Aerial mosquito spraying is scheduled again tonight for half a dozen cities primarily in southern Dallas County: Duncanville, Ferris, Wilmer, Seagoville, Sunnyvale; plus Rowlett and Mesquite – south of I-30.
Ground spraying is set for tonight in Cedar Hill, starting at 10pm.
This weekend, Fort Worth will be spraying part of the 76137 zip code because of human cases of West Nile virus reported there. That’s the area around Arcadia Trail Park in northeast Fort Worth.
Two more West Nile virus deaths were reported late yesterday in Texas. A 77-year-old man from San Antonio and a 70-year-old woman from Texarkana, bringing the state's total to at least 28 deaths.
BJ Austin, KERA News
Rains Bring New Crop Of Mosquitoes To North Texas
As ground spraying for mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus continues, a new crop of “floodwater” mosquitoes is surfacing after the recent heavy rains.
Anthony Jenkins with the Dallas County Health Department says these new mosquitoes are not disease carriers.
“These are large mosquitoes usually, and they’ve very aggressive. And they can fly very far,” Jenkins told a news conference. “So, we don’t want to mislead the public to think that if they see a large amount of floodwater mosquitoes that the ground and aerial applications were not effective.”
Health Department director Zach Thompson says the ground and aerial attack on the West Nile mosquitoes is making headway according to preliminary data. But he cautions that this year’s West Nile season is likely to last through September.
BJ Austin, KERA News
Scammers Targeting Deferred Deportation Hopefuls
Officials in the North Texas Hispanic community are warning of scams surrounding the new immigration program that temporarily halts deportation of undocumented young people.
Those who qualify came here before turning 16; lived here for five years; are in school, graduated, or are honorably discharged military veterans.
Alonso Salas is a Young Adult director with the League of United Latin American Citizens in Dallas.
“You have notarios that are charging the students to give them the free forms that you can download online, they’re charging them $200 just to give them the empty forms,” Salas said. “Attorneys that have not practiced immigration law until up to two weeks ago maybe, and they’re charging up to $2,000 to take on their cases.”
The Mexican Consulate in Dallas will host an information session with veteran immigration lawyers Saturday from noon to 2.
The Mexican American Bar Association will soon launch a webpage with information designed to help people avoid the scams.
Related Links: Mexican Consulate / Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas
BJ Austin, KERA News
Mexican judge cuts ammo charge against US trucker
A Mexican appeals judge has significantly lessened the charge against a Dallas truck driver who says he made a wrong turn into Mexico with a trailer full of ammunition.
Jabin Bogan has been in a maximum security prison in Veracruz after crossing from West Texas into Juarez, Mexico, in April. He faced up to 30 years in prison on an ammunition trafficking charge, but the judge changed it a possession charge Thursday.
Bogan's attorney says he hopes the punishment can be reduced to a fine or community service.
The judge's decision comes after testimony from Mexican customs agents contradicted prosecutors' claim that Bogan hid 268,000 bullets under floorboards. Agents say Bogan was trying to make a U-turn back into the U.S. when they found the ammunition visible in the trailer.
AP
Judge slams landowners in Canadian pipeline ruling
Texas landowners are vowing to fight on despite a county judge's ruling that a Canadian company can run a pipeline across private property to bring crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries.
Red'Arc farm manager Julia Trigg Crawford is behind the lawsuit. She says in a statement Thursday she is disappointed by the ruling from Lamar County Court-at-Law Judge Bill Harris that TransCanada can use eminent domain to obtain right of way across her family's farm.
Harris issued the ruling late Wednesday. Crawford says she will take her battle to the state Legislature.
TransCanada wants to build a pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to Gulf Coast refineries. While it awaits a U.S. State Department decision on that project, it plans to construct a section of pipeline from Oklahoma to the Gulf.
AP
Crime Stoppers Manager Pleads Guilty To Stealing Funds
The former head of the Dallas Crime Stoppers office pleaded guilty this morning to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion connected to embezzled funds.
52 year old Theodora Ross of Rowlett, a former Dallas police officer, faces up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Ross determined which tips to Crime Stoppers would be paid. According to investigators, Ross and an accomplice filed bogus tips and collected more than a quarter-million dollars over five years.
The accomplice pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next month. Sentencing for Ross is in December.
BJ Austin
Gas Price Tick Upward – Again
Gasoline prices are up two cents from the week before. The statewide average is now $3.55 a gallon. But drivers in Dallas and Fort Worth are paying more, an average $3.58. That’s the highest in the state.
Texans are now spending about $50 to fill up a typical 14-gallon tank.
BJ Austin, KERA News
Tarrant Tax Bills Go Electronic
Tarrant County will now email your tax bill.
To get your 2012 tax bill electronically you need to register online before September 15th.
Tax Assessor-Collector Ron Wright says the electronic billing is designed to be more convenient for property owners as well as more efficient and cost-effective for Tarrant County.
BJ Austin, KERA News
Dallas police ID body in Arkansas trucker's cab
Dallas police have identified a suburban man whose stabbed body was found in a truck cab during a traffic stop.
Police on Thursday identified the victim as 46-year-old James Gregory Lynn of Lancaster.
Jail records show the truck owner, 49-year-old Roderick Jordan of Mineral Springs, Ark., remains in custody on a murder charge. Bond has been set at $500,000 for Jordan, who was arrested Monday when the body was discovered.
Police say Jordan was at the wheel when the vehicle was stopped by an officer who noticed the wheels were smoking. Investigators have not said if Jordan and Lynn knew each other or further details on the killing.
Police originally said investigators were trying to determine if the rig was stolen.
AP