Irving ISD Tables Concealed Weapons Proposal

Christine Lee, NBC 5 Irving and Grand Prairie Reporter

Irving School board members are looking over a controversial proposal that would allow teachers and staff to bring guns on campus.

Irving ISD Considers Proposal to...

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The Irving school board unanimously voted to table a proposal to allow teachers and staff members to bring concealed weapons to school but leave them secured in their vehicles during the school day.

School district trustees voted 7-0 to table the measure, saying they felt they needed more information before approving the policy.

No date has been set to consider the proposal again.

Board members discussed the pros and cons of the proposed policy change during a work session Monday.

"I still just have a lot of questions both pros and cons," said Larry Stipes, the board member who suggested the change.

Jerry Christian, chair of the board's policy committee said teachers and staff members would leave their guns stored securely in the vehicle, not allowing it to be seen. He also suggested that they not even talk about the guns being there.

The proposal was not intended to change school security but would give employees the option of having additional safety while commuting to and from work.

"I'm concerned that we don't have a purpose for the safety of the campus," Board President Ronda Huffstetler said. "It's for the safety of someone coming to and from, and that is not my responsibility."

Superintendent Dana Bedden said he also had concerned about the proposal.

"I have grave concerns about keeping a list because of Freedom of Information requests that could come in," he said.

Board member Gwen Craig also expressed wariness, saying teachers' cars can become prime targets.

"Teachers are always concerned about getting things stolen," she said. "They don't bring money to school. Teachers don't bring money, because they don't want it to be stolen."

Christian said discussion would continue Monday night before board members make their decisions.

"I think I can argue it either way," he said. "Unless it is shown that it would really deteriorate security on campus, then I don't see why we shouldn't allow employees to do that," he said.

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License Wait Times Shorter at DPS Mega Centers

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The Texas Department of Public Safety has made big changes since last summer's NBC 5 investigation showed customers waiting three hours or more in line; and revealed that the DPS wasn't even counting and reporting the full amount of time people spend waiting.

This winter, DPS opened two new license Mega Centers in the DFW area, one in Garland and another in Fort Worth. During the typically busy spring break week of March 11-15, NBC 5 Investigates visited area offices and found customers pleased with their experiences at the Mega Centers.

"My experience was excellent," said John Jackson, a Dallas attorney who recently got in and out of the Garland Mega Center in 30 minutes.

"I'm still shocked that I just got in and out of there as fast as I did," said Ronald Phillips, who was taken care of in about five minutes.

But on the same day - not far away – NBC 5 Investigates found people still waiting for hours at old license offices.

George Martinez waited two hours at the Dallas Northwest Highway location.  And at the office on Red Bird Lane, Marckus Scott said he waited about 1 hour and 25 minutes.

NBC 5 also sent staff members needing to apply for a Texas license, or renew an old one, into both traditional and DPS Mega Center license offices to see firsthand how long the waits were.

At the Fort Worth Mega Center it took one staffer only about 20 minutes.

The DPS said the average wait at the Fort Worth Mega Center from March 11-15 was just 12 minutes and 53 seconds. At the Garland Mega Center the average was 17 minutes and 8 seconds.

Meanwhile, at the old Red Bird Lane office, one of our staffers waited about 30 minutes during the same week.

At the old Garland office off Northwest Highway, NBC 5 investigative reporter Scott Friedman waited a little more than an hour.

The two busiest days at the Mega Centers, since they first opened, were on Dec. 27 and 28, when people flooded license offices after the Christmas holiday. 

A DPS database obtained by NBC 5 Investigates shows some of the Mega Centers didn't do as well on those days, with the average wait time being 1 hour and 15 minutes at the four Mega Centers that were open statewide.  More than 1,500 people waited an hour or more at the Mega Centers on Dec. 27 and 28.  More than 600 people waited for two hours or more at the two Houston-area Mega Centers.

Mega Centers in Fort Worth and Leon Valley didn't open until January.

The long wait times on those days raise questions about what to expect when the summer rush hits this year. In a written statement, DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said, "Given their performance thus far, we believe the Mega Centers will continue to be effective in processing customers during the peak summer months, and the addition of these six new offices position the department to serve customers in those metropolitan areas with substantially more capacity that simply was not available last summer. "

In a January interview, DPS director Steve McCraw recently said the Mega Centers are just one step in fixing the problem.

"We're not declaring victory yet. Keep in mind right, we've got a long ways to go," said McCraw.

It will take more staff, new technology and money to improve the old offices.  Right now, funding is up in the air. The Senate appropriations committee has funded a $50 million request to improve license offices, but the House committee has approved only $10 million, one-fifth of what DPS said it needs.

In one budget document NBC 5 Investigates discovered, DPS said that with current baseline funding only 38 percent of customers will be able to renew licenses in 30 minutes or less by 2015.

That means that without additional money more people could be waiting in line instead of celebrating a quick trip to the DPS.

DPS stats obtained show improvement at some of the older offices too, when compared to last year.  But, as NBC 5 Investigates reported last summer, those stats are not very reliable because at the old offices the state doesn't count the amount of time people spend waiting in line to get into the building to the check in desk.  That time is defined by the DPS as "pre-wait."

State budget documents also show the Texas population is expected to grow by 7 million people over the next 20 years, further adding to the challenge of keeping up with demand at license offices.

There are currently six DPS Mega Centers in Texas, four in the Houston area, two in DFW, one in Austin and one in San Antonio.

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Apple CEO Apologizes to Chinese Customers

AP

In this March 28, 2012 photo provided by Apple, Inc., Apple CEO Tim Cook, center, visits the iPhone production line at the newly-built manufacturing facility Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs 120,000 people.

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Apple's CEO Tim Cook apologized to customers in China on Monday after an investigative report  slammed the company for the way it treated its customers.

China's state-run media outlet China Central Television chastised Apple for giving customers a one year warranty on the iPhone when Chinese law requires two years, according to The New York Times.  The Communist Party newspaper The People's Daily and other state publications jumped in the fray with a series of articles, including one entitled "Defeat Apple's Incomaprable Arrogance," the Times reported.

The government news broadcasts suggested that Apple does not treat its Chinese customers as equals to, say, iPhone users in Europe or the United States.

Cook apologized for any such cavalier appearances towards China and promised to shore up warranty information and repair policies for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

Apple stock has lost nearly 40 percent of its value since September, when the iPhone 5 was released and also when Cook was forced to apologize for replacing iPhones' Google Map with an Apple product deemed "inferior."

Apple stock is down from $705.07 per share at its peak to $435.03 on Monday. Apple saw a 67 percent growth in sales in China in 2012.

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Oldest American Dies at Age 113

Beaver County Times

Elsie Thompson died just eight days short of her 114th birthday.

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The oldest living person in the U.S. has died at the age of 113, just weeks before her 114th birthday.

Elsie Thompson, who was from Beaver Falls, Pa., became the nation's oldest living person in January.

"She was always happy," her longtime caretaker, Susie Harper, told the Beaver County Times. "She always had a very positive attitude."

She died March 21, according to a spokeswoman from her church in Clearwater, Fla.

A memorial service for Thompson was held at Skycrest United Methodist Church on March 26.

Thompson was born on April 5, 1899.

Her husband, Ronald Thompson, was a Republican state senator in Pennsylvania and in 1971, the couple moved to Clearwater, Fla.

Mr. Thompson died in 1986.

Mrs. Thompson is survived by her son, who is in California, and four grandchildren.

She said that the secret to her longevity was the fact that she loved people and greeted each new day with a smile.

"I know everyone that knew her will have her happy spirit in their hearts forever," Harper said.

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Jackson Concert Promoter Lawsuit Heads to Trial

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Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson's family against the concert promoter behind the pop star's concert tour that claims the company is liable for his June 2009 death.

The civil trial in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom comes more than one year after the King of Pop's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the case's criminal trial. Jackson's death from acute Propofol -- a surgical anesthetic -- intoxication at his rented home in Holmby Hills occurred hours after a rehearsal for the 50-year-old entertainer's 50-show tour called "This Is It."

Katherine Jackson, the singer's 82-year-old mother, filed the lawsuit in September 2010 on behalf of herself and her son's three children. The lawsuit claims AEG Live was responsible for choosing Dr. Murray to be Jackson's personal physician -- a decision that ultimately led to Jackson's death, according to the lawsuit.

"People are going to feel like this is a re-run because we lived through the Conrad Murray trial," said NBC4 legal analyst Royal Oakes. "The question then was, 'Who killed Michael Jackson.' The jury said it was Dr. Murray.

"Now, it's essentially the same question, but the focus since it's a civil case -- not a criminal case -- is on whether AEG was pushing Dr. Murray to make it unsafe for Michael."

Jackson family members are seeking millions of dollars they say the superstar would have earned.

The trial could require several months of testimony, including statements from Jackson's children about their father's final days. Jackson's two oldest children were present when emergency teams responded to 911 calls June 25, 2009 from the Holmby Hills mansion at which prosecutors said Murray delivered the fatal Propofol dose.

Some of the testimony might involve Jackson's prescription drug use and the child molestation case in which he was acquitted as attorneys for AEG Live attempt to show Jackson created the conditions for his own demise. AEG Live attorneys have maintained the company never hired Murray, but that he had been one of several doctors treating the entertainer long before he agreed to the 50-concert tour.

Murray, serving four years in Los Angeles County men's jail for the November 2011 involuntary manslaughter conviction, provided Jackson with the drug Propofol to help him sleep. Katherine Jackson's attorneys allege that the concert promoter should have considered red flags regarding Murray.

Murray did not testify at the criminal trial. It is unlikely he will testify in the civil matter with an appeal pending for the criminal case conviction.

AEG Live is owned by Denver-based billionaire Philip Anschutz. AEG Inc.'s former president and chief executive officer, and that company -- which has a significant Southern California presence -- were dismissed as defendants. AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, owns the NHL's LA Kings, Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy and Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

AEG is behind plans to build an NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles in an effort to attract a professional football franchise.

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Pols Accused of Trying to Fix NYC Mayor's Race

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A prominent Democratic New York state senator and a Republican city councilman were arrested Tuesday in an alleged plot to get the senator onto the New York City mayoral ballot by paying off GOP county chairmen, authorities said.

Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith, City Councilman Dan Halloran and four others were arrested by the FBI Tuesday morning.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Smith "tried to bribe his way to a shot at Gracie Mansion."

Bharara said Smith conceived the plot and Halloran "quarterbacked that drive by finding party chairmen who were wide open to receiving bribes." The charges include conspiracy to bribe, wire fraud and extortion.

NBC 4 New York's calls and emails to offices and attorneys of those arrested were not immediately returned. 

The Democratic field in this year's mayoral race is crowded with several candidates, and getting on the GOP ballot would be a way to sidestep that battle in heavily Democratic New York City. Smith has indicated his interest in running in the Republican primary, but because he is a registered Democrat, he would need to be approved by three of the five county chairmen to get on the primary ballot.

Two Republican county chairmen -- Joseph Savino, of the Bronx, and Vincent Tabone, of Queens -- were among those arrested Tuesday.

Court papers say Smith arranged for a wealthy real estate developer, who was actually an undercover FBI agent, to fund the bribes, and Halloran negotiated the payments to be $40,000, plus promises for $40,000 more.

In one discussion, according to court papers, Smith is accused of saying "Look, talk to me before you close it. But it's worth it. Because you know how big a deal it is."

Prosecutors say as part of the bribery scheme, Smith also agreed to use his influence to help get state funds for a road construction project that would benefit the fake real estate developer.

FBI New York Director George Venizelos said in a statement that "public service is not supposed to be a shortcut to self-enrichment. .... As alleged, these defendants did not obey the law; they broke the law and the public trust."

Smith was elected to the State Senate in 2000 in a special election. He was elected minority leader in 2007, succeeding David Paterson. He served as leader of the Senate Democrats until 2009 when he was forced out amid an Albany coup.

Last year Smith joined with several Republicans to form a "bipartisan governing coalition."

Halloran assumed office in 2010 and represents the 19th district in Queens, succeeding Tony Avella.

Halloran is also accused, in the same court papers, of accepting several cash payments totaling more than $35,000, plus $6,500 in campaign contributions, in return for steering a $20,000 grant from the City Council to an FBI witness.

"That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much," Halloran is accused of saying in a meeting with the witness. "Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that."

At a later meeting with the witness, Halloran is accused of telling the witness to get him a tax identification number, name and address of an organization and an application for funding "so that there's no questions, it raises no flags, and everybody's got it the way it's gotta be."

Halloran garnered widespread attention after the Christmas 2010 blizzard when he said five municipal employees told him that workers had engaged in a deliberate slowdown in clearing snow.

Federal officials announced other arrests Tuesday; those expected to be charged are Democrat Noramie Jasmin, mayor of Spring Valley in Rockland County, and her deputy mayor, Joseph Desmaret. 

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Kaufman Law Enforcement to Provide Updates on Investigation

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The Kaufman County Sheriff will update the press in the next few hours on the investigation into the brutal murders of District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia.

It's been days since law enforcement officials last updated the public on the investigation into the double murder that occurred Saturday night.

To date, police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation into the McLelland murders and have not revealed any connection to the Hasse slaying last January. Additionally, police have not released the names of anyone suspected in any of the deaths.

Investigators: Nothing to Indicate Gang Tied to Kaufman Shootings

Authorities continue to investigate the shooting deaths of Kaufman County's district attorney and his wife. People familiar with the case tell NBC 5 that investigators have found nothing to indicate that the white supremacist prison gang the Aryan Brotherhood was involved.

Heavy Security Continues at Kaufman Courthouse

Heavy security continues around the Kaufman County Courthouse after the murders of Mike and Cynthia McLelland.

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A press conference scheduled for Tuesday was later canceled by officials. Updates on the investigation are still scheduled to appear via press release on Tuesday.

The acting district attorney, Brandi Fernandez, will be asked to attend. Fernandez was installed as the acting DA on April 1 and will serve a 21 day term or until Governor Rick Perry selects a replacement for McLelland.

Judges and prosecutors arrived at work at the County Courthouse under heavy protection Tuesday morning, flanked by armed officers.

Several judges told NBC 5 they are afraid and concerned.

"I think everyone is sad over this," said County Judge David Lewis, a close friend of Mike McClelland. The two attended the same church.

"Is there a sense of fear too?" NBC 5 asked Lewis.

"Sure. Yeah," he answered. "We're going to keep going on, and we're going to do the best we can."

County Judge Bruce Wood said he believes authorities can close this case.

"I'm optimistic. There are literally hundreds of people that are working on this case. And I feel like, I don't know what time frame, but I'm confident we will find whoever committed these crimes," Wood said.

NBC 5 has also learned that the Kaufman County Courthouse and all other county facilities except for emergency services will close at 11a.m. on Thursday so employees can attend the McLellands' public memorial.

A public memorial service for the McLellands will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Sunnyvale in Mesquite.

The couple will be buried in Mike McLelland's hometown of Wortham. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Wortham.

The U.S. Honor Flag, a flag that flew over the Texas Capitol on Sept. 11, 2001, and has since been present at more than 1,000 funerals, will be flown at a memorial service for the district attorney.

McLelland has the unfortunate honor of being the first man to have touched the flag and have it flown at his memorial. McLelland handled the flag earlier this year when it was flown during a service for his friend and co-worker, Mark Hasse.

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Motorcycling Easter Bunny Unmasked

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The biker dressed as a giant, white Easter bunny and pulled over this past weekend in southern California has been unmasked.

Ed Bell, was found by an NBC 7 San Diego news crew at a BMW motorcycle shop Monday, hours after photos swept the Internet showing the bunny pulled over on a freeway for not wearing a helmet.

The man behind the mask would only publicly admit that he may have an alter ego that involves that red bike.

"I was kind of taken aback by the huge response it's gotten," he said.

Bell said the bunny was simply on the way to a charity event Saturday morning to cheer up a sick friend. He attached a bungee cord to the helmet to it could fit on the costume's head.

"If we felt it was an unsafe action, we wouldn't have done it in the first place," he said. "Because the last thing anyone needed was a wounded Easter bunny the day before Easter."

While Bell was riding down Interstate 8 he was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer. Fortunately for him, the CHP had some holiday spirit and gave him a written warning.

"So, the Easter bunny pulled over, straightened his ears out so he could hear the officer," Bell said. "They were all professional, polite, courteous. They got into the mood real quick. Gave him a stern warning."

Bell said the reason he donned the costume was purely comical.

"There's a lot of bad stuff going on this was something people could point to and get a good laugh," he said.

As for whether this will become a holiday tradition, he says never lose faith in the Easter Bunny.

"Never say never to the Easter Bunny," he said. "If the Easter bunny does come back, they'll probably have a better helmet, or one more recognizable."

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2 Escape Jail, Sulphur Springs Schools on Lock Down

Hopkins County Sheriff's Department

Police are searching for 44-year-old Brian Allen Tucker, left, of Sulphur Springs and 39-year-old John Marlin King, right, of Cumby

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Two prisoners, including one awaiting trial on a capital murder charge, have broken out of an East Texas jail.

The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office said 44-year-old Brian Allen Tucker of Sulphur Springs and 39-year-old John Marlin King of Cumby escaped from the Hopkins County Jail on Tuesday morning.

Police are urging anyone living in the area to be on high guard and look for anything out of the ordinary. Police advice if you see the two men to not let them approach and call 911.

Nine schools in Sulphur Springs have been locked down while the search for the pair is under way.

Dispatcher Beth Renfro said both apparently fled through a recreation yard used by female inmates at the jail in Sulphur Springs, about 75 miles northeast of Dallas.

NBC 5 has learned the pair squeezed through a gate and headed east before shedding their prison clothing near railroad tracks behind the sheriff's office. Police said they believe the men are wearing white T-shirts and whie boxer shorts.

Deputy Alvin Jordan says sheriff's deputies are searching nearby woods and have set up a perimeter around where the men are believed to be hiding. Police are using dogs on the ground and searching by helicopter for the escapees.

Jordan said there was one possible sighting of a man in a white T-shirt and boxers going over a fence in the area.

Tucker was being held on $1 million bond in the 2011 death of Bobby Riley of Mahoney. Riley was strangled in his home and some music instruments and firearms had been stolen.

King was being held on an evading arrest charge. Further details weren't immediately available.

We will update this story with more information as soon as it's available.  As this story is developing, elements may change. NBC 5's Eric King contributed to this report.

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