k1cDO:VALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBR,-IRYADMI;1; LIBRARYREF AiVI1VIALC:VTR DATE DISTRIBUTED I O / 34 1" DATE OF ARTICLE / ' IVEWSPAPER FWST Gas lease bounty is going a to be shared with charities II In August, more than 3,400 property ' owners in Grapevine and Euless began receiving checks from Chesapeake Energy for mineral leases. Today, many + of those owners are expected to share their good fortune with area charities at . a fundraising event from 6 to 9 p.m. at : Delarrey Vineyards and Winery io7Grape- :: vine. The event is sponsored by 360 ;, Northwest Coalition, a group of resi- -: dential and commercial property owners 3 who worked together during mineral :: lease negotiations wFth Chesapeake, : which has said it wou td throw in a BT0,OOO match in proceeds. The charities f that will benefit are GRACE and FBC r Euless Freestone Housing Revitatiration 1 Project, which is a collaboration of the city of Eulesq First Baptist Church of Euless, Restoration Church and Life ** Connection Church. ''Since the majority :. of GRACE clients are not property own- A ers, they have no way of receiving any direct benefit from the money thar is ' *, coming from the Barnett Shale? GRACE $ Executive Director Shonda Schaefer ; said in a release. "It is humbling ta know : that the Folks who wilt benefit are willing ; to take up the obligation of- providing * :: assistance to those who are less . * .. ;#- 9, fortunate in this tornmunityn %., : 7, - B& Lyons .., . I DISTRIBUTED TO: ~f.1 YOR CITY ClTYA TTNY CRIM ICK.IMIE RIDGWA Y(2) DECK BRoOE IC)(lNG ,VlcDOVALD COLLI.vS C. BARKER GETCIIELL LlRRAR Y ADllllN LIBRARY REF ANIIWA L CArTR DA TE D1STRIBL:TED lo /c?+/~~ DATEOFARTICLE lo/ /o 8 1VEUSP.APER FU'ST TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 92 Neophyte takes on veteran H-E-Blawmaker Rep. Todd Smith has a big cash advaqtage in the race. " By CHRIS VAUGHN mughn@star-telegrarn.com BEDFORD - Todd Smith, a state legislator the last dozen years, does not usually draw a Democratic opponent for his seat in the heavily Republican neighborhoods of Hurst-Eu- less-Bedford. But 2008 has proved not to be any old year in Democratic last 12 years. her here are people in poli- tics who don't advance the interests of their constitu- epts but who advance the in- terests of special interests @d the wealthy," Smith said. "It gives me a great deal of satisfaction with the small Fount of power I have as a state representative to influ- ence that activity and pro- mote the interests of mycon- stituents." Smith, 45, who has lived in the H-E-B area for 34 years, has ties that run deep in the schools, neighborhoods and elected offices. Wheeler, 29, is a Longview native who has lived in the H-E-B area for Smith Wheeler less than two years. Both are attorneys - politics. Smith is a personal-injury A first-time political cam- lawyer with a law degree paigner, Kalandra Wheeler, is from the University of Texas, seeking to unseat Smith, a vet- and Wheeler is a criminal de- eran of state and city leader- fense attorney with a law de- ship roles for 17 years. gree from the University of by billions of dollars. He said the state will eventually have to raise its gas tax because he believes relying exclusively on toll roads is unfair to his district. "I will completely support my constituents bearing their share of the burden, but whatever the solution, it can- not involve soaking my con- stituents with exorbitant tolls when they drive north, south, east or west while 80 percent of the state pays what they paid in 1990," he said, referring to the gas tax. He also expects to file leg- islation again to grant police the authority to establish so- briety checkpoints, and he believes ins&ance reform is needed so that homeowners in North Texas are not subsi- dizing homeowners on the coast who build in hurri- cane-vulnerable -. areas. For her part, Wheeler would like to expand health- "It's going to be tough, no doubt about it," Wheeler said. "I want to let people know that I don't believe the govem- ment is simply for the $ wealthy. I believe everyday people should be able to take part in the government. I have the same concerns the voters . have." Smith said he welcomes a challenge but believes he has done his best for residents the Arkansas. , care coverage for the unin- In the latest filings to the sured, especially children, Texas Ethics Commission, and she believes the govern- Smith reported raising ment guidelines for poverty $3,900 and spending $7,219, are "archaic" and don't reflect including $5,500 for cam- the cost of living in 2008. She paign signs. Wheeler report- also said H-E-B badly needs ed raising $2,523 in contribu- new freeways and not just tions and spending $1,501, toll roads. including $1,300 for cam- She also said that changes paign signs. Smith, however, need to be made in the ac- has a significant edge in the 'countability testing for stu- , bank - $67,000 to $1,500. dents in public schools. Smith serves as the chair- "My mom was a public man of the Tarrant County school teacher, so I'm partial delegation and vice chair- toward teachers," she said. "I ' man of the House Insurance don't believe they are paid Committee and was among a enough. Additionally, our group of unhappy Republi- schools are moving toward cans who attempted to un- teaching the TAKS test. I seat Speaker of the House would be more in- favor of Tom Craddick in the last ses- tests administered through- sion, an effort that failed. out the year, as opposed to Among his chief concerns one test determining your fu- for the next session is how ture." the state will prioritize and pay for new highway pro- jects, which are underfunded CHRIS VAUGHN, 817-3+7;47 DISTRIBUTED TO: 1 PAGE / OF MA YOR CITY CNCL CITY A TTKY CRIlVl MCKAMIE RIDG WA Y(2) DECK BRO WIV YOUKG McDOiYALD COLLIIVS C. BARKER GETCHELL L1BRARYAD:CIIN LIBRARYREF ALVI-~IAL CNTR D,4 TE DISTRIB I [TED /0/24 DATEOFARTICLE /0//9/0x ArEWSPAPER FWST Cheers: To Andy of Euless B&B Wrecker Services for once again - supporting the community by pro- viding trucks and trailers for the L.D. Bell High School homecoming par;ade. Your rigs were awesome, ' and the kids had a ball. - Karen Killian, Bedford DISTRIBUTED TO: / / PAGE OF !ZlrlYOR ClTYCi1'CL CITYATTNY CRfM MCK4MIE RIDGUYY(2) DECK BROWN YOliiVG ~IcDOIVALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETC'tlELL LIBR4RYADMflV LIBR4RYREF ANIMALCNTR PARKER COUNTY R : Slowdown forces Acme $- ,.Brick to shut original plant - By MARSHA BROWN Spec~al to the Star-Telegram -- "~hen-~ went to work for M MILL SAP- Acme Brick CO. has ceased operations at one of them, it was a real fady-ori- :its two Parker County facilities - the company's original ented company,1p Brogdon ,.plant. said. >. Acme Brick has laid off20 of the plant's 35 workers and worked at a couple of I will reassign others because of a slowdown in residentid places, but I always construction, said ~d Watson, came back to Acme Brick." senior vice president of pro- Brogdon was still working duction. at Acme when billionaire in- "We actually saw this com- vestor Warren Buffett's Berk- ing in 2006,"~Watson said. "We shire Hathaway holding com- started closing plants early in pany bought it. 2007." ' "It didn't change anything Closing the ' companfs at first," Brogdon said. 'Buffett original plant wasn't easy. said he wasn't planning to. Acme has produced bricks at change anything, and as far as\ the site in southwest Parker I could tell, he didn't. But since 1 County since 1891. they *have a new plaht next "We:re able to move most of door that was cheaper to oper- .the opeiations from the [Mill- >ate, closing the old'one was sap] Bennett Plant to the new-, business decision. er plant" nearby, said Bill Sei-' ""I hate to see it close. But del, Acme's vice president of now things are operated dif- marketing. ferently. It's all business with The Acme brick plant is just companies now. Workers are outside ~illsa~, which has a fdjfferent now. too. They aren't population of 332. as ilevoted as they used to be." "It will make some differ- AItho~gh the plant in Mill- ence to our town," Millsap 'sap may have been Acme Mayor Jamie French said. "I Brick's first to open, it wasn't really don't think it will have a the first to close, Watson said. huge impact. A lot of people "We closed four plants before out here a& in the ranching we closed this one beginning business." in early 2007," he said. The plant is at the center of The Millsap plant also the ghost town of Bennett, won't be the last in the compa- named in honor of Acme ny's round of closures. "We're Brick's founder, George E. closing another in Kanopolis, Bennett. Kan., at the end of this month, The community was once' and another in Clarksville, made up of a company store, -4 A L- -A -- .- Ark., in February of '09," Wat- public school, church and son said. about 100 homes made from The company expects the Acme Brick that houieed. the plant closings to be tempo- families of the workers. rary. "We'll be ready to start J.A. Brogdon was born in :back up when the new-hous- one of those houses. His father ,ing market beats back '.up," .worked for ~cme; he followed - Watson __ said. _... c, ,,' - _. his dad into the company in the early 1950s ankl retired six tt Well be ready to start back up when years ago. the new-housing market heats back . up." Ed Watson, senior vice president of production at Acme Brick DISTRIRLJTED TO: PAGE / OF 1 !VIAYOR CITYC'YCL CITY2-tTT;VY CR1.V MCK24MIE RIDGWAY(,?) DECK BROH'!V YOC'iVG ~CICDOIVALD COLLI'YS C.BARKER GETCHELL LIBR,4RYAD/l./liV LlBR4RYREF .4iVlil.IALChiTR DATEDISTRIRL'TED /o /d / 3f MTEOFARTICLE /old a /" ' NEWSPAPER FWST David W. "Dub" Mims Jr. EULESS - David W. "Dub" Mims Jr. passed away Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008, in Euless. FUNERAL: Noon Friday in spark- man/Hillcrest Northwest Highway Chapel, the Rev. Carol West officiat- ing. Interment: Hillcrest Memorial David Mims was a school ' Park. crossing guard for the Dub was born Nov. 13, 1928, in Hughes Springs. He proudly served City and his daughter- his country in the U.S. Army and the in-law, Minnie works Marines. Dub worked as a skilled la- in the Library. borer as a welder from 1952 to 1997, retiring at the age of 69. At 72 years of age, he was still active choosing to work as a school crossing guard for the Euless Police Department. He continued in this position until the time of his death. He took his job very serious. Dub looked out for thesafety and well-being of these children, as he did for his own children through- out their lives. He instilled in each of his children a love of the outdoors with picnics, camping, fishing and boating. He was a true family man with wife and chil- dren being his top priority. He trea- sured family vacationsand visits and, most of all, his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a ' son, James Mims. SURVIVORS: The love of his life for 57 years, his wife, Geneva; sons, Mike Mims and wife, Lisa, of Sanger[ Greg Mims and wife, Minnie, of Eu- less and Steve Mims and wife, Gloria, of Grove, Okla.;,and daughters, Bev- erly Freeman and husband, Frank, of Linden and Patti Mims of Euless. He was the loving grandfather of David Mims, Justin Mims, Aaron Mims, Jay cob Mims and Whitney Mims. He is also survived by his brothers, Phillip Mims of Dangerfleld and Farris Mims of Lone Oak; and many nieces, neph- ews and cousins. Sparkman/Hilla~st Funeral Home Dallas, 224-363-5401 View and sign guestbook at www.startdegram.com/obihraries DISTRIBUTED TO: I / P'4GE OF RI,I YOR CITY ClVCL CITYATTNY CRIM IVICK,~IWIE RIDGWA Y(2) DECK BROW8 YOLr~VG IMcDO~VALD COLLIKS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIIV LIBR.4RY REF ANI;C1,4L CiVTR FWST FINANCIAL CRISIS Investment pool -- -- for - local - -- governments The state's two funds for is largely OIC municipalities and school districts report an average rate of return of 2.4 percent as of Sept. 30. By YAMlL BERARD yberardmstar-teIegram.com TexPool, unlike many other state in- vestment funds, hasn't lost a dime in the stock market. But even with its safe, high-quality debt investments, it hasn't gotten by the credit crunch scot-free, either. Assets of TexPool and the related TexPool Prime, which are investment pools for thousands of Texas munici- palities and public school districts, have fallen by about $2.7 million since January, records show. The bite has come from drops in interest rates on U.S. Treasury bonds, which are TexPool's bread and butter. cent in January, records show. Incon- trast, U.S. domestic stocks have fall- en by 45 percent; international stocks by more. "The mantra is safety, liquidity and yield, in that order. Those are our marching orders," said Paul Ballard, CEO and chief investment officer for the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Co., which manages TexPool and TexPool Prime for the comptroller. TexPool's assets of $17.99 billion are mostly U.S. bonds and triple-A, no-load money market mutual funds, the highest rated by bond agencies. The funds can be called "cash equivalents" because they can con- vert fast to cash; maturity dates can- not exceed 13 months, by state pol- icy. "We've got to make sure they mh come back to commercial paper," said McLain, also a portfolio man@.- er at Holt Capital Partners, an invefh- ment management company in Fs%t Worth. " 9% TexPool Prime's bundles of coepi mercial paper are evaluated q&l "stress-tested" to make sure that the state gets its money back even und "terrible economic conditions," Ef 8 - lard said. That's because offici s have made sure enough collater there to support it. A dj3 "Regardless of what happens iqt there, if the system stops work;!% and commercial paper stops tradi we're going to make sure things ,e pay," Ballard said. % *a Onl~ne: www texpool.com abl .IL. IlTl, And that's a good thing, especially YAMIL BERARD, 817-~853818 In addition, a small portion of the at4 $19 billion fund's investments - about $640 million - is in commer- cial paper, a sector caught up in the credit squeeze that has required emergency action by the federal gov- . ernment. "Investors aren't buying short- term corporate debt for fear they won't get their money back," said Mac McLain, former chief invest- ment officer at Texas Wesleyan Uni- versity. "And they have become so , leery of lending to corporations that 1 they are willing to accept the lower rates of U.S. Treasury bonds." In part, that should be a relief to the state comptroller's office, which is responsible for TexPool and Tex- Pool Prime. The two funds report an average rate of return of 2.4 percent as of Sept. 30, down from 4.24 per- these days, experts said. Experts voiced only a small con- cern with TexPool Prime, the smaller of the two TexPools, and its $641 mil- lion in commercial paper. By Oct. 8, the U.S. commercial-paper market fell by $56.4 billion, or 3.5 percent, to a seasonally adjusted $1.55 trillion, Bloomberg reports showed. Companies sell commercial paper as a form of short-term borrowing to support day-to-day operating costs. But as companies drew back from is- suing new paper for fear that they couldn't pay it back and lenders stopped lending, its market froze. The Federal Reserve Bank tried to ease the situation this month by buy- ing commercial paper in a "back- stop" effort. That was intended to make more commercial paper avail- able to companies and investors. DISTRIBL!TED TO: PAGE 1 OF 1 :l.M YOR CITY CNCL CITY A TT!VY CRIM k1CKA:CIIE RIDG WA Y(2) DECK BROU'!\' YOLi/VG ~JcDONALD COLLIiVS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBR4R Y AD!CIIIV LIBRjR Y REF ,4!YIMAL CiVTR D.ITEDISTRIBL'TED IO/~J/OY DATEOFIRnCLE /~/dd/~g ,YEWSPAPER FIWT EULESS loshua woman, 22, killed in Airport Freeway crash I BY DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR. another car befoi-e slamming rarnirez~star-te1egrarn.com into the barrier, police said. EULESS -A 221year-old ~osh- 'Acar in front of her saw her ua woman was killed early coming and attempted to 'Ihesday after she was ejected move over, but. her car from a car that slammed into a bumped that vehicle," Euless concrete median on Airport police Lt. John Williams said Freeway and burst into flames, Tuesday, "That sent her into police said. . the median.': The Tarrant ~ount!y medi- No other injuries were re- cal examiner's office identified ported. the womah as Kandice Hutch- Police closed Airport Free- ison, who was pronounced, way between Industrial Boule- dead at the scene. vard and Main Street for about The accident happened eight hours as authorities in- about 2:30 a.m. in the 500 vestigated: block of Afrport Freeway. Hutchison was driving at a - high speed, police said. . DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.. Hutchison's car bumped 817685-3822 DISTRIBUTED TO: / I PAGE OF itIA YOR CITY C!%'CL CITY A TTNY GRIM MCKAICIfE RIDGWA Y(2) DECK BROW/V YOUIVG McD0:VALD COLLI!\'S C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARY AD:tIIi%' LIBRARY REF ,4 NIiCL-L L CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED /0/2Ct DATE OF ARTICLE lo / J 3 / d 9 NEWSPAPER FWST SHLACHTER, PEROTIN, FUQUAY & CO. CHARITIES GET BONUS FROM BARNETT SHALE A benefit grows out of a $reestone Housing ~evitaliza- lease signing with owners ;,fiOn in Euless and Grapevine. yr GRACE provides' 'food, ,clothing and other assistance. Last week saw an end to the 3fo residents facing financia! frenzy of minerd-rights leas- challenges. FBC Euless Free- ing that enthralled Tarrant ,,stone is a collaboration of the County during the.past year ,city of Euless, First Baptist but maybe not to charitable dChurch of Euless, Restoration contributions tied to the' Bar- ,,Church and Life Connection nett Shale boom. Church that repairs and up- On Oct. 16, more than 300 @tes homes for needy resi- people attended 36ONorth- ,qents. west Gives Back at Delaney 2, Dan Delph, lead organizer Vineyards and Winery in ,.of the charity event, said the'- >/ Grapevine. A raMe and silent ,€urnout "exceeded our great-.: "est expectations." Chesa- geake's Leah King said it was . &e first time the company is , -$ware of that a neighborhood Teasing group came together a -30 share part of lease bonuses with a not-for-profit organiza- tion. - - .?GoNorthwest Coalition. . , ~ ~ . . SHLACHTER & CO: gepresenting more than 3,400 ., property qwners- and 1,500.,~ auction, boosted by8 $10,00? , acres in Euless Grapevine,,b grant from Chesapeake Ener- endorsed ;, :a I,: .mineral-ri&ts ! gyp resulted in $25,000 in con- lRaSe from Chesapeake in july'; tributidns that will be split be- %at paid a bbnus of $23,500',: tween GMCE and FBC Euless ;;1 25 percent ray-:; alty. Lease signings concluded :: Monday-the @up said. .,,'*; 91. -, Chesapeike also pledged, -$500,000 to Benbwok on Sat-.: wday toward expansion of the -' '$enbrook Cpmrnunity Center' 2 ', , 0 and YMCA. :The compariy gave : $e first $l0O1O00 of that corn-.' ' pitment to,the city at the sec- , 9. ond . annual ,' Veritage Fest,'; .-I- which celebrates the city's in-:' 91 corporation inJ947. '! . - . 811 . Chesapeake's Julie. Wdsoc -I( said the company's contribu-:' 3on : reeoghizes, :.the impor-: tance to expand the often:: cramped quarters of the Comz; 21 punity CenterlYMCA, a pop:-, : #ar :: workout -facility and : pleeting place that is also used; 9 r -p a needed shelter in times of ,$mergencies." ,, ' j