Phones down around county? What's up?

Barry (from iPhone)

He Got Weed! He Got Weed!

Hey, kids, want to know what the 1970s were like? Well take a look. This is Channel 8's coverage of what was commonly referred to as the Texxas Jamm from July 1, 1978. Think it's a good idea to have a packed outside concert in the Cotton Bowl at that time of year?

Among the headliners that day: Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Van Halen (glimpsed briefly), Journey and Heart.

And a ticket would run you a hefty $12.50.

Credit.

Judge's Son Done Good

I mentioned a couple of days ago that Decatur native Josh Fostel, the son of District Judge John Fostel (and Cheryl Fostel), was coaching Eula in the State Tournament.

That game was just completed and look at that box score. If I read it right, a timeout was called with two seconds left with the game tied. Then a three pointer was hit for the Eula win.  I don't think the judge would mind me telling that he is in the stands watching it (I would be to), but I just hope he didn't have a heart attack.

Eula trailed by eight with about three minutes left.

I've never been to the Boys State Tournament but I've heard it is loads of fun.

Edit: On Saturday morning, Eula won the State Championship by beating Tenaha 64-49.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I would have never thought that a mayor and city councilman would get into a fight at City Hall in Tarrant County before such a thing happened in Wise County. Although Newark came close a few months back. 
• Was in line at a Subway yesterday when a lady panicked as she was checking out because she had lost a $50 bill. And there it was on the floor about 10 feet back -- none of us in line had seen it.
• By the way, do you have to mop the floor right beside me while I try to eat my tasty Subway sandwich? Roasted chicken while looking at dirty mop water is not my idea of a pleasant dining experience. 
• Baylor was within an eyelash of being in the Final Four last year and this year they won't even make the tournament.
• And last night they lose to Oklahoma after the Bears presumed NBA Lottery Pick freshman player (how, I have no idea) was declared ineligible because his mom took some 15 day loans from a coach while her son was in high school. (The kid claimed he knew nothing about which apparently works if you're Cam Newton at Auburn but no where else.)
• Fox 4's Fiona out on the town on Tuesday with The Fan's afternoon crew.
• When the docket first came out, 75 criminal defendants were supposed to be in the Wise County Court at Law this morning. It's been trimmed some, but it's going to be a madhouse. 
• If you know what "Boom Goes The Dynamite" is, you'll enjoy this.
• Despite state funding being slashed to local schools, Gov. Perry said yesterday it's not the State's fault that teachers are being laid off. Just when you think he can't be anymore arrogant, he surprises you.
• Rep. Peter King's hearings today on the "radicalization of Muslim Americans" borders on the bizarre. There's a reason they've been compared to McCarthyism. (Jon Stewart compared it to having a hearing on why all Italian Americans aren't doing more to stop the Mob.)
• I wonder what the cop-per-person ratio is in Wise County. Man, it seems like we've got a ton of them on the streets. 
• Over the last couple of days, the news has shown video of a hit and run in Uptown in Dallas of a (pretty hot) girl who was "enjoying a Friday night" out with her boyfriend. I stopped down this morning when I finally heard she was the "mother of five." 
• Dumb but funny pic floating around yesterday: "Exclusive: Mr. Sheen On Coke"
• Insane: Lake Highlands, who had been winless, beat Dallas Samuel 54-0 in both teams district high school baseball opener. (And the game was shortened to five innings due to the "mercy rule.") 
• And the Waco paper gets featured because we have another multi-death trailer home fire:

Haven't Had A Brit Photo Shoot In A While

Got a short one now.

Viral Book-In Photo Of The Day

STAMFORD -- A 21-year-old man sitting down for a haircut allegedly grabbed scissors and slashed another in the back Tuesday in the South End, police said . . . . more

Where's Jim Cramer When I Need Him?

From the Update

NO RATING - Fitch Investors did not give Wise County a credit rating, which is tied to the bond sales for the Weatherford College Wise County construction project. County Judge Bill McElhaney told the Messenger Tuesday afternoon that although Fitch did not rate the county, they will still prepare to sell bonds by the end of March. He said the county will sell the bonds; they just won’t have a rating, which could result in a slightly higher interest rate. Read more in Thursday’s edition of the Wise County Messenger on news stands today.

I'm a financial idiot, but I would have thought that all bonds would have to have some rating. I mean, a rating basically tells me the odds of getting paid back on my investment. And if I don't know the odds of getting paid, I'm not investing in it.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Mrs. LL jumped on the neighbor kids yesterday for taunting the the Family Dog (and other stuff). It got to the point where she even had a talk with the little brats' mother. But from the sounds of it, I don't think the Neighbor Mother has any control over those hellions.  Yep, we've got border tension and instability.
• Whoever suggested to spray anti-cat stuff around the plants: You're brilliant.
• Something weird is going on: The head of the Texas Rangers (the law enforcement ones) resigned to enter the private sector this week. But he's only 47 and had held that position for about two years. That doesn't add up.
• For the three of you who watched it, North Texas losing a chance to go to the NCAA Tourney on ESPN2 last night was gut wrenching. Ahead by two points, a three pointer by the opponent with 1.5 seconds left was the death nail. Edit: It's "death knell"? I'll be. 
• You might have missed: Seven of eight children were killed in a barn fire in Pennsylvania late yesterday.
• Decatur ISD to announce budget cuts this week?
• WBAP's Steve Lamb this morning: "The Maverick's play in New Orleans tonight right in the middle of Mardi Gras. I bet that's going to be a little crazy."  I'm guessing he didn't acknowledge Fat Tuesday. Edit for the guy that calls me "Dude": Uh, Mardi Gras ended at midnight last night. If he had recognized Fat Tuesday, he would have known that.  
• I've never given up anything for Lent. 
• Yesterday just south of Decatur on 287 there was a white pickup which look like it had gone into the center median and crashed into a cement drainage ditch. Later in the day, it had been moved about 50 yards but was still there. What gives?
• Haven't promoted it much, but we just cut the price on Mrs. LL former home in the Lipsey Addition in Decatur. Now at $119,000.
• I got an email from the County Attorney's office at 8:03 this morning about this month's trial docket. Sheesh. Have a cup of coffee up there or something!!
• Whoever was in the "Sky 4" helicopter yesterday posted a pic of a scary motorcycle wreck that he came across "on the way to Decatur." Why was it coming to Decatur. I guess it could have something to do with the gas well lawsuit, but that's all I can think of. 

I Had Heard Rumors About This

I had always thought, perhaps naively, that the office supply part of the Messenger empire is what brought in the money. Now the Messenger newspaper is left to survive on its own.

I've said it time and time again, I love the Messenger. But something doesn't feel right.

Drunk Man Gets The What For From A Cop In East Texas

Although the story never says the officer struck the man with his fist (he just used his baton), I loved this statement: "I went to the emergency room at East Texas Medical Center in Henderson where they told me one of the knuckles on my right hand was fractured.”


And the headline to the story was "Overton Officer Injured When Attacked."


Story.

Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog?

Lawsuit News

A Star-Telegram reporter just tweeted "Wise County family speaking to press on lawsuit filed today, say gas drilling made them sick." He said there will be a story on the paper's website later today and that some television news stations were there as well.

Don't know who they are, who the lawyer is, or the merits of the case, but they did a good job on the publicity side.

With all this talk about gas well pollution, people forget about a Wise County case where a jury awarded $200,000,000 in punitive damages alone for land contamination in 1997. It was reversed on appeal on statute of limitations grounds.

Edit: The story about the lawsuit is up.

Is This Gal . . .

(1) 23 years old
(2) A grandmother
(3) All of the above

Answer.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• A 911 call was made from the home of Dallas Mayor Dwaine Caraway's house in January but when police arrived they he and his wife said "nothing to see here." No charges were filed but a news organization made a request for the 911 tape citing it as a public record. In response, the City of Dallas asked for an Attorney General's opinion which is nothing more than a common delay tactic. Last week the AG's office told Dallas to hand the tape over. So what does the Mayor do? Sue the AG which now further delays the release of the tape. Sorriness. When it finally gets released, I hope its played everywhere. 
• The Facebook page of one of those who died in the Granbury mobile home fire makes reference to smoking dope and that he should have been in jail the other day.
• Played pitch and catch with a softball yesterday. It had been a couple of years since I did that -- still incredibly fun.
• Judge John Fostel's son Josh will coach Eula (34-2) in the Boys State Basketball Tournament in Austin this week. It's the second time he's taken the team there. 
• Bad weekend Dallas cops: One arrested for Assault/Family Violence and another for Public Intoxication (just barely avoiding a DWI.)
• Mrs. LL is on some crazy decorating kick. And I wonder if all that stuff that is in those bags she keeps dragging in is expensive. 
• You think this will cause a flurry of 911 calls around 8:00 a.m. this morning?: "Officials in west Fort Worth and Naval Air Station Fort Worth are simulating an F/A-18 Hornet crash in a field behind a Lowe’s Home Improvement store off Loop 820 and Texas 199 to test their response to a real emergency."
• An absolutely fantastic -- and I do mean fantastic -- picture of a bat flying into the stands at a pre-season baseball game last Friday.
• I think Charlie Sheen is about to learn of America's short attention span. 
• From everything I read about the current Texas budget crisis, former Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn warned the legislature that this would happen. (And Keller ISD has announced it will eliminate 55 high school teachers as part of its 156 person reduction.)
• Paradise mobile home fire yesterday in Paris. I kind of understand the rash of those kind of fires in winter but when the weather is pleasant?

Half Court Buzzer Beaters Normally Bore Me

But this one has a little kid who launches it.

Although I would have broken his little heart by calling traveling.

I'm Shocked And Skeptical

11 year old victim? 17 arrested? Even with a video, something doesn't add up here. At least I hope something doesn't add up.  In sexual assault cases, 99% of the time you'll see only one Defendant. Once in  a blue moon there will be two people, but never more than that. Pick seventeen guys from the worst of the worst, and most would have objected, stopped, or reported this.

Fox 4 story.

NYPD Helicopter Released Of 9/11

This is making the rounds today, but the clarity is so poor it's hard to tell much. But the comments of the pilot and other officer's on board is pretty chilling.

But the video starts out with the closest flyover of the Twin Towers moments after the attack that you've ever seen.

A Little Tension

Had a little tension in the district court this morning when an inmate wanted the judge to fire his court appointed lawyer. He seemed so angry and deviant that I promise everyone in the courtroom was afraid he would throw an elbow at someone. (Notice the lawyer standing off to the side and the bailiff standing in a position he normally wouldn't be in.)

The case was set for a plea but the defendant claimed he knew nothing about it (I seriously doubt that.)

He's charged with a first degree felony which carries with if a minimum of five years and a maximum of life. He is also charged with a marijuana case that carries up to two years day for day.And he can't get probation from a jury due to a past felony conviction. The State is offering o dismiss the marijuana case if he'll take five years in the pen on the other. He rejected it. I have no idea what he is charged with or the strength or weakness of the case -- it might be a crappy prosecution's case. But Mr. Angry Man better think long and hard about rejecting the five years.

He didn't get a new lawyer, didn't throw an elbow, but did refuse to sign a sheet resetting the case.