To help make sure you stay informed on the most shared and talked about stories across North Texas, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit 5 stories from the previous week and capsulize them in this digest with the most recent updates.
In our 5+5 format, we'll publish the first 5 on Saturday morning and the second 5 on Sunday.
Growing Scheme Takes Aim at Kroger, Target and Walmart Shoppers
On Monday, NBC 5 Responds' Samantha Chatman revealed yet another mystery shopper scheme that tricked a Euless resident out of nearly $2,000. The man followed up on an email he received inviting him to be a secret shopper at Kroger, Walmart and Target. He was sent a check for $1,900 with instructions to deposit it and buy $1,550 worth of gift cards -- the rest of the cash was his to keep. The check ended up bouncing and the man was on the hook for the full deposit amount. The FTC and BBB have numerous warnings about such programs; Kroger said they have their own internal program and Target said the program wasn't legitimate. To read more on this story and to find legitimate mystery shopping jobs, click here.
Family Granted TRO to Block Hospital From Removing Daughter From Life Support
On Monday, a Tarrant County judge issued a 14-day temporary restraining order preventing Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth from removing a 9-year-old girl, Payton Summons, from a ventilator days after being declared brain dead. The girl was hospitalized after she went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing Sept. 25. Doctors restarted her heart, but her brain was without oxygen for more than an hour and subsequent tests showed no brain activity. Cook Children's planned to remove her from life support on Monday, but the TRO prevents that. Payton's mom and dad are hopeful she'll recover and hope to find an alternative facility that will keep her alive. On Friday, the family's attorney said they were close to finding a location and that they were discussing the conditions of her care. An injunction hearing is scheduled for Oct. 10. More on Payton's story here.
Girl, 12, Killed in Fiery Bus Crash in Mesquite, Memorial Grows
A 12-year-old Mesquite middle school student, Jazmine Alfaro Villarreal, was killed Wednesday when the school bus she was riding in left the road, overturned and caught fire. Onboard the bus were 42 students, 41 of whom were able to escape. Students, along with witnesses to the crash, tried to free Villarreal from the burning bus but were unable to free her. The crash has left many people questioning the safety of the road traveled, a narrow, two-lane stretch of road with twists and turns, deep ditches and no guardrails. A memorial for Villarreal is growing at the site of the crash along Lawson Road; a vigil will be held Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Family Cathedral of Praise. Her family asks that everyone wear white.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Tiny Device May Give New Life to Severe Heart Failure Patients
A Dallas man is crediting a device smaller than the size of a thumb with saving his life. Scotty Keith's heart failure, secondary mitral regurgitation, was so severe it left him gasping for air most nights. During a recent 45-minute procedure, a doctor inserted the MitraClip into Keith's heart valve to seal a valve, causing most of the blood backing up in his heart to flow through normally. Keith says his energy is back and he can breathe normally. Doctors said the procedure can reduce mortality by 40 percent in those patients. More on this life-saving procedure here.
Houston Robot Brothel Stymied; Doll for Rent in Dallas
After the Houston City Council changed a city ordinance blocking a so-called robot brothel from opening, NBC 5 learned a similar doll was already available for rent in Dallas. Kurt Lassberg, owner of Bliss in Dallas, said each week four to six men pay as little as $40 for 40 minutes with one of his three dolls. The dolls, constructed of a plastic skeleton with steel joints, can talk and smile and be controlled by an App.
Check back and look for 5 more stories on Sunday.
