<![CDATA[NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - Top Stories]]> Copyright 2013 http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/top-stories en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 08:47:18 -0500 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:47:18 -0500 NBC Owned Television Stations <![CDATA[Girl Left in Car in School Parking Lot Dies]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 17:08:43 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Vibha-Marks-inset-051713.jpg

A 1-year-old girl died after being left alone in a vehicle in an elementary school parking lot on Friday according to Dallas Police.

On Saturday, the Dallas Medical Examiner confirmed the name of the girl is Victoria Marks.

Her mother, Vibha Marks, has been arrested on a charge of abandoning a child with serious bodily injury. She was released from jail on a $50,000 bond this morning.

Police said someone spotted the child unattended in a car parked in the faculty parking lot at Frank Guzick Elementary School at 5000 Berridge Lane at about 1:20 p.m.

The passer-by broke the window on the vehicle, removed Victoria and began performing CPR, police said.

Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed that it was called to the school at about 1:30 p.m. When responders arrived, the child was unresponsive. Emergency workers continued CPR and transported the child to Baylor Medical Center, where Victoria Marks was pronounced dead.

Vibha Marks, a teacher at the elementary school, was interviewed by the Dallas Police Department on Friday afternoon.

Officials with the Dallas Independent School District said Marks has been placed on administrative leave and that a letter was sent home to parents about the police presence at the school.

Friday at 1:00 p.m., the temperature at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was 84 degrees. Studies of temperatures in enclosed cars shows that temperatures can rise by as much as 43 degrees in a one-hour period.



Photo Credit: Getty Images and Dallas Police]]>
<![CDATA[Drug Cartels Move High-Level Operations into DFW]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:36:22 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/dea-evidence-051713.jpg

Trouble came rolling into town and landed squarely in one Seagoville neighborhood.

One neighbor told NBC 5 Investigates he saw federal agents surround a neighbor’s home and then, a short time later, carry out bags full of cash.

The men that lived at the home were not your average street-level drug dealers.

The current residents of the house showed NBC 5 Investigates a crawlspace hidden in a back closet where the DEA said the cartel hid drugs and money.

According to recently unsealed court records obtained by NBC 5 Investigates, prosecutors say they were members of a high-level cell of La Familia, a violent Mexican drug cartel.

For the Drug Enforcement Administration, the case was one example of a dramatic change they’ve seen in Dallas over the last six years.

Cartels now send trusted members to North Texas to set up what the DEA calls “command and control,” directing drug shipments from Dallas to cities all over the country.

“You name it. There’s no city limits sign for these guys. Wherever they can fit in, they’ll move in, sometimes as normally as a normal family,” said Daniel R. Salter, the acting special agent in charge of the Dallas DEA office.

Using wiretaps, agents recorded mobile phone conversations that tracked cartel operatives to neighborhoods across the Metroplex.

“It’s alarming to us to think they would bypass cities they used previously, because we weren’t exactly ready for it,” said Salter.

Investigators are now.

Recent investigations have led agents to suburbs including Carrollton and Duncanville. Agents have uncovered ranch properties used by cartels in rural areas on the edges of the Metroplex.

The DEA snapped surveillance photos of one cartel meeting outside the Harry Hines Bazaar in Dallas and they found one operative working from a home in Felicia Wilson’s neighborhood in Richardson.

“It is frightening. It is frightening because you close your door and go to bed at night and you don't know what's going to happen,” said Wilson.

Fred Burton is a former state department counterterrorism agent. He's tracked Mexican cartels in the past when he worked for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Now he works for Stratfor Global Intelligence, a security firm in Austin.

He said recent investigations show cartels now use Dallas to move drugs to major cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Burton said the cartels are attracted to Dallas by the same things that attract many major companies -- including a highway network with easy connections to points across the country, and Dallas has become an essential place that cartels have to control to run their business effectively.

“I think, from a geography perspective, they pretty much have to own that territory if they're going to have an effective distribution network,” said Burton.

“It's very interesting. Very profit motivated, just like a business organization. The only aspect that's different is its fully criminal activity and can be very violent,” said Sarah Saldaña the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Saldaña’s office has already won convictions of more than 160 people tied to La Familia alone.

But when one cartel cell is shut down, another often pops up.

“We're not breathing easily. We're still going with our investigations and trying to make sure we're getting as many as we can,” said Saldaña.

And they never know where they may turn up.

There has been one shooting in Dallas involving a suspected cartel hit-man. Cartel kidnappings have been reported in the border region of Texas. But the victims have also had ties to the cartels.

Prosecutors want to stay on top of this so it doesn't reach a point where ordinary people end up in the middle of it.



Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Winning $590.5 Million Powerball Ticket Sold in Florida]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 06:20:48 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/109687778.jpg

It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.

The single winner was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., according to Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell. She told The Associated Press by telephone that more details would be released later.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," O'Connell told AP. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."

She said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.

The winner was not immediately identified publicly and O'Connell did not give any indication just hours after Saturday's drawing whether anyone had already stepped forward with that winning ticket.

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said earlier that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars — and that's after taxes.

Saturday night's winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball an "exciting game to play."

"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity and Florida is a huge Powerball state. We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."

Such longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states — 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands — from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.

Calls by AP to the Publix supermarket outlet in Florida where the winning ticket was sold were not answered Sunday.

Elsewhere, Rich said, lottery officials reported 33 winning tickets for a $1,000,000 prize each were sold around 17 states, led by six tickets in New York. He said lotteries reported 2 winning tickets each for the $2,000,000 PowerPlay, one in New York and the other in South Carolina.

Before the drawing, there was a rush for tickets around the country.

At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.

"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.

The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. If $600 million, the jackpot would currently include a $376.9 million cash option.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot — people are interested in the easy investment.

"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."

That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.

"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."

Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.

"I work very hard — too hard — and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."

 

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images]]>
<![CDATA[Navy Pier Worker Beats Ferris Wheel World Record]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 08:40:54 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/navy+pier+ferris+wheel.jpg

Chicago's Navy Pier went into the record books this weekend for longest ride on a Ferris wheel.

Beginning Friday, pier operations manager Clinton Shepherd attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest ride on Chicago's iconic attraction. Shepherd hopped on at 2:30 p.m. with plans to stay on for a full 48 hours.

The current record is 30 hours and 35 seconds. Shepherd broke that record and Navy Pier lit up the sky with fireworks after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Shepherd will remain on the wheel for another 18 hours to reach his 48-hour goal.

Follow Shepherd on Twitter and ask him questions between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday via #FWRecord. Or ride along with him to be a part of potential history.

Navy Pier will offer free rides on all Pier Park attractions to all active military men and women and their families ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday. Military guests must check in at the USO office inside Navy Pier.

“This achievement highlights Navy Pier as the number one tourist attraction in the Midwest and serves as a great attraction as the City of Chicago honors the men and women of the Armed Forces,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.

“Navy Pier is excited to host Clinton’s world record attempt,” Navy Pier, Inc CEO Marilynn Gardner said. “We support his commitment to bringing the world record to the city of Chicago where the first Ferris wheel was built in 1893 and we are proud to partner with him to dedicate his ride to the men and women of the armed forces.” 
 



Photo Credit: NBCChicago.com]]>
<![CDATA[Dognapped Yorkie Found Safe Near Home]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 01:36:37 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/yorkielostandfound.jpg

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie apparently taken by dognappers demanding $1,000 from his owners was dropped off by someone in a white car near his owner's home on Saturday, the dog's owner told NBC4 News.

Someone speeding by in a white car with tinted windows dropped off the dog named Walter. A woman walking her dog in the neighborhood noticed the Yorkie, checked his dog tag and called the owner, Tricia O’Kelley.

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, hadn't been seen since Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard along Los Feliz Boulevard in the Griffith Park area. 

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station on Western and Franklin avenues where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

Walter was outfitted with tags and has a microchip.

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<![CDATA[Tornado Damage To Keep Ennis Road Closed]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 23:08:52 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/051813+Ennis+road+closure.jpg

Engineers in Ennis say five buildings there could collapse after last week's tornadoes.

The city has closed off several blocks in the historic downtown area, including parts of Business U.S. 287, also known as West Ennis Avenue.

Barricades went up on Saturday to prevent people from the damaged buildings, which engineers say have been structurally damaged by the EF-1 tornado.

On most Saturday nights the intersection of West Ennis and South McKinney Street would be packed with people and vehicles. On this Saturday night it was like a ghost town, filled with road blocks, caution tape and the occasional police car. The closure of West Ennis will have a significant impact on the town as its shuttered to traffic for the next month.

"This is the lifeline of our town, so the detour and all the damage has been pretty upsetting for everyone," said Gina Armstrong, an Ennis resident surveying the closure.

Armstrong knows Ennis better than most as she's lived here almost her entire life.

"I've lived here for 46 years," Armstrong said. "We love our little town."

And it's that love of Ennis, that has Armstrong and other residents concerned about the tornado's damage and closure of Business 287 will mean for the historic district.

"Some of our businesses down there are pretty small and so we're kind of worried about them, it'll be hard for them to recover I'm sure," Armstrong said.

On Saturday night, work crews finished installing the wooden barricade wall to protect people from the damaged buildings. It is estimated that the barricade will be up for at least a month as crews work on the damaged structures.

"A couple of the buildings that are behind this wall the fronts of them are just like rubble, like bricks that have just fallen down the front," Armstrong said. "You can't replace these buildings, you know? I know they'll do a good job getting back to as close as they are."

Armstrong lives just two blocks away from the historic district, where her 102-year-old home saw virtually no damage when the storms passed by.

"We were amazed when we woke up and came down, we didn't realize the damage until the next morning," she said.

And now Armstrong and everyone hopes that damage can heal the heart of their city.

"It's so important to everyone who lives around here," Armstrong said.

May 24-26 is the National Polka Festival in Ennis, an annual event that virtually doubles the town's population. The Saturday parade has already been re-routed around the road closure according to Armstrong.



Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Granbury Tornado Survivor's Story]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 23:53:25 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/051813+Tornado+Survivor.jpg

On Saturday morning, Christy Green, a Granbury tornado survivor left John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth to return to Granbury.

"It just got louder and louder," said Green. "You could hear it just snapping and breaking the house! It was awful!"
 
Green vividly remembers when a tornado destroyed her house and other homes in Granbury Wednesday night. The outbreak of 16 tornadoes across North Texas killed six people and injured more than 100 people
 
With just a 10 minute warning Green and her sons, 17-year old Dylan and 21-year old Brendan Whitehead hid inside her closet. But that wasn't enough. 
 
"He goes 'I love you mom'," said Green. "I said grab the closet door and shut it. He went to grab it and he flew out."
 
Despite going airborne, Green and her sons survived. They were not physically hurt, but she was.
 
"At one point, I was bending in ways I never thought I could bend and I prayed to God I said ‘I cannot take another minute please just stop it,’" she said.
 
Green is now recovering from cuts to her face, a neck fracture and bruises throughout her body.
 
"I'm still in shock seriously you can't even imagine. I just like wow," she added.
 
Despite her injuries, Green plans to head to work in a week. 
 
She and her sons will be staying at a house of a family friend.


Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Man Fatally Shot in Head in NYC's Greenwich Village Investigated as Hate Crime: Police]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 19:36:11 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/village+shooting.jpg

New York City authorities are investigating the deadly overnight shooting of a 32-year-old man in Greenwich Village as a hate crime after detectives learned the suspect taken into custody at the scene may have made anti-gay remarks to the victim before pulling the trigger, authorities said.

Law enforcement officials say Marc Carson, who lived on West 131st Street, and a friend were near a 99 Cent Pizza shop on Sixth Avenue around midnight when the suspect, who was with two other men, hurled anti-gay slurs at them, Carson's friend told detectives.

Carson made some remarks in response to the suspect's taunts and walked away, law enforcement sources said. 

A short time later, the suspect, who was by himself, confronted Carson and his friend again near a building on West Eighth Street, and words were exchanged for a second time, law enforcement officials said. Then the suspect allegedly pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot Carson in the face, killing him.

The suspect ran off and police responding to the shooting put out a description of him. An officer on foot patrol saw a man who fit the description of the suspect near McDougal and West Third Streets and tried to question him, but the suspect fled. The officer chased him down and took him into custody. A silver revolver was found in his possession and charges are pending against him, authorities said.

Detectives are looking to question the two men who were with the suspect during the initial confrontation near the pizza shop, but they do not believe they were with the suspect during the shooting. 

Law enforcement officials say the suspect has refused to identify himself to officers questioning him at the precinct, and he appears to have a fake ID in his possession.

Police are reviewing surveillance video from the area.

Before the shooting, police say the suspect had a separate confrontation with a manager and bouncer at the West Village restaurant Annisa on Barrow Street. Both men told detectives the suspect made anti-gay comments and threatened them. 

State and local officials blasted the slaying Saturday, citing a spike in alleged anti-gay crimes in Manhattan over the last several months.

On May 10, police said a gay couple was attacked on West 32nd Street and beaten so severely that one of the men needed eye surgery. Days earlier, another gay couple was assaulted by a group of men in the same area near Madison Square Garden.

 


Photo Credit: NBCNewYork]]>
<![CDATA[Granbury Tornado Victims Return]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 19:33:45 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/051813+Granbury+damage.jpg

Saturday was the day in Granbury anxious tornado victims finally got back into their neighborhoods.  Despite the destruction they'd seen on TV, many had hope they'd find their homes or at least some valuables intact.

On Wednesday night, an outbreak of 16 tornadoes killed six people in Granbury. At least 100 people were injured. 97 of the 110 homes in the DeCordova Ranch and Rancho Brazos neighborhoods were damaged or destroyed by one tornado.

"Scared.  I don't know if I even have a house," said David Velasquez before heading out to his Rancho Brazos neighborhood.

With a much coveted fluorescent green permit in hand, Malonie Flores is going in, too.

"It's going show me what's still left of my home and hopefully my kids' things are still there and pictures," said Flores.  "I've seen the news.  I've seen all those houses flattened."

The Hood County Sheriff's Department would not allow media access to the neighborhood Saturday.  Just the families who lived there.

Tornado victims poured into the Church of Christ Saturday morning where the Red Cross, insurance companies and local charities were ready to help. Jerry Shuttlesworth was there with his dad and his dog.

"He [pit bull-terrier named Junior] was wrapped around my arm and he was jerked off my arm and the house blew up," Shuttlesworth said. "This is what it was about.  Dad was at church.  I lost him [the dog]."

But the two were later reunited. "You can replace the home and stuff but you can't replace this baby," Shuttlesworth said as he pointed to his dog.

Shuttlesworth didn't have to wait for a permit to go see what his house looks like.  It's gone.  At one point Wednesday night he thought he might be, too.

"Just basically in the tornado," explained Shuttlesworth.  "You just sit there and watch it like you see on TV but I was in it, watching it, laying on the ground."

"And when I got up I was praying and when I got up there was a perfect berm, four to seven feet, I still can't remember because I was hit in the head, it was perfect around me protecting me,
Shuttlesworth said. 

"Talk about God putting a hedge of protection around you.  I got up and looked up and said 'I see what you did, I know what you did,' I said, 'but where's my puppy'?"



Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Orb Denied: Oxbow Wins Preakness in Upset]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 22:53:03 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/edt-AP473202924331.jpg

History will have to wait at least one more year.

Orb, the Kentucky Derby champion who many hoped would become the first Triple Crown winner in 35 years, finished fourth in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, as 15-1 longshot Oxbow pulled off a surprise wire-to-wire win at Pimlico.

"It's so special," said Oxbow jockey Gary Stevens, who came out of retirement this year at age 50. "We were kind of flying under the radar after the Derby. Didn't get a lot of respect."

Oxbow trainer D. Wayne Lukas seemed to take pleasure from dashing Orb's Triple Crown hopes.

"I get paid to spoil dreams," Lukas said.

Orb's fate may have been sealed days before the race, when he drew the No. 1 post position along the rail -- only two horses have won the Preakness from that position over the last 63 years. Sure enough, Orb got boxed in against the rail by a pack of horses early in the race, and could never find room to break free.

Meanwhile, Oxbow pulled ahead of the pack and never relinquished the lead.

"When I hit the half-mile pole, I just said, 'Are you kidding me, is this happening?'" said Stevens, who worked for NBC as a racing analyst during his seven-year retirement.

Oxbow finished the 1 3/16th-mile race in 1:57.54. Itsmyluckyday finished second, Mylute finished third and Orb, the 3-5 favorite, finished fourth.

But nobody ever gave Oxbow a serious threat.

It's a landmark win for Lukas: Oxbow's Preakness victory marks the trainer's 14th Triple Crown win, the most ever. He's won the Preakness six times, and the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont four times each. He passed James Fitzsimmons, who has won 13 Triple Crown races.

Jockey Gary Stevens has now notched three wins apiece at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont over his career.

Oxbow's win means the Triple Crown drought continues.

In the lead-up to the Preakness, Orb seemed like a prime candidate to end that drought, and bettors made him a heavy favorite. His breathtaking late push in the Kentucky Derby had people believing: He emerged from the back of the pack down the stretch, blew past a large group of horses and pulled away from the pack for a dominant win. Combined with a pedigree to make race fans drool -- his blood lines includes two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew (1977) and Secretariat (1973) -- many thought the three-year-old colt would take a place among the horse-racing elite.

Instead, he'll become another in a long line of almosts and what-ifs. Only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown, and none since Affirmed in 1978.

Orb wasn't the only one trying to make history on Saturday who came up short in Baltimore.

Rosie Napravnik, the jockey riding Mylute, hoped to become the first female jockey to win the race. Instead Mylute finished in third place.

Kevin Krigger, the jockey riding Goldencents, hoped to become the first African-American jockey to win the race since 1898. He too came up short as Goldencents finished in fifth place.

 



Photo Credit: AP]]>
<![CDATA[12 Shot in Spate of Weekend Violence Across Chicago]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 08:36:29 -0500 Click through to read about the gun violence that rocked Chicago on Friday night.]]> http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Miami+Police+Line+Generic.jpg Click through to read about the gun violence that rocked Chicago on Friday night.]]>

Two people were fatally shot in the head and another shot dead in the chest in weekend violence that wounded at least nine others across Chicago, according to police.

Last night’s first fatality took place at 7:24 p.m. Friday in the 7800 block of South Langely Avenue when a 17-year-old man was shot in the chest, according to Chicago police news affairs officer Jose Estrada.

The man, identified as Clifton Barney, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Barney was reportedly on the street when an offender shot him once in the chest and jumped into a light-colored vehicle, Estrada said. No one was in custody as of Saturday morning.

Less than an hour later, a 40-year-old man was shot in the head in the 200 block of North Mayfield Avenue, police said.

The shooter ran up to the man firing several times before hitting him in the back of the head and fleeing on foot, Estrada said.

The man, Ramar Bonner, was taken to Loyola University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner's office.

The third fatality of the night took place around 3:50 a.m. Saturday in the 4800 block of West Iowa Street where a man was found dead with a gunshot wound.

The 27-year-old man was reportedly involved in a verbal altercation with an unknown offender prior to the shooting, Estrada said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Earlier, a 16-year-old was shot in the leg around 9:58 p.m. Friday in the 5400 block of West Wrightwood Avenue, according to police.

The teen was walking with several others when the group was approached by a male who began firing shots. The teen was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the right leg in stable condition. No others were injured in the shooting.

The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. Friday near the 4800 block of Golf Road in Skokie, where officers discovered a male juvenile shot in the abdomen, according to police.

The victim was taken to an area hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Shortly after, two 18-year-old men were shot around 10:20 p.m. in the 5800 block of South Laflin Street, Estrada said.

The two teens were in separate groups when a verbal altercation erupted and shots were fired, police said. One teen was shot in the left calf and the other was shot in the hip. Both men were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in stable condition.

Around 10:50 p.m., a 34-year-old man was shot in the back and abdomen during a drive-by shooting in the 120 block of South Perry Avenue, Estrada said.

The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition.

Three others were shot in the Lawndale neighborhood around 11:25 p.m. on the 1200 block of South Kolin Avenue, police said.

The victims were in a group with several others when unknown offenders approached on foot and fired shots from a nearby alley, Estrada said.

A 38-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the back. A 38-year-old woman was shot in the arm and taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital. The third victim, a 27-year-old woman was shot in the neck and was reported to be in “grave” condition at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police.

Police recovered three guns from the alley and discovered the shooters’ emptied vehicle in the 1200 block of South Kostner Avenue.

Around 3:35 a.m. Saturday, a 20-year-old man walked into Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, police said.

The man claimed to be riding in a vehicle when another car pulled up with occupants flashing gang signs and shouting gang slogans before firing at the victim.

No shots were reported in the area, however, and the shooting is still under investigation.

The weekend's most recent shooting occurred around 3 p.m. Saturday when a 12-year-old boy was shot  in the 2300 block of West 23rd Street, according to a tweet from Chicago Fire Media. 

Two boys were reportedly playing with a gun when it accidentally went off. 

The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound in his arm in stable condition, according to police news affairs. 

A third boy is being charged in the shooting for bringing the gun into the home, police said. Details of the charges were not immediately available.
 

 

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<![CDATA[Former Hero Officer Accused of Rape, Assault]]> Sun, 19 May 2013 08:19:22 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Arrest-Warrant-for-Decoatsw.jpg

A former Philadelphia police officer, once hailed as a hero and given a seat next to the first lady at a speech by President Obama, is being held on $60 million bail after he allegedly raped two women and assaulted another.

A source tells NBC10 former officer Richard DeCoatsworth, 27, met one of the women at a bar on North Front Street two weeks ago, then forced her into prostitution at a Days Inn hotel along Roosevelt Boulevard.

Between 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday evening, DeCoatsworth went to the woman’s home along North Howard Street in the Fishtown-Kensington area, according to the source.

Once he arrived, DeCoatsworth forced that woman and a second woman, both in their 20s, to use drugs and perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, according to the source. The alleged victims reported the assault Friday only after DeCoatsworth went home, according to police.

Police raided DeCoatsworth’s house on the 2700 block of Salmon Street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. He was charged with rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. Police also confiscated drugs and guns from the home, according to a source. No word yet on what kind of drugs were removed from the home.

According to court documents, bail was set at $25 million for each of the alleged victims. Another $10 million bail was set in a separate domestic violence case DeCoatsworth is now being charged with, according to investigators. Police say he assaulted his live-in girlfriend on May 9. The $60 million bail is reportedly one of the highest set in Philadelphia history. Decoatsworth faces more than 32 crimes in all three cases.

NBC10’s Cydney Long talked to one of DeCoatsworth’s neighbors who said she was relieved to hear about his arrest.

“I am scared to be saying this now but I hope he stays where he is at, he has been a thorn in the side of this neighborhood for so long,” said the woman who did not want to be identified.

DeCoatsworth was shot in the face back in 2007 when he was a rookie officer. After being shot, he managed to chase down the suspect for several blocks before collapsing. He called in enough information by radio that police were able to track down and arrest the suspect later the same day.

His heroism earned him an invitation from Vice President Joe Biden to attend President Obama’s first congressional address at the U.S. capital in February of 2009. The officer sat with First Lady Michelle Obama during the address. He was also honored by his peers as a 2008 Top Cop. He was involved in two more dramatic incidents soon after.

In April of 2009, police say DeCoatsworth was jumped and attacked by a man when he tried to disperse a crowd at the Logan section of the city. During the struggle, sources say DeCoatsworth’s gun went off and hit the suspect who took off running. Another officer responding to the scene shot the suspect dead, according to sources.

In September of 2009, police said DeCoatsworth and another officer stopped a man on a motorcycle in the Kensington section of the city. While they were questioning him, a second man allegedly jumped on the motorcycle and drove at the officers. Police say DeCoatsworth shot at the suspect, who sped off. The suspect was found later at the hospital where his mother had taken him to be treated for a shotgun wound.

During the incident, local witnesses claimed the two suspects did nothing wrong and that DeCoatsworth and the other officer acted recklessly, shooting while children were nearby.

In November of 2011, Internal Affairs investigated an alleged scuffle between DeCoatsworth and another officer, according to Philly.com. The Daily News also reports he amassed nine citizen complaints, accusing him of assault, abuse and misconduct.

DeCoatsworth retired from the police force on disability back in December, 2011.

In February of 2012, an arrest warrant was issued for DeCoatsworth after he allegedly threatened a woman in Port Richmond.

 



Photo Credit: Getty]]>
<![CDATA[Deaf Dog Stolen, Held For Ransom: Family]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 10:34:00 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/214*120/missingdogwalter.jpg

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie was snatched from a yard in Hollywood and his dognappers are demanding $1,000 from his owners, who are pleading with the public to help bring their dog home.

“I’m scared for him because he’s used to being inside and cozy and cuddled with,” owner Tricia O’Kelley said, her voice quavering. “He slept with me every night for the last 11 years.”

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, was last seen Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard.

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

“From the second I answered the call, I knew this guy was bad news,” she said.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

“He’s not just some puppy,” O’Kelley said. “He needs special care.”

The family’s two young daughters – ages 2 and 4 – ate breakfast outside Friday morning in the hopes that Walter would smell the food and come home, O’Kelley said.

“It’s unbearably terrifying and heartbreaking,” she said. “The whole thing about pets and kids, they trust you to take care of them and keep them safe.”

Walter is outfitted with tags and a microchip. O’Kelley said she’s willing to pay the extortion if the men would return her dog, which she’s had since he was a puppy.

NBC4 obtained an incident report number in the case. Calls to LAPD to confirm the report had not been returned as of 8 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD Hollywood Division, which is handling the case.



Photo Credit: Tricia O'Kelley]]>
<![CDATA[Sheriff: Tornadoes in Young County]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:13:50 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Eliasville-tornado-051713.jpg

As many as three tornadoes may have hit in Young County on Friday night, according to the sheriff.

The Young County Sheriff Bryan Walls said the tornadoes were near Eliasville. One house that took a direct hit was damaged, the sheriff said.

There are uprooted trees, and one roadway is blocked with debris, he said.

The storms also produced baseball-sized hail in the area after the apparent tornadoes.

No injuries have been reported.



Photo Credit: Martin Lisius]]>
<![CDATA["Rock Center" Looks at 911 Call in Deanna Cook Case]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:57:23 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Deanna-Cook-090512.jpg

NBC 5's "Rock Center" on Friday examined the case of a Dallas woman who was found dead in her home two days after calling 911 to report that her former husband was attacking her.

Deanna Cook's death drew national attention after her concerned family broke into her home and found her dead two days after she called 911.

The two officers who had been dispatched to her house after her 911 call arrived 50 minutes later and left when no one answered the door.

"Rock Center" spoke with Cook's family and with Tonyita Hopkins, the woman who took the call.

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Cook's family told "Rock Center's" Kate Snow that her death exposes the larger problem of emergency response to domestic violence calls in Dallas -- particularly in low-income and minority neighborhoods.

"There is no sense of urgency. There is no -- that happens a lot in our neighborhoods, actually, in our zip codes," one of Cook's sisters told Snow. "The police take their time to get there. To protect and serve? We don't get that in our neighborhoods."

She said she wondered why her sister even tried calling 911.

"Why did she even call the police? She knows that they take their time. She knows -- I thought she knew what I knew," she said. "Like, why didn't she call our cousins? Why didn't she call us? Why did she call police first? And that's horrible for a woman experiencing violence, that she can't call the police first."

Dallas police have said that an internal investigation determined that Hopkins failed to enter the proper information into the call sheet, saying the sense of urgency was not conveyed to officers.

Hopkins, who spoke to Snow in her first media interview, said she was never told what else she could have done.

"I wanted to know, what critical information should I have entered? If I'm being punished for something, then I need to know why," she said.

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Hopkins, who was suspended, later resigned.

She told "Rock Center" that she did not hear Cook choking or a man repeatedly saying "I’m gonna kill you." During the call, she was trying to find an address for call. Because Cook was calling from a cellphone, all Hopkins had was a street name. In addition, Hopkins said it could be difficult to hear over all of the other operators in the room; her headset did not block out background noise.

She said she entered "urgent" and updated the address after finding it from a previous 911 call. Twenty-six minutes later, officers headed to her house, stopping at a 7-Eleven along the way.

Hopkins said she feels like she has been made a scapegoat but said she hopes some good comes out of the situation.

"If the system is broken and I had to be that sacrificial lamb, so to speak, so that they can correct it and no one else will lose their life, it's OK with me because I would rather go through that than to hear about another woman losing her life," she said.

Cook's former husband, Delvecchio Patrick, is charged with capital murder in her slaying.

Dallas police disciplined two other people in the call center in connection with Cook's 911 call, a manager who was in a meeting at the time of Cook's call and the officer who called the meeting.

Dallas police also fired the call-taker who took the 911 call from Cook's mother before the family broke into Cook's house and found her body. She appealed her termination, but a civil service board in February upheld her firing.

More than a month before Cook's killing, the 911 call center in Dallas was criticized after callers reported that they were unable to reach an operator while trying to report a house fire.

In March, Dallas police told a City Council committee that it has made big improvements to the 911 center, including hiring 45 new call-takers, improving call-taker training, equipment and procedures and completely changing the center management.



Photo Credit: Cook Family Photo]]>
<![CDATA[Hood Co. Tornado Victims Can Return Home This Weekend]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:23 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/stormtexas3.jpg

Hood County Sheriff Randy Deeds said Friday that officials are working on a plan to get displaced residents access to their property.

The areas impacted by Wednesday night's storms have been sealed off due to hazards in the neighborhood, including downed power lines and compromised gas lines.

Deeds said that until those were repaired, residents wouldn't be allowed back in the neighborhood.

During a news conference with Gov. Rick Perry on Friday, Deeds said there was a plan being put in place to allow residents back on their property beginning Saturday morning, on a limited basis.

Now, residents, contractors and insurance representatives will be allowed in the impacted area between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, but all must first register with the county to get past roadblocks.  Proof of residency will be required.

Additionally, a disaster recovery information meeting will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Church of Christ at 1905 West Pearl Street in Granbury.  The meeting is open only to disaster victims and will include representatives from the American Red Cross, Mission Granbury and various insurance companies and contractors.  All will be available to answer questions about the recovery process.  All attendees will be required to park off of Pirate Drive in the south parking lot.

Contractors and Insurance Company representatives should call the Hood Fire Marshall’s Office at 817-579-3335 for additional information.

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: AP]]>
<![CDATA[Grandfather in Custody After Son, Grandson Found Dead]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 09:25:27 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/police-lights1.jpg

An 82-year-old man is accused of killing his son and grandson in their home in a small Collin County town in Texas.

Fairview police found the bodies of Paul Tanner Jr., 59, and Ryan Dawson Tanner, 23, shortly before noon Friday.

Paul Tanner's estranged wife called police after seeing a body slumped over in a chair inside the home in the 1300 block of Red Oak Trail.

The responding officers entered the home and confirmed that the person spotted through the window was deceased. While searching the home, officers discovered another body in a bedroom.

Police said both were shot in the head, most likely early this week.

The Tanners lived in the home with 82-year-old Paul Alexander Tanner Sr., who was later found at an Addison motel and taken into custody.

Police said the grandfather was unconcious when they found him and was treated at an area hospital.

Police said they know of only one domestic call to the home, and that it did not involve the grandfather.

NBC 5's Mark Schnyder contributed to this report.

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<![CDATA[Argyle ISD Considers Arming School Staff]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 19:50:05 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/argyle_guns_on_campus.jpg

A small North Texas school district is considering several new security policies, including arming staff members with guns.

The Argyle Independent School District said having trained staff members with weapons would mean a significantly quicker response in an emergency.

Kevin Faciane, school board president, said the board voted 5-1 during a special session Wednesday to have Superintendent Telena Wright work on an amended security policy that would include armed staff members.

Faciane voted against the plan but told NBC 5 by phone Friday that the board is united in looking at the option carefully and thoroughly.

Wright said the drafting of the policy is in the very early phases. It will include extensive training requirements for armed staff members, and each carrier would have to be individually approved by the school board, she said.

Faciane said the district has been working with consultants from Dallas security company Craft International to assess the security needs and decide on a best plan of action.

Wright and Faciane said armed staff members are an attractive option because it would the district, which has limited resources, a more immediate response.

Argyle Police Chief William Tackett said that is very important in an active-shooter situation. Argyle police only have a handful of officers working at all times, he said. By the time mutual aid arrived from Denton or the county, a lot could happen.

"It's about being defensive," he said.

The school district held one public meeting on Craft’s proposals in April and has been actively meeting with parents on the issue since.

Wright said the feedback is mostly in favor of the plan but has heard concerns on both sides.

A supporter of the plan, Alice Linahan, the mother of three students, said she has been heavily engaged in the discussions.

"I'm for it,” she said. “We need a strategic plan.”

A lot of the discussion has focused on ensuring that staff members who are armed are anonymous.

"I don't want to know who it is," she said. "I don't want my children to know who it is. There’s going to be signs out that says this is an armed campus, but we don’t know who it is."

The school board also voted 4-2 in the special session to work with Argyle police and the Denton County Sheriff's Office on hiring a school resource officer to patrol the district's four campuses.

But one officer spread between four schools may not simply be enough, Wright said.

Linahan, who has children in elementary, middle and high school, said she wants to know that all of the campuses are covered at all times.

"This is a huge issue that I think needs to be looked at," she said.

Other community members who spoke to NBC 5 said they were not as supportive of the plan, and several others said they are opening to hearing more.

"I think it depends on the staff member," grandparent Tess Hansby said. "There are some people who should not have a gun. Then you have to ask yourself, what would you really do? Would you use it or would you be in a panic?"

"In an emergency, I think that it could be beneficial, but it would just have to do with training," said Jennifer Cains, a mother.

Both Cains and Hansby said they think security in the district is already pretty good. Doors are locked during school hours, and IDs must be scanned to get past the office.

Everyone who spoke to NBC 5 on Friday about the plan agreed that, if implemented, it would have to be crafted very carefully because there is no real road map to do it right.

"This is new," Linahan said. "This is not being done across the country, so we need to be smart about it."

Faciane said there is no timeline on when the policy could go to a board vote, saying that could not even say for sure if anything would be voted on in time for the next school year.



Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Cleburne Man Salvages Items From Destroyed Home]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 00:01:23 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/web_cleburne_10pm_dupe.jpg

A Cleburne family is thankful to have survived Wednesday night’s devastating tornadoes as they attempt to salvage the items from their damaged home.

Jon Stiver rode out the Cleburne tornado in the guest bathroom of the home he built with his own hands.
 
“The door started shaking and bending so I jammed my feet against it and holding it closed and I had
the book and I just held it over my head like that,” Stiver said, standing in the shell of his home.
 
Based on his craftsmanship, Stiver builds a solid home. The frame of his roof is still intact, while his neighbor’s roof across the street is missing.
 
A roof over his head is just one of the blessings that Jon Stiver is counting.
 
Baby pictures of his grown children and older pictures of his wife in her wedding dress survived the twister – and his wife’s prized wine collection. The wine glasses were tucked behind wood and glass cabinets.
 
The Stiver’s old black Labrador also rode out the storm with him. She’s doing fine, but tired after two nervous nights.
 
Pat Stiver was out of town during the storm. She came back as soon as possible to start the cleanup.
Jon is happy she wasn’t there for the terrifying tornado.
 
“I'm thankful for everything we're able to save, but everything that we're not, you know, it's just stuff,” Jon Stiver said.
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<![CDATA[Wade Shows Up At Girl's Prom]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 11:34:50 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Nicole+Muxo+with+Dwyane+Wade.jpg

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade granted a South Florida teen's wish and showed up at her senior prom on Friday.

Nicole Muxo said that she was called up to the dance floor, where she was told that Wade was on the phone.

“So I talked to him on the phone, and as I was talking to him the doors opened and he walked out and I was completely shocked, I had no idea that he was going to even call," said Muxo, who attends Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School in West Kendall. "So I was super-excited, everyone else was super-excited in there.”

Photos show Wade taking pics with the teen and others before the prom at the La Jolla Ballroom in Coral Gables. He also was snapped at the dance.

Muxo said Wade brought her flowers and then they danced.

Wade tweeted about the prom and shared photos on Twitter.

"I had a blast at Prom w @nicole_muxo... Never be 2 scared to ask.. They might just say… " Wade Tweeted.

Muxo thanked the NBA player for coming by.

"It meant a lot to me. It made my dreams come true," she said.

Initially Wade had said he wasn't aware of the YouTube video, in which Muxo makes her pitch to the NBA superstar while wearing a No 3. Wade jersey. Kanye West's "The Glory" plays in the background.

WATCH the YouTube video here.

"My senior prom is coming up, and I have everything set for a perfect night except for one thing: a perfect date," she says.

In the video she called Wade her favorite basketball player and used signs and "Prom?" written on basketballs to ask Wade to the big event.

Muxo had told NBC 6 South Florida she asked out Wade because he's her favorite player and because he's a positive role model for a lot of people.

It wasn't the first time she asked him out.

"Back when I met him last year, I asked him to Homecoming, but the season was about to start, and he had practice, so he couldn’t make it, so I thought, why not take another shot and ask him to prom?” she said.



Photo Credit: NBC 6 South Florida]]>
<![CDATA[Top News Photos of the Week]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 22:12:09 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/obama_thumbnail.jpg View weekly updates on the very best photos in domestic and foreign news.

Photo Credit: AP]]>
<![CDATA[Irving Woman Sexually Assaulted in Home]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 20:58:48 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/assault_irving.jpg

Irving police are investigating the sexual assault of a stay-at-home mother who was attacked by a stranger who followed her into her home Monday morning.

Police said the woman had been watering her lawn and had gone inside to check on her child when she was attacked in her home near Rochelle and Story roads at about 9 a.m. Monday.

"That male started assaulting her, causing her to fall back into her home, and a struggle ensued," police spokesman John Argumaniz said. "He continued to assault her and, sometime during the assault, she lost consciousness."

Such stranger-on-stranger sexual assault is rare, Argumaniz said.

The victim, a stay-at-home mother who has lived in her neighborhood for more than a decade, declined to be identified because she fears for her safety. She said the attacker told her, "Shut up, I'm coming back for your kids," when he left.

Neighbors said they are shocked by the attack.

"I got home around that time in the morning," Jonathan Culp said. "There were people pruning trees right down the street, so all I heard is chainsaws."

"We're just more diligent about locking the doors and keeping the doors locked behind us and also got the alarms where we can set the alarm for entry into the house," Lane Ladewig said.

Police recommend residents use social media to keep up with the latest updates.

"Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor -- we have the ability to get that out to a lot of people who sometimes don't have ability or don't watch TV or may not have watched it that night," Argumaniz said.

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<![CDATA[Fort Worth Pools Almost Ready to Open]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 20:16:27 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/web_pool_preps.jpg

Fort Worth will see two major pool projects open during Memorial Day weekend.

The city's first aquatics center opens at noon May 25. The moved and improved Marine Park pool is the first pool of any kind to be built new in Fort Worth since 1960.

Children who were at Marine Park on Friday, such as Johnny Marquez's children, are excited.

"Every day, we drive through here," he said. "'Daddy when do they open? When do they open?' Pretty soon; we'll just wait to see what happens.'"

It cost nearly $4 million to install and took just 14 months to be fully completed.

"It's like a smaller version of the NRH20," Marquez said. "I mean, it's well-spent money."

The new pool sits on a different section from the 87-year-old pool it replaces. The old pool was operated for just last summer before the old bath house was demolished and the old pool filled in.

However, Marine Park isn't the only city pool opening up this summer. For the first time since 2010, Forest Park pool will host swimmers.

"I learned to swim here. I know the mayor learned to swim here," said Richard Zavala, Parks & Community Services director.

The work at Forest Park pool totaled nearly $1 million when all was said and done. Most of that cost -- $500,000, was picked up by The Radler Foundation, a private group. The city covered $330,000 of the repairs, with many architects, builders and others donating time, supplies and work.

Councilman Joel Burns will hold a sneak-peak fundraiser to help pay for the continued operation of the pool on the night of May 22. The pool will reopen with a grand opening at 10 a.m. on May 25.

The biggest payoff won't be the 40,000 plus people expected at Forest Park or the 25,000 at Marine Park, Zavala said.

"We can teach somebody how to swim so they can enjoy the water safely," he said.

It took just six months for the Forest Park pool to be renovated. Zavala said both projects were done with the kind of speed that's not ordinarily seen.

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<![CDATA[Child Left in Car in School Parking Lot Dies]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:49:01 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Vibha-Marks-inset-051713.jpg

A 1-year-old child died after being left alone in a vehicle in an elementary school parking lot, Dallas police say.

The child's mother, Vibha Marks, has been arrested on a charge of abandoning a child with serious bodily injury.

Police said someone spotted the child unattended in a car parked in the faculty parking lot at Frank Guzick Elementary School at 5000 Berridge Lane at about 1:20 p.m.

The passer-by broke the window on the vehicle, removed the child and began performing CPR, police said.

Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed that it was called to the school at about 1:30 p.m. When responders arrived, the child was unresponsive. Emergency workers continued CPR and transported the child to Baylor Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Marks, a teacher at the elementary school, was interviewed by the Dallas Police Department on Friday afternoon.

Officials with the Dallas Independent School District said Marks has been placed on administrative leave and that a letter was sent home to parents about the police presence at the school.

At 1 p.m., the temperature at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was 84 degrees. Studies of temperatures in enclosed cars shows that temperatures can rise by as much as 43 degrees in a one-hour period.



Photo Credit: Getty Images and Dallas Police]]>
<![CDATA[U.S.S. Dallas Headed to Dallas Maritime Museum]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 17:40:49 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/dallas-maritime-museum-01.jpg

Dallas may be more than 250 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the closest body of salt water, but that's not stopping a foundation and city officials from announcing plans for an $80 million maritime museum.

In the 1990 thriller "The Hunt for Red October," Americans got to know the U.S.S. Dallas as one of the submarines on the big screen.

But now North Texans will have a chance to see it in person, at a 3.5-acre museum in the Cedars neighborhood near downtown.

"Plans are in the works for the U.S.S. Dallas—nuclear power submarine, our city's namesake vessel, to occupy the first berth," Rollie Stevens, president of the Dallas Maritime Museum Foundation said.

The soon-to-be decommissioned submarine is part of the proposed Dallas Maritime Museum.

Once built, the museum will feature a 30,000-square-foot facility, theater, and event plaza. Right next to the facilities there were be three spaces for the vessels.

Eventually the replica of the Dallas that is currently on display will be replaced by the real submarine, which will be brought to the site in pieces and, once reassembled, will be more than 300 feet in length.

"What we hope is to put the submarine in such a way where we can open up the side of the ship with plexiglass and show there are three decks in the ship and show people moving about the ship as they're
touring the ship," Stevens said.

For the city, besides the cultural benefits, there's the anticipated economic boost from tourists and locals that the Cedars neighborhood in the shadow of downtown will receive. 

"We need to be the city where families have fun; all coming together,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said.
“I'm excited about it."

Museum officials anticipate it will open within the next three to four years.



Photo Credit: Dallas Maritime Museum Foundation]]>
<![CDATA[FBI Rules Out Foul Play in Connecticut Train Crash]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 18:17:30 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/metro+north+bridgeport+crash.jpg

The FBI has ruled out foul play in their investigation into Friday night's rush hour train crash in Connecticut that injured 72 people.

National Transportation Safety Board officials are looking into a broken part of the rail that underwent repairs last month, but have not determined whether it was a pre-existing fracture or if it occurred as a result of the accident, according to NTSB spokesperson Earl Weener, who provided an update at a news conference on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, one man with serious head injuries is awake and talking, said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who spoke to patients at St. Vincent Hospital. The train conductor, who helped several riders off the train before being transported, remains hospitalized with a lower back injury.

NTSB officials arrived on the scene on Saturday morning to begin investigating the cause of the train crash, injuries sustained by the commuters and operator performance.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and other officials spoke at a news conference on Saturday morning where they described a grisly scene after a Metro-North commuter train heading east from New York City derailed and was hit by an oncoming train heading west from New Haven.

"The damage is absolutely staggering," Sen. Blumenthal said. "Ribbons on the sides of cars are torn away like ribbons of clothes."

The NTSB's investigation could take seven to 10 days but that does not mean that service shutdown will take that long, board spokesman Earl Weener said..

The eastbound Metro-North train derailed just after 6:00 p.m. and was hit between the Bridgeport and Fairfield stations, officials said.

"We came to a sudden halt. We were jerked. There was smoke," Alex Cohen, a Canadian passenger on the westbound train en route to New York, told NBC Connecticut.

"People were screaming; people were really nervous. We were pretty shaken up. They had to smash a window to get us out," he said.

St. Vincent Hospital in Bridgeport, Conn. said on Saturday that it saw a total of 46 patients, six of whom were admitted for treatment. All patients remained in the hospital and were reportedly in stable condition.

Bridgeport Hospital saw 26 patients and admitted three. Two of those patients were in critical condition a day after the accident, and one was in stable condition, according to The Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the derailment.

"I have no reason to believe this is anything other than an accident," Gov. Malloy said Friday night.

Chaos Along the New Haven Line

Malloy warned Friday that the crash had caused extensive track damage along one of the nation's busiest corridors, and commuters throughout the Northeast could face difficult travel in the days ahead.

Eastbound Metro-North service is disrupted at South Norwalk, while westbound service is suspended past Bridgeport.

On Friday, the collision roiled the weekend commute for a wave of workers heading home from New York — not just the hundreds of passengers on each of the trains that collided, but hundreds more on the trains behind them.

The small South Norwalk station was a chaotic scene in the minutes just after the crash, as hundreds of passengers scrambled — many of them in vain — to hail cabs to complete their trips home.

Service Disruptions Could Last Days

Amtrak service between New York and New Haven will be suspended through Sunday, according to a press release, and there is no estimate on what time service will be restored. There is limited Northeast Regional service available between Boston and New Haven.

That was largely, officials said, because two of the four tracks in the segment of the rail line were already out of service for long-term improvement projects.

Normal service was not expected to resume until a full investigation was made, the track fully assessed and repairs made. That could take some time, since the train cars can't be removed until after an investigation, and since they must be removed by crane, the MTA said in a statement.

Stay with NBC Connecticut for more updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Debby Burke]]>
<![CDATA[Consumer Reports: The Skinny on Fitness Video Games]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 15:35:39 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/CR-Fitness-Video-Games.jpg

Lots of video games on the market are advertised as a fun way to get fit. Consumer Reports checked out five: Nike Plus Kinect Training, Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013, Just Dance 4, U-F-C Trainer, and Zumba Core. They cost anywhere from $20 to $50.

Testers assessed the workout the games provide, using a monitor to measure heart rate. It turns out all the games aren't equally effective. Some are a lot more strenuous and provide a real fitness challenge, whereas some of them are more just party games and really don't provide a great workout.

Nike Plus Kinect Training and Your Shape will give you tougher workouts, while Just Dance 4 is less grueling.

The gaming console you use can also make a difference in how much of a workout you get. Consumer Reports says that the Xbox is going to the most effective for these types of games, because using the Kinect, the camera can actually track your full body's movements, whereas with the Wii U or the Playstation 3, it can only see the controller, not your full body. So it's easier to cheat the system, and it’s not tracking your body as accurately.

If you're looking for a game that can give you a tough workout, Consumer Reports recommends trying Nike Plus Kinect Training.

For a good cardio workout that also provides some fun, Consumer Reports recommends Zumba Core. The quick dance steps get your heart rate up — and keep it interesting.

Zumba Core is available for Xbox Kinect, which does the best job of making sure you get a good workout. But if you have a Wii U or Sony Playstation, it’s available for those, too. Just make sure you don't game the system, or you might as well stay on the couch and play Mario Brothers.

Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website.

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<![CDATA[Relief Group Giving Care Packets to Tornado Victims]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 21:38:43 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/World-Vision-Donation.jpg

The North Texas branch of a Christian relief organization is putting together essentials for victims of this week's tornado outbreak.

Volunteers with World Vision are assembling packages in a warehouse tucked away in Grand Prairie. In assembly-line fashion, important items go into a bright orange pouch.

"Toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, anything associated with a first-aid kit, will fit right into this packet," volunteer Charles Davis said.

At the end, they add a personal touch -- a handwritten note of encouragement.

"[I'm] just telling them to hang in there, dig in, rebuild, be strong, that we're pulling for them," Elizabeth Marks said.

"It makes a difference when someone knows that we're there, along with the others who are responding to this tragedy," said Rafael Munoz, World Vision youth and community engagement organizer.

Hundreds of the packets are going to storm-damaged areas Friday, along with family meal kits and water cleanup kits.

"We just want encourage people to know that we're thinking of them and we know they can come back and they'll all be OK," volunteer Carol Yokell said.

More: World Vision



Photo Credit: NBC 5]]>
<![CDATA[Mom Accused of Attacking Daughter's Bully]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 07:17:31 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/215*120/mom-confronts-daughter-bully.jpg

A Philadelphia mom was arrested inside her daughter's school after police say she assaulted an 11-year-old student.

Attifa Brown says she was upset her daughter was being bullied at school, but denies ever hitting the child.

"I don't beat my own child, let alone somebody else's," said Brown.

Police say there is a videotape of the incident that happened yesterday around 10:00 a.m. inside A.B. Anderson Elementary School in Cobbs Creek.

"The problem here is that we have a 26-year-old mother who has no reason to approach an 11-year-old child, so her credibility as far as I'm concerned is shot," said Lt. John Walker, Philadelphia Police.

Investigators say Brown went to the school with her daughter to confront the 11-year-old girl, accused of bullying her child.

"The tape showed this lady over my daughter for minutes, poking her in the face, pulling her hair and beating her," said Bobby Webster, mother of the 11-year-old victim.

Webster says her daughter is not a bully.

"I thought I taught her to actually defend herself and take care of herself," said Brown, who added that at the end of the day, "I'm human."

School officials are investigating how Brown was able to walk into the school without signing in or without being questioned.

Brown is facing a long list of charges, including terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and defiant trespass.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com]]>
<![CDATA[Husband's Body Parts Found in Home of Ex-Wife]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 07:26:39 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/209*120/facebook-danny-burroughs-0517-2.jpg

Six years after Danny Burroughs went missing from his New Jersey home, investigators say they have found his body parts in the home of his ex-wife, Loretta Burroughs.

The remains were found in two containers in Loretta's home in Ventnor, N.J., according to a source close to the investigation who did not want to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case.

Loretta Burroughs, 61, wept quietly this afternoon as she was formally charged with Danny's murder.

Burroughs went missing on August 14, 2007, from the couple's home on Leipzig Avenue in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, N.J. He was last seen on his riding lawnmower.

Loretta divorced Danny shortly after he disappeared. She then sold the couple's home.

Loretta moved, more than once, according to the Burroughs family, and was living at the home on Hampshire Drive in Ventnor where the body parts were found.

Crime scene investigators, acting on new information, went to the home this morning around 6 or 7 a.m., according to neighbors. The remains were discovered inside a closet and positively identified as Daniel Burroughs.

Investigators are not clear if they were put into containers due to decomposition, or if the body was mutilated. They do believe that the body was moved several times. And detectives say Loretta Burroughs was in the process of selling her Ventnor home and relocating to another home in Villas, Cape May County.

Loretta Burroughs was arrested this morning. Investigators say she stabbed her husband to death in 2007. Autopsy results are pending.

Danny Burroughs' family convinced investigators to re-open the case in February, after the county put together a Cold Case Unit. The family launched a Find Danny Burroughs Facebook page in 2010, and used the page to raise questions about Danny's disappearance. In the "about" section of the page, his brother wrote:

Out of nowhere his (now) x-wife told everybody he "ran off with another woman", he left without ANY of his belongings-NOTHING! I say BS to her story and MANY-MANY lies! She, never even called to tell me (my brother) Dan supposedly "up and left." I found out several days later when I called my brothers home to see how he was feeling >for me, this is when the nightmare began.

"We knew for years that she knew something and we just couldn't get the help from anybody to find him," said Robert Valiante, Jr., a family friend.

Burroughs' family kept pushing police to go past Loretta Burrough's claim that Dan had run off to Florida with another woman.

"That's why they could never question her or prosecute her because there was no body," Valiante said. "There was no remains. Well, I guess not because she had 'em! Without a body he would have been lost forever."



Photo Credit: Facebook | Find Danny Burroughs]]>
<![CDATA[All Eyes on Orb at 138th Preakness Stakes]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 15:39:14 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/edt-168044956_10.jpg

All eyes will be on Orb Saturday afternoon when the Kentucky Derby champion takes his post at the Preakness Stakes, aiming to win the second leg of the elusive Triple Crown.

The colt's resounding victory at the Derby, marked by a surge of power in the final stretch, has fueled hopes for the first Triple Crown triumph since 1978, when Affirmed won the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Orb, the even-money favorite at Pimlico, will either dash those hopes or move one step closer to the coveted crown.

For fans hoping to see the first Triple Crown in decades, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. In the Derby, on May 4, Orb handily beat five of the eight horses he will take on in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes. Since then, his performance in training has earned stellar reviews.

Hall of Fame trainer Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey called Orb's workout at Belmont earlier this week "breathtaking," "spectacular" and even better than his performance leading up to the Derby, according to the Associated Press. The colt ran four furlongs in 47.18 seconds and five furlongs in 59.54.

But the widespread optimism was dampened just days later when Orb drew the rail, or No. 1 post—a position that has launched only two Preakness victors since 1950. Running from that position, other horses could crowd Orb against the rail, making it difficult for Orb to find room to maneuver to the head of the pack.

"Obviously, if I was going to pick it out, I wouldn't have picked the 1," McGaughey told the AP when the positions were drawn. "But with only nine horse in there to run a mile and three-sixteenths, with a rider like Joel (Rosario), he's going to figure out what to do. He'll have him in the right spot."

The shorter race could also favor some of the horses that faded at the end of the mile-and-a-quarter Derby. Goldencents—partially owned by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino— was one of the favorites heading into the Kentucky Derby, but finished 17th in a field of 19 horses. That performance hasn't deterred bettors from putting their money on the colt in the Preakness. Heading into the race he's among the four favorites, with 8-1 morning line odds.

Mylute, who has 5-1 odds after placing fifth in the Kentucky Derby, is another Preakness favorite. The horse will be ridden by rising star Rosie Napravnik, who will be the third female jockey ever to compete in the Preakness Stakes. She heads into the weekend with more wins than any other jockey posting for the race, besides Joel Rosario, who will be riding Orb.

Departing, who skipped the Derby, could also pose a threat to the even-money favorite. The horse arrives at Pimlico with four wins this year, including a big victory two weeks ago at the Illinois Derby, where he managed to pull ahead of the pack and finish by 3 1/4 lengths.

Govenor Charlie, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and Titletown Five, co-owned by Packers Hall of Famers Paul Hornung and Willie Davis, will also make their Triple Crown debuts in the second leg of the contest.

Govenor Charlie, who descends from the 1998 Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet, has 12-1 odds, while Titletown Five is a much longer shot. Despite his 30-1 odds, Titletown Five's trainer D. Wayne Lukas still has a decent chance to taste victory. The Hall of Fame trainer has two other horses in the race— Oxbow and Will Take Charge.

The $1 million race begins at 6:20 p.m. and will be streamed live on NBC Live Extra beginning at 4:30 p.m.

If Orb wins, he'll race for the Triple Crown at Belmont on June 8. Twenty-two horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but only 11 have won all three. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images]]>
<![CDATA[$790 Million in Lottery Money Up for Grabs]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 13:57:42 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Mega-Millions-142148892.jpg

It's safe to assume there will be longer lines at convenience stores this week with $790 million on the line in various lotteries.

Friday night's Mega Millions jackpot is up to an estimated $190 million ($140.9 million cash option) while Saturday's Powerball jackpot is estimated to be $600 million ($376.9 million cash option).

The Powerball jackpot continues to grow, climbing from $360 million before Wednesday night's drawing to $600 million Friday morning. The increase makes the advertised jackpot the largest in history

The previous largest Powerball jackpot was an advertised $550 million for the drawing held on Nov. 28, 2012.

Mega Millions made history last year when the jackpot reached an all-time high of $640 million on March 30, 2012.

Texas has never had a Powerball jackpot winner, so some may believe we are due for a winner in the Lone Star State.  Additionally, Texas has only had eight Mega Millions jackpot winners.

The current Texas Lottery jackpot is at $5.25 million ($3.62 million cash option), which is still nothing to sneeze at.

To see the latest estimated jackpots, visit TXLottery.org.



Photo Credit: Getty Images]]>
<![CDATA[Cleburne Twister Was One-Mile Wide: NWS]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 18:13:52 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Hood+Co+Tornado+-051513.JPG

An outbreak of as many as 16 tornadoes slammed through several small communities Wednesday night, killing six and injuring more than 100. 

The tornadoes, based on preliminary information from the National Weather Service, are believed to have touched down in the following locations. They are not listed in the order in which they developed.

1. Belcherville/Northern Montague County (EF-0)
The National Weather Service says this tornado was reported by storm spotters one mile west of Belcherville and had estimated peak wind speeds of 80 mph.  This tornado was ¼ mile in length and about 50 yards wide.

2. Lake Amon G. Carter/Montague County (EF-1)
Rated an EF-1, the National Weather Service says the estimated peak wind was 100 mph. One injury was reported as a result of the storm. NWS survey crews found five homes damaged, one home was destroyed. Additionally, significant tree damage was reported. This tornado was ½ mile in length and about 200 yards wide.

3. Alvord/Wise County (EF-0)
The National Weather Service says this tornado was reported by storm spotters and residents and occurred over open land, damaging only trees. Peak winds were estimated at 80 mph. This tornado was 1/10 mile in length and about 25 yards wide.

4. Millsap/Parker County (EF-1)
Rated an EF-1, National Weather Service survey crews found five homes significantly damaged by the tornado and trees damaged. The estimated peak wind was 100 mph. This tornado was 1.5 miles in length and about 400 yards wide.

5. Granbury/Hood County (EF-4)
Rated an EF-4, six people were killed in the storm and dozens more injured. National Weather Service survey crews found homes wiped from their foundations. The storm was half a mile wide and was on the ground for nearly three miles.  Estimated peak winds from this tornado were 180 mph.

6. Pecan Plantation/Hood County (EF-1)
Rated an EF-1, National Weather Service survey crews found an additional path of damage that is separate from the Granbury tornado. The estimated peak wind was 90 mph. This tornado was 2 miles in length and about 300 yards wide.

7. West of Annetta/Parker County (EF-0)
The National Weather Service says this EF-0 tornado left significant damage along Tin Top Road, in an area southwest of Annetta and northwest of Cresson. Trees, mobile homes and barns were destroyed. Peak wind speeds were estimated to be 80 mph. This tornado was 1.5 miles in length and about 100 yards wide.

8. Cleburne/Johnson County (EF-3)
The National Weather Service survey crews estimate the peak wind was 140 mph for this EF-3 tornado. The NWS said the tornado was a mile wide and stayed on the ground for 8 and a half miles. Dozens of homes were damaged.

9. ESE Cleburne/Johnson County (EF-0)
Rated an EF-0, National Weather Service survey crews found an additional path of damage that is separate from the EF-3 tornado that hit Cleburne. This tornado mostly damaged trees, though five manufactured homes did suffer roof damage. The estimated peak wind was 85 mph. This tornado was 1 mile in length and about 1 mile wide.

10. Mills County (EF-0)
The National Weather Service says this tornado was reported by storm spotters.  Peak wind estimates are 80 mph. This tornado was ¼ mile in length and about 50 yards wide.  More information on this tornado is still being gathered, as of Friday afternoon.

11. & 12. North of Evant/Western Hamilton County (EF-0)
The National Weather Service says video footage showed two tornadoes occurred simultaneously approximately two miles north of Evant in Western Hamilton County.  This tornadoes were both ¼ mile in length and about 25 yards wide. Peak wind speeds were approximately 85 mph.

13. Ennis/Ellis County (EF-1)
Rated an EF-1, National Weather Service survey crews found significant damage in Ennis and say the tornado was on the ground for approximately six miles starting west of Interstate 45 and crossed the highway south of Ennis Avenue.  The swath was about 400 yards wide. The estimated peak wind was 90 mph. Local officials say 17 homes were damaged, four of which were uninhabitable. Fifty five businesses were damaged, 20 of those suffered severe damage.

14. Southeast of Mineral Wells/Palo Pinto County (EF-0)
The brief EF-0 tornado started and ended about three and half miles south-southeast of Mineral Wells at approximately 6:41 p.m. Off-duty NWS meteorologists photographed the tornado, which is separate from the Millsap tornado. No damage has been reported so far.  This tornado was ½  mile in length and about 50 yards wide with estimated peak wind speeds of 85 mph.

15. East of Millsap/Parker County (EF-0)
An EF-0 tornado was photographed by off-duty NWS meteorologists about three miles east of Millsap. It is also separate from the Millsap tornado. No damage has been reported so far. This tornado was ½ mile in length and about 50 yards wide with estimated peak wind speeds of 80 mph.

16. Nocona Lake/Montague County
Storm spotters reported this tornado near Nocona Lake in Montague County. Some damage was reported, but additional details were not immediately available.

NWS officials said the first tornado was reported to have occurred at 5:38 p.m. in Montague County and the last was at about 9:45 p.m. southeast of Cleburne.



Photo Credit: Dara Boswell]]>
<![CDATA[GM Foundation Makes $500,000 for Tornado Recovery]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 14:55:33 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/cropped-image-of-home-destr.jpg

The General Motors Foundation is pledging $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity to help victims recover from Wednesday's rash of tornadoes.

The funds will be used to help restore neighborhoods devastated by Wednesday's storms.

Officials said 97 of the 110 homes in the Rancho Bravo Estates neighborhood were damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes.  Many of the homes were built by Habitat for Humanity.

"Helping Texas residents rebuild and repair their homes is a critical priority for Habitat for Humanity International in the aftermath of the recent tornadoes," said Selim Bingol, vice president, GM Global Communications and Public Policy and Chairman of the GM Foundation. "Through the $500,000 grant from the GM Foundation and the recently donated Chevrolet Express Vans, we are helping the organization immediately provide financial and other important resources to those in need."

Habitat for Humanity is assessing the impact on affordable housing in the affected areas and will assist with clean up, repairs and new construction efforts.
 
Additionally, Chevrolet is sending 24 Express vans donated as mobile response units in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy to Hood, Johnson, Montague, Parker and Wise counties.

"The vans are filled with tools and equipment from Lowe's and Robert Bosch Tool Corporation," the foundation said in a news release.

The GM Foundation's support of Habitat for Humanity in 2013 also includes a $1 million grant for neighborhood revitalization efforts in 12 U.S. cities, including Arlington and Austin, where teamGM Cares volunteers will be deployed this year.

The GM Foundation's support of Texas also includes a recent $100,000 grant to the Red Cross to aid emergency management officials with relief efforts in West, Texas.

The GM Foundation also donates annually to the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program to ensure the organization has funds to provide immediate relief when disaster strikes.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News/Ken Kalthoff ]]>
<![CDATA[Pat Robertson Tells Wife of Cheating Husband that Men Tend to "Wander"]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 15:02:32 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/Pat-Robertson.jpg

Pat Robertson is at it again. This time, the televangelist dished out marriage advice to a woman who wrote his show asking for guidance on how to forgive her cheating husband.

The one-time Republican presidential candidate -- who once condoned divorcing an Alzheimer-inflicted spouse --  told the woman that men have "the tendency to wander a little bit."

"Stop talking about the cheating," he said on The 700 Club. "He cheated on you. Well, he's a man."

He urged the woman to focus on the good qualities about their marriage. "Does he provide a home for you? Does he provide food for you to eat? Does he provide clothes for you to wear?" he asked, adding that the onus is on the woman to keep the "home so wonderful that he doesn't want to wander."

Robertson has a knack for giving out controversial marriage advice. In January, Robertson said on his show that "awful-looking" women are to blame for a loveless marriage. And days after appearing at a campaign rally with Mitt Romney last year, he joked about wife-beating as a way to discipline a "rebellious" wife.

Check out the full clip below:



Photo Credit: Getty]]>
<![CDATA[N.Y. Jets' Goodson Arrested on Drug, Gun Charges: Police]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 14:45:06 -0500 http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/213*120/mike+goodson+jets.jpg
New York Jets running back Mike Goodson was arrested in New Jersey after state police responding to a 911 call found a loaded gun and marijuana in the SUV he was riding in early Friday, authorities said.

State police said a tow truck operator driving on Route 80 in Denville called 911 after seeing the SUV, where Goodson was a passenger, stopped in the left lane on the highway shortly after 3 a.m. Troopers responded and arrested the driver, who has a prior felony conviction, on a DWI charge.

Authorities found the gun and drugs in the car while they were evaluating Goodson, state police said.

Goodson and the driver were both charged with possession of a handgun, hollow point bullets, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Information on attorneys wasn't immediately available.

A team spokesperson told NBC 4 New York the Jets "are aware of the report and are gathering information."

The Jets, looking to upgrade their running game, signed the versatile Goodson and traded for hard-running Chris Ivory, formerly of the Saints, this offseason to complement third-year man Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight, who is in his fourth year.

Goodson, who will turn 26 next week, had been expected to serve as the second RB on the depth chart behind Ivory going into training game, and was widely viewed as a boon for the passing game.

The Jets signed him to a three-year $6.9 million deal in March to help replace Shonn Greene, who was signed by the Tennessee Titans in free agency, in the backfield.

Goodson was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2009 draft and most recently played for the Oakland Raiders. He missed most of last season due to an ankle injury, but compiled 221 rushing yards on 35 carries and caught the ball 16 times for 195 yards in a touchdown in 12 games, mostly as Darren McFadden's backup.


Photo Credit: Getty Images]]>