Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-09 Euless ArticlesDISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF MAYOR CITYCNCL CITYATTNY SUTTER MCkAM1E BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNT McDONALD COLLINS W. RHO/DES GETCHELL LIBRARYADMI}N LIBRARYREF HARTSELL jI `� DATE DISTRIBUTED 7 / 9 1 DATE OFARTICLE,3I a CI 11,3 NEWSPAPER FWST Paralyzed man pulled from van fire at DFW Airport Posted Friday, Mar. 29, 2013 Updated 3 Comments Print Reprints More Sharing ServicesShare By Bill Miller Fort Worth Star -Telegram ArticlePhotos (2)CommentsA wmiller@star-telegram.com On Friday night, T.J. Griffin said repeatedly how happy he is to be alive. But not because he rebuilt his life after being paralyzed while playing football for Trinity High School in 1990. Griffin, of Euless, said he's lucky to have survived the flames that engulfed his van about 6:20 a.m. in front of Terminal A at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Griffin, who had just arrived on an overnight flight from Seattle, might have died had it not been for an airport valet and a woman on her way to a Caribbean cruise. The valet, Walter C. Vaughn III of Watauga, heard Griffin's calls for help and rushed to his aid. He was soon joined by Kristina Gish of Euless, who had just arrived by taxi to catch a flight to Miami, said David Magana, an airport spokesman. Griffin was contacted at his favorite restaurant late Friday, where he was celebrating with family and friends. He not only lost his van but also an expensive motorized wheelchair, his luggage and his cellphone, he said. But he didn't care. "I am blessed," he exclaimed. "I have the greatest family and the best of friends, but, and most importantly, I now have these savior saints in that valet and the lady who helped him. Without them, my family would be having the worst Easter ever, but now it's the best Easter ever." Griffin said he was in Seattle for a training program conducted by his employer, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He described himself as a "paramentor" for the organization: He meets with people who have lost mobility through accidents or medical conditions. "I've been through ups and downs, and I want to make sure people realize their lives are not over," he said. After his red-eye flight arrived at DFW, Griffin got his van from a parking lot and had returned to baggage claim at the terminal to retrieve his luggage, which was waiting for him at the curb. He smelled something funny but thought it may have been related to construction at the airport. Then smoke welled up inside the van. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE aL OF a MAYOR CITYCNCL CITYATTNY SUTTER MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG AN/MAL CNT McDONALD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARYADMINC� I LIBRARYREF HARTS'ELL �DATE DISTRIBUTED 1 _I / / 3 DATE OFART/CLE 3 /� / / 1-3 NEWSPAPER FWST Vaughn, while rushing toward the calls for help, saw fire. "You could start to see flames kind of lick up a little bit," Vaughn said. Soon they reached over Griffin's head. Griffin and Vaughn tried to unlock the wheelchair to move it out of the van, but Vaughn couldn't find the release button, so he undid Griffin's seat belt and put him in a bearhug. Then he pulled him out onto the pavement. Gish ran forward and helped Vaughn drag Griffin farther from the van. The heat burst the van's windows. Firefighters from DFW's Department of Public Safety arrived to douse the fire. Once Griffin was safe, Gish caught her flight. She could not be reached for an interview. Vaughn, the father of seven, doesn't think he was a hero. He finished his shift at DFW and went home to rest before reporting to his second job at BNSF Railway. "If anything, I have a new respect for firemen," he said. "After dealing with how fast that fire moved, and the smoke." OI.STRIBUTCO TO: PAGE I OF MAYOR CITYCNCL CLTYATINY SUTTER MCKAMLE BROWN YOUNG AMMALOVTR ReDONALD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL UBRARRYAD.NIN LIBRARYREF HIRTSELL DATE DLSTRBUT£D H l'3 DAT£OFARTLCL£ qI l i`3 NEWSPAPER�O� U.S. Concrete Expands Credit Facility I{ Gloacvrwsul1a apla O L IDIIas e9 -0e aM EU1 EULESS, Texas, April 1. 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - On March 28, 2013, U.S. Concerted Inc (Nsp dagp:USGR) (the"Company" or "U.S. Covered") amended its asset based credit agreement to increase Its total commitments under the facility firm $80 million to S 102.5 million. The expiration date of the credit facility remains July I, 2015 and the facility ratings an recommitted accordion feature that may allow I'or an increase in the total commitments ender the facility to as much as $125 million. Availability under Ne facility to subside to attain conditions including the William J. calculation of a borrowing base. U.Sincrease Concrete president and Chief Executive with additional William J. ty to fund fi said, "This increase m commitments provides Nc Company vestme with additional liquidity to fund future acquisitions and oder value -erecting investments as we execute on our strategic plan." For more information on this transaction, please see Ne Company's Current Repan on Farm 8-K filed April 1, 2013, visit htlolhvww.us-concreximmisec.aso or ontact U.S. Concrete at 817-835-4111 or lrussellaus-concrete.com. About U.S. Concrete, Inc. U.S. Concrete services the construction ivdumy in several major markets in the United States through its two business segments: ready -mixed concrete and aggregate products. As of the date ol'this press release, Ne Company has 101 fixed and 11 portable reedy -mixed concrete plants and seven producing aggregates facilities. During 2012, these plant facilities pmduced approximately 4 million orbic yards ofmady-mixed concrete and 33 million tons of aggregates_ For more information on U.S. Concrete, visit W W W.us-manc2re com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING F(3RW ARD -LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains venous forward-looking statements and information that are based on managements beliefs, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. These forwad-looking statements spends only as of the date of this press release. U.S. Concrete disclaims Nov obligation to update Nese statements and cautious you not to rely unduly on them. Although U.S. Concrete believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to di I'fer materially, including the possibility that the anticipated benefits from such activities, events, developments or transactions cannot be fully realized or the possibility that costs or difficulties related thereto will be greater than expected. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE � OF MAYOR CITYCNCL CITYATTNY SUTTER MCRAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNTR MCDONALD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRA�R(YADMIN LIBRARYREF HARTSELL DA TE DISTRIBUTED 144 47 113 DATEOFARTICLE 7 / 13 NEWSPAPER r n&/( Should one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. Additional risks affecting U.S. Concrete are discussed in greater detail in U.S. Concrete's filings with the Securities and Exchangeef Commission, including U.S. Concrete's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. CONTACT: Matt Brown, SVP & CFO U.S. Concrete, Inc. 817-835-4105 UV�r CONCRETE Source: U.S. Concrete DISTRIBUTED TO. PAG£LOF_02— MAYOR CITYCNCL C/TYATTNY BUTTER ,MCRAMI£ BROWN YOUNG ANIMALCNTR from CO EVALtlNH W.RHOO£S GETCHELL L/BRARY`AtBMINN LIBRARYREF HARTBELL DATED/STR/BUTEO qj / -3 DATE OFARTICLE 'Y/a /1`3 NERSPAPER DMN Feds file suit against Euless apartment complex, alleging manager discriminated against 'curry people' ■ By Eec BbeMele aanertela®eanaanean com Department of Justic¢ has fiICJ suit against he manner and manager of a Euless apartment complex accused of violating the Fair Housing Ad by denying housing opportunities To people M Middle Eastern a South Asian descent because She found their Mor offensive. SLe Sfanebndge at Bear Creekcomad at 2250 Fuller -Wiser Road near the Bear Creek Gott Club. ns5ts of 1E4 units acrpss 21 buildings, is managed by Nancy Qual The lawsuit has also been fled against Stonebridge at Bear Creek, the Minnesota-based owner of the apartment complex, and S&H Realty Management, which manages Stonebridge. According to the la vault filed at the end of last week in Delos federal court, Quandt told her leasing agents May were prouchad from leasing to Middle Eastern or South Aslan people unless more were openings in buildings Nofa or 18, which were designated far curry people"— which is what To government says Quandt called them. 'Quanot fuabfied her communal instructions and behavior by saying that persons of the Middle East and Boom Aso shirk, were mar completely destroyed aparmil left Ne walls smelling of curry atter they moved out and made neighboring tenants want to live elsewhera the suit says. SBH Realty Management Insists there s no discrimination at the complex and says the lawsuit was umimegy filed. 'We stand behind our employees we ve done naming wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to prove Nat' Nancy Hart, vice presidentef S & H Realty, said Monday. DISTRIBUTED TO. PAGE �? OFcQ MAYOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY SUTTER MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMALCNTR McDONALD COLLINS p.S' W 3 RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF HARTSELL "Y DATE DISTRIBUTED I / l / DATE OFARTICLE '//P/ //P/ / '3 NEWSPAPER PAIN From 2009 to 2010, says the suit, the average concentration of Middle Eastern or South Asian people was 83 percent in Building No. 18 and 38 percent in Building No. 16 — and just 3.6 percent in the other 19 buildings combined. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 makes it unlawful to refuse sale or rent of a dwelling because of a person's race, religion, age, sex or national origin. According to the suit, Quandt told her employees to determine would-be renters' ethnicities by screening the accents of people calling for possible living opportunhies. The Justice Department also says she would punish Middle Eastern and South Asian tenants by enforcing the complex's cleanliness rules more strictly against them. This activity had been going on since at least 2004, says the suit, but many of Stonebridge's employees were fearful they would lose theirjobs if they filed a complaint against Quandt. The manager had told them that two previous leasing agents had been fired almost immediately by Hart for reporting information about discrimination at the complex, according to the lawsuit. Hart denies the allegations. In 2009 alone, says the suit, the complex Fluctuated between a vacancy rate of 11 and 18 percent. But Quandt allegedly continued to tum away potential leasers because of their race.