Highland Park Conducts Mosquito Spraying

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Highland Park conducted its spraying after a mosquito caught in one of the town's four traps tested positive for the West Nile virus.

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Spraying for mosquitoes started in Highland Park on Friday.

The spraying was conducted after a mosquito caught in one of the town's four traps tested positive for the West Nile virus.

Last summer, a Highland Park resident died from complications of West Nile virus during the outbreak that sickened more than 900 people in North Texas and killed 35.

Martin Cox said he doesn't mind that the city is starting to spray so early.

"It's earlier," he said. "But last year, they were just deciding on whether to do it or not and this year they're trying to get ahead of it.".

The spraying was scheduled to finish by 5 a.m.

Highland Park is reminding people to remove any standing or stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

Residents can visit Highland Park's Mosquito Control Web page for more information.

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West Community Pulls Together After Tragedy

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The town of West is pulling together to help its residents affected by the fertilizer plant explosion that devastated the community Wednesday night.

In West, there is no answer to the question everyone seems to be asking: when can we return home?

The most authorities can say is "soon."

It won't be soon enough for Julia Zaharniak, who hasn't seen her home since she and her son, Anthony, 11, were running away from their home immediately after the explosion.

"It just really got to me because you just don't know what to expect and I don't have any answers to give to my son, other than this is where our life is right now," Zaharniak said Friday night.

Zaharniak found herself at the donation distribution center at the West Fest Fairgrounds, sifting through donated clothes and other items.

"I got an extra outfit which I'm wearing right now and that's the only outfit that I own," Zaharniak said.   "So I'm here to look and get me some clothes."

The donation center is a flutter of activity with explosion survivors searching for items they need and volunteers unpacking, sorting and distributing it all as quickly as they can.

"One of the most amazing things - most of these [volunteers] are actually the community members," said Shane Valverde, a field operations director with Team Rubicon, an organization helping to coordinate the donations.  "So most of these folks you see here are the ones who've been affected by this disaster."

One of those volunteers is Erick Perez, 21, who witnessed the explosion first hand and captured the moment on his cell phone video camera.

View Perez's dramatic video of the West explosion below.

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

Perez and some friends had been playing basketball when they noticed the flames rising from the West Fertilizer Plant.  

Perez told NBC 5 he recorded the flames for more than eight minutes before the explosion.  The force of the blast knocked him down. The concussion and the debris combined to total his truck.

Perez spent all day Friday helping to do whatever he could at the donation site, doing so even at the risk of hurting his own employment situation.

"I told my boss I'm not coming in to work. If she's gonna fire me, oh well," Perez said.  "And from what I've heard I think I was fired. But I don't care. I can always find a new job.  I'm gonna go be with my friends and my community up here."

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Adoptable Dogs Moved to N. Texas After Explosion

About 70 dogs are being moved to North Texas to free up shelter space in Waco, which is closer for West residents who are looking for lost pets.

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Two North Texas shelters are taking in dozens of dogs from the Waco area so the shelter there can focus on helping animals displaced by in fertilizer plant explosion in West.

A massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant on Wednesday night flattened a significant area near the facility, injuring more than 160 people and killing an unknown number of others.

Approximately 70 dogs were being transferred Thursday to the SPCA of Texas' shelters in Dallas and McKinney. Twenty will go to the Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas, while the other 50 dogs will go to the Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney.

The dogs were all available for adoption before the explosion and are not displaced animals from West.

They are being moved to North Texas to free up shelter space in Waco, which is closer for West residents who are looking for lost pets.

The SPCA said its assistance in rescuing animals in West has not been requested, but the group said it is ready to provide support if needed.

Beyond the Rainbow Pet Hospice in Fort Worth is collecting donations for pets in West. The hospice will accept donations of food, bowls, blankets, beds and toys on Friday between 7:30 a.m. and noon at the ABC Animal Clinic at 500 South Freeway in Fort Worth.

Donations can also be made online at the hospice's website under Chelsea's Fund. All of the proceeds will be used to buy food and supplies, the hospice said.

The donations will be delivered Friday afternoon.

More: Chelsea's Fund at Beyond the Rainbow

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Teen Faces 17 Charges for Highland Park Threats

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University Park police have arrested a student in connection with a number of threats directed toward the staff and students of Highland Park High School since the beginning of the year.

Officials said they arrested a 16-year-old Highland Park High School student and charged him with 17 counts of terroristic threat.  The incidents, police said Wednesday, were all directed toward the school and staff and that all disrupted classes.

Since the suspect is a juvenile, his name has not been released.

Police said Wednesday that measures undertaken by the suspect to mask the source of electronic messages made the investigation more difficult, but with the assistance of cyber-crime experts they were able to develop leads.

Police said the arrest was the result of the investigation and help from the FBI, not anonymous tips, so no one is eligible to claim the $10,000 reward.

Police said, even with the announcement of the teen's arrest, the investigation into the threats is ongoing.

Incidents Prompt Lock Downs, Dismissals

In January, someone began leaving threatening notes in a boys bathroom at the high school. After three messages were found, the notes stopped for a short while before three more turned up in February.

The incidents then grew more threatening as several .22-caliber bullets were found in a different boys restroom.

With the threats continuing, and with many resulting in lock downs and early dismissals, the FBI and Secret Service soon joined local law enforcement in attempting to find out who was responsible.

The seventh threat, arguably the most brazen of them all, was emailed directly to Crime Stoppers -- a police utility where tipsters can share information with law enforcement anonymously.

In March, officials said if the threats were found to be connected, the person responsible would face felony charges. Meanwhile, a $10,000 reward was offered for information that led to an arrest and conviction in the case.

NBC 5's Omar Villafranca and Ken Kalthoff contributed to this report.

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Denton Restaurant Smoking Ban Takes Effect

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Denton's smoking ban went into effect Wednesday.

The city ordinance, which was passed in December, bans smoking in restaurants, bowling alleys and pool halls. Outdoor patios, bars, tobacco shops, tobacco and cigar bars and fraternal organizations are excluded.

Businesses have 30 days to comply with the ban and display the proper signs before enforcement begins.

Tim Trawick, operations partner at the downtown Abbey Inn, said many area restaurants already outlaw smoking.

"I don't anticipate my business changing, and I don't know that anybody else does either," he said. "It's been my experience that bars are definitely an area where smokers hang out, so I think I can appreciate they made a concession for bar owners."

"It was debated a little bit at the beginning because we weren't sure if we were going to be more on the bar side ... but it's worked out for us," he said.

But not everyone is sold on the ban.

"It's not so bad if it's just in the restaurants," Lyn Gano said. "I just kind of hate to see government and people just start taking away personal freedoms in general."

County and state health leaders were in Denton Wednesday to meet with city leaders to educate on the dangers of tobacco and how to help smokers who want to quit.

Julie Wright, county health education specialist, said several Denton County cities have smoking ordinances.

"We hope, like other cities who have passed them, we will see a decrease in hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease, stroke, COPD," she said.

Texas Department of State Health Services representatives are traveling Texas in support of a statewide indoor smoking ban like already exist in many other states.

The Denton City Council passed the smoking ban on Dec. 18 after a citizen committee helped craft the measure.

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DFW Airport Implements Concession Plan for Stranded Passengers

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Officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport have implemented their Irregular Operations Concessions Plan for American Airlines passengers stranded at the airport.

The airline suffered a computer problem Tuesday that cut off their ability to communicate with their reservations system. As a result, all flights have been grounded until at least 4 p.m. CT.

Meanwhile, passengers have been stuck onboard aircraft and in airline terminals awaiting departure.

Shortly before 3 p.m., DFW Airport began using three 90-passenger buses to deplane aircraft that are not at a gate.

"At DFW, there are some aircraft on the ramps awaiting departure, as well as arrivals flights awaiting gate space. Aircraft have also returned to the gate and deplaned passengers," officials with the airline said. "All passengers are safe, and DFW will continue to work with American Airlines and all aviation service providers, as needed."

Airport officials said concessions at Terminals A, B, C and D will remain open until at least midnight.

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Amid the Tragedy, a Marriage Proposal

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Andrew Ruggiero, of Boston, planned to be at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, down on one knee with diamond in hand, when his girlfriend crossed the finish line.

He and Melissa Blasczyk, a Wallingford, Conn. native, did get engaged yesterday, but only after terrifying moments amid tragic events as explosions turned a festive day into a tragic one.

Blasczyk ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, and Ruggiero had secretly arranged to become a finish-line volunteer and had a news crew ready to film the proposal at the finish line.

"Trying to play it cool, and not let her know that I had this elaborate plan with a diamond ring at the finish line, with her family, with my family," he said. 

Then, the bombs went off.

"We were about 10 minutes up, and I had my back to the fence, and you heard the first loud boom," Ruggiero said.

Melissa had safely been turned back from the finish line, but her family did not yet know that as they stared at the finish line when the first bomb went off. 

"I walked away from the race and walked all the way to Cambridge, about a couple miles away," she said. She was getting news of what had happened from Facebook and CNN.

Meanwhile, Blasczyk's loved ones set out to look for her. They called her cell phone hundreds of times, but there was no answer. Then, a friend spotted Melissa on the street and drove her home. 

"Everyone came and gave me a big hug. It was so great to see everyone. He (Ruggiero) was standing there a little awkwardly," Blasczyk said.

It's because Andrew was debating whether he should pop the question.

"In light of such dark evil, even I felt it important to say it's not going to deter me from finally marrying the girl that I love," Ruggiero said.

So Ruggiero got down on one knee inside their apartment and asked for Melissa's hand in marriage.

No date is set yet, but the couple plan to wed in 2014.
 

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West Nile Spraying in Richardson Delayed

Catherine Ross, NBC 5 News

Four traps have turned up mosquito samples testing positive for the West Nile Virus within Richardson city limits.

West Nile Spraying in Richardson Delayed

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The city of Richardson is starting its efforts to prevent West Nile Virus earlier than it ever has before.

Richardson began testing samples of trapped mosquitoes on April 1^st – or one full month ahead of schedule.

By the middle of the month, four samples in three separate neighborhoods returned mosquitoes testing positive for the virus.

"These were mosquitoes that survived the winter, somewhere holed up in a storm drain or in some protected area," said Richardson Health Department Director Bill Alsup. "They fed late last fall, got infected with the virus through an infected bird. They recently emerged with the warm weather, and we caught them as they came out."

The city planned to begin its ground spraying campaign in those three affected areas on Sunday night, but that plan was delayed because of the wind. 

According to a Richardson news release, wind gusts up to 15 miles an hour prevents the proper application of the insecticide. 

The city said, weather permitting, it will try to spray on Monday or Tuesday night.

The city council has also approved increasing the level of surveillance for the disease within city limits, including the city mosquito monitoring program as well as its response to positive samples.

"The really important key is that we're out in front of it more so than we ever have been before in the state of Texas, here in Richardson and in Dallas County," Alsup said. "We're hopeful this early and hard attack will make for a better summer for us this year."

Richardson's strategy involves spraying affected areas two nights in a row.

The city will not spray if wind gusts exceed 10 miles per hour or if temperatures drop below 50 degrees.

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Family Member: Williams Is Prime Suspect

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Source: Williams "Person Of Interest" In DA Murders

Source tells NBC DFW that former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace is a "Person of Interest" in the murder cases of the county's District Attorney, his wife and Assistant District Attorney.

Agents Search Seagoville Storage Units

Multiple agencies searched a Seagoville storage facility on Saturday, the same agencies investigating the murders of Mark Hasse and Mike and Cynthia McLelland.

More Photos and Videos

A family member tells NBC DFW's Ray Villeda charges against former Kaufman County Justice of Peace Eric Williams are expected as early as Tuesday. 

So far, no one has been charged in the murder cases of District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife Cynthia and Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse.

Family members have been told Williams is a "prime suspect" and that he may be moved from the Kaufman County jail in the coming days.

On April 2nd, Eric Williams told our sister station in Houston, KPRC, "I certainly think that anytime a prosecutor has taken on a case that was at least in some case a little high profile, then they should certainly look at anybody involved with that."

Williams was referring to his high profile theft case. In 2012, he was convicted of stealing three computer monitors from the county. As a result, he lost his position as justice of the peace.

Earlier on Sunday, the Kaufman County Sheriff's Department Lt. Justin Lewis told NBCDFW: 

Mr. Williams has not been charged with any murder (no one has been
charged for the murders) and we have not named any suspects, prime
suspects, or persons of interest in the case - despite what some DFW
outlets reported last night. The investigation continues and all leads and
tips continue to be worked.  There are no pressers or releases scheduled
for today.

Eric Williams, 46, was admitted to the Kaufman County Jail early Saturday morning, jail records show. Bond was set at $1 million for the terroristic threat charge and at $1 million each for two charges of insufficient bond.

The FBI, state and local law enforcement searched his home on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, officers searched a storage unit in Seagoville in Southeast Dallas County. Officers would not tell NBC DFW who the storage unit or a white sedan removed from the unit belonged to.

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia were found gunned down in their home on March 30. In late January, death of assistant DA Mark Hasse, who was fatally shot as he was leaving work in Kaufman, about 30 miles southeast of Dallas.
 

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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Amber Alert Issued for Cedar Hill Girl

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Cedar Hill police have issued an Amber Alert for a 12-year-old girl they believe is "in grave or immediate danger."

Sommer Brown is a black girl who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 90 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black tank top and black basketball shorts.

Police believe she is with her mother, 43-year-old Lisa Elizabeth Brown, a black woman who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black blazer and a light green shirt.

Police said they believe the pair may be traveling in a gray/pewter 2006 Ford Expedition with a paper Carmax tag that reads 86P 3357 and expires on May 19, 2013.

"I'm worried for her safety and her well-being and ... we need to find her ASAP ... because I don't know what her mother could do to her," said Madison Dews, Sommer Brown's stepsister.

Cedar Hill police said Lisa Brown, an Atlanta schoolteacher who is currently on spring break, came to North Texas to try to get temporary custody of her daughter.

The girl's father was awarded custody about three weeks ago.

Police said Lisa Brown filed a police report accusing her estranged husband of sexually abusing his daughter. Cedar Hill police said they looked into the claims, found they were false and arrested Brown on suspicion of filing a false police report on Tuesday.

Brown bonded out of a jail on Wednesday and sought an emergency temporary custody order through family courts on Thursday but was denied, police said.

After the court denied her custody, Brown tried to take her daughter out of school, but the school denied her request because she doesn't have custodial rights, police said.

Investigators said Lisa Brown drove to her estranged husband's neigbhorhood in the 100 block of Hannah Circle at approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday and called her daughter.

Dews said she was sitting with her stepsister inside the house while she talked with her mother on the phone.

Her mother told her stepsister "how much she missed her, she couldn't live without her, and she wasn't going to live without her, and that she wasn't going to stop trying to get her," Dews said.

She said Sommer Brown went outside "because her mother begged her for a hug."

When Sommer Brown finally came out of the house, neighbors told police they heard Lisa Brown yelling at her daughter to get in the car. When she finally complied, Brown sped away, witnesses said.

Dews said she ran after the car, with her stepsister staring at her through the window.

"She was, like, looking at me like to see what our next step was going to be ... because she knew that she wasn't planning on leaving with her mother," Dews said.

Family members say their top concern is getting Sommer Brown home safe.

Dews said she wants to know that her stepsister safe and wants her back home. She also said she wants her stepsister to know that her family is looking for her, saying that she knows Sommer Brown doesn't want to be with her mother.

"She had no intentions on ever seeing her mother again," she said.

Police said Lisa Brown is not cooperating with police and has cut off contact with her lawyer, who was trying to get her to turn herself in and return her daughter.

Lisa Brown has ties to Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, according to Cedar Hill police.

Anyone with information on the Browns' whereabouts is asked to call the Cedar Hill Police Department at 972-230-5785.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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Former Kaufman Co. JP Williams Arrested

After a second search of his Kaufman home on Friday, former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace Eric Williams was arrested overnight Friday and booked into the Kaufman County Jail.

According to booking information, Williams was arrested for one count of making a terroristic threat and two counts of insufficient bond. 

He is being held on three million dollars bond. 

Local, state and federal agents searched Williams' home in the 1600 block of Overlook Drive late Friday afternoon.

The FBI, Texas Rangers and Kaufman County investigators are gathering evidence related to the McLelland and Hasse murders according to Kaufman County public information officer Lt. Justin Lewis.

A listed phone number for Williams went unanswered Friday afternoon. But his attorney, David Sergi, released a statement Friday saying his client "has cooperated with law enforcement and vigorously denies any and all allegations."

Williams has never been named as a suspect in the murders of Mark McLelland, his wife Cynthia and ADA Mark Hasse. 

In an interview April 3, Williams told NBC 5 he had nothing to do with the McLellands' murder and doesn't even own a gun.

"If I was in their shoes, I would want to talk to me," Eric Williams said in an interview at his house. "In the investigators' minds, they want to check with me to do their process of elimination."

Williams, a former Kaufman County justice of the peace, was charged with theft and later convicted in a high-profile trial. He was kicked out of office, and his law license was suspended. He was 

sentenced to two years' probation and is appealing his conviction.

But he said he is not bitter and wouldn't want to harm anyone.

"I've cooperated with law enforcement," Williams said. "I certainly wish them the best in bringing justice to this incredibly egregious act."

Williams' name has swirled around the courthouse because his trial was sensational news in this small community, and it included testimony of death threats.

William said he was contacted Saturday night by investigators -- only about three hours after Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found dead inside their Forney home.

He said he met the agents at a nearby restaurant, where he allowed them to swab his hands for gunpowder residue. He also gave them his and his wife's cellphones, which they returned the next day.

"I know I didn't do anything," he said. "I know where I was."

Williams said he was at home with his wife or up the street at his in-laws late Friday and Saturday.

He expressed shock at the crime and sympathy for the victims' families.

"I want to say my deepest condolences go out to the McLelland family and all the people at the courthouse," he said.

Asked if he is angry at prosecutors, he said, "No, I'm not. Obviously that was also a part of them doing their jobs."

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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