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Human Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Richardson

The second human case of West Nile virus is being reported in North Texas.

Dallas County has confirmed a human case of the mosquito-borne virus in Richardson. The county did not release the age or gender of the person. Officials say this is the earliest they have seen infected mosquito pools.

It is the first case confirmed in Dallas County this year.

On May 31, Denton county officials confirmed a case in Lantana. County health officials attribute the early appearance to the mild winter and wet spring.

Officials suggest people wear insect repellent plus long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

Symptoms of West Nile include fever, body aches, fatigue and sometimes nausea.

CDC: West Nile Info & Prevention

Justin Martin, KERA News

Police Say Arlington Graffiti Vandalism Was Hate Crime

Police have identified five suspects in an episode of graffiti vandalism in a West Arlington neighborhood. And officers say it was a hate crime, that one of the victims was targeted because of sexual orientation.

More than a dozen homeowners awoke on a Sunday morning to find racial slurs, hateful messages and vulgar images spray painted on garage doors and cars.

Detectives say they were able to identify four adults and a juvenile based upon video surveillance footage.

18 year old Daniel Sibley was arrested yesterday afternoon. Arlington Police say the four others are expected to turn themselves in soon. The suspects are reported to be 16 to 18 years old.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Most Wanted Toll Runners To Be Named Online

The North Texas Tollway Authority is planning a “most wanted” webpage.

It will contain the names of people who have not paid 100 or more outstanding tolls.

Tollway officials say the “Top Violators” page on the NTTA website will include names, cities, zip codes, amount owed, and number of unpaid transactions. The “Top Violators” page should be up in July.

NTTA officials say about 26,000 car owners have unpaid tolls totaling $12.5 million.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Trial Of Would-Be Bomber Begins

Jury selection begins Thursday morning in the trial of a former Texas Tech student from Saudi Arabia accused to trying to build a bomb.

Khalid Aldawsari was arrested in February 2011 after a chemical manufacturer tipped law enforcement about a suspicious purchase online.

A search of Aldawsari’s apartment turned up bomb making materials as well as a journal that outlined possible targets. They included dams, nuclear plants and the Dallas home of former president George W. Bush.

The judge in the case moved the trial from Lubbock to Amarillo. His reasons were not disclosed. There is a gag order in the case.

If convicted, the 22 year old Aldawsari could get life in prison.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Drunk Dad Sentenced To Prison In Death Of Daughter

A 26 year old man from Allen was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday after his conviction for intoxication manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Jeffery Criss was driving drunk with his 11 month old daughter in the backseat when he crashed at the intersection of Coit and Rockhill Road. His daughter Lucy died when the car flipped and caught fire. Criss was treated for burns and leg injuries.

Officials say his blood alcohol level was 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.

Criss faced a maximum 20 years.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Texas Governor's Mansion almost back in business

Restoration of the fire-damaged Texas Governor's Mansion is nearing completion with the return of pieces of the building's historic furniture collection.

Gov. Rick Perry's office said Wednesday the first phase of a move-in had started after years of restoration work. The furniture was removed for a building makeover in 2007 before an arson fire nearly destroyed the mansion in 2008.

The collection includes state-owned antiques from the earliest dates in Texas history, including the bed used by Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin's writing desk.

Perry's office says the governor and his family are expected to move back into the mansion in late July when the $25 million project is complete.

No arrest has been made in the fire despite a $50,000 reward from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

AP

Man charged with murder in South Texas shootings

A man accused of fatally shooting his 1-year-old son and critically injuring another boy in a South Texas motel has been charged with capital murder.

Police say 36-year-old Demond Bluntson killed 21-month-old Davian and wounded 6-year-old Jaydin on Tuesday in Laredo. Bluntson's girlfriend, 28-year-old Brandy Cerny, was the mother of both boys.

Laredo Police spokesman Joe Baeza says Bluntson was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a public servant and one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. He was held without bond.

Police in El Campo, nearly 200 miles away, confirmed Wednesday that Cerny's body was found there a day earlier. There was no immediate word on charges Bluntson could face there.

AP

Southern Baptists debate gay vs. civil rights

A day after electing their first African-American president, Southern Baptists are considering a resolution opposing the idea that gay rights are civil rights.

The resolution up for a vote today affirms Southern Baptists' beliefs that marriage is "the exclusive union of one man and one woman" and that "all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful."

It acknowledges that gays and lesbians sometimes experience "unique struggles" but declares that they lack the "distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections."

"It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of 'same-sex marriage' have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement," the resolution states.

AP