AirHogs' New Turf Attracts More Events

Christine Lee, Grand Prairie Reporter

QuikTrip Park, home of the Grand Prairie AirHogs baseball team, now features weather-resistant turf.

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QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie has a new look.

The home of the Grand Prairie AirHogs now features weather-resistant turf that allows the venue to host events throughout the year.

The $1.1 million project allows sporting events to continue just minutes after a storm. It can drain four inches of rainfall per hour, meaning the field can be playable in just about half an hour after it stops raining, Shinogle said.

"In the past, we would've been canceled or out of commission for probably two or three days," AirHogs President Scott Berry said.

Tim Shinogle, the city's park and planning development manager, said the park now can have events such as this weekend's college baseball games outside of the traditional nine-month period.

It also means up to $100,000 in savings.

"We don't have to overseed," Berry said. "We don't have to fertilize. We don't have to have as many groundskeepers during the year. We don't have to use as much water."

But the turf does have some drawbacks.

"It's going to be a little hotter to play on, and you are going to get, in the outfield, with some of the looping fly balls, you will get a higher bounce," Berry said.

Kansas will travel to QuikTrip Park this weekend for a four-game series against Eastern Michigan. The Jayhawks added the series after they had to cancel this weekend's Millard Management Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence, Kan., because of weather.

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Family, Friends and Loved Ones Remember Van Cliburn

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Van Cliburn Remembered Fondly in Fort Worth

The renowned American classical pianist Van Cliburn died Wednesday morning after suffering from bone cancer. He was 78.

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World-renowned pianist Van Cliburn, who was diagnosed with advanced bone cancer in August, died Wednesday morning at the age of 78. Cliburn died at his home, very peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, according to Thompson's Harveson Cole Funeral Home.

Cliburn's funeral will take place Sunday at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth at 3 p.m. Visitation is Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Here is a sampling of memorial messages posted online after news of Cliburn's passing began to circulate around North Texas and the world.

"Everybody is just devastated by it. He's in a much better place now. Van was one of the greatest ambassadors for Fort Worth that ever has been. He's single-handedly thrust us into the the international spotlight with his piano playing and then the Van Cliburn competition. It brings people from all over the world ... We will sorely miss Van. His energy. His enthusiasm. His talent just  brought a world of light to Fort Worth ... I just remember Van not only for his playing but also his personality. I saw him about 8 weeks ago and he was in the car and he could barely hop out,
but he hopped out and hugged my neck. He was always so energetic and so warm and caring and if you knew Van, you couldn't help but love the man that he was." - Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.

"Such a prominent person but also a shy and reserved person and never seeking to draw attention to himself at least when he was here related to church. But just warm and gracious and always quick to offer a hug and praise. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is going to be here playing as well as our own organ which is named after Van's mother so music will be a huge part of the service. Of course he was such a big international figure and an important person in 20th century American life. But he was also here a church member and when he was in town, showed up on Sunday mornings for worship. Slipped in usually as we got started and sat in the back and slipped out when it was over. And he'd always stop on his way out and give me big hug and say, 'Wonderful,  wonderful.'" - Sr. Pastor Brent Beasley, Fort Worth Broadway Baptist Church.

"Texas, America and the world lost a treasure today .. Van Cliburn was the best, in music and heart." - Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

"Van Cliburn lived an extraordinary life and was a true man of his times. His prodigious gifts at the piano are legendary, and his storied accomplishment at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition helped bring the world closer together. His larger-than-life talent helped transcend discourse and reminded us that we are, at the core of our being, all human beings who love works of beauty. On a personal note, Anita and I will miss him tremendously.  We were blessed to call Van Cliburn a close friend.  He was an incredibly thoughtful person and his love of life was contagious to anyone in his company. Anita and I send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans during this difficult time."  - Texas Gov. Rick Perry

""I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of my good friend, Van Cliburn.  Van's incredible talent made history and inspired America and the world.  But to all who knew him, he will be remembered for his generous spirit, his modesty and his sense of humor.  Van made Fort Worth, and our country so proud.  He will be dearly missed." - Congresswoman Kay Granger.

"Saddened to hear beloved FW icon,#Van Cliburn passed away today." - @FortWorthPD

"RIP #VanCliburn. Your legacy lives on!" - @SundanceSquare

"Remembering #VanCliburn: a giant among pianists, Cold War idol & the 1st classical musician to sell a million albums." - @NPRClassical

"RIP #VanCliburn. KUSC airs performances by "The Texan Who Conquered Russia" during the noon, 2p, and 4p hours today." @ClassicalKUSC

"RIP #VanCliburn, a favorite guest under Max Rudolf RT@nprmusic Remembering Van Cliburn, A Giant Among Pianists." - @CincySymphony

"He played like an immortal, he played like a legend. #VanCliburn" - @NashvilleOpera

"Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1" se convirtió en el primer álbum de música clásica en ser disco de platino en Estados Unidos #VanCliburn" - @OFilarmonicaJal

"I'm very thankful for #VanCliburn. He was always an unsung hero in his support for the music ministry at my church growing up in Ft. Worth." - @TylerBlackwell

Follow along or leave your own memorial to Cliburn on Twitter using the hashtag #VanCliburn.

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Some Arlington, Fort Worth Schools Miss Safety Drills

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The Fort Worth and Arlington independent school districts are reviewing their emergency procedures after an NBC 5 Investigates learned some schools had been missing required safety drills.

Lamar High School in Arlington had a security situation involving a report of a gun on campus that put the school on lockdown Jan. 15.  Through an open records request, AISD documents revealed the school hadn't conducted any lockdown drills this school year in the four and a half months before the January incident.  Lamar's first drill of the school year was actually scheduled for the same day the gun scare happened. 

"They did have a real incident.  Fortunately staff at the school was great, was responsive," said AISD spokeswoman, Amy Casas.

A directive issued to Arlington principals at the beginning of the school year said two lockdown drills needed to be completed during the first 12 weeks of school, but records show 13 Arlington schools held only one lockdown drill in that time frame.

Lamar had none.

"I think it's just the fact that there's a lot going on at a large high school.  I don't think it was necessarily the staff doesn't see security as something that's important for them to do at that campus," said Casas.

State guidelines recommend two security drills every semester.

"You don't want to be the school that hasn't planned and trained to the plan and drilled to the plan because lives are dependent on everyone knowing what to do," said Victoria Calder, director of the Texas School Safety Center.  

The center plans to update its guidelines and recommend schools hold a security drill once a month.

NBC 5 Investigates also found schools missing drills in Fort Worth. 

Records obtained by NBC 5 Investigates show the district is not certain if 34 Fort Worth ISD schools conducted all required fire drills in fall.  Another 23 schools did not turn in paperwork showing whether tornado drills were conducted.

The records show Morningside Middle School did not practice a lockdown drill this fall or hold any fire drills in the first semester either.  Schools are supposed to conduct a fire drill once a month.

"We have been talking with that principal and that principal now understands that has to be done," said FWISD spokesman, Clint Bond.

At Jo Kelly School, the Fort Worth school district can't say if a lockdown drill happened this fall.  Drill records were not turned in to the district to report the drill.

Going forward, FWISD said they'll be holding the principals accountable for missed drills and missing records. 

Fort Worth has built a high tech command center to spot trouble and manage a crisis and the district created an online video teaching emergency plans.

Experts told NBC 5 Investigates any school plan is only as good as how often you practice before the real thing.

"A lot of those plans look good on paper, but when you drill it, it doesn't translate into real action," said Calder.

The Dallas Independent School District recently put out a stern reminder to principals after NBC 5 Investigates first reported 64 Dallas schools did not conduct the number of required fire drills last year.

One Dallas school held no security drills this fall and drill records are missing at more than 30 schools.

The district promises to keep a closer watch.

"Now I feel a lot better after what you guys have come forward and told us that forced us to look at our records and record keeping and to let us know how in compliance we are and those that aren't," said DISD Police Chief Craig Miller.

NBC 5 Investigates also obtained records from the Irving Independent School District.  All Irving schools did one lockdown drill and one shelter-in-place drill during the 2011-12 school year, but there were five schools that skipped at least one fire drill. 

In a statement to NBC 5 Investigates, Irving ISD states, "Beginning immediately, the district's internal auditor will now begin inspecting Fire Drill Reports to ensure compliance."

The superintendent has also ordered the security department to start keeping track of all drills each month to make sure they happen.

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Amber Alert Canceled for 6-Year-Old Boy

Omar Villafranca, NBC 5 News

The Dallas Police Department issued an Amber Alert Wednesday night for 6-year-old Marquis Drawhorn Jr. and canceled it when the boy was found safe.

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The Dallas Police Department has canceled an Amber Alert for a 6-year-old boy.

An Amber Alert was issued Wednesday night for Marquis Drawhorn Jr., 6, who was believed to be with his father, Marquis Drawhorn Sr.

A 911 call was received regarding a major disturbance at 906 Emberwood Drive at about 5:56 p.m.

The caller stated that a man was involved in a disturbance with his ex-wife. The witness continued to state that the man had a knife and threatened to kill family members and himself. The witness added that the man left the location in the witness' vehicle with Drawhorn Jr. 

Dallas police said Drawhorn Jr. was found safe with no injuries with a female friend.

The boy's father barricaded himself at 8020 Rothington Road until he voluntarily surrendered to authorities.

The Dallas Police Department reports that Drawhorn Sr. is in police custody.

Child abuse detectives are investigating the case.

Initial reports from Dallas police stated that authorities believed Drawhorn Sr. sexually assaulted the boy's mother and then took the child; Drawhorn Sr. was also initially believed to be armed with a knife and threatening suicide.

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Car Dealer Offers $10,000 in Catalytic Converter Thefts

Brian Scott, Denton County Reporter

Classic Dodge in Corinth is offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the people stealing catalytic converters from the dealership in the last several weeks.

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A Denton County car dealership is offering a big reward for the thief who is stealing catalytic converters from pickup trucks on its lot.

Classic Dodge of Corinth's lot just off Interstate 35E on the Denton-Corinth border has been broken into twice in the past month or so. Both times, the intruders stole several catalytic converters from Dodge Ram trucks.

Rick Wick, general sales manager, said a simple design allows the converter to be removed easily.

"Six bolts, the converter's out, and they're gone," he said.

The dealership is offering $10,000 for an arrest and conviction in the case, Wick said.

Corinth Police Lt. Jimmie Gregg said catalytic converters contain precious metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium.

Thieves often sell them on the black market or on Craigslist because most scrapyards have measures in place to prevent buying stolen goods, he said. If someone finds a place to sell them, they payoff is generally not that much, he said.

"They're getting anywhere from $40 to $100 for these a piece," he said.

But the dealership's cost to replace them is much more.

"You look at a loss of $54,000 up to $84,000," Wick said. "It makes the vehicles unable to sell, and I can't get the parts. Right now, there's over 300 back-ordered with Chrysler."

Wick said he hopes the reward will lead to an arrest. The parts don't have serial numbers to trace.

Gregg said precious metal theft, especially of platinum, has become a nationwide problem over the last few years.

Anyone with information on the Corinth or other thefts is asked to call the local police department.

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Slain Calif. Police Officers Remembered as "Tenacious," "Skilled"

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Raw Video: Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak

Sheriff Phil Wowak walks through what happened in Santa Cruz that cost this lives of two veterans detectives.

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In a rare display of emotion, Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel teared up on Wednesday, less than a day after two of his officers were killed in the line of duty - the first such occurrence in city history.

He described the awful predicament of being an agency in  mourning, and one investigating just how and why Jeremy Goulet, 35, would have killed two officers who showed up at his North Branciforte Avenue home on Tuesday about 3:30 p.m. on his doorstep. The officers killed were: Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker, who had been with the department 28 years, and Det. Elizabeth Butler, who had been with the department for ten.

"We have never experienced this before," Vogel said. "There's  absolutely no words for me to adequately stand here before you and describe  what my department's been going through since yesterday afternoon."

Baker had a "tenacious appetite to find the truth," Vogel said, adding that he was once Baker's partner.

"He was my most skilled investigator, Vogel added. "I consider Butch not only to be my coworker but he was also my  mentor, and my friend," Vogel said.

He said Baker acted as a mentor to young officers throughout his career, and that many of those people had surpassed him in rank.

Baker, a 1979 graduate of Bellarmine Preparatory School in San Jose, leaves behind a wife, Kelly, two daughters, Gillian and Ashley, and a son, Adam, who was a community service officer for the police department.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that Baker worked at UC Santa Cruz with Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway, a noted forensic anthropologist, on several notable cases including the still-unsolved case of Pogonip Jane, a woman whose remains were found in Santa Cruz's largest greenbelt in 1994.

Butler was a Los Angeles native and graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance in 1992. She then attended UC Santa Cruz and earned a degree in community studies and ended up staying in the beach side city, where she lived with her partner, Peter, and two young boys ages 5 and 1.

She wrote her senior thesis on her experiences working with young Latinos, according to UC Santa Cruz's website. She attended the Evergreen Police Academy in San Jose in 2003 before joining the Santa Cruz police.

Vogel said she had developed a niche in the area of sexual assault, and was very experienced investigating those cases. "That's the type of case that she was investigating yesterday when  this tragedy happened," he said.

Before that, she had worked as a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, and an agent assigned to the Santa Cruz County drug task force.

The two had no reason to believe that Goulet would have been so distraught and homicidal when they approached his house after a former coffee shop employee alleged that he had sexually assaulted her, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak.

"They had done this thousands of times," he said at a news conference on Wednesday. "They were just doing their jobs."

None of the 94 sworn Santa Cruz police officers were at work on Wednesday; the city gave them time to grieve. "We've asked them to take the time they need to repair their  agency and develop the internal strength to come back and continue to serve  you as they have the past 150 years," Sheriff Wowak said. 

Sheriff's deputies and the California Highway Patrol were protecting the city. The officers are expected to return to work on Thursday.
 

Related stories:

Santa Cruz Cop Killer May Have Stolen Police Guns

Santa Cruz Suspect's Dad: He Was a Ticking Time Bomb

Shootout Caught on Tape

"Darkest Day" For Santa Cruz, Two Officers Killed

Two Santa Cruz Police Officers Killed

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Son Accused of Murder in Mom's Dismemberment: Police

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Woman's Remains Found in Bags in the Bronx

A woman's body parts were found in suitcases and plastic bags strewn throughout a Bronx neighborhood early Tuesday by a man and his 12-year-old son walking their dog, law enforcement officials said. Ida Siegal reports.

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UPDATE: The son has now appeared in court. For the latest details on this story, go here.

A 23-year-old man is accused of murder and his friend was arrested on lesser charges in connection with the gruesome killing of his mother, whose body was cut up with a power saw and scattered in bags throughout their Bronx neighborhood, law enforcement officials tell NBC 4 New York.

Both men have admitted to chopping up the body and using a shopping cart to dump the parts along the curb in Morrisania, but each is pointing the finger at the other for killing the mother, 45-year-old Tania Byrd, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Bahsid McLean, 23, faces charges of second-degree murder, police said. He and William Harris, 26, are both accused of unlawful dissection of a human body, among other charges. They were in custody and lawyer information was not immediately available.

Law enforcement officials tell NBC 4 New York that McLean has photos of himself cutting up the body.

Officials say the two men tell different stories. The son says he left the apartment he shared with his mother at about 3 a.m. Monday to go to the ATM. When he returned, he has told investigators, his friend had stabbed Byrd to death and threatened to kill him and his 6-year-old brother if he didn't help get rid of the body.

His friend, meanwhile, has told investigators that the son told him he killed his mother, and showed him a photograph of her, dead, asking for his friend's help in disposing of her corpse.

The two suspects agree that they went to a Bronx hardware store to purchase supplies for the job, including a power saw and gloves. Investigators say there are bloodstains at the apartment, and that it appears someone tried to clean up the mess with bleach.

An empty power saw box was also found there. The saw was found at the apartment of the friend's girlfriend, officials said.

Law enforcement officials say the pair cut up the body on Monday night and dumped it around 9:30 p.m. Surveillance camera video shows the son in the apartment building lobby, leaving the elevator with numerous bags, and then video outside the building shows two men wheeling away a shopping cart.

Officials say a man walking his dog along 158th Street in Morrisania early Tuesday morning came upon a plastic bag of what he thought were books. As he moved to open the bag, he noticed a vehicle circling the block and became nervous, so he took the bag around the corner and looked inside, finding two hands and a shoulder.

He sent his son to call police and continued walking the dog. About two blocks away on Eagle Avenue he and the dog came upon a suitcase, and the dog sat down next to it. The man opened the suitcase and found a woman's torso, wearing a bra, according to law enforcement officials.

Responding police found a plastic bag further down Eagle Avenue that contained a leg and a foot, and then nearby on Cauldwell Avenue, they found a black suitcase with a leg and the woman's head.

People who knew Byrd were stunned about the grisly killing.

"Every time you see her, she would have a smile on her face," said neighbor Chastity Agosto. "How could a son do that to his mother?

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Security Increases as Highland Park HS Reopens

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Students head back to Highland Park High School Thursday morning under tighter security and the watchful eyes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Highland Park High School in University Park was dismissed early on Wednesday after .22 caliber bullets were found in a boys bathroom. No weapon or note was found with the bullets.

The school district at first said that a box of .22 caliber shells was found but later described them in a message to parents and staff Wednesday night as a "handful of .22-caliber bullets."

On Wednesday, the school closed all but front doors on Emerson Avenue and the student entrance on Westchester Avenue in wake of the threatening note found on Tuesday. Thursday, students will again only have these entrances to the building.

Bullets Found Inside Highland Park HS Restroom

Students will return to school on Thursday after early dismissal on Wednesday when someone discovered bullets inside a restroom at Highland Park High School.

FBI Joins Investigation Into Highland Park Threats

The FBI has joined the investigation into the shut down Highland Park High School after bullet casings were found in a bathroom at the school Wednesday.

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Because the bullets and previous incidents including threatening notes were found in bathrooms, restroom access will be restricted.

"Students will only be allowed to use restrooms during passing periods. Those who need access to restrooms during class will be escorted by a staff member," Principal Walter Kelly said.

Students said they understand the reasons for the changes.

"It seems kind of funny having a teacher escort you to the bathroom, but I get why they're doing it, and I think they're doing the right thing," Katie Crow said.

Kelly said in the statement that the school and law enforcement have determined that there was no legitimate threat to public safety on Wednesday.

The FBI and University Park police are investigating the incident.

Investigators gathered surveillance video from the bathroom where the bullets were found and interviewed several people.

No one has been charged in the incident.

Decision to Dismiss

Initially, school officials said students were not going to be dismissed and would be held at the school. One student was taken into custody by University Park police and returned to school after trying to leave campus. Police said the student is not connected to the bullets or the previous notes and was told to leave campus by his or her parents.

At 12:30 p.m., a decision was made to dismiss students at different times by grade level.

School officials released the following statement to parents Wednesday:

"We want to thank parents, students and faculty for their cooperation and understanding. Safety is always our top priority. HPISD will continue to update parents, students and staff through its emergency text-message system, email, and posts on the district website."

Parents waited outside the school Wednesday morning for their children. Many received text messages from their children.

"He was communicating for a while, back and forth," Michelle Bardwell said. "He didn't know what was going on. He said just that they were on lockdown, sitting on the floor."

String of Security Scares

The incident is the fifth security incident on campus in the last month. The campus was dismissed early Tuesday after a threatening note was found on campus. In January, classes were dismissed early twice after three threatening notes were found in a boys bathroom on consecutive days.

The box of bullets was not found in the same bathroom where the previous notes were found. If the incidents are connected, the person responsible could face felony charges.

While students' safety is the utmost priority, it is imperative to continue with classes, Kelly said in his statement. The high school will be on its regular schedule Thursday and will have an increased police presence.

"They're just trying to make everyone feel safer. And I sort of felt safe today, but just the fact that there were police and SWAT and lockdowns -- I was still really scared, so I think tomorrow it will make everyone feel better," student Alex Cornett said Wednesday.

NBC 5's Frank Heinz, Jeff Smith, Ray Villeda and Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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