Downtown Dallas Driver’s License Office Disappears

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The only driver's license office in Downtown Dallas has closed, potentially adding to long lines at other license offices. This comes after DPS told NBC 5 Investigates there were no plans to close any DFW offices.

There is more frustration for North Texans trying to renew their driver's licenses.  The busy Department of Public Safety license office inside Dallas City Hall has shut down. Only an empty counter and some old computer wires remain after the DPS quietly moved out in mid-December.

Just last summer the top DPS official in charge of the Texas license offices told NBC 5 Investigates there were no plans to close any locations in the DFW area, as the DPS tries to reduce long lines and wait times that can last three hours or more especially during the busy summer months.

"We're not closing any offices.  We are opening brand new.  We are expanding our capacity to be able to serve that demand," said Rebecca Davio, director of the DPS License Division in an interview in July, 2012.

Davio was describing a multi-million-dollar DPS plan to open two new Dallas-Ft. Worth license Megacenters, one in Garland and one in Fort Worth.  The agency said the two giant facilities would only add to the current locations in an effort to cut wait times at all of the exiting offices.

So what changed?  Why would DPS close a busy license office when it's already struggling to keep up with demand?

DPS tells us it had no plans to leave Dallas City Hall.  Instead, the City of Dallas kicked them out.

"The decision was not a mutual one.  The city expressly asked DPS to leave the premises in October.  DPS had no plans to vacate the facility," said DPS spokesperson Tom Vinger.

City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio responded saying, "We really never had adequate space for them to conduct their operations."  He described the office as "inadequate and overcrowded."

Because of new security measures in the works at City Hall, Librio said the city wanted to clear out the space. He points out DPS is free to lease another office anywhere in downtown Dallas. 

So far DPS has not done that.

But in an interview Thursday, DPS Director Steve McCraw said the agency will pull together money to open a new downtown Dallas location.

"Because of some of the savings we achieved in some other areas, we are going to prioritize a Dallas office in the downtown area and a Houston office in the downtown area because we've demonstrated the numbers need it", McCraw said.

DPS had plans to ask the legislature for millions of dollars to create new downtown offices in Dallas and Houston.  However, McCraw said the agency has decided to move ahead using existing funds instead.

Until DPS can find a new location, Downtown Dallas does not have a single driver's license office. 

The office at City Hall used to serve an average of 180 customers a day, or about 45,000 customers last year alone, according to DPS records.

When NBC 5 Investigates visited that office over the summer we found it was so crowded people were sitting on the floor, some waiting for hours. 

Since the City Hall location closed, a steady stream of customers continues to stop by during the day, surprised to find it's gone.

To get to the next closest DPS office they have to get on Interstate 35 and drive 10 miles south to Red Bird Lane, a trip that takes about 14 minutes each way if there's no traffic.

"It is an inconvenience, you know.  It's a waste of time and waste of bus fare," said Tobi Hicks who travelled to the City Hall office only to find it closed.

"You have to come down here waste gas and then go somewhere else I guess," said customer Emmanuel Dotson.

DPS hopes many customers will go to the new Garland Mega Center – which opened in December and is designed to handle 900 transactions every day above and beyond what the existing offices can handle. Now some of that new capacity will be taken up by thousands of customers who used to go to City Hall.

DPS is banking on the Mega Centers to reduce the long lines at all of the license offices. But the DFW population is growing fast and now the agency has lost an office in Dallas.  The Investigative Team will be watching over the spring and summer to see how well the Mega Centers really help improve wait times. 

The new Mega Center in Fort Worth on Brentwood Stair Road opened Feb. 1.

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Fake Energy Workers Tell Residents to Pay "Delinquent" Bills

NBC 5

Workers in the field will always carry identification, and people can ask for it if they are unsure if the worker is legitimate, Oncor says.

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Dallas police are warning residents about schemers posing as energy workers.

Investigators said people posing as energy workers are going door-to-door and ask residents to pay bills that they say are unpaid. The bogus workers tell residents that their power will be shut off if they don't pay.

But Oncor Electric Delivery says that workers who go to homes will never ask for payment on the spot.

Representatives in the field will always carry identification, and people can ask for it if they are unsure if the worker is legitimate, Oncor says.

Police and Oncor say the scheme can also happen over the phone. Dallas police say people should never give out personal information to anyone over the phone.

People should also verify the credentials of anyone who contacts them and claims they need to pay a delinquent bill, police say.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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Pet Store Accused of Selling Puppies With Parvo

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Mansfield Chief of Police Gary L. Fowler is opening an investigation into a local pet store after the NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit was alerted to claims by several families that they purchased puppies that were sick with parvovirus.

Three families who all said they bought their puppies at PetOrama in Mansfield told NBC 5 that their animals were diagnosed with parvovirus, a very contagious, aggressive virus that attacks a dog's intestinal track.

According to the families, two of the puppies had to be euthanized while one survived after an aggressive veterinary treatment that cost them more than $1,000.

While Fowler, who oversees animal control for the city, originally told NBC 5 he had no records of complaints against the store, he said he now plans to open an investigation.

In an unrelated move, PetOrama said it will stop adopting out puppies, but is holding one last adoption event this weekend to sell the remaining dogs at the store.

Families Claim Store Sold Them Sick Puppies

"Truly, I never thought that when you go into a pet store like that you would purchase a sick dog," said Penny Rivera, a Mansfield resident.

Rivera bought a shepherd-mix puppy named Leo as a Christmas present for 13-year-old Andrew Caraveo and his 21-year-old sister Jenny who had lost their beloved dog only a few months before.

"I picked Leo because he just looked really cute," said Jenny, who said she knew her brother would be delighted by the holiday surprise.

And he was.  Andrew immediately fell in love with the dog and made little Leo a doghouse out of a cardboard box.  He doted on him like any 13-year-old with a new puppy would.

But a few days later, Leo was vomiting, had diarrhea and was lethargic.

"He looked very sick," Andrew said.

A trip to the vet revealed Leo had a severe case of parvo.  Andrew and Jenny then made the gut-wrenching decision to put Leo to sleep.

"I knew how he looked and how tired he was, he wasn't going to make it," Andrew said.

 "We just said, 'Goodbye.' I mean, it was just really hard.  There was nothing we could really say to him," said Jenny, as tears streamed down her face.

Joanna McCoy and Phillip Kriesman know that pain. The couple bought a long-haired dachshund named Hudson at the same Mansfield PetOrama and it was love at first sight. 

"As soon as I picked him up I knew he was my dog," said McCoy. "I loved him. I was so happy."

They paraded Hudson to McCoy's mother's house and showed him off to other relatives. But that evening they rushed Hudson, who was throwing up, to an emergency veterinary hospital.  The veterinarian told the couple that little Hudson had parvo.

They too made the decision to put Hudson to sleep.

"I just couldn't feel myself afterwards. It was just so weird and upsetting," Kreisman said.

PetOrama to Stop Puppy Adoptions Due to Complaints

NBC 5 called PetOrama and spoke to Rochelle Browning, the daughter of the owner who said she manages the store for her father.

 She insisted she takes good care of the puppies and that her dogs are checked by a veterinarian.

"My veterinary bills are outrageous," Browning said. 

Browning admitted that Hudson, who died shortly after leaving her store, had parvo when she sold him. PetOrama's owner did refund McCoy and Kreisman for Hudson and she paid their vet bill, but they said it's little consolation.

"It's a heartache that no one should have to go through," said McCoy, who thinks about Hudson every day.

As for the other dogs, she believed they may have gotten sick after they left her store. Browning said her staff sanitizes cages daily but does not dispute the fact that parvo has up to a two-week incubation period.

The families said Leo and Hudson were visibly sick within days of being purchased.

Browning then became emotional, telling NBC 5 she's under extreme stress because so many puppies have gotten sick with parvo and customers have been very upset.

"I've never seen this before in my life.  Emotionally, I'm spent," Browning said. "I can't listen to people cry over the phone anymore."

On the company's Facebook page she told customers that PetOrama has decided to "stop adopting out puppies." But there will be one last adoption event this weekend to sell the remaining dogs.

"It's hard when you love pets like we do and have taken all the measures possible trying to prevent illness, but then get treated badly by customers when they do get ill," she wrote.

Parvo is extremely contagious because a dog can shed the virus before it ever shows signs of the illness.

"It's really hard to kill the virus. It's resistant to common disinfectants," said Dr. Nancy Turner, the Dallas District Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.  "It's resistant to heat. It's resistant to sunlight. So, really, it's a tough bug essentially."

Turner, who practices at Bent Tree Animal Hospital in Dallas, said that by the time one puppy shows the signs there is a good chance other dogs could be infected.

State Offers No Legal Remedy for Purchase of Sick Dogs

Unlike some other states, Texas does not have a Lemon Law for dogs.

"There's no regulation of pet stores of any shape, form or fashion at the state level," said Skip Trimble, a Texas Humane Legislation Network board member.

Trimble's organization advocates for state animal welfare legislation. While there are rules and regulations for larger breeders at the state level, as of now, individual cities and towns may or may not have ordinances that can help pet owners.

"You're just totally at risk and virtually there is no warranty on these dogs," Trimble said.

The City of Mansfield does have an ordinance that gives animal control the authority to inspect pet stores.  It also mandates that anyone with care and control of an animal "maintain the animal in good health."

Fowler said that if a pet store fails to maintain the health of their animals they can impose a fine.

Fowler originally insisted he had no record of any complaints against PetOrama.  But McCoy said she called animal control and spoke with an officer several weeks ago.

"He said that unfortunately it's not in their jurisdiction and there's nothing that they could do for me,"  McCoy said.

However, after speaking with NBC 5, Fowler said he is now opening an investigation.

Rivera said Browning did not give her a refund for Leo or help with the vet bills.

Craig Haemker said he also received no help from the store after a puppy he purchased, Sophie, was diagnosed with parvo and required a $1,000 aggressive medical treatment to be rid of the virus.

Today, Sophie is a happy, healthy dog, but Jenny and Andrew are still reeling from losing Leo.

"That dog just meant the world to us," said Jenny.

They want to make sure other families don't suffer like they have.  That, they said, is Leo's legacy.

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Son's Last Message Inspires Newtown Mother

A chalkboard message from 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis inspires his mother to "Choose Love."

Son's Last Message Inspires Newtown Mother

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"Nurturing. Healing. Love."

Scarlett Lewis noticed the chalk-written message on her kitchen chalkboard when returning home for the first time – days after her son Jesse was taken from her on December 14th.  "It was in 6-year-old handwriting. Right about where he'd be standing," says Lewis from her Sandy Hook farmhouse.  "It's phonetically spelled. It's very clear what it says. I was stunned."

Lewis described her son as an "energetic, happy boy" whose personality could dominate a room. This type of message, however, was out of the ordinary for him but feels it was left for when she and her oldest son, J.T.  would need it most.

"He isn't the type of boy who would write that. He was loving and sweet and kind but that was a prophetic statement. I felt like it came from his spirit."

It was this same message that the single mom sent while eulogizing her son.  "I said 'I have something for you to do for us. That's to consciously change an angry thought into a loving one' because it is a choice."

It's now the mission of the newly formed Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation. Scarlet hopes it grows from the chalkboard to the pulpit to – one day – your child's classroom. She is meeting with professional educators to create a school curriculum that will be taught nationwide.

"This will be taught right along Math, Reading and Writing. It will be a life management course."
Lewis was the first family member to speak at Wednesday's Legislative Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety hearing held in Newtown. She says she is not looking to get involved in the political debate that has followed the shootings. Rather,  she will focus on a message that can be supported on all sides of the discussion.

"I feel like he wrote that message for a reason and handed me a torch. I'm gonna take it and hopefully – with everyone's help – change the world so this will never happen again."

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Search Dog Finds Potential Evidence in "Black Dahlia" Murder

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Steve Hodel cannot let go.

And so he returned to a distinctive Hollywood mansion with another ex-cop, Paul Dostie, and Dostie's search dog, Buster. Hodel had a mission for them.

In his book "Black Dahlia Avenger," the retired LAPD detective and best-selling author convinced many skeptics that he had solved the gruesome 1947 murder that perhaps became LA's most notorious cold case.

The body of Elizabeth Short, 22, had been severed in two with surgical skill and technique, leading investigators to conclude early on that the killer likely had medical school training.

That killer, Steve Hodel ultimately concluded, was his late father, George Hodel, MD.

What's more, because there was no trace of blood in the empty Leimert Park lot where the remains were found, detectives realized she must have been killed elsewhere.

That elsewhere, Hodel concluded, was the landmark Hollywood mansion where Dr. Hodel made his home, the distinctive "Sowden House" designed on a Mayan theme by famed second-generation architect Lloyd Wright.

Steve Hodel lived there as a child. As he looked into the case, he was able to determine from records that he and his siblings were away with their mother at the time of the Black Dahlia murder.

Hodel marshaled considerable evidence, which was later corroborated after "Black Dahlia Avenger" was published, when the District Attorney Steve Cooley agreed to reopen decades-old case files.

Right at the top was a picture of Dr. Hodel; it turns out he had been the principal suspect. Investigators had even planted a bug in the house to listen for incriminating admissions. But before authorities brought charges, Dr. Hodel abruptly abandoned his family and relocated to Asia.

The likes of Steve Kay, then a head Deputy DA, concluded that Steve Hodel had made the case against his father.

But that wasn't good enough for Steve Hodel, who has continued seeking more evidence in hopes of convincing his former employer, the LAPD, to declare the case officially solved.

So when the opportunity arose to return to the Sowden house with Dostie and Buster, Hodel took it.

The arrangements with the current ownership had been made by producers of a segment for the "Ghost Hunters" program on the SyFy Channel.

Hodel knew that the sounds of blows and a woman's screams had been heard coming from the basement, according to the transcript of what police heard through the bug. The basement had never been finished and when Hodel, Dostie and the SyFy crew went there last November, the floor was still dirt.

With his keen sense of smell, Buster alerted in four locations, indicating he had picked up the scent of human decomposition, faint traces of which can remain for decades, Dostie said.

But is it corroboration? Dostie cannot say for sure. The decomposition of human tissue that Buster detected did not necessarily originate in the basement.

With the house on a slope, it is possible traces may have migrated downslope from the hillside lot above. Labwork may be able to pin down the possibilities. Hodel is waiting for the results.

Dostie and Buster have moved on to other searches, Buster hardly losing a step despite the fact that the black lab was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in a hind leg, which had to be amputated.

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Friend of Slain Asst. DA Speaks Out

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Mark Hasse, the Kaufman County prosecutor gunned down Thursday, was a hard-working lawyer who "loved to tell stories" and often put dangerous criminals behind bars, a longtime friend says.

Kaufman defense attorney Eric Smenner said he first met Hasse when the two worked in Dallas in the 1990's.

He said Hasse as a pilot who loved to fly and that he had survived a plane crash in the mid-1990s.

"He had some pretty serious head injuries. It took him a while to get back. He had noticeable mark on his head, some scarring from the accident. He recovered from it," said Smenner.

Smenner added that while it was too soon to say what may have led to the shooting, Hasse had dealt with cases involving methamphetamine in the county, gangs and white supremacist groups.

"Any prosecutor will make enemies. When you stand up at trial and point your finger at them, sometimes they take that personally," Smenner said.

Smenner said Hasse was not married and rarely talked about his family, but "was a story teller.  He would talk to you for hours."

Former colleagues of Hasse's say the news of his death spread through the Frank Crowley Courts Building and is sending "shockwaves" through the legal community in Dallas.

Hasse worked for the Dallas County DA's office from 1982 to 1988, having earned his law degree from SMU in 1981 according to the State Bar of Texas' website.

Former Dallas County assistant district attorney Toby Shook said that Hasse was a felony prosecutor when he joined the DA's office.

"When I was a young prosecutor we use to watch because he was that talented," Shook said. "You'd learn a lot from him, he would talk about his cases, didn't mind sharing information and that kind of deal. Very friendly guy, talkative with everyone that kind of thing."

Shook says Hasse was one of the most talented prosecutors and targeted major drug dealers. Shook says he put "a lot of folks in prison" and was at one point the head of the DA's office Organized Crime Division.

Shook echoed Smenner's thoughts that prosecutors often deal with unpleasant individuals who may wish to do them harm.

"It's always in the back of your mind that something like that could happen because you're dealing with prosecuting very violent people who know violent people," Shook said. "And sometimes you hear of threats but it rarely, rarely happens."

Former Kaufman County District Attorney Rick Harrison, who is now a criminal defense attorney, said it was stressful and shocking news when he emerged from a murder trial at lunch.

"He was a, you know, very experienced prosecutor," Harrison said, "and enjoyed being a prosecutor, you know, enjoyed the job."

Shook says prosecuting was Hasse's life.

"Mark Hasse loved prosecuting more than anything," Shook said. "It was a job that he loved getting up in the morning and going to, he truly loved it you can tell that when talking to him. It was his life and he died doing it."

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Cowboys' Ratliff Charged in Intoxicated-Driving Case

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Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Jay Ratliff has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor in connection with an intoxicated-driving arrest in Grapevine earlier this month.

Ratliff was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving after a collision with an 18-wheeler along state Highway 114 on Jan. 22.

Police were alerted to the crash by 911 calls shortly after the crash. The responding officers learned that Ratliff, who was driving a pickup truck, turned into the big rig before crashing into a barrier wall.

Grapevine police said lab results indicated that Ratliff had a blood-alcohol level of .16 at the time of his arrest.

After the crash, Ratliff failed a field sobriety test and then became verbally abusive as he refused to take a breath test. Officers obtained a warrant and forced him to submit to giving a blood sample.

Ratliff's arrest came less than a month after fellow defensive lineman Josh Brent was indicted on one count of intoxication manslaughter for his role in a one-car crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown Jr.

Ratliff will next appear in court Feb. 26.

If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

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Gun Rights Advocates March in FW Stockyards

Omar Villafranca, NBC 5 News

More than a dozen people marched through the Fort Worth Stockyards armed with rifles and shotguns, they say they're ready to fight for the right to openly carry their weapons in public.

Open Carry March Through the Stockyards

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More than a dozen men and women walked through the historic Fort Worth Stockyards armed with shotguns and semi-automatic rifles. But it wasn't an Old West re-enactment -- the group was there to push for the right to openly carry a handgun in Texas.

"It's part of my Second Amendment right," said Derek Hall, of Fort Worth. "It's written in the Constitution."

He brought along a semi-automatic Smith and Wesson M&P 15 and a Mossberg shotgun.

"They shouldn't have the ability to take it away from us or limit what we can have," Hall said.

Andy Welch, of North Richland Hills, also brought his semi-automatic rifle. He said he is worried that the current administration in Washington is trying to take his gun rights away.

Hall and Welch, along with other men and women of varying ages, brought along their weapons for a peaceful walk through the Stockyards. The group did a safety check beforehand to make sure the weapons were not loaded before the march started.

The march took place at a time when a bill in Austin, House Bill 700, would allow concealed handgun license owners to openly carry their weapons in public instead of concealing them.

Hall said it is a bill he can support.

"If you can conceal carry, why wouldn't you be able to open carry?" he said. "If the law tells you you're legal to own one, and you've gone through the classes and you're not a felon and you don't have everything against you, why shouldn't it be legal?"

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UNT Students Perform Jingle on "Today Show"

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It was a busy week for two University of North Texas students who went from attending class to performing live on national television Tuesday morning.

UNT juniors Kayley Walker, a radio, television and film major, and Andrew Walker, a music major, make up the musical duo The Walkers. The musicians were one of three acts to perform live on NBC's "Today Show" as part of the show's "Quest for the Best" contest.

The two, who happen to share the same last name but aren't actually related, wrote a jingle for the show in Tuesday's "Quest for the Best" installment. The Walkers performed to see whose melody among the three contestants would be named the best.

The Walkers found out their submission had been selected as a finalist around mid-January.

"I called him like a hundred times," said Kayley Walker, who got the call while Walker was in class.

NBC flew the duo out to New York City on Monday for their Tuesday performance.

"We woke up at four in the morning and then we had to get there at the studio at six," said Kayley Walker. The two barely got any sleep in anticipation of their performance, Andrew Walker added.

As the two warmed up for their performance, they got a behind the scenes look at the show and got a glimpse of their favorite "Today Show" anchors.

The Walkers took the stage at about 8 a.m., performing second in the contest.

The duo's original jingle was not picked to win, but they say the experience and exposure was the real reward.

"Now they've seen us, like a lot of people watch the "Today Show,"' said Andrew Walker.

The Walkers first met back in middle school in Arlington. They became friends during their junior year of high school when they found out both would attend UNT.

"We found out we were both going to UNT and started writing music together freshman year," said Andrew Walker.

The two continue to play their acoustic sounds at coffee shops and other venues in Denton and Arlington.

The Walkers hope the "Today Show" buzz will help them reach new audiences.

"The Walkers aren't finished yet!" said Kayley Walker.

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Kaufman Co. Asst. DA Gunned Down Near Courthouse

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Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down Thursday morning in what appears to be a targeted attack, police say.

Hasse was shot multiple times while walking from the parking lot toward the county courthouse at about 8 a.m., officials said. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

When asked if Hasse appeared to have been targeted by his attacker, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes said: "I would say from all appearances it is, but we have no concrete information on that. We're pursuing every avenue right now."

Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Mike McLelland said the county suffered a "devastating loss."

Investigators Search for Assistant D.A.'s Killer

Investigators are searching for two suspects believed to have shot Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. Authorities believe they fled in a brown or silver older model Ford Taurus.

Shooting of Mark Hasse Shakes Community

The shooting of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse shocked the quiet community of Kaufman.

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"We lost a really, really good man. He was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor," he said. "He will not be easily replaced. He will be sorely missed by everybody in the office. I hope that the people that did this are watching, because we are very confident that we are going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

Chris Aulbaugh, the Kaufman chief of police, said no official arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. Police are following up on several leads, including multiple witness reports from various angles around the crime scene, he said.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, the Texas Rangers and state troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety are at the scene assisting local and county law enforcement with the investigation.

Police said witnesses have reported two shooters wearing all black, one or both of them possibly wearing a tactical-type vest, and driving an older, silver Ford Taurus. Aulbaugh said they have not yet confirmed that there were two people involved in the shooting and if the shooter(s) were wearing a tactical jacket as described.

Police taped off the parking lot near the Tax Assessor/Collectors office, which is near the courthouse and is commonly used by judges and prosecutors. Officers later expanded the taped-off area to include two city blocks. Several streets around the courthouse and parking lot are closed as the shooting is investigated.

Investigators said they were not aware of any threats made toward Hasse and that they didn't know of any cases that might explain the shooting, but that Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with his profession.

"Mark was fully aware of the dangers of this job. He accepted them readily and was, as I said before, an absolutely stellar prosecutor and good friend," said McLelland. "Tell the people that they have lost an outstanding man who will not be easily replaced."

Eric Smenner, a friend of Hasse's, told NBC 5's Scott Gordon that while it was too soon to say what may have led to the shooting, Hasse had dealt with cases involving methamphetamine in the county, gangs and white supremacist groups. He described Hasse as a hard-working lawyer who "loved to tell stories" and often put dangerous criminals behind bars.

Tonya Radcliffe, a board member on the Kaufman County Appraisal District whose office is adjacent to the scene of the shooting, said a staff member heard the gunshots and called police. Radcliffe said she and her staff of about 25 are in the building and under lockdown.

During the early stages of the investigation, a hospital, several schools and county buildings, including the Tax Assessor/Collector's office, were locked down as a precaution.  With Thursday being the last day for people to pay property taxes without a penalty, officials advised Kaufman County residents that they could still pay taxes using the county's pay by phone option or make payments in person at sub-courthouses and drop boxes.

A reward of at least $34,000 from Kaufman County Crime Stoppers and other sources is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman. The reward is expected to increase as other donations come in.

Anyone with information is asked to call Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-TIPS-KCC. As always, tipsters may remain anonymous.

We will continue to update this story with more information as soon as it's available. As this story is developing, elements may change.

Editor's Note: Greenville ISD was locked down because of a search for robbery suspects. The lockdown was not related to the Kaufman County shooting.

NBC 5's Randy McIlwain, Scott Gordon, Ken Kalthoff, Keaton Fox and Deborah Ferguson contributed to this report.

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Remembering Ed Koch, Emblem of a City

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Ed Koch, the larger-than-life politician who rescued the city from near-financial ruin during a three-term City Hall run, died of congestive heart failure Friday, Feb. 1, at the age of 88. 

Here, New Yorkers — from politicians to reporters to friends, family and voters — share their reflections on the former mayor's life and legacy:  

Mayor Bloomberg: "In elected office and as a private citizen, he was our most tireless, fearless, and guileless civic crusader. Through his tough, determined leadership and responsible fiscal stewardship, Ed helped lift the city out of its darkest days and set it on course for an incredible comeback. We will miss him dearly, but his good works – and his wit and wisdom – will forever be a part of the city he loved so much."   

The Rev. Al Sharpton: "Although we argued about everything from my marching in Bensonhurst, to Florida and Trayvon Martin, and although we disagreed on politics from his views on President Obama to other matters, I have found that he was never a phony or a hypocrite. He would not patronize or deceive you. He said what he meant. He meant what he said. He fought for what he believed."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo: "Mr. Mayor was never one to shy away from taking a stand that he believed was right, no matter what the polls said or what was politically correct ... I will miss his friendship, and we will all miss his perpetual optimism and tireless commitment to continually striving to improve our city, state, nation and world." 

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman: "As a lifelong New Yorker, it's hard to imagine this city without Ed Koch. We will miss his keen mind, sharp wit, and absolute devotion to making a great city the best in the world. While we mourn his loss, we know that the legacy of his mayoralty, his commitment to civil rights and affordable housing, and his civic leadership long after he left City Hall, will live on for generations."

Manhattan DA Cy Vance: "New York would not be the safest big city in America today if Ed Koch hadn't spearheaded one of the most important criminal justice reforms in New York City's history as mayor: selecting criminal court judges based on merit instead of political connections. Every New Yorker has the right to walk the streets of our city without fear and all New Yorkers deserve equal access to justice. We'd be far, far further from these goals today if not for Mayor Ed Koch's foresight and vision and courage."

 

Rep. Peter King: "Ed Koch was a true friend and trusted advisor. Ed Koch personified the spirit of New York. New York's 'Mayor for Life' is now New York's 'Mayor for Eternity.' May he rest in peace."

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Official Calls on Tarrant DA to Resign Over Sex Scandal

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Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Ron Wright on Tuesday called on District Attorney Joe Shannon to resign over a sexual harassment scandal.

"As a fellow Republican elected official, I take no joy in this," Wright said in a statement. "In fact, it pains me to do it, but I believe it is the right thing to do."

On Friday, the county released documents in a sexual harassment complaint brought by former assistant district attorney Sabrina Sabin. She claimed Shannon touched her inappropriately, constantly commented on her breasts and harassed her in other ways over a period of about four years.

Tarrant County commissioners agreed to settle the complaint in September for $375,000. Shannon said he did not agree to the payment and denied the allegations.

The county also paid legal fees and hired a human resources company to investigate the complaint, bringing the total cost of the settlement to more than $500,000.

"To suggest that this leaves the district attorney and his office in a bad light would be a gross understatement," Wright said. "The optics (how this is seen by the average voter) are terrible:  the top law enforcement official in the county embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal that costs county taxpayers a half million dollars. Politically, the optics could scarcely get much worse."

In a statement, Shannon said he has no intention of resigning.

"The Tarrant County District Attorney's office is widely regarded as the best in the state," he said.

The statement did not directly address the sexual harassment accusations. Shannon has said he signed a confidentiality agreement that does not allow him to comment on specifics.

Wright said he cannot judge whether the allegations are true but added the settlement, "leaves the matter in a perpetual state of he said/she said."

"Joe Shannon should step down as Tarrant County District Attorney, and he should do so immediately," Wright said.

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Bond Set for Teacher Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run

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A judge on Wednesday set bond for the woman charged in the hit-and-run death of a 6-year-old Grand Prairie boy.

Tammy Lowe, 53, turned herself in to police on Tuesday in connection with the Jan. 24 hit-and-run crash that killed John Paul Raidy.

Her bond has been set at $100,000 for the felony manslaughter charge and an additional $100,000 for the charge of accident causing injury/death.

Lowe's attorney, Cameron Gray, said a judge ignored requests to reduce her $200,000 bond.

He said he met with his client two different times Wednesday. She will likely be transported from the Grand Prairie Jail to the Dallas County Jail by Friday at the latest.

Lowe's husband Gray had a meeting at Grand Prairie police headquarters on Wednesday. Gray would not say what the meeting was about, saying it was "just tying loose ends up."

Bond Set for Teacher in Hit and Run

On Wednesday Tammy Lowe was arraigned on charges of manslaughter and accident causing injury/death in connection with the fatal hit and run that killed 6-year-old John Raidy.

Family to Honor Boy Killed in Hit-and-Run

The family of John Paul Raidy is planning to honor the life of their 6-year-old son, just days after he was killed in a hit-and-run crash.

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Police are not questioning Lowe's husband about the hit-and-run, Gray said.

He said his client is thinking about the crash.

"She's very sad about what happened," Gray said. "She feels a great deal of pain for the family of the child."

NBC 5 has obtained seven different calls made to 911 after the hit-and-run crash.

Heidy Cano, one of the callers, said she is still haunted by what she saw.

"It's like a video recorded in my mind, because it's hard to see that happen," she said.

Cano returned to the intersection Wednesday night for the first time since the crash.

"Right now, I'm standing here, and I can see it like it's happening again," she said.

Lowe, a teacher of 22 years who taught seventh-grade social studies at Adams Middle School, resigned before before surrendering to police on Tuesday.

Family members of Raidy said later that day that they never expected a teacher to be behind the wheel of the car that hit their son.

"You become a teacher because you want to spend your life teaching children, and to think that a teacher was so heartless to do this, it's unbearable," said Christina Raidy, the boy's great-aunt.

But Raidy's family said it was focusing on honoring his life, not on the woman charged in his death. His funeral was held Wednesday morning.

"It's about John; it isn't about her," said family friend Sean Martin.

NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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Officer Arrested for Armed Sexual Battery: Miami Police

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Update in Teacher Sexual Battery Arrest Case

The teacher charged with sexually battering a young South Florida girl allegedly continued his inappropriate contact with her even after his arrest, the girl's mother told NBC 6 South Florida in an exclusive interview. The woman's attorney, Jeffrey Herman, also discusses the allegations.

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A Miami Police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges of armed sexual battery by a law enforcement officer and armed kidnapping, police said.

Luis Hernandez, 27, a seven-year member of the police department, was arrested by internal affairs detectives after DNA evidence backed up a woman's claims he kidnapped and sexually battered her in November 2011, police said.

"The findings were enough to have a Miami-Dade County judge sign an arrest warrant and charge Officer Luis Hernandez with sexual battery by a law enforcement officer, and armed kidnapping," Miami Police spokeswoman Officer Kenia Reyes said.

The charges stem from an early morning alleged attack by Hernandez on Nov. 26, 2011. That day, he was called in to relieve an officer going off-duty by transporting a 44-year-old woman to to the Miami-Dade County Jail. She had just been arrested after an earlier bar fight, police said.

Hernandez picked up the victim from a colleague at police headquarters just after one o'clock that morning. Soon after, she said, he drove her to a parking lot off the 2500 block of Northwest 2nd Avenue. She recalled that Hernandez told her, "I'm going to help you," police said.

Man "A Danger to the Women of the Community": Judge

The victim told police internal affairs investigators that Hernandez gave her some gauze and told her to clean up her face. With her shirt torn from the fight hours earlier, she recalled Hernandez poured a liquid onto a scratch on her breast. Then, she said, Hernandez lifted her shirt, and began fondling her.

Police documents note the victim told investigators that Hernandez, dressed in police uniform, removed his duty belt and exposed himself. According to the victim, the officer then told her to "get down," a demand, she believed, for oral sex.

The victim refused, and she claimed Hernandez began fondling her private parts. According to police, she said he then ordered her to turn around, and she begged him to stop.

Officer Arrested After Woman Accused Him of Having Sex With Her: Report

After the encounter, the victim said she was handed off to a detention officer, but because of her wounds, that officer asked Hernandez to come with him and the victim to jail. While being processed, the victim, who is a Spanish-speaking undocumented immigrant, felt comfortable sharing the story that would launch the investigation, police said.

Within months, DNA evidence linked Hernandez to the crime, they said.

Mayor Tomas Regalado told NBC 6 the investigation and arrest proves the city demands the best of its officers.

"To me, this is not a scandal, this is a clean up of the department," he said.

Hernandez is being held without bond, online Miami-Dade Corrections records said. It was not known if he has an attorney.

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Kwame Harris: Chris Culliver Is Spreading Hate

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Former San Francisco 49er and openly gay football player Kwame Harris has responded to Chris Culliver's comments on gays in the NFL.

"It's surprising that in 2013 Chris Culliver would use his 15 minutes to spread vitriol and hate. I recognize that these are comments that he may come to regret and that he may come to see that gay people are not so different than straight people," Harris told NBC Bay Area.

Harris was outed as a gay man just this week. He was charged with assaulting a former boyfriend last summer outside a Menlo Park restaurant, and the charge became public after a recent court appearance.

Culliver's comments, in which the 49er suggested that gay players would not be welcome in the 49ers' locker room, came during an interview with shock jock radio host Artie Lange on Super Bowl Media Day Tuesday.

"I don't do the gay guys, man," Culliver told Lange. "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah ... can't be ... in the locker room, man."

By 8:30 p.m. ET, Culliver released a statement apologizing for what he said.

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience," Culliver's statement read.

The 49ers issued a statement as well, saying the team rejects Culliver's comments.

"The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community," the statement read.

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Scammed 49ers Fan Scores Super Bowl Tickets

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Sharon Osgood of Hayward and her boyfriend are heading out to the Super Bowl, despite the fact that they were scammed out of nearly $6,000 when they thought they were buying the prized football tickets on Craigslist.

Turns out, she actually ended up a winner.

The Mercury News, which first reported her story, said that Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard called her to offer her four free tickets and set her up with breakfast with NFL Legend Troy Aikman. A 49ers representative is giving her a pair of tickets, too, because Osgood wanted to bring her nephew's girlfriend. Her boyfriend's daughter and her nephew are also going. She has one left over for another relative.

"I am so super excited," Osgood told NBC Bay Area on Tuesday afternoon. "I can't tell you how blessed I feel. We were crushed, and then we were elated."

Osgood's fortune has taken a happy twist. Her tale, at first, was a sad one.

She was scouring the Internet looking for good deals on Super Bowl tickets, so that she could see her beloved San Francisco 49ers play the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans on Sunday.

Full Super Bowl coverage

She found an offer on Craiglist. She said someone named "R. Thomas Pham Quan" was selling four tickets for $5,900. He told her that he was a tax attorney in Boca Raton, Fla, and a Baltimore Ravens season ticket holder. She said she texted and spoke on the phone with this person for four days, she said. She wired the money to the man's credit union, and on Monday, she received a FedEx package. But there were no Super Bowl tickets inside.

But instead of tickets, Osgood was sent a picture of quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco with a message underneath that read: "Enjoy the game!!!! Go Ravens!!!

On Tuesday, the phone number she had been using was no longer working, but she said she filed a report with the Alameda County sheriff's department late Monday. A spokesman for the sheriff's office wasn't immediately available to confirm the details.

But she said the person sounded so convincing and she felt she sort of "knew" him because they had so many phone and text conversations about the transaction.

"I trusted the guy," she said.

Craigslist warns that buyers should not wire money directly to sellers. Best practices in this online marketing world are that buyers and sellers who connect on Craigslist should meet in public places and pay in cash. Buyers and sellers on sites such as eBay should heed seller's ratings listed online, which reflect their number of successful transactions, and pay through PayPal, a secured site owned by eBay.

Osgood was initially worried about going public with her story. But now, she's happy she decided she put a face on her saga. Not only did she score free tickets, but she said she wants to prevent others from falling prey to ticket scammers.

"Who knows? Maybe they scammed other people too," she said. "I won't ever do this again."

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Super Bowl Chicken Wings Could Cost You More

Kevin Cokely, NBC 5 News

With chicken companies producing fewer birds in 2012 because of the drought, football fans could end up paying more this Super Bowl.

Chicken Wings Pricier This Year

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Fewer chickens are coming home to roost this year.

The National Chicken Council (yes, there really is such a thing) reports that Americans will consume 1.23 billion chicken wings this Super Bowl weekend -- down about 1 percent, or 12.3 million, from last year.

Chicken companies produced fewer birds in 2012 because of the drought and the resulting higher corn and feed prices.

"The big thing is, feed costs went up this year, so when you get the higher temperatures combined with increased feed costs you're not going to have as many chickens produced," said Bill Katz, owner of Frankie's Sports Bar & Grill.

With three locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and Lewisville, Frankie's expects to sell 15,000 wings this weekend.

The sports bar is paying a bit more for them this year but not charging customers any more.

"Having a large supplier, consistent quality, consistent pricing -- it makes it easy for me," Katz said.

But fewer chicken wings to go around may make them harder to find in some places -- or, at the very least, more expensive.

"If you're a smaller store or dealing with a smaller supplier and you're trying to piecemeal stuff together, they're going to be last in the pecking order," Katz said. "You know, it's like the big dogs eating at the bowl. The big dogs are going to get their food, and the little dogs [are] going to get the leftovers."

Wing prices normally spike each year right before the Super Bowl, but the wholesale price has never been higher -- about $2.11 per pound, up 26 cents from last year.

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Sources: Heroin Use Probed in Death of Pickens' Grandson

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Police are investigating the death of Thomas "Ty" Boone Pickens IV, the 21-year-old grandson of billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, as a possible drug overdose, two sources familiar with the investigation told NBC 5.

At least one witness told investigators that Pickens, a student at Texas Christian University, took the prescription drug Xanax and later injected heroin in the hours before he died, the sources said.

Pickens was pronounced dead Tuesday morning at Baylor All Saints Medical Center, where a friend brought him after saying he wouldn't wake up. He already may have been dead for several hours, the sources added.

Pickens had been staying at off-campus condos located in the 1800 block of Rogers Road, Fort Worth police Cpl. Tracey Knight said. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine his cause of death, she added.

A young man who answered the door at the condo did not want to give his name, but said that he and his cousin -- also TCU students -- were with Pickens Monday night.

The man, who was visibly shaking, said Pickens told them he had taken Xanax earlier Monday and later used heroin inside their condo when the two had gone to the store and left Pickens alone.

When they returned from the store, Pickens appeared to be sleeping, he said.

Tuesday morning, when Pickens did not wake up, he and his cousin carried his body to a car, he said. His cousin drove Pickens to the hospital while he went to class, he said.

The man said police searched the condo for drugs later Tuesday morning, but he could not say what officers found.

Police had not yet decided late Tuesday whether or not to arrest anyone who may have been involved in the drug use.

Knight said homicide detectives were notified of the death but it wasn't known if they would lead the investigation.

News of the death and the possible drug connection was certain to spread fast across the TCU campus following a well-publicized drug raid just last year.

A spokesman for Pickens' grandfather issued a written statement.

"Ty's loss at such a young age is an unspeakable family tragedy for the entire Pickens family and his many friends.  We mourn his passing and respectfully request that the family be allowed to grieve in private in this time of sorrow," said Jay Rosser, spokesperson for T. Boone Pickens.

The university also emailed a statement.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of this member of our community and our hearts and thoughts are with Ty's family at this time," said Cavins Tull, TCU vice chancellor for student affairs. "Staff members are available if students need to speak with someone about this sad news."

TCU360.com reports Pickens was a junior majoring in strategic communication.

A spokeswoman for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner did not immediately return a call for comment.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra and Meredith Land contributed to this report.

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Man Dead, FW Officer Seriously Injured in Shooting

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A Fort Worth police officer is in serious condition and a suspect is dead after a shooting in Haltom City Tuesday afternoon.

Haltom City police say a narcotics investigation led to a shootout between an armed suspect and Fort Worth police officers. One Fort Worth police officer was shot, as was the suspect, who died Tuesday night.

The call came in at about 5 p.m. that an officer was shot on the 1900 block of Carson Street in Haltom City.

Cpl. Joe Hackfeld with the Haltom City Police Department said they were pursuing a vehicle involved in that narcotic investigation, but could not disclose the specifics of that investigation. Hackfeld says the man they were chasing ended up ditching his vehicle on Carson Street, just south of state Highway 121.

Haltom City officers set up a perimeter and searched neighboring businesses and homes.

A woman living behind the automotive shop, Lynsey Kendrick, told NBC 5 that her house was searched by police. Kendrick said she heard six shots from her porch.

Officer Sharron Neal, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department, says three Fort Worth police officers happened to be at 2nd Opinion Automotive talking with the owner, when they learned that a wanted man was behind the building.

Officer Neal says that as the officers went to confront the man, he opened fire on the officers. Neal says the officers returned fire. However, given the early nature of the investigation, it's unknown at this time how many of the officers returned fire and how many rounds were fired. It is also too early to know how many shots the man fired.

The injured suspect was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died from those injuries Tuesday night. His identity has not yet been released.

The officer was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

"A Fort Worth police officer has been shot," said Cpl. Tracey Knight with the Fort Worth Police Department. "He is in serious condition. He is being treated here by the best doctors in the city. And so we ask for all of our citizens to keep our officer in their thoughts and prayers."

The identity of the injured officer has not been released. Fort Worth police did say the officer is a 21-year veteran with the department and is in serious condition.

Sources within the Fort Worth Police Department tell NBC 5 this officer was shot three times.

The investigation is ongoing.

NBC 5's Ben Russell and Chris Van Horne contributed to this report.

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Ex-Illinois Gov. George Ryan Enters Halfway House After Years in Prison

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Ryan's Road to Prison: A Review

Former Gov. George Ryan spent the last six years in prison on a corruption conviction. Phil Rogers looks back on what got him there.

Ryan Prepares for Halfway House

Former Chief of Staff Scott Fawell explains what the former governor can expect when he leaves a federal prison in Indiana. Phil Rogers reports.

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Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was released from prison Wednesday after more than five years in a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., for corruption. Ryan, a 78-year-old father and grandfather, reported to a halfway house in Chicago just before 7 a.m.

The former governor, convicted in 2006 of federal corruption charges, was given a strict schedule to get from the prison to the West Side facility about four hours away. He arrived wearing a suit and tie and flanked by staffers and surrounded by the media.

There was speculation that Ryan made a request to stop to visit the grave site of his late wife, Lura Lynn, who died in 2011 of lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis and whose funeral he was not allowed to attend. His family has said it would hold off having a formal memorial for her until his release.

Once at the halfway house, Ryan faces a new reality that's at the same time starkly different and very much the same as prison.

He's expected to stay for a maximum of six months at the same Salvation Army facility where dozens of onetime politicos from Illinois made their transition back to freedom. They included former City Clerk James Laski and Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese.

Ryan's former chief of staff, Scott Fawell, said Monday this will be the place where Ryan will most likely mingle with the hardest criminals he will see during his entire stay with the Bureau of Prisons.

"You can be in the same room with guys who have done 20 or 30 years in prison, where he's used to a little different clientele," Fawell explained.

Ryan will be required to take mandatory classes on such mundane skills as opening a bank account, writing a check, and making out a resume. It sounds ridiculous for a former governor but is par for the course in the Bureau of Prisons', one-size-fits-all approach to corrections.

"It's for everybody," Fawell said. "Whether you've done 30 years or three months."

After orientation, it will be time for the former Springfield dealmaker to go to work. Every halfway house resident is required to have a job and to work 40 hours each week. Ryan will have to sign out when he departs in the morning and call when he arrives at his job site. He is to be back at the Salvation Army facility at Ashland and Monroe by 7 p.m. every evening.

Ryan is said to have lost weight during his time in prison and appears in good health except for some pending dental problems.

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Man Wanted in Connection to Radio Shack Robbery

Ben Russell, NBC 5 News

Police have issued an arrest warrant for David Lee Horton Jr. in the armed robbery of a Radio Shack in Plano.

Euless Man Wanted in Plano Armed Robbery

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Plano police issued a warrant Monday night for a Euless man wanted in connection to an armed robbery.

Police are looking for David Lee Horton Jr., 33, and have charged him with aggravated robbery for a robbery on Jan. 21 at a Radio Shack on the 3300 block of Dallas Parkway, just off of the Parker Road exit of the Dallas North Tollway.

Horton went into the store, displayed a handgun, forced the store's clerks into a back storeroom and retrained them up, police said.

Horton then proceeded to steal cash and electronics from the store before he fled, police said.

Police released a photograph of Horton along with an image of the vehicle authorities believe he may be driving. Police say Horton was last seen in a white, four-door vehicle, possibly a Honda Civic with a sunroof.

If you have any information on this case, you're asked to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-373-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case.
 

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90 Firefighters Battle Warehouse Blaze

Keaton Fox, NBC 5

Flames ripped through a vacant warehouse in Dallas early Tuesday morning.

Fire Rips Through Empty Warehouse

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Flames ripped through a vacant warehouse in Dallas early Tuesday morning.

The fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in an empty warehouse at 9915 Overlake Drive.

Dallas Fire-Rescue says 92 firefighters and 20 fire trucks responded to the fire.

Windy conditions made fighting a four-alarm fire in Dallas difficult, fire crews said.

Fire crews said the size of the structure also gave them trouble. Since the building was vacant, firefighters say they believe no one was inside.

No injuries were reported.

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Two Injured in Oil Facility Explosion

NBC 5 has live video coverage of this story. At times the stream may switch sources, go to black, or have some audio issues. This is normal and expected.

An explosion and fire has been reported at an oil storage facility in Van Zandt County.

According to information from the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal, Chuck Allen, the facility is on state Highway 110 north of Van, Texas.

Around 3 a.m., emergency responders got a call about a fire at an oil well. Multiple fire departments responded to the scene and are actively trying to contain the fire.

There are six large storage tanks at the facility, three of which have already exploded and were on fire. The fire marshal is working to identify which company owns the storage facility.

Two burn victims, both 24-years-old, have been reported and transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital, according to information from Van Zandt fire officials.

One of the victims, a 24-year-old female, is reportedly on life support, while the other, a 24-year-old male, has burns to his face, chest, and arms.

The names of both the victims are being withheld until next of kin is notified. Neither person was identified to be employees of the oil company responsible for the facility.

According to Van Zandt County Fire Marshal, Chuck Allen, the two victims were allegedly trepassing on the property and smoking on top of the storage tanks when they exploded.

NBC 5 has crews on the way and we'll update this story with more information as soon as it's available.  As this story is developing, elements may change.

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2 Hurt in Explosion at Texas Oil Facility

Multiple fire departments responded Tuesday to an explosion and fire at an oil storage facility in northeast Texas that has injured two people.

According to information from the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal, Chuck Allen, the facility is on state Highway 110 north of Van, Texas.

Around 3 a.m., emergency responders got a call about a fire at an oil well. Multiple fire departments are actively trying to contain the fire. There are five large storage tanks at the facility, two of which have already exploded and were on fire. The fire marshal is working to identify which company owns the storage facility.

Two burn victims, both 24-years-old, were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital, according to information from Van Zandt fire officials.

The two victims were allegedly smoking on top of storage tanks when they exploded, according to Allen.

One of the victims, a 24-year-old female, is reportedly on life support, while the other, a 24-year-old male, has burns to his face, chest, and arms.

The names of both the victims are being withheld until next of kin is notified. Neither person was identified to be employees of the oil company responsible for the facility.

NBC 5 has crews on the way and we'll update this story with more information as soon as it's available.  As this story is developing, elements may change.

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Dog Hurt in Business Fire Comes Home

Mark Schnyder, NBC 5 News

Jake barked and wagged when we came to the door. Owners were thrilled to see that.

Dog Hurt in Business Fire Comes Home

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Dog Fights for Life After Fire

The community is pulling together after Jake the dog was hurt in a fire at the Kwik Kar in Bedford Tuesday.

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That wagging tail is a sight Vernon and Mary Dede have been waiting for.

"Very pleased," said Vernon Dede shortly after we showed up at his house.  "It's a huge load off both of our minds (to have him home).  I think he's happier.  We're happier."

The four-year old lab, possible Great Dane mix, inhaled a lot of smoke in Tuesday's fire at the Kwik Kar Lube and Tune in Bedford which the Dedes own.  Despite life-saving efforts by firefighters, for a while there Vernon and Mary Dede weren't sure Jake was going to be able to hang on.

Jake looks great.  He wasn't burned, but he's still got a ways to go on his road to recovery.  He's on antibiotics, pain killers and has to go to the vet twice a day for breathing treatments but at least he's home.

"When he came home he went right back to his dog kennel which is his safe place and we fixed him dinner and he ate dinner right away which was a great sign," said Mary Dede. "And we gave him his medicine and he went back to bed and just having him there in the house just made everything kind of right again."

The Dedes weren't looking for a dog when Jake found the Dedes four years ago.  Just as they son was heading off to college, Jake the puppy showed up under Vernon's car at a lakehouse.  Vernon brought him home and Jake became a family member instantly. 

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Grand Prairie Crash Kills Two Children

Ray Villeda, NBC 5 News

Four children transported to the hospital, two killed after multi-vehicle crash along westbound lanes of I-30 in Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie Crash Kills Two Children

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Grand Prairie Crash Kills Child, Injures Others

Three children transported to the hospital, one killed after multi-vehicle crash along westbound lanes of I-30 in Grand Prairie.

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A multi-vehicle crash killed 12-year-old and 13-year-old sisters and critically injured their brother in Grand Prairie on Sunday afternoon.

The wreck happened along the westbound lanes of I-30 at the State Highway 161/President George Bush Turnpike interchange.  

Police said that around 2:00 p.m., a 2004 Dodge Stratus, owned by Maria Vasquez and Juan Gonzalez of Irving, stalled on the left lane on I-30. The occupants called 911 and were waiting for officers to arrive when a Ford F150 pick-up truck crashed into the Stratus from behind.

Four children were sitting in the back of the Stratus at the time of the collision. 12-year old Maria Gonzalez was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where she died. Late Sunday night, Grand Prairie police notified NBCDFW that 13-year-old Dianna Gonzalez also died at the hospital.

The sisters' six-year-old brother remains in critical condition. A ten-year-old sister was also taken to the hospital but was released.

The mother, Maria Vasquez, sustained minor injuries. The father, Juan Gonzalez was not hurt.

Grand Prairie Police identified the driver of the Ford F150 as Justin Beavers, 30, of North Richland Hills. He was not injured.

Police are still looking for the cause of the collision.

"There was no indication of any impairment from by any of the drivers involved in this," Grand Prairie Police Sgt. Eric Hansen said. "[The] driver of the white pick up truck was very shaken up. He says that he changed lanes from center lane to the left lane, and that was when he saw vehicle and he had no time to take any other evasive maneuvers."

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Tanker Crash Closes US-80

NBC 5

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A tanker crash on US Highway 80 in Kaufman county closed portions of the roadway late Sunday evening.

About 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Forney firefighters responded to westbound US Highway 80 just west of FM 460.

They arrived to an 18-wheeler tanker that had rolled over. The driver was located and had suffered injures described as serious but not life threatening. Paramedics transported him to Baylor Hospital in Dallas.

Police and TxDPS closed all westbound lanes as well as the westbound frontage road, which lead to a number of delays for drivers.

Firefighters says the rig was loaded with 7,500 gallons of liquid including a mixture of diesel, bio-diesel and ethanol. A private hazmat company was called in to mitigate the spill and pump off the remaining product.

Just after midnight the frontage road was opened but the westbound lanes of the freeway remained closed.

At this point the accident is under investigation, but initial reports indicated the driver lost control in a curve, ran off the road and partially up an embankment before the rig rolled over.

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Three Car Collision Injures Two

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Two people are in the hospital after a three-car collision in Arlington.

At 10:57 p.m. Sunday, Arlington firefighters responded to northbound Collins Rd and Green Oaks for a three-car collision.

Police say a white Mercedes was southbound on Collins when it collided with a small black car that was eastbound on Green Oaks. At least one of the out control vehicles hit a small brown car.

The Mercedes was occupied by a woman who was injured and airlifted to John Peter Smith Hospital. The small black car was occupied by an adult male who was also injured and was transported by ground ambulance. Both are in stable condition.

The brown car was occupied by two men and they escaped injury.

Police mapped the crashed scene and are working to determine which car ran the red light. They are also exploring if alcohol was a factor.

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Former Prosecutor: Tarrant County DA Sexually Harassed Her

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A former Tarrant County prosecutor claimed she was sexually harassed by District Attorney Joe Shannon "over a long period of time" and later received a $375,000 settlement, according to documents released late Friday.

The former employee, Sabrina Sabin, said Shannon made graphic sexual comments to her and later retaliated against her.

Shannon denies the accusations.

On a business trip in 2008 in San Antonio, Shannon made comments about "seeing my breasts and how good they look," she wrote in a handwritten statement.

She said similar comments continued weekly when they returned from the trip.

"Joe would constantly make comments about my breasts and tell me he would like to see them and touch them," she said. "He would say things like, 'If you ever decide to surprise me and show them to me, no one has to know.'"

Early on, she said, she feared retaliation.

"I knew that if I said anything or made an issue out of being sexually harrassed, that I would possibly loose my job or that he would make my life miserable," she wrote. "I just kept quite and continued to focus on doing my job well." [Eds: The spellings "harrassed," "loose" and "quite" are in the original document.]

She said she worked directly for Shannon when he supervised the economic crimes unit before he became district attorney.

"It wasn't until I moved up into the position as an economic crimes prosecutor under Joe Shannon that things at work started becoming uncomfortable and at times unbearable and stressful," she said. "I didn't know what to say. Things are never going to change. This is never going to get better until he is gone."

In a written statement Friday, Shannon, 72, denied the accusations.

"An objective review of the documents will clearly demonstrate what I have said all along -- there are two sides to this controversy," he said. "The claims have been vigorously denied and disputed. I did not agree to the payment of any money."

In April 2009, Sabin said Shannon told her he had a dream about her.

"We were somewhere like a locker room or swimming pool dressing room and that he followed me in and took my shirt and showed him my breasts and that one breast had two nipples," she said. "He said they looked great though."

She said the conversation continued in graphic details about dreams Shannon said he had.

In January 2009, Sabin wrote she bought a pen that recorded audio to document inappropriate conversations.

In April 2009, she said 'Joe came up from behind me and grabbed and petted my hair. He then leaned down and smelled it."

Earlier, in 2008, she described an incident she said happened in the office after co-workers had left.

"When I turned around, Joe slapped my ass. I could not believe what had just happened. I knew what it would mean for my career if I said anything but I was furious."

In an e-mail last April, Sabin wrote that she was concerned the county was retaliating against her after she complained.

"I need my job and do not want to be retaliated against," she wrote. "I hope this can be resolved in a peaceful and discreet manner."

In June, she asked that Shannon no longer contact her on the telephone.

The DA's office released documents in the case late Friday after Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled they were public.

Tarrant County reached a $375,000 settlement with the woman last September. Part of the deal included a confidentiality agreement, but Sabin later wrote she wanted to withdraw from it.

Late Friday, Sabin told NBC 5 she is glad the details of her allegations have been released.

"I'm really glad everything has come out because the whole thing was I wanted the truth to come out," she said in an interview. "I stand by my diary and what I wrote in my diary 100 percent -- 100 percent. Everything I wrote in there was true."

She defended waiting several years to report the alleged harassment because she was worried about losing her job.

"It just kept going and I just at the time felt like enough was enough and maybe I needed to speak up to prevent someone else from going through the same thing," she said.

Media organizations requested county documents on the case under the state's open records law, but county officials argued they should be kept secret and asked the attorney general for an opinion on whether the documents must be released. The attorney general ruled many of them were public.

Shannon was elected at the age of 24 to the Texas House of Representatives. He joined the Tarrant County District Attorney's office in 1972, where he was later the lead prosecutor in the famous Cullen Davis murder case.

In May 2009, he was serving as chief of the economic crimes unit when then-District Attorney Tim Curry died. Shannon was appointed to replace him and later was elected to the post.

He is the former president of the Tarrant County Bar Association and an adjunct professor of law at Texas Wesleyan University.

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