(NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RELEASE)
Civil Defence Minister John Carter has today extended the state of national emergency for a further seven days in the aftermath of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch last Tuesday.
The state of national emergency in New Zealand was declared last Wednesday and is expected to continue for several more weeks, Mr Carter says.
"This declaration ensures coordination and cooperation between central and local resources, and international assistance. Due to the scale of this disaster, the civil defence response is beyond the resources of the local authority," he says.
The declaration gives Civil Defence Emergency Management National Controller John Hamilton the authority to direct and coordinate resources. The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 requires the declaration to be renewed every seven days.
Mr Carter says the significant damage caused by the earthquake and the continuing aftershocks mean it is appropriate the state of national emergency continues.
The declaration covers Christchurch City only and does not have any direct impact on other areas of New Zealand.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Ban discusses Libya with Obama; urges punishment of those responsible for violence
(UNITED NATIONS RELEASE)
28 February 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks on Libya with United States President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., today, later stating that Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s regime had declared war on its own people and must be brought to account for possible crimes against humanity.
“We agreed that the international community must stand firmly together during this historic transition toward a more democratic, secure and prosperous Middle East,” Mr. Ban said of his talks with Mr. Obama in the Oval Office, praising the president’s “firm leadership” and telling Mr. Qadhafi that he should listen to his people’s call to leave. The crisis in Libya has seen elements of Mr. Qadhafi’s government use deadly force in its repression of protesters.
Earlier Monday, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said he would decide “without delay” whether to open an investigation into whether the violent repression of peaceful protesters amounted to crimes against humanity, stressing that there would be no impunity for guilty leaders.
On Saturday, in a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council imposed sanctions against the Libyan authorities, placing an arms embargo against the country and freezing the assets of its leaders, while referring the ongoing violent repression of civilian demonstrators to the ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands.
Speaking to reporters at Washington, D.C.’s Holocaust Museum after his White House visit, Mr. Ban said the Council’s actions are “important and unprecedented, and I’ll make sure that these measures are implemented swiftly.”
Already last week, Mr. Ban condemned Mr. Qadhafi’s actions against protestors as possible crimes against humanity, calling for the punishment of those who “brutally shed” the blood of innocents. Media reports on the number of people killed range from the hundreds into the thousands.
It was a message he underscored in a statement delivered at the Holocaust Museum, in which he recalled that 70 years ago six million people were murdered at the instigation of a state.
“This museum commemorates that appalling truth,” he said. “It calls upon us to remember – and to act. ‘Never again,’” the Secretary-General said. “Once again, we are being tested. In Libya, a regime that has lost all legitimacy has declared war on its people. It is up to us, the community of nations, to stand against this crime… Gross violations of human rights will not be tolerated; those responsible will be punished.”
In response to a question afterwards, Mr. Ban said Mr. Qadhafi had lost his legitimacy when he declared war on his people. “I sincerely hope and urge him to listen to his people’s call,” he added. “That’s my message to him.”
‘Never Again’ is a clarion call to moral action, the UN chief said, stressing that it is for all people in all places – whether in Côte d’Ivoire where civilians are being killed as they stand for democracy, or in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the UN is working to prevent some of the darkest crimes against humanity.
“History’s most tragic chapters are written when we fail to heed that call. Let us not fall short. Together, let the world speak loud and clear – through action,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said his office – which has to decide whether an investigation into crimes against humanity should be opened – is assessing allegations of widespread or systematic attacks against civilians, and liaising with relevant bodies, including the Arab League, African Union, UN Council on Human Rights, UN High Commission for Human Rights, and with states to collect the required information.
“Information suggests that forces loyal to President Muammar Qadhafi are attacking civilians in Libya,” he said in a statement. “This could constitute crimes against humanity and must stop. The Office will act swiftly and impartially. There will be no impunity for leaders involved in the commission of crimes.”
The prosecutor is interested in receiving footage and images to confirm the alleged crimes, the statement added, noting that it is liaising with Libyan officials and army officers for information on the identity of authorities with command and control over the organizations allegedly involved in the crimes.
Stressing that the prosecutor has to act impartially, the statement said the next step will be to decide whether to open an investigation, and eventually collect evidence and request an arrest warrant against those identified as the most responsible. In accordance with its mandate to end impunity and to contribute to the prevention of future crimes, the prosecutor will act without delay, it added.
The ICC President, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, welcomed the Security Council’s resolution from Saturday as an expression of trust in the court’s role “as the first permanent and independent international judicial institution with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole.”
28 February 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks on Libya with United States President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., today, later stating that Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s regime had declared war on its own people and must be brought to account for possible crimes against humanity.
“We agreed that the international community must stand firmly together during this historic transition toward a more democratic, secure and prosperous Middle East,” Mr. Ban said of his talks with Mr. Obama in the Oval Office, praising the president’s “firm leadership” and telling Mr. Qadhafi that he should listen to his people’s call to leave. The crisis in Libya has seen elements of Mr. Qadhafi’s government use deadly force in its repression of protesters.
Earlier Monday, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said he would decide “without delay” whether to open an investigation into whether the violent repression of peaceful protesters amounted to crimes against humanity, stressing that there would be no impunity for guilty leaders.
On Saturday, in a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council imposed sanctions against the Libyan authorities, placing an arms embargo against the country and freezing the assets of its leaders, while referring the ongoing violent repression of civilian demonstrators to the ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands.
Speaking to reporters at Washington, D.C.’s Holocaust Museum after his White House visit, Mr. Ban said the Council’s actions are “important and unprecedented, and I’ll make sure that these measures are implemented swiftly.”
Already last week, Mr. Ban condemned Mr. Qadhafi’s actions against protestors as possible crimes against humanity, calling for the punishment of those who “brutally shed” the blood of innocents. Media reports on the number of people killed range from the hundreds into the thousands.
It was a message he underscored in a statement delivered at the Holocaust Museum, in which he recalled that 70 years ago six million people were murdered at the instigation of a state.
“This museum commemorates that appalling truth,” he said. “It calls upon us to remember – and to act. ‘Never again,’” the Secretary-General said. “Once again, we are being tested. In Libya, a regime that has lost all legitimacy has declared war on its people. It is up to us, the community of nations, to stand against this crime… Gross violations of human rights will not be tolerated; those responsible will be punished.”
In response to a question afterwards, Mr. Ban said Mr. Qadhafi had lost his legitimacy when he declared war on his people. “I sincerely hope and urge him to listen to his people’s call,” he added. “That’s my message to him.”
‘Never Again’ is a clarion call to moral action, the UN chief said, stressing that it is for all people in all places – whether in Côte d’Ivoire where civilians are being killed as they stand for democracy, or in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, or in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the UN is working to prevent some of the darkest crimes against humanity.
“History’s most tragic chapters are written when we fail to heed that call. Let us not fall short. Together, let the world speak loud and clear – through action,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said his office – which has to decide whether an investigation into crimes against humanity should be opened – is assessing allegations of widespread or systematic attacks against civilians, and liaising with relevant bodies, including the Arab League, African Union, UN Council on Human Rights, UN High Commission for Human Rights, and with states to collect the required information.
“Information suggests that forces loyal to President Muammar Qadhafi are attacking civilians in Libya,” he said in a statement. “This could constitute crimes against humanity and must stop. The Office will act swiftly and impartially. There will be no impunity for leaders involved in the commission of crimes.”
The prosecutor is interested in receiving footage and images to confirm the alleged crimes, the statement added, noting that it is liaising with Libyan officials and army officers for information on the identity of authorities with command and control over the organizations allegedly involved in the crimes.
Stressing that the prosecutor has to act impartially, the statement said the next step will be to decide whether to open an investigation, and eventually collect evidence and request an arrest warrant against those identified as the most responsible. In accordance with its mandate to end impunity and to contribute to the prevention of future crimes, the prosecutor will act without delay, it added.
The ICC President, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, welcomed the Security Council’s resolution from Saturday as an expression of trust in the court’s role “as the first permanent and independent international judicial institution with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole.”
Agents End the Month with 5 Tons Seized Over Weekend
(CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION RELEASE)
Edinburg, Texas - This past weekend netted over 5 tons of narcotics for U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley sector.
One of the notable seizures occurred Saturday evening when agents assigned to the Rio Grande City station were patrolling the Rio Grande when they noticed several people load large bundles into a van near La Casita, Texas.
As agents approached, the van attempted to drive away. Agents set out a tire deflation device and were successfully able to disable the vehicle. Abandoned inside the van were close to 1,000 lbs of marijuana with a value of more than $790,000.
In another unrelated incident, agents also assigned to the Rio Grande City Station were patrolling in Rio Grande City when they spotted several people carrying large bundles on their backs walking away from the river. As agents identified themselves, the smugglers dropped what they were carrying and ran towards the river. Agents recovered close to 550 lbs of marijuana with a value of more than $425,000.
Overall the narcotics seized since Friday throughout the Rio Grande Valley sector were valued at over $8 million and were turned over to various agencies for further investigation
Edinburg, Texas - This past weekend netted over 5 tons of narcotics for U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley sector.
One of the notable seizures occurred Saturday evening when agents assigned to the Rio Grande City station were patrolling the Rio Grande when they noticed several people load large bundles into a van near La Casita, Texas.
As agents approached, the van attempted to drive away. Agents set out a tire deflation device and were successfully able to disable the vehicle. Abandoned inside the van were close to 1,000 lbs of marijuana with a value of more than $790,000.
In another unrelated incident, agents also assigned to the Rio Grande City Station were patrolling in Rio Grande City when they spotted several people carrying large bundles on their backs walking away from the river. As agents identified themselves, the smugglers dropped what they were carrying and ran towards the river. Agents recovered close to 550 lbs of marijuana with a value of more than $425,000.
Overall the narcotics seized since Friday throughout the Rio Grande Valley sector were valued at over $8 million and were turned over to various agencies for further investigation
Self-Described "Militant Extremist" Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Visa Fraud
Sentence Enhanced Based on Statements and Conduct Indicating a Desire to Attack the U.S.
(DEPT OF JUSTICE RELEASE)
GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus, sentenced Brahim Lajqi, age 51, an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, today to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for visa fraud. Judge Titus granted the government's requested sentence enhancement based on Lajqi conducting activities to fulfill his pledge to retaliate against the United States for its involvement in the Kosovo conflict, which Lajqi believed had led to the deaths of several family members.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
"The evidence showed that Mr. Lajqi repeatedly and consistently made statements and took actions indicating that he planned to engage in terrorist activity," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
"As this case clearly demonstrates, visa fraud presents a vulnerability that could be exploited by dangerous criminals or even terrorists," said William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore. "ICE HSI will continue to vigorously pursue those who seek to exploit and corrupt America's legal immigration system."
According to Lajqi's guilty plea, he made false statements on immigration documents. Lajqi admitted that on his application to become a permanent resident in the United States he stated that he had been granted asylum status, when in fact, he had not. Lajqi further admitted that he forged his mother's signature on a petition for an alien relative that was purportedly filed by her on his behalf.
According to court documents and testimony at today's sentencing hearing, Lajqi is a self-described extremist militant trained by Bosnian rebels, who on several occasions expressed a desire to "get even" with the United States and discussed obtaining weapons and explosives for an attack on Washington, D.C. According to court documents, Lajqi drove around Washington, D.C. on two occasions to discuss and view potential targets, including Capitol Hill, the courthouse where his immigration proceedings were being held, the White House, the Treasury building, and a Metro train stop during rush hour. Lajqi also stated that he was in the process of renewing his commercial drivers license (CDL) in South Carolina so that he could transport weapons from Canada. Lajqi actually traveled to West Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a CDL there.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and ICE-HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Welsh, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey E. Eisenberg, Chief of the National Security Section, who supervised the case.
(DEPT OF JUSTICE RELEASE)
GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus, sentenced Brahim Lajqi, age 51, an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, today to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for visa fraud. Judge Titus granted the government's requested sentence enhancement based on Lajqi conducting activities to fulfill his pledge to retaliate against the United States for its involvement in the Kosovo conflict, which Lajqi believed had led to the deaths of several family members.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
"The evidence showed that Mr. Lajqi repeatedly and consistently made statements and took actions indicating that he planned to engage in terrorist activity," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
"As this case clearly demonstrates, visa fraud presents a vulnerability that could be exploited by dangerous criminals or even terrorists," said William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore. "ICE HSI will continue to vigorously pursue those who seek to exploit and corrupt America's legal immigration system."
According to Lajqi's guilty plea, he made false statements on immigration documents. Lajqi admitted that on his application to become a permanent resident in the United States he stated that he had been granted asylum status, when in fact, he had not. Lajqi further admitted that he forged his mother's signature on a petition for an alien relative that was purportedly filed by her on his behalf.
According to court documents and testimony at today's sentencing hearing, Lajqi is a self-described extremist militant trained by Bosnian rebels, who on several occasions expressed a desire to "get even" with the United States and discussed obtaining weapons and explosives for an attack on Washington, D.C. According to court documents, Lajqi drove around Washington, D.C. on two occasions to discuss and view potential targets, including Capitol Hill, the courthouse where his immigration proceedings were being held, the White House, the Treasury building, and a Metro train stop during rush hour. Lajqi also stated that he was in the process of renewing his commercial drivers license (CDL) in South Carolina so that he could transport weapons from Canada. Lajqi actually traveled to West Virginia in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a CDL there.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and ICE-HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Welsh, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey E. Eisenberg, Chief of the National Security Section, who supervised the case.
MV DOVER pirated in the North Arabian Sea
(EU NAVFOR RELEASE)
At approximately 0600Z on 28 February, the Bulk Cargo Carrier MV DOVER was pirated approximately 260 nautical miles North East of Salalah in the North Arabian Sea.
The Panamanian flagged, Greek owned vessel was on its way to Saleef (Yemen) from Port Quasim (Pakistan) when it was attacked. Details of the attack are not known at this time. The MV DOVER has a crew of 23 (3 Romanian, 1 Russian and 19 Filipinos). There is presently no communication with the vessel and no information regarding the condition of the crew.
The MV DOVER was registered with MSC(HOA), and was reporting to UKMTO. EUNAVFOR are continuing to monitor the situation
At approximately 0600Z on 28 February, the Bulk Cargo Carrier MV DOVER was pirated approximately 260 nautical miles North East of Salalah in the North Arabian Sea.
The Panamanian flagged, Greek owned vessel was on its way to Saleef (Yemen) from Port Quasim (Pakistan) when it was attacked. Details of the attack are not known at this time. The MV DOVER has a crew of 23 (3 Romanian, 1 Russian and 19 Filipinos). There is presently no communication with the vessel and no information regarding the condition of the crew.
The MV DOVER was registered with MSC(HOA), and was reporting to UKMTO. EUNAVFOR are continuing to monitor the situation
Troops Re-Positioned to Provide Options on Libya
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by Jim Garamone
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States military "is in the planning and preparing mode" on Libya, and will be able to provide the full range of options for national leaders, Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan said here Feb. 28.
"The U.S. military is moving naval and air forces to the region," he said.
President Barack Obama asked the military to prepare these options as the situation in Libya gets worse. News reports indicate while Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi is attacking rebels in and around the capital of Tripoli, anti-regime forces hold the east.
In a Feb. 26 call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama said: "When a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," according to the White House.
"The Defense Department has not been directly tasked for any mission," Lapan said.
"We have planners working various contingency plans," he said. "It's safe to say as a part of that, we're re-positioning forces to provide for that flexibility. We are re-positioning forces in the region to provide options and flexibility."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also urged Gadhafi to stop killing his own people and leave. She also said the United States government has been reaching out to Libyan rebels.
"We've been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the east and as the revolution moves westward, there as well," Clinton said at Andrews Air Force Base yesterday. "I think it's way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we're going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
Lapan ruled nothing out. "Again, it goes back to having a full range of options available," he said. "So those forces could be used in any number of ways. Re-positioning them provides that flexibility so they can be used if needed."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States military "is in the planning and preparing mode" on Libya, and will be able to provide the full range of options for national leaders, Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan said here Feb. 28.
"The U.S. military is moving naval and air forces to the region," he said.
President Barack Obama asked the military to prepare these options as the situation in Libya gets worse. News reports indicate while Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi is attacking rebels in and around the capital of Tripoli, anti-regime forces hold the east.
In a Feb. 26 call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama said: "When a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," according to the White House.
"The Defense Department has not been directly tasked for any mission," Lapan said.
"We have planners working various contingency plans," he said. "It's safe to say as a part of that, we're re-positioning forces to provide for that flexibility. We are re-positioning forces in the region to provide options and flexibility."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also urged Gadhafi to stop killing his own people and leave. She also said the United States government has been reaching out to Libyan rebels.
"We've been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the east and as the revolution moves westward, there as well," Clinton said at Andrews Air Force Base yesterday. "I think it's way too soon to tell how this is going to play out, but we're going to be ready and prepared to offer any kind of assistance that anyone wishes to have from the United States."
Lapan ruled nothing out. "Again, it goes back to having a full range of options available," he said. "So those forces could be used in any number of ways. Re-positioning them provides that flexibility so they can be used if needed."
ONE PERMIT APPROVED TO RESUME DRILLING IN THE GULF
API SAYS NOT ENOUGH, TOO SLOW
(AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE RELEASE)
API’s President and CEO Jack Gerard today responded to the announcement by BOEMRE Director Bromwich approving one permit for one company to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico:
“While every permit is welcome news, tightening the screws on domestic oil and natural gas production during a time of increased demand and global uncertainty is a formula for disaster. This slow moving process continues to stifle domestic production and puts thousands of jobs at risk in the Gulf and around the country.”
According to API, the lack of permitting is damaging to the Gulf Coast, the nation’s economy, and energy security. A recent study by the consultant firm Wood Mackenzie shows that if the permit process is not speeded up, as much as 680,000 barrels of oil equivalent Gulf production a day could be at risk in 2019, and associated job losses could reach 125,000 per year by 2015.
API represents more than 450 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, and, since 2000, has invested nearly $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.
(AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE RELEASE)
API’s President and CEO Jack Gerard today responded to the announcement by BOEMRE Director Bromwich approving one permit for one company to resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico:
“While every permit is welcome news, tightening the screws on domestic oil and natural gas production during a time of increased demand and global uncertainty is a formula for disaster. This slow moving process continues to stifle domestic production and puts thousands of jobs at risk in the Gulf and around the country.”
According to API, the lack of permitting is damaging to the Gulf Coast, the nation’s economy, and energy security. A recent study by the consultant firm Wood Mackenzie shows that if the permit process is not speeded up, as much as 680,000 barrels of oil equivalent Gulf production a day could be at risk in 2019, and associated job losses could reach 125,000 per year by 2015.
API represents more than 450 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, and, since 2000, has invested nearly $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.
Waco ISD seeks public input on budget crisis
Waco ISD seeks public input on budget crisis
(WACO ISD RELEASE)
The Waco Independent School District has launched a page on its website (http://www.wacoisd.org/) to take input from stakeholders about budget cutting strategies. The district is urging parents, students, employees and other community members to submit their ideas and suggestions to the administration using the form.
With the state budget shortfall, Waco ISD, like most every public school district in Texas, will make significant cuts as it prepares its budget for the fiscal year 2011-2012. Faced with a cut of up to $15-million in state funding, Waco ISD is preparing to cut between $5 million to $8 million from the 2011-2012 budget.
"We have a challenging road ahead of us, and we must all work together to ensure that our 15,200 students continue to have access to all necessary programs," said new Waco ISD superintendant Dr. Bonny Cain.
Online comments will be accepted through Friday, March 18, 2011.
The ideas and suggestions received will be analyzed by the district's executive management team and the Board of Trustees as they begin to create and adopt a balanced budget for 2011-2012.
UBLIC
I
NFORMATION
S
ERVICES
• F
AX
254.755.9658 • T
EL
254.755.9454 • dcaffey@wacoisd.org
(WACO ISD RELEASE)
The Waco Independent School District has launched a page on its website (http://www.wacoisd.org/) to take input from stakeholders about budget cutting strategies. The district is urging parents, students, employees and other community members to submit their ideas and suggestions to the administration using the form.
With the state budget shortfall, Waco ISD, like most every public school district in Texas, will make significant cuts as it prepares its budget for the fiscal year 2011-2012. Faced with a cut of up to $15-million in state funding, Waco ISD is preparing to cut between $5 million to $8 million from the 2011-2012 budget.
"We have a challenging road ahead of us, and we must all work together to ensure that our 15,200 students continue to have access to all necessary programs," said new Waco ISD superintendant Dr. Bonny Cain.
Online comments will be accepted through Friday, March 18, 2011.
The ideas and suggestions received will be analyzed by the district's executive management team and the Board of Trustees as they begin to create and adopt a balanced budget for 2011-2012.
Waco Independent School District has launched a page on its website (http://www.wacoisd.org/) to seek
input from stakeholders about budget cutting strategies. The district is urging parents, students,
employees and other community members to submit their ideas and suggestions to the
administration and school board using the form.
With the state budget shortfall, Waco ISD, like most every public school district in Texas, will
make significant cuts as it prepares its budget for fiscal year 2011-2012. Faced with a cut of up to
$15 million in state funding, Waco ISD is preparing to cut between $5 million to $8 million from
the 2011-12 budget, with the possibility of additional cuts in the 2012-2013 budget.
“We have a challenging road ahead of us and we all must work together to ensure that our 15,200
students continue to have access to all necessary programs,” said new Waco ISD Superintendent
Dr. Bonny Cain.
Online public input will be collected through Friday, March 18, 2011.
The ideas and suggestions received will be analyzed by the district’s executive leadership team and
the Board of Trustees as they begin to create and adopt a balanced budget for 2011-2012.
###
P
PERSON OF INTEREST SOUGHT IN KILLEEN CEDARHILL DR MURDER
(KILLEEN PD RELEASE)
The Killeen Police Department is asking for assistance in locating a Killeen man who detectives would like to speak with concerning the Murder that occurred on Saturday, February 19, 2011, in the 1700 block of Cedarhill Dr.
Detectives would like to speak with a Don Walter Carter Jr. also known as “Don C”. He is a Person of Interest in connection with this Murder and they believe he has information pertinent to this case.
Don Walter Carter Jr. is a 24 year old black male. He is 5’11” tall and weighs approximately 165 pound; he has black hair and brown eyes. He has tattoos on his hands, his left arm and a tattoo on his neck.
Because of his past history he is known to carry a weapon and must be considered Armed and Dangerous.
Detectives are asking if you know of Don Carter aka Don C’s whereabouts to contact the Killeen Police Department at 200-7904 or 501-8800.
 |
| Don Walter Carter Jr-"Don C" |
Detectives would like to speak with a Don Walter Carter Jr. also known as “Don C”. He is a Person of Interest in connection with this Murder and they believe he has information pertinent to this case.
Don Walter Carter Jr. is a 24 year old black male. He is 5’11” tall and weighs approximately 165 pound; he has black hair and brown eyes. He has tattoos on his hands, his left arm and a tattoo on his neck.
Because of his past history he is known to carry a weapon and must be considered Armed and Dangerous.
Detectives are asking if you know of Don Carter aka Don C’s whereabouts to contact the Killeen Police Department at 200-7904 or 501-8800.
KILLEEN STANDOFF ENDS; 24-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED
Killeen Police arrested a 24 year old man after a five hour standoff on Longhorn Circle today, Monday, February 28, 2011.
(KILLEEN PD RELEASE-CARROLL SMITH)
Officers met with sheriff’s deputies with the Williamson County Sheriff’s office just after noon on Monday, February 28, 2011, to assist them in serving a felony warrant. The deputies had information that Ernest Bess was living at 503 Longhorn Circle #D. When they attempted to make contact with the resident at apartment #D they received no answer however a short time later the deputies and officers saw movement inside the apartment and again attempted to make contact; again they received no response.
The male inside the apartment refused to come outside and barricaded himself inside the apartment. The Killeen Police Department Tactical Response Unit was deployed at 1:39pm and responded to the area of Charolais and Hereford Drives. Upon their arrival the SWAT Team surrounded the apartment 4-plex and members of the Crisis Negotiation Team attempted to speak with Bess; attempts at negotiations failed at that time. Negotiators deployed a telephone into the apartment to speak with the suspect and he again did not make contact. On two occasions Chemical Agents were deployed into the residence in an attempt to get the suspect to surrender, however he still remained inside the complex. Members of the SWAT Team entered the apartments and located and arrested Earnest Bess without incident in apartment #C.
Bess was released to the custody of the Willamson County Sheriff’s Office where he faces felony charges for Motion to Revoke Probation for a Sexual Assault charge.
Charges are pending with the Killeen Police Department involving today’s incident as it continues to be investigated. Information will be released as it becomes available.
(KILLEEN PD RELEASE-CARROLL SMITH)
Officers met with sheriff’s deputies with the Williamson County Sheriff’s office just after noon on Monday, February 28, 2011, to assist them in serving a felony warrant. The deputies had information that Ernest Bess was living at 503 Longhorn Circle #D. When they attempted to make contact with the resident at apartment #D they received no answer however a short time later the deputies and officers saw movement inside the apartment and again attempted to make contact; again they received no response.
The male inside the apartment refused to come outside and barricaded himself inside the apartment. The Killeen Police Department Tactical Response Unit was deployed at 1:39pm and responded to the area of Charolais and Hereford Drives. Upon their arrival the SWAT Team surrounded the apartment 4-plex and members of the Crisis Negotiation Team attempted to speak with Bess; attempts at negotiations failed at that time. Negotiators deployed a telephone into the apartment to speak with the suspect and he again did not make contact. On two occasions Chemical Agents were deployed into the residence in an attempt to get the suspect to surrender, however he still remained inside the complex. Members of the SWAT Team entered the apartments and located and arrested Earnest Bess without incident in apartment #C.
Bess was released to the custody of the Willamson County Sheriff’s Office where he faces felony charges for Motion to Revoke Probation for a Sexual Assault charge.
Charges are pending with the Killeen Police Department involving today’s incident as it continues to be investigated. Information will be released as it becomes available.
Public May Resume Normal Activities on Nolan Creek
(CITY OF KILLEEN RELEASE-HILLARY SHINE)
(KILLEEN, Texas): The City of Killeen has lifted its public advisory to avoid contact with Nolan Creek. Test results have confirmed that bacteria levels have returned to normal. The public may resume activities along the creek.
Following a mechanical failure at a lift station that discharged wastewater into the creek, an initial advisory was issued Thursday in the area from W.S. Young Drive to Twin Creek Road. It was extended Friday as a precaution to include the entire creek east of W.S. Young Drive.
(KILLEEN, Texas): The City of Killeen has lifted its public advisory to avoid contact with Nolan Creek. Test results have confirmed that bacteria levels have returned to normal. The public may resume activities along the creek.
Following a mechanical failure at a lift station that discharged wastewater into the creek, an initial advisory was issued Thursday in the area from W.S. Young Drive to Twin Creek Road. It was extended Friday as a precaution to include the entire creek east of W.S. Young Drive.
Temple Fire on Alabama Ave Early Monday Morning
(TEMPLE FD RELEASE-THOMAS PECHAL)
Monday, February 28th shortly before 2 a.m., Temple Firefighters responded to a house fire at 8417 Alabama Avenue in west Temple.
Firefighters arrived to find flames venting through the roof. The exterior of the front of the house was also burning and ignited a vehicle in the driveway.
Fire crews initiated a defensive attack to extinguish the fire. The structure received heavy fire damage. Dollar loss to the structure and contents is estimated at $60,000. No one was home and there were no injuries.
The fire is under investigation by the Temple Fire Marshal’s office.
Three Engine Companies, one Quint Company, one Ladder Truck Company and the Fire Incident Commander, one fire investigator; a total of 18 Temple Fire & Rescue personnel responded. The call was dispatched at 1:51 a.m. The first unit arrived at 1:56 a.m., and the last unit cleared the scene at 5:05 a.m.
Temple Police, Scott & White EMS and Oncor also responded.
###
Monday, February 28th shortly before 2 a.m., Temple Firefighters responded to a house fire at 8417 Alabama Avenue in west Temple.
Firefighters arrived to find flames venting through the roof. The exterior of the front of the house was also burning and ignited a vehicle in the driveway.
Fire crews initiated a defensive attack to extinguish the fire. The structure received heavy fire damage. Dollar loss to the structure and contents is estimated at $60,000. No one was home and there were no injuries.
The fire is under investigation by the Temple Fire Marshal’s office.
Three Engine Companies, one Quint Company, one Ladder Truck Company and the Fire Incident Commander, one fire investigator; a total of 18 Temple Fire & Rescue personnel responded. The call was dispatched at 1:51 a.m. The first unit arrived at 1:56 a.m., and the last unit cleared the scene at 5:05 a.m.
Temple Police, Scott & White EMS and Oncor also responded.
###
Weekend Fire Damages Home On Iglesia Lane in Temple
(TEMPLE FD RELEASE-THOMAS PECHAL)
Temple Firefighters responded to a house fire at 8545 Iglesia Lane in west Temple Sunday, February 27th.
The fire was confined to a bedroom in the house. The resident extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived. There were no injuries.
Investigators determined the fire was unintentional and due to a frayed extension cord. Fire damage was limited to the bedroom with the rest of the house receiving moderate smoke damage. Dollar loss to the structure and contents is estimated at $4,000.
Three Engine Companies, one Quint Company, one Ladder Truck Company and the Fire Incident Commander; a total of 17 Temple Fire & Rescue personnel responded. The call was dispatched at 4:08 p.m. The first unit arrived at 4:15 p.m., and the last unit cleared the scene at 5:17 p.m.
Temple Police, Scott & White EMS and Oncor also responded.
Temple Firefighters responded to a house fire at 8545 Iglesia Lane in west Temple Sunday, February 27th.
The fire was confined to a bedroom in the house. The resident extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived. There were no injuries.
Investigators determined the fire was unintentional and due to a frayed extension cord. Fire damage was limited to the bedroom with the rest of the house receiving moderate smoke damage. Dollar loss to the structure and contents is estimated at $4,000.
Three Engine Companies, one Quint Company, one Ladder Truck Company and the Fire Incident Commander; a total of 17 Temple Fire & Rescue personnel responded. The call was dispatched at 4:08 p.m. The first unit arrived at 4:15 p.m., and the last unit cleared the scene at 5:17 p.m.
Temple Police, Scott & White EMS and Oncor also responded.
Humanitarian Assistance for Libya
U-S Dept. of State Fact Sheet
In the midst of ongoing violence, the humanitarian situation in Libya is growing more acute. Restricted access and limited information pose distinct challenges, but the United States is actively responding and stands prepared to assist Libya's people through this turbulent period.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has set aside an initial $10 million in emergency assistance to support the efforts of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the Libyan Red Crescent Society meet the most urgent needs.
While our immediate attention is focused on the need to keep medical pipelines well stocked and intact, we are also concerned that the ongoing violence may disrupt distribution networks and lead to food shortages. USAID has therefore conducted an inventory of all U.S. food aid resources in the region and is prepared to divert or dispatch other food stocks to Libya should the need arise.
The United States is consulting with the governments of Egypt and Tunisia on how we can assist them and the international community in managing the large numbers of workers fleeing Libya, including through the anticipated immediate dispatch of expert humanitarian teams to Libya's borders with Tunisia and Egypt.
USAID and our State Department's Bureau for Population, Migration and Refugees continue to work closely with the International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commission for Refugees in order to support their efforts to manage the outflow of workers and refugees.
The United States is committed to working with the United Nations, the European Community, the Arab League, the African Union and Libya's neighbors to respond to humanitarian needs.
We welcome and will respond to forthcoming appeals from UN agencies and the IOM, and call upon other countries to do the same.
We commend the efforts of the Libyan people to tend to the needs of their fellow citizens, and in particular the medical personnel who are treating the wounded.
We are deeply concerned about how the current situation is affecting the Libyan people and others in the country and are working intensely with the international community to meet their urgent humanitarian needs.
In the midst of ongoing violence, the humanitarian situation in Libya is growing more acute. Restricted access and limited information pose distinct challenges, but the United States is actively responding and stands prepared to assist Libya's people through this turbulent period.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has set aside an initial $10 million in emergency assistance to support the efforts of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the Libyan Red Crescent Society meet the most urgent needs.
While our immediate attention is focused on the need to keep medical pipelines well stocked and intact, we are also concerned that the ongoing violence may disrupt distribution networks and lead to food shortages. USAID has therefore conducted an inventory of all U.S. food aid resources in the region and is prepared to divert or dispatch other food stocks to Libya should the need arise.
The United States is consulting with the governments of Egypt and Tunisia on how we can assist them and the international community in managing the large numbers of workers fleeing Libya, including through the anticipated immediate dispatch of expert humanitarian teams to Libya's borders with Tunisia and Egypt.
USAID and our State Department's Bureau for Population, Migration and Refugees continue to work closely with the International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commission for Refugees in order to support their efforts to manage the outflow of workers and refugees.
The United States is committed to working with the United Nations, the European Community, the Arab League, the African Union and Libya's neighbors to respond to humanitarian needs.
We welcome and will respond to forthcoming appeals from UN agencies and the IOM, and call upon other countries to do the same.
We commend the efforts of the Libyan people to tend to the needs of their fellow citizens, and in particular the medical personnel who are treating the wounded.
We are deeply concerned about how the current situation is affecting the Libyan people and others in the country and are working intensely with the international community to meet their urgent humanitarian needs.
GATESVILLE MAN GETS 20 YEARS OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING MENTALLY DISABLED PERSON
A Coryell County man charged with three counts of sexual assault of a mentally disabled person has been sentenced to twenty years in prison. Under the plea bargain agreement, Christopher Lace Mobley was allowed to plea to one charge, with the other two dismissed. The victim was 16 years old. Following a Sheriff's Office investigation of the offenses which occurred out in the county, an arrest warrant was obtained. In June of 2009, Gatesville police accompanied deputies to Mobley's home in Gatesville to assist in making the arrest. When they arrived at the home, they found Mobley had hidden in a laundry room and had stabbed himself. Tbey found him with the knife still lodged in his neck. He was transported to Scott & White Hospital for treatment then released to authorities to face the charges.
PUBLIC MEETING: HWY 190 FEASIBILITY/NEEDS MEETING
US 190/I-10 Feasibility Study Public Meeting
Copperas Cove, Texas: “The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be conducting a Public Meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2011, to obtain public input regarding transportation issues and needs along the US190/I-10 corridor. The meeting will be held at the Killeen Civic & Conference Center (3601 South W.S. Young Drive, Killeen, TX 76541) from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
TxDOT initiated the US 190/I-10 Feasibility Study to assess the benefits and impacts of implementing various transportation improvements along this major corridor between El Paso to the Louisiana state line. Consideration will be given to the mobility needs and connectivity to military installations such as Fort Bliss and Fort Hood and the deployment ports of Corpus Christi and Beaumont, as well as its potential for congestion relief and economic development.”
Copperas Cove, Texas: “The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be conducting a Public Meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2011, to obtain public input regarding transportation issues and needs along the US190/I-10 corridor. The meeting will be held at the Killeen Civic & Conference Center (3601 South W.S. Young Drive, Killeen, TX 76541) from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
TxDOT initiated the US 190/I-10 Feasibility Study to assess the benefits and impacts of implementing various transportation improvements along this major corridor between El Paso to the Louisiana state line. Consideration will be given to the mobility needs and connectivity to military installations such as Fort Bliss and Fort Hood and the deployment ports of Corpus Christi and Beaumont, as well as its potential for congestion relief and economic development.”
TEMPLE POLICE SEEK ROBBER OF STAR FOOD MART
(TEMPLE PD RELEASE-BRAD HUNT)
On Friday, February 25th, at about 10:00 pm, Temple Police responded to a robbery that just occurred at The Temple Star Food Mart, 3804 South 5th Street. Officer arrived to learn that a man entered the store at about 9:55 pm, armed with a handgun, and demanded money and items from the clerk. The man received an undisclosed amount of cash, as well as cigarettes, before fleeing on foot. A second man stood outside the store, and left with the first man.
No one was injured in this incident.
Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspects. They did learn the suspects fled to the south, using the walking path by South 5th Street.
The suspects are both described as white males. One was wearing a hood and bandana, covering his face and head. The second man was also wearing a hood and bandana.
Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500
On Friday, February 25th, at about 10:00 pm, Temple Police responded to a robbery that just occurred at The Temple Star Food Mart, 3804 South 5th Street. Officer arrived to learn that a man entered the store at about 9:55 pm, armed with a handgun, and demanded money and items from the clerk. The man received an undisclosed amount of cash, as well as cigarettes, before fleeing on foot. A second man stood outside the store, and left with the first man.
No one was injured in this incident.
Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspects. They did learn the suspects fled to the south, using the walking path by South 5th Street.
The suspects are both described as white males. One was wearing a hood and bandana, covering his face and head. The second man was also wearing a hood and bandana.
Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500
Man Steals Gas, Flees Cops, Wrecks Out in Temple
(TEMPLE PD RELEASE-BRAD HUNT)
On Saturday, February 26th, at about 9:15 am, Temple Police received a call of a theft of gas at the Cefco Convenience Store at West Adams Avenue and Olaf Drive. The vehicle involved was reported stolen from Belton, had been involved in several gas thefts, and the suspect was reportedly armed. Officers located the vehicle at about 10:50 am, in the area of South 31st Street and West Avenue R.
When Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled, and a pursuit ensued. After a short pursuit, the suspect vehicle crashed into a guardrail and came to a stop in the 100 block of South General Bruce Drive. No one was injured.
The driver fled on foot, and was apprehended in the parking lot of the KFC restaurant. The driver was identified as Derrick Claypool, an 18-year-old Morgan’s Point man. Two passengers were identified and released at the scene. Mr. Claypool was taken to Bell County Jail, charged with felony Evading Arrest with a Vehicle, and the vehicle was towed from the scene.
When Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled, and a pursuit ensued. After a short pursuit, the suspect vehicle crashed into a guardrail and came to a stop in the 100 block of South General Bruce Drive. No one was injured.
The driver fled on foot, and was apprehended in the parking lot of the KFC restaurant. The driver was identified as Derrick Claypool, an 18-year-old Morgan’s Point man. Two passengers were identified and released at the scene. Mr. Claypool was taken to Bell County Jail, charged with felony Evading Arrest with a Vehicle, and the vehicle was towed from the scene.
Bryan Traffic Safety Unit Steps Up Enforcement at Railroad Crossings
(BRYAN PD RELEASE)
Tomorrow March 1, 2011, the Bryan Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) will be partnering with the Union Pacific Railroad Police for “Operation Railroad.” Officers will be monitoring the railroad tracks that pass through the City of Bryan looking for traffic violations. The last “Operation Railroad” was conducted in September of 2010 and resulted in 34 railroad related citations.The Bryan Police Department would like to remind the citizens of Bryan that trains can be deadly. Back on January 24, 2011 a citizen was hit by a passing train that cost him his life. Please use caution and obey all warning signs. Here are many simple and life-saving practices to help you avoid a confrontation with a train at a railroad crossing:• Never drive around lowered gates. Driving around lowered gates is illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the toll free number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency.
• Never stop on the railroad tracks. Stopping on the tracks is illegal. If traffic is backed up and crosses a RXR intersection, prepare to stop early before the RXR tracks. Treat the railroad tracks like a traffic intersection. You don’t want to be caught stopped in the intersection whether a train is coming or not.
•Slow down when approaching a railroad crossing and look both ways—TWICE!
• Never race a train to cross the tracks; even if you tie, you lose.
• Watch out for a second train.
• Never pass another vehicle within 100 feet of a railroad crossing.
• Watch out for vehicles that MUST stop at railroad crossings, like school buses, city buses, or trucks carrying hazardous materials.
• When approaching a crossing, roll down your windows, turn off the radio or air conditioner, and listen for whistles or bells.
• Always yield to flashing lights, whistles, closing gates, or stop signs.
• Never shift gears on the railroad crossing, downshift before you reach it.
• If you must stop, keep a distance of 15 to 50 feet from the tracks. Since the tracks are four feet eight and a half inches wide, and the train hangs three feet past the rails on each side, be sure to leave enough space between your vehicle and the tracks.
• Teach children that the railroad is never a place to play, walk, run, bike ride, or use as a short cut. Don’t fish from railroad bridges either. Railroad tracks are considered private property and you can be charged with criminal trespass for walking on the tracks.
• Always cross the tracks at the designated railroad crossing or pedestrian crossing.
• Only use the crossing if you can be sure your vehicle is high enough to completely clear the railroad crossing without stopping.
• Don’t be fooled by the optical illusion presented by the train. It is always moving faster and is much closer than you think. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's 18 football fields!
Tomorrow March 1, 2011, the Bryan Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) will be partnering with the Union Pacific Railroad Police for “Operation Railroad.” Officers will be monitoring the railroad tracks that pass through the City of Bryan looking for traffic violations. The last “Operation Railroad” was conducted in September of 2010 and resulted in 34 railroad related citations.The Bryan Police Department would like to remind the citizens of Bryan that trains can be deadly. Back on January 24, 2011 a citizen was hit by a passing train that cost him his life. Please use caution and obey all warning signs. Here are many simple and life-saving practices to help you avoid a confrontation with a train at a railroad crossing:• Never drive around lowered gates. Driving around lowered gates is illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the toll free number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency.
• Never stop on the railroad tracks. Stopping on the tracks is illegal. If traffic is backed up and crosses a RXR intersection, prepare to stop early before the RXR tracks. Treat the railroad tracks like a traffic intersection. You don’t want to be caught stopped in the intersection whether a train is coming or not.
•Slow down when approaching a railroad crossing and look both ways—TWICE!
• Never race a train to cross the tracks; even if you tie, you lose.
• Watch out for a second train.
• Never pass another vehicle within 100 feet of a railroad crossing.
• Watch out for vehicles that MUST stop at railroad crossings, like school buses, city buses, or trucks carrying hazardous materials.
• When approaching a crossing, roll down your windows, turn off the radio or air conditioner, and listen for whistles or bells.
• Always yield to flashing lights, whistles, closing gates, or stop signs.
• Never shift gears on the railroad crossing, downshift before you reach it.
• If you must stop, keep a distance of 15 to 50 feet from the tracks. Since the tracks are four feet eight and a half inches wide, and the train hangs three feet past the rails on each side, be sure to leave enough space between your vehicle and the tracks.
• Teach children that the railroad is never a place to play, walk, run, bike ride, or use as a short cut. Don’t fish from railroad bridges either. Railroad tracks are considered private property and you can be charged with criminal trespass for walking on the tracks.
• Always cross the tracks at the designated railroad crossing or pedestrian crossing.
• Only use the crossing if you can be sure your vehicle is high enough to completely clear the railroad crossing without stopping.
• Don’t be fooled by the optical illusion presented by the train. It is always moving faster and is much closer than you think. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's 18 football fields!
Eight-Liner Machines Shut Down, Cash Seized in Milam County
Milam County Sheriff's Deputies say cash and equipment was seized following the serving of search warrants in a raid on four locations Friday. A sheriff's office spokesman says information has been turned over the the Milam County District Attorney's office to determine if gambling charges will be filed in the case. The raids came following a lengthy undercover investigation into the operation of machines known as 8-liners, similar to slot machines. Texas law allows use the machines for entertainment purposes with strict limits on the size and value of prizes offered. Deputies began the investigation last October when complaints were received by the office from family members of people playing the machines losing large amounts of money and from others complaining that they did not think they were being operated properly. A total of 29 machines were disabled and and undisclosed amount of cash was seized at three locations in Cameron and one in Rockdale. In each case the "mother boards" were removed from the machines. Search warrants had been obtained following the undercover work at the Camron Mini Mart at 607 North Travis, Sunny's Food Mart at 903 North Travis, at an old T-Shirt shop at 1607 North Travis all in Cameron and at a Sunny's Food Mart location at 1300 West Cameron Street in Rockdale.
DeQueen, Arkansas Woman Killed in Robertson County Accident
The Texas Department of Public Safety reports a 35 year old woman was killed and two children injured in a one vehicle rollover accident early this morning. DPS troopers report the accident occurred about 1:30 am on US Highway 79 just southwest of Hearne in Robertson County. Investigating troopers say a 2004 Dodge Stratus driven by 35-year-old Mollie Annette Castillo of DeQueen, Arkansas was northbound on US 79 when moved onto the northbound improved shoulder. The driver corrected, with the vehicle then entering a side skid, entering the opposite side ditch and rolling over. Castillo was pronounced dead at the scene. Injured were two passengers, 16-year-old Arron Vazguez and 14-year-old Antoinette Castillo, both also of DeQueen, Arkansas. Both were transported to St Jospeh[s Hospital in Bryan with back and rib injuries along with cuts and abrasions.
Stuttering Reigns King at the Oscars
(STUTTERING FOUNDATION RELEASE)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ ), issued the following reaction to the Oscar awards:
“It is an eloquently golden night for people who stutter. The King’s Speech has been a godsend for the entire stuttering community.
“Tom Hooper gave us an inspirational hero, David Seidler gave us an impassioned voice, Helena Bonham Carter gave us a forceful yet supportive spouse, and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush portrayed the perfect relationship between therapist and patient, an alliance built upon unbreakable trust, mutual respect and lifelong friendship.
“We salute tonight’s Oscar winners, including Best Movie The King’s Speech, Best Director Tom Hooper, Best Original Screenplay David Seidler, Best Leading Actor Colin Firth, and the entire cast and crew, for their courage, grace and humanity in making this film for audiences to appreciate.
“The real winners tonight, however, are people who stutter, especially those who require the courage of a King to cope with stuttering on a daily basis.”
About the Foundation
Malcolm Fraser felt the same dread of speaking in public that King George VI experienced in the 1940s. Inspired by the plight of "Bertie," Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the 64-year-old nonprofit Foundation in 1947. The Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website, www.stutteringhelp.org, including services, referrals and support to people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. Please visit us at http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ .
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ ), issued the following reaction to the Oscar awards:
“It is an eloquently golden night for people who stutter. The King’s Speech has been a godsend for the entire stuttering community.
“Tom Hooper gave us an inspirational hero, David Seidler gave us an impassioned voice, Helena Bonham Carter gave us a forceful yet supportive spouse, and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush portrayed the perfect relationship between therapist and patient, an alliance built upon unbreakable trust, mutual respect and lifelong friendship.
“We salute tonight’s Oscar winners, including Best Movie The King’s Speech, Best Director Tom Hooper, Best Original Screenplay David Seidler, Best Leading Actor Colin Firth, and the entire cast and crew, for their courage, grace and humanity in making this film for audiences to appreciate.
“The real winners tonight, however, are people who stutter, especially those who require the courage of a King to cope with stuttering on a daily basis.”
About the Foundation
Malcolm Fraser felt the same dread of speaking in public that King George VI experienced in the 1940s. Inspired by the plight of "Bertie," Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the 64-year-old nonprofit Foundation in 1947. The Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website, www.stutteringhelp.org, including services, referrals and support to people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. Please visit us at http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ .
Statement by the President on Bahrain
I welcome the announcement by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa about making important changes to the cabinet and restating his commitment to reform. The United States supports the national dialogue initiative led by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, and encourages a process that is meaningful, inclusive, non sectarian, and responsive to the people of Bahrain. The dialogue offers an opportunity for meaningful reform and for all Bahrainis to forge a more just future together. As a long standing partner of Bahrain, the United States continues to believe that Bahrain's stability will be enhanced by respecting the universal rights of the people of Bahrain and reforms that meet the aspirations of all Bahrainis
Statement by National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor on Iran
Statement by National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor on Iran
The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government's organized intimidation campaign and arrests of political figures, human rights defenders, political activists, student leaders, journalists and bloggers. The Iranian government also continues to deny its citizens access to information by jamming satellite transmissions and blocking internet sites.
The United States and the world will continue to bear witness to the Iranian government's blatant violation of the universal rights of its citizens and its ongoing hypocrisy. The Iranian government should allow active dialogue among its citizens, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly without fear. Iranians deserve the same justice and rights that their government extols the virtue of abroad.
The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government's organized intimidation campaign and arrests of political figures, human rights defenders, political activists, student leaders, journalists and bloggers. The Iranian government also continues to deny its citizens access to information by jamming satellite transmissions and blocking internet sites.
The United States and the world will continue to bear witness to the Iranian government's blatant violation of the universal rights of its citizens and its ongoing hypocrisy. The Iranian government should allow active dialogue among its citizens, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly without fear. Iranians deserve the same justice and rights that their government extols the virtue of abroad.
New Zealand Financial commitment to rebuild Canterbury
(NEW ZEALAND GOVT RELEASE)
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to provide the financial resources necessary to rebuild Christchurch and the Canterbury economy, Finance Minister Bill English says.
“The earthquake has clearly dealt a considerable human and economic blow to Canterbury, and this will have a significant impact on the Government’s finances and the wider New Zealand economy. Its effects will be felt for some years to come.
“But I’m confident that New Zealand will come through this. Certainly, the Government will provide the financial resources needed in both the short and longer term.”
Based on the limited information available at this early stage, the Treasury has provided a preliminary assessment of the earthquake’s cost and economic impact – and it will issue a more detailed analysis later this week.
According to its preliminary assessment, the total cost of the damage from the latest earthquake is likely to be two or three times the $5 billion estimated cost of the quake on 4 September last year, including private insurance and government costs.
There will be additional economic impacts, including:
• A loss of output from the Canterbury region and a delay in the reconstruction effort from the previous earthquake.
• At a national level, economic growth in the first half of 2011 will be lower than forecast previously.
• As growth slows, Government tax revenue will be lower than expected previously.
• The Government will bear extra costs to support Christchurch and rebuild the city and its infrastructure.
“Financially, New Zealand is well covered for disasters by world standards – through the Earthquake Commission disaster fund, the Government’s own finances and ability to borrow, and through insurance companies and their own global reinsurance arrangements,” Mr English says.
“The Government has the resources and commitment to do what is needed. Supporting and rebuilding Christchurch will be the most important thing the Government does this year and into the future. We won’t be cutting corners.
“Most of this spending will be on essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage systems.
“We will pay for this work by prioritising spending on Canterbury above other areas of government spending, and by taking on a bit more debt in the short term.”
Mr English says the earthquake has made it more important that the Government presses ahead with policies to build a faster growing economy based on savings and exports – and, over the next few years, to reduce New Zealand’s reliance on borrowing from foreign lenders.
“In particular, it’s essential that we continue working to get the Government’s finances in order, so money is freed up for Canterbury and so that we don’t build up debt that is a drag on growth and is a burden future generations.
“Ministers will work on the next steps in that programme over coming weeks, as we prepare for the Budget on 19 May.”
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to provide the financial resources necessary to rebuild Christchurch and the Canterbury economy, Finance Minister Bill English says.
“The earthquake has clearly dealt a considerable human and economic blow to Canterbury, and this will have a significant impact on the Government’s finances and the wider New Zealand economy. Its effects will be felt for some years to come.
“But I’m confident that New Zealand will come through this. Certainly, the Government will provide the financial resources needed in both the short and longer term.”
Based on the limited information available at this early stage, the Treasury has provided a preliminary assessment of the earthquake’s cost and economic impact – and it will issue a more detailed analysis later this week.
According to its preliminary assessment, the total cost of the damage from the latest earthquake is likely to be two or three times the $5 billion estimated cost of the quake on 4 September last year, including private insurance and government costs.
There will be additional economic impacts, including:
• A loss of output from the Canterbury region and a delay in the reconstruction effort from the previous earthquake.
• At a national level, economic growth in the first half of 2011 will be lower than forecast previously.
• As growth slows, Government tax revenue will be lower than expected previously.
• The Government will bear extra costs to support Christchurch and rebuild the city and its infrastructure.
“Financially, New Zealand is well covered for disasters by world standards – through the Earthquake Commission disaster fund, the Government’s own finances and ability to borrow, and through insurance companies and their own global reinsurance arrangements,” Mr English says.
“The Government has the resources and commitment to do what is needed. Supporting and rebuilding Christchurch will be the most important thing the Government does this year and into the future. We won’t be cutting corners.
“Most of this spending will be on essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage systems.
“We will pay for this work by prioritising spending on Canterbury above other areas of government spending, and by taking on a bit more debt in the short term.”
Mr English says the earthquake has made it more important that the Government presses ahead with policies to build a faster growing economy based on savings and exports – and, over the next few years, to reduce New Zealand’s reliance on borrowing from foreign lenders.
“In particular, it’s essential that we continue working to get the Government’s finances in order, so money is freed up for Canterbury and so that we don’t build up debt that is a drag on growth and is a burden future generations.
“Ministers will work on the next steps in that programme over coming weeks, as we prepare for the Budget on 19 May.”
Supreme Court Weighs Parental Rights Abuses by Social Workers, Police
(PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE RELEASE)
The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases that could restrict the authority of social workers to interview and examine children without their parents’ knowledge and consent. Pacific Justice Institute filed an amicus brief in the cases in support of parental rights.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, stated, “For years, we have heard from outraged parents whose children have been subjected to invasive questioning and embarrassing physical examinations at school and elsewhere, without the parents’ knowledge or consent. These cases are a critical opportunity to restrict unchecked governmental power and reassert parental authority.”
The cases arose in Oregon, where a social worker and police officer went to a child’s elementary school, pulled her out of class, and interrogated her for more than an hour about alleged abuse by her father. The child later said she only agreed that her father had abused her because the social worker would not accept any other response. The child was later removed from the home by the social worker and subjected to being undressed and invasively examined, and her mother was refused permission to be anywhere near her during the exam.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the social worker and police officer were shielded from liability for the interrogation at school, but that the social worker violated the Constitution by preventing the mother from being near her daughter during the physical examination, and that a jury should decide whether the social worker lied in order to get a court order removing the children from their home.
The Supreme Court is also considering another case this year that seeks to apportion liability between the State of California and the County of Los Angeles for trampling the rights of parents who were initially accused of child abuse by a rebellious teenager but later found to be completely innocent. In that case, the Ninth Circuit harshly criticized California’s Child Abuse Central Index. The CACI lists hundreds of thousands of Californians, preventing them from getting jobs, when many of them have never been charged—much less convicted—of child abuse or any other crime.
Dacus noted, “There is no question our society has a problem with child abuse that should be aggressively prosecuted and punished. The problem is that, unlike every other type of crime, parents are presumed guilty until proven innocent, and the government often destroys good families based on unfounded allegations that are never proved. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will restore the balance that is currently missing in this important area of the law.”
The amicus brief filed on behalf of Pacific Justice Institute was authored by prominent California parental rights attorneys Dennis Atchley, Donnie Cox, Shawn McMillan, David Beauvais and Paul Leehey.
The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c) (3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties.
The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases that could restrict the authority of social workers to interview and examine children without their parents’ knowledge and consent. Pacific Justice Institute filed an amicus brief in the cases in support of parental rights.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, stated, “For years, we have heard from outraged parents whose children have been subjected to invasive questioning and embarrassing physical examinations at school and elsewhere, without the parents’ knowledge or consent. These cases are a critical opportunity to restrict unchecked governmental power and reassert parental authority.”
The cases arose in Oregon, where a social worker and police officer went to a child’s elementary school, pulled her out of class, and interrogated her for more than an hour about alleged abuse by her father. The child later said she only agreed that her father had abused her because the social worker would not accept any other response. The child was later removed from the home by the social worker and subjected to being undressed and invasively examined, and her mother was refused permission to be anywhere near her during the exam.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the social worker and police officer were shielded from liability for the interrogation at school, but that the social worker violated the Constitution by preventing the mother from being near her daughter during the physical examination, and that a jury should decide whether the social worker lied in order to get a court order removing the children from their home.
The Supreme Court is also considering another case this year that seeks to apportion liability between the State of California and the County of Los Angeles for trampling the rights of parents who were initially accused of child abuse by a rebellious teenager but later found to be completely innocent. In that case, the Ninth Circuit harshly criticized California’s Child Abuse Central Index. The CACI lists hundreds of thousands of Californians, preventing them from getting jobs, when many of them have never been charged—much less convicted—of child abuse or any other crime.
Dacus noted, “There is no question our society has a problem with child abuse that should be aggressively prosecuted and punished. The problem is that, unlike every other type of crime, parents are presumed guilty until proven innocent, and the government often destroys good families based on unfounded allegations that are never proved. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will restore the balance that is currently missing in this important area of the law.”
The amicus brief filed on behalf of Pacific Justice Institute was authored by prominent California parental rights attorneys Dennis Atchley, Donnie Cox, Shawn McMillan, David Beauvais and Paul Leehey.
The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c) (3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties.
Bryan and College Station to draft interlocal agreement for Biomedical Corridor
(CITY OF BRYAN RELEASE)
The City Councils of Bryan and College Station both voted unanimously to instruct their respective staffs to begin drafting an interlocal agreement for the Biomedical Corridor area.
On Tuesday, February 22, Bryan Councilmember Chuck Konderla made the following motion: “I move that we direct staff to develop an interlocal agreement with the City of College Station providing for the sharing of ad valorem tax revenue between the two cities for a certain geographic boundary in the bio-corridor and will further submit and support local validating legislation which may include the establishment of a municipal management district and will provide for the resolution of the service of water and sewer to the area.”
The College Station City Council followed suit on Thursday, February 24 approving this motion from Councilmember John Crompton: “I move that we authorize city staff to go forward in taking whatever actions necessary and reasonable in creating a municipal management district to be governed by the two cities in parts of the proposed biomedical corridor region which could include a revenue sharing agreement with the City of Bryan, which could include special legislation to address various development concerns in the area and which could include resolving the provision of water and sewer services to the area.”
An interlocal agreement between the two cities would form a true partnership in an effort to leverage economic development in the Biomedical Corridor, which is an area along the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 47.
Senator Steve Ogden and Representative Fred Brown are very supportive of the efforts to facilitate the biomedical corridor development through the joint efforts of the cities of Bryan and College Station by creation of a municipal management district. They have both indicated that they will lend their support to expediting the necessary legislation through to fruition.
The Research Valley Partnership Board of Directors and staff also played a key role in helping to formulate a vision for the biomedical corridor district.
The emergence of the Biomedical Corridor presents a tremendous opportunity for both cities of Bryan and College Station. World-class state-of-the-art facilities are bringing new opportunities for pharmaceutical manufacturing, high-paying jobs, and other significant economic benefits to the entire community. Both cities must act quickly in cooperation with each other to take full advantage of these new opportunities to build a collective tax base.
The City Councils of Bryan and College Station both voted unanimously to instruct their respective staffs to begin drafting an interlocal agreement for the Biomedical Corridor area.
On Tuesday, February 22, Bryan Councilmember Chuck Konderla made the following motion: “I move that we direct staff to develop an interlocal agreement with the City of College Station providing for the sharing of ad valorem tax revenue between the two cities for a certain geographic boundary in the bio-corridor and will further submit and support local validating legislation which may include the establishment of a municipal management district and will provide for the resolution of the service of water and sewer to the area.”
The College Station City Council followed suit on Thursday, February 24 approving this motion from Councilmember John Crompton: “I move that we authorize city staff to go forward in taking whatever actions necessary and reasonable in creating a municipal management district to be governed by the two cities in parts of the proposed biomedical corridor region which could include a revenue sharing agreement with the City of Bryan, which could include special legislation to address various development concerns in the area and which could include resolving the provision of water and sewer services to the area.”
An interlocal agreement between the two cities would form a true partnership in an effort to leverage economic development in the Biomedical Corridor, which is an area along the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 47.
Senator Steve Ogden and Representative Fred Brown are very supportive of the efforts to facilitate the biomedical corridor development through the joint efforts of the cities of Bryan and College Station by creation of a municipal management district. They have both indicated that they will lend their support to expediting the necessary legislation through to fruition.
The Research Valley Partnership Board of Directors and staff also played a key role in helping to formulate a vision for the biomedical corridor district.
The emergence of the Biomedical Corridor presents a tremendous opportunity for both cities of Bryan and College Station. World-class state-of-the-art facilities are bringing new opportunities for pharmaceutical manufacturing, high-paying jobs, and other significant economic benefits to the entire community. Both cities must act quickly in cooperation with each other to take full advantage of these new opportunities to build a collective tax base.
John Boehner Addresses Religious Broadcaster's Convention
Following are excerpts from Congressman John Boehner’s address to the annual National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention on the economic and moral implications of Washington’s spending binge and efforts to create a better environment for job creation
On Following the Will of the People by Keeping the Government Running and Cutting Spending:
“We have a moral responsibility to address the problems we face. That means working together to cut spending and rein in government – NOT shutting it down. The House has passed legislation – reflecting the will of the people – that would keep the government running through October while cutting spending. The leader of the United States Senate has refused to allow a vote on this legislation, so the House will pass a shorter-term bill that will also keep the government running while including reasonable spending cuts at the same time. This is very simple: Americans want the government to stay open, and they want it to spend less money. We don’t need to shut down the government to accomplish that. We just need to do what the American people are asking of us.”
On the Economic and Moral Implications of Washington’s Spending Binge:
“Now surpassing $14.1 trillion, our national debt is on track to eclipse the size of our entire economy this year. In other words, we’re broke. Broke, going on bankrupt. Just as a bankrupt business has trouble creating jobs, so does a bankrupt country. … Yes, this debt is a mortal threat to our country. It is also a moral threat. It is immoral to bind our children to as leeching and destructive a force as debt. It is immoral to rob our children’s future and make them beholden to China. No society is worthy that treats its children so shabbily.”
On our Moral Responsibility to Address Runaway Entitlement Spending:
“Our budget, under the leadership of our Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, will specifically deal with entitlement reform. To not address entitlement programs, as is the case with the budget the president has put forward, would be an economic and moral failure. By acting now, we can fulfill the mission of health and retirement security for all Americans without making changes for those in or near retirement. And we can keep the promises we have made to our children.”
On the New House Majority’s Efforts to Liberate our Economy from Skyrocketing Debt and Big Government:
“We have a moral responsibility to deal with this threat to freedom and liberate our economy from the shackles of debt and unrestrained government. Our new majority in the House began this work by humbling ourselves and finding ways to exercise frugality. We banned earmarks, which had become a symbol of a broken Washington. We replaced rules making it easy to increase spending with reforms making it easier to cut spending. We cut our own budgets by five percent. … Earlier this month, the House approved more than $100 billion in spending cuts compared to what President Obama requested for the current fiscal year. … Next month, we will propose cutting or eliminating wasteful mandatory spending programs. … And we’re fighting to end taxpayer funding for abortion once and for all … we’re working to protect life.”
On the New House Majority’s Efforts to Fight a Government Takeover of the Internet:
“Our new majority in the House is committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight a government takeover of the Internet. Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, has pledged, in his words, to be ‘a dog to the Frisbee on this issue.’ … Congressman Greg Walden of Oregon, a former broadcaster himself, has introduced a congressional resolution of disapproval to reverse the FCC’s net neutrality rules. I’m pleased to report the House will act on this measure as early as next month.”
On Following the Will of the People by Keeping the Government Running and Cutting Spending:
“We have a moral responsibility to address the problems we face. That means working together to cut spending and rein in government – NOT shutting it down. The House has passed legislation – reflecting the will of the people – that would keep the government running through October while cutting spending. The leader of the United States Senate has refused to allow a vote on this legislation, so the House will pass a shorter-term bill that will also keep the government running while including reasonable spending cuts at the same time. This is very simple: Americans want the government to stay open, and they want it to spend less money. We don’t need to shut down the government to accomplish that. We just need to do what the American people are asking of us.”
On the Economic and Moral Implications of Washington’s Spending Binge:
“Now surpassing $14.1 trillion, our national debt is on track to eclipse the size of our entire economy this year. In other words, we’re broke. Broke, going on bankrupt. Just as a bankrupt business has trouble creating jobs, so does a bankrupt country. … Yes, this debt is a mortal threat to our country. It is also a moral threat. It is immoral to bind our children to as leeching and destructive a force as debt. It is immoral to rob our children’s future and make them beholden to China. No society is worthy that treats its children so shabbily.”
On our Moral Responsibility to Address Runaway Entitlement Spending:
“Our budget, under the leadership of our Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, will specifically deal with entitlement reform. To not address entitlement programs, as is the case with the budget the president has put forward, would be an economic and moral failure. By acting now, we can fulfill the mission of health and retirement security for all Americans without making changes for those in or near retirement. And we can keep the promises we have made to our children.”
On the New House Majority’s Efforts to Liberate our Economy from Skyrocketing Debt and Big Government:
“We have a moral responsibility to deal with this threat to freedom and liberate our economy from the shackles of debt and unrestrained government. Our new majority in the House began this work by humbling ourselves and finding ways to exercise frugality. We banned earmarks, which had become a symbol of a broken Washington. We replaced rules making it easy to increase spending with reforms making it easier to cut spending. We cut our own budgets by five percent. … Earlier this month, the House approved more than $100 billion in spending cuts compared to what President Obama requested for the current fiscal year. … Next month, we will propose cutting or eliminating wasteful mandatory spending programs. … And we’re fighting to end taxpayer funding for abortion once and for all … we’re working to protect life.”
On the New House Majority’s Efforts to Fight a Government Takeover of the Internet:
“Our new majority in the House is committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight a government takeover of the Internet. Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, has pledged, in his words, to be ‘a dog to the Frisbee on this issue.’ … Congressman Greg Walden of Oregon, a former broadcaster himself, has introduced a congressional resolution of disapproval to reverse the FCC’s net neutrality rules. I’m pleased to report the House will act on this measure as early as next month.”
Safe Routes to School-Hamilton Hearing
Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing is called of the Governing Body of the City of Hamilton, Texas to be held on the 28th day of February, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall, 200 East Main, Hamilton, Texas, concerning Safe Routes to School Project funded through a grant from the Texas Department Of Transportation. The City of Hamilton will accept oral or written comments from interested persons. The proposed route may be viewed at City Hall during normal working hours or at the Public Hearing. The City of Hamilton encourages all citizens to attend. City Hall is accessible to the disabled. Disabled individuals requiring a reasonable accommodation must submit a request 48 hours prior to the meeting to the City Administrator. Please call 254-386-8116.
Belton to Participate in Great Texas Warrant Roundup Beginning March 5th.
(CITY OF BELTON RELEASE)
Representatives of 250 law enforcement agencies and courts across Texas have announced combined efforts to host the fifth annual Great Texas Warrant Roundup beginning Saturday, March 5, 2011. The Belton Municipal Court and Police Department will participate in the roundup which is designed to target thousands of defendants with outstanding traffic, parking, city ordinance, penal code, and higher charge warrants from participating jurisdictions. It is believed to be the largest joint operation of its kind, with arrests expected to continue for several days.
Hundreds of thousands of notices were recently mailed by participating entities statewide. Numerous counties, justices of the peace, constables, and municipalities of all sizes are participating in the roundup. Specific information as to the number of outstanding warrants, how to take care of warrants prior to arrest, and any other special roundup activities or events, may be obtained by contacting the representative for each agency. A list of participating agencies and defendants with outstanding warrants in Belton is available in the Belton Municipal Court office, 711 E. 2nd Avenue, and will be listed on the City’s website: http://www.ci.belton.tx.us/ .
Affected persons are urged to contact the appropriate jurisdiction or jurisdictions during the next two weeks to dispose of their cases voluntarily and avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of arrest at home or work in front of family, friends or co-workers
Representatives of 250 law enforcement agencies and courts across Texas have announced combined efforts to host the fifth annual Great Texas Warrant Roundup beginning Saturday, March 5, 2011. The Belton Municipal Court and Police Department will participate in the roundup which is designed to target thousands of defendants with outstanding traffic, parking, city ordinance, penal code, and higher charge warrants from participating jurisdictions. It is believed to be the largest joint operation of its kind, with arrests expected to continue for several days.
Hundreds of thousands of notices were recently mailed by participating entities statewide. Numerous counties, justices of the peace, constables, and municipalities of all sizes are participating in the roundup. Specific information as to the number of outstanding warrants, how to take care of warrants prior to arrest, and any other special roundup activities or events, may be obtained by contacting the representative for each agency. A list of participating agencies and defendants with outstanding warrants in Belton is available in the Belton Municipal Court office, 711 E. 2nd Avenue, and will be listed on the City’s website: http://www.ci.belton.tx.us/ .
Affected persons are urged to contact the appropriate jurisdiction or jurisdictions during the next two weeks to dispose of their cases voluntarily and avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of arrest at home or work in front of family, friends or co-workers
Sunday, February 27, 2011
NATO SHIPMENT ATTACKED IN PAKISTAN
(PAKISTAN STATE TV)
Unknown armed men attacked and torched two containers carrying supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan near mango Chaar area of Kalat district in Baluchistan.
Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the entire area to trace out the culprits. A case has been registered against unknown culprits and investigation is underway.
Unknown armed men attacked and torched two containers carrying supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan near mango Chaar area of Kalat district in Baluchistan.
Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the entire area to trace out the culprits. A case has been registered against unknown culprits and investigation is underway.
Alleged Supporter of Terrorist Group Extradited from Paraguay
(DEPT OF JUSTICE RELEASE)
PHILADELPHIA—Moussa Ali Hamdan, 38, a dual citizen of the United States and Lebanon and a former resident of Brooklyn, New York, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia after being extradited from Paraguay. He is being held pending a detention hearing. Hamdan is among several defendants charged in a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was indicted November 24, 2009, along with nine co-defendants. Hamdan was taken into U.S. custody in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Thursday, by U.S. Marshals who escorted him to Washington, D.C., where members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force took him into custody.
At the time of the indictment, Hamdan had left the United States. On June 15, 2010, Paraguayan authorities arrested him in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay for the crime of material support of terrorism.
Hamdan is charged in 28 of the 31 counts in the indictment, including conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of counterfeit money, stolen (genuine) money, and fraudulent passports. According to the indictment, Hamdan and several other defendants were also charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials.
According to a related criminal complaint Hamdan began purchasing purportedly stolen cellular telephones from a cooperating witness acting as an agent of the government and participated in the purchase and transportation of purportedly stolen goods on numerous occasions. These stolen goods included cellular telephones, laptop computers, Sony Play Station 2 systems, and automobiles, which the conspirators caused to be transported to destinations outside Pennsylvania, including overseas destinations such as Lebanon and Benin (Africa). Hamdan also allegedly bought counterfeit goods—namely, counterfeit Nike® shoes and Mitchell & Ness® sports jerseys—from the cooperating witness. The complaint details efforts by defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan and his co-defendants to sell the CW counterfeit United States currency for the purpose of raising funds for Hizballah. In total, the conspirators provided the CW with approximately $10,000 in counterfeit United States currency. The complaint also alleges that certain of Hamdan’s co-defendants generated additional funds for Hizballah by selling fraudulent passports. The CW and the defendants participated in the purchase of two fake passports—one from the United Kingdom and one from Canada—for the benefit of Hizballah. Hamdan allegedly agreed to pay $10,000 towards the purchase of these passports, in order to satisfy a debt he owed to the CW.
If convicted of all charges, Hamdan faces a statutory maximum sentence of 260 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Philadelphia Police Department, Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Air Marshals, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Beam Winter and Vineet Gauri, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend special thanks to the Paraguayan judicial and law enforcement authorities, including the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, for their invaluable assistance in the arrest and subsequent extradition of Hamdan, as well as the Office of International Affairs and U.S. Embassy, Asuncion, Diplomatic Security personnel who were involved in ensuring Hamdan’s capture and return to the United States.
PHILADELPHIA—Moussa Ali Hamdan, 38, a dual citizen of the United States and Lebanon and a former resident of Brooklyn, New York, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia after being extradited from Paraguay. He is being held pending a detention hearing. Hamdan is among several defendants charged in a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was indicted November 24, 2009, along with nine co-defendants. Hamdan was taken into U.S. custody in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Thursday, by U.S. Marshals who escorted him to Washington, D.C., where members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force took him into custody.
At the time of the indictment, Hamdan had left the United States. On June 15, 2010, Paraguayan authorities arrested him in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay for the crime of material support of terrorism.
Hamdan is charged in 28 of the 31 counts in the indictment, including conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of counterfeit money, stolen (genuine) money, and fraudulent passports. According to the indictment, Hamdan and several other defendants were also charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials.
According to a related criminal complaint Hamdan began purchasing purportedly stolen cellular telephones from a cooperating witness acting as an agent of the government and participated in the purchase and transportation of purportedly stolen goods on numerous occasions. These stolen goods included cellular telephones, laptop computers, Sony Play Station 2 systems, and automobiles, which the conspirators caused to be transported to destinations outside Pennsylvania, including overseas destinations such as Lebanon and Benin (Africa). Hamdan also allegedly bought counterfeit goods—namely, counterfeit Nike® shoes and Mitchell & Ness® sports jerseys—from the cooperating witness. The complaint details efforts by defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan and his co-defendants to sell the CW counterfeit United States currency for the purpose of raising funds for Hizballah. In total, the conspirators provided the CW with approximately $10,000 in counterfeit United States currency. The complaint also alleges that certain of Hamdan’s co-defendants generated additional funds for Hizballah by selling fraudulent passports. The CW and the defendants participated in the purchase of two fake passports—one from the United Kingdom and one from Canada—for the benefit of Hizballah. Hamdan allegedly agreed to pay $10,000 towards the purchase of these passports, in order to satisfy a debt he owed to the CW.
If convicted of all charges, Hamdan faces a statutory maximum sentence of 260 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Philadelphia Police Department, Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Air Marshals, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Beam Winter and Vineet Gauri, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend special thanks to the Paraguayan judicial and law enforcement authorities, including the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, for their invaluable assistance in the arrest and subsequent extradition of Hamdan, as well as the Office of International Affairs and U.S. Embassy, Asuncion, Diplomatic Security personnel who were involved in ensuring Hamdan’s capture and return to the United States.
Former Employee of Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
(FBI RELEASE)LAREDO, TX—A former employee of the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division has been convicted of tax fraud charges, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Clarke announced today.
Eloisa Garcia Casso pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States as alleged in a second superseding indictment returned by a Laredo federal grand jury on Feb. 1, 2011. Casso entered her guilty plea before United States District Judge Diana Saldana, who has set sentencing for May 20, 2011.
Casso, a former employee of the Texas Attorney General's Office Child Support Division, illegally obtained identifying information of applicants seeking state assistance during the course of her employment. Casso, along with her co-conspirators, used this information to electronically file false Form 1040 tax returns on behalf of victims, directing the fraudulent income tax refunds to bank accounts that she either owned or had access to. Casso admitted to receiving or attempting to receive in excess of $80,000 during the course of the conspiracy which spanned from January 2001 through March 2005.
Casso is the last of three defendants charged in this case to plead guilty. Two co-conspirators, Jacqueline Velasquez and Rosa Herrera, pleaded guilty to similar charges before Judge Saldana on Dec. 7, 2010 and Feb. 17, 2011, respectively. Each defendant now faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
Like her co-defendants, Casso has been permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The charges against Casso and her co-defendants is the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS-CI and the FBI with the cooperation of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elliot is prosecuting the case.
Eloisa Garcia Casso pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States as alleged in a second superseding indictment returned by a Laredo federal grand jury on Feb. 1, 2011. Casso entered her guilty plea before United States District Judge Diana Saldana, who has set sentencing for May 20, 2011.
Casso, a former employee of the Texas Attorney General's Office Child Support Division, illegally obtained identifying information of applicants seeking state assistance during the course of her employment. Casso, along with her co-conspirators, used this information to electronically file false Form 1040 tax returns on behalf of victims, directing the fraudulent income tax refunds to bank accounts that she either owned or had access to. Casso admitted to receiving or attempting to receive in excess of $80,000 during the course of the conspiracy which spanned from January 2001 through March 2005.
Casso is the last of three defendants charged in this case to plead guilty. Two co-conspirators, Jacqueline Velasquez and Rosa Herrera, pleaded guilty to similar charges before Judge Saldana on Dec. 7, 2010 and Feb. 17, 2011, respectively. Each defendant now faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
Like her co-defendants, Casso has been permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The charges against Casso and her co-defendants is the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS-CI and the FBI with the cooperation of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elliot is prosecuting the case.
FRAUD:KEMAH DR. FORFEITS $43 MILLION
Dr. Kiran Sharma Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Forfeit More Than $43 Million in Cash/Property Gained Through Fraud
(FBI RELEASE)
HOUSTON—Dr. Kiran Sharma, 56, of Kemah, Texas, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy with her husband, Dr. Arun Sharma, to commit health care fraud and committing health care fraud over a 10-year period in the Southern District of Texas, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.
United States District Judge David Hittner handed down the prison sentence and further ordered Sharma to forfeit more than $43 million, including their $700,000 home in Kemah, Texas, numerous parcels of real property, more than $700,000 in cash found during a search of their Kemah home, more than $800,000 in cash found in two safe deposit boxes, and a number of investment accounts funded with the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. At the conclusion of the sentencing, Sharma was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving her sentence.
Kiran Sharma (Dr. K) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of health care fraud on April 26, 2010 admitting that from Jan. 1, 1998, through June 10, 2009, she and Arun Sharma (Dr. A) fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid, and various private health care providers for medical procedures that were not performed.
During the time period of the conspiracy, the defendants owned and operated multiple medical clinics operating under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain Center, with two principle locations in Baytown and Webster, Texas. While some of patients at the clinics were referred by other medical doctors, approximately 50 percent of the patients came to the clinics through word of mouth. Dr. A was known as an easy touch for prescribing the “pain cocktail” of hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma. As time went on, Dr. A began prescribing stronger narcotics such as Oxycontin, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl patches.
In addition to the prescription of narcotics, a large part of the practice conducted at the clinics was to provide patients with injections of lidocaine combined with steroids which at times provided temporary relief of various joint and muscle pain. Although the injections given to the patients were superficial, they were billed falsely to the insurance companies as facet joint injections, paravertebral injections, sacroiliac nerve injections, sciatic nerve injections, and various nerve block injections.
The pain management practice at the clinics grew quickly during the time period of the conspiracy. Dr. A and Dr. K went from seeing an average of 50-60 patients per day in 1998 to more than 100 per day beginning in 2003, with a high of 279 on Jan. 6, 2005. From 1998 through 2002, Dr. K saw pain patients at the clinics in addition to her own allergy patients. Dr. K, who maintained a modest allergy practice, would sign patient procedure forms and superbills, falsely indicating that she had administered facet joint injections or other paravertebral injections when in reality she did not. She also prescribed the pain cocktail when she saw pain management patients.
Nearly every patient was prescribed one or more controlled substances and put on a regimen of shots every two weeks. The patients were required to sign the medical progress and procedure notes in their patient chart to prove they were at the clinic and received the shots. Dr. A tried to convince all patients to have shots at every visit, but many of the patients did not want the shots every two weeks. For those patients who ultimately refused the shots, Dr. A regularly required the patients to sign the progress and procedure notes even though they received only a prescription for controlled substances and did not receive any injections. By the beginning of 2000, Dr. A was having certain patients sign blank procedure/progress notes and then using those forms to generate a superbill in order to bill the insurance companies for injection procedures on days when the patient was not in the clinic.
Dr. K hired several foreign medical graduates (FMGs) over the course of the conspiracy to assist in the movement of patients through the clinics. Several of the FMGs helped add fictitious patient examination information to the blank progress/procedure notes after Dr. A had added non-existent medical procedures to the blank forms so that insurance companies could be billed as if the person had been in the clinic when in reality they had not. Dr. K witnessed the FMGs creating the fictitious patient progress/procedure notes and knew that their ultimate purpose was to bill the insurance companies for procedures that never occurred.
Demonstrative of the implausibility of the volume of patients who allegedly received injections is the fact that the defendants' own records purport to show that more than 100 patients purportedly received injections on 708 different days during the conspiracy. Further, the defendants’ billings showed that as many as 279 patients allegedly received injections on Jan. 6, 2005.
Dr. Arun Sharma, who also has been convicted of conspiracy and health care fraud after pleading guilty in April 2010, was sentenced by Judge Hittner on Feb.1, 2011 to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $43 million in assets. He too was remanded into federal custody following his sentencing pending designation and transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
The criminal charges are the result of a joint investigation conducted by agents of the FBI, the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Texas Attorney General's Office, the Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General, the Railroad Retirement Board-Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Al Balboni and Jason Varnado.
(FBI RELEASE)
HOUSTON—Dr. Kiran Sharma, 56, of Kemah, Texas, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy with her husband, Dr. Arun Sharma, to commit health care fraud and committing health care fraud over a 10-year period in the Southern District of Texas, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.
United States District Judge David Hittner handed down the prison sentence and further ordered Sharma to forfeit more than $43 million, including their $700,000 home in Kemah, Texas, numerous parcels of real property, more than $700,000 in cash found during a search of their Kemah home, more than $800,000 in cash found in two safe deposit boxes, and a number of investment accounts funded with the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. At the conclusion of the sentencing, Sharma was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving her sentence.
Kiran Sharma (Dr. K) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of health care fraud on April 26, 2010 admitting that from Jan. 1, 1998, through June 10, 2009, she and Arun Sharma (Dr. A) fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid, and various private health care providers for medical procedures that were not performed.
During the time period of the conspiracy, the defendants owned and operated multiple medical clinics operating under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain Center, with two principle locations in Baytown and Webster, Texas. While some of patients at the clinics were referred by other medical doctors, approximately 50 percent of the patients came to the clinics through word of mouth. Dr. A was known as an easy touch for prescribing the “pain cocktail” of hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma. As time went on, Dr. A began prescribing stronger narcotics such as Oxycontin, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl patches.
In addition to the prescription of narcotics, a large part of the practice conducted at the clinics was to provide patients with injections of lidocaine combined with steroids which at times provided temporary relief of various joint and muscle pain. Although the injections given to the patients were superficial, they were billed falsely to the insurance companies as facet joint injections, paravertebral injections, sacroiliac nerve injections, sciatic nerve injections, and various nerve block injections.
The pain management practice at the clinics grew quickly during the time period of the conspiracy. Dr. A and Dr. K went from seeing an average of 50-60 patients per day in 1998 to more than 100 per day beginning in 2003, with a high of 279 on Jan. 6, 2005. From 1998 through 2002, Dr. K saw pain patients at the clinics in addition to her own allergy patients. Dr. K, who maintained a modest allergy practice, would sign patient procedure forms and superbills, falsely indicating that she had administered facet joint injections or other paravertebral injections when in reality she did not. She also prescribed the pain cocktail when she saw pain management patients.
Nearly every patient was prescribed one or more controlled substances and put on a regimen of shots every two weeks. The patients were required to sign the medical progress and procedure notes in their patient chart to prove they were at the clinic and received the shots. Dr. A tried to convince all patients to have shots at every visit, but many of the patients did not want the shots every two weeks. For those patients who ultimately refused the shots, Dr. A regularly required the patients to sign the progress and procedure notes even though they received only a prescription for controlled substances and did not receive any injections. By the beginning of 2000, Dr. A was having certain patients sign blank procedure/progress notes and then using those forms to generate a superbill in order to bill the insurance companies for injection procedures on days when the patient was not in the clinic.
Dr. K hired several foreign medical graduates (FMGs) over the course of the conspiracy to assist in the movement of patients through the clinics. Several of the FMGs helped add fictitious patient examination information to the blank progress/procedure notes after Dr. A had added non-existent medical procedures to the blank forms so that insurance companies could be billed as if the person had been in the clinic when in reality they had not. Dr. K witnessed the FMGs creating the fictitious patient progress/procedure notes and knew that their ultimate purpose was to bill the insurance companies for procedures that never occurred.
Demonstrative of the implausibility of the volume of patients who allegedly received injections is the fact that the defendants' own records purport to show that more than 100 patients purportedly received injections on 708 different days during the conspiracy. Further, the defendants’ billings showed that as many as 279 patients allegedly received injections on Jan. 6, 2005.
Dr. Arun Sharma, who also has been convicted of conspiracy and health care fraud after pleading guilty in April 2010, was sentenced by Judge Hittner on Feb.1, 2011 to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $43 million in assets. He too was remanded into federal custody following his sentencing pending designation and transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
The criminal charges are the result of a joint investigation conducted by agents of the FBI, the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Texas Attorney General's Office, the Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General, the Railroad Retirement Board-Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Al Balboni and Jason Varnado.
DEA-Led Operation Pill Nation Targets Rogue Pain Clinics in South Florida
22 Arrested and over $2.2 million in cash seized as culmination of year-long investigation begins
(DEA RELEASE)
MIAMI - DEA Agents, with assistance from its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, arrested 22 people and seized over $2.2 million in cash and 70 vehicles, including numerous exotic cars, on Wednesday, February 23 in a sweeping takedown of rogue pain clinics in South Florida. These arrests are the first in Operation Pill Nation resulting from 340 undercover buys of prescription drugs from over 60 doctors in more than 40 “pill mills” conducted in the past year.
Among those arrested were doctors who were conspiring to distribute and dispense more than 660,000 dosage units of the Schedule II narcotic oxycodone. In addition, several defendants were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy and money laundering offenses.
“Prescription drug abuse is our country’s fastest growing drug problem, and pill mills such as those in Florida are fueling much of that growth. As a result, citizens in communities across Florida and around the nation are faced with growing drug addiction that is accompanied by pain, suffering, and even death,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Rogue doctors who run these operations violate their professional oaths and are, in fact, drug dealers. Florida today is “ground zero” in the fight against pill mills, and we are determined to continue to aggressively pursue those who are responsible for this nationwide epidemic.”
According to the indictment, the defendants operated the clinics as pill mills that offered patients prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances where there was no legitimate medical purpose and not within the usual course of professional medical practice. The indictment alleges that the defendants marketed the clinics through more than 1,600 internet sites, required immediate cash payments from patients for a clinic “visit fee,” directed the patients to obtain MRIs that the defendants knew to be inferior, over-aggressively interpreted MRIs in order to justify prescriptions, and falsified patients’ urine tests for a fee to justify the highly addictive pain medications.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo A .Ferrer stated, “According to recent estimates, Florida prescribes ten times more oxycodone pills than all other states combined. Operation Snake Oil [an OCDETF investigation conducted as part of Operation Pill Nation] is part of our concerted effort to keep South Florida from drowning in pill mills. Working together with our state and local partners, we are shutting down these shady storefronts through the systematic prosecution of doctors, clinic owners and operators who deal drugs while hiding behind a medical license.”
According to the indictment, demand for oxycodone has grown to epidemic proportions in South Florida and other parts of the United States, where drug dealers can sell a 30 mg oxycodone pill on the street for $10 to $30 or more. Oxycodone has a high potential for abuse and can be crushed and snorted or dissolved and injected to get an immediate high. This abuse can lead to addiction, overdose, and sometimes death.
Additional agencies participating in Operation Pill Nation were the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Miami Dade Police Department, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud, Florida Department of Health, and Florida Highway Patrol. The Operation Pill Nation investigations are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office, Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office and Broward County State Attorney’s Office.
(DEA RELEASE)
MIAMI - DEA Agents, with assistance from its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, arrested 22 people and seized over $2.2 million in cash and 70 vehicles, including numerous exotic cars, on Wednesday, February 23 in a sweeping takedown of rogue pain clinics in South Florida. These arrests are the first in Operation Pill Nation resulting from 340 undercover buys of prescription drugs from over 60 doctors in more than 40 “pill mills” conducted in the past year.
Among those arrested were doctors who were conspiring to distribute and dispense more than 660,000 dosage units of the Schedule II narcotic oxycodone. In addition, several defendants were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy and money laundering offenses.
“Prescription drug abuse is our country’s fastest growing drug problem, and pill mills such as those in Florida are fueling much of that growth. As a result, citizens in communities across Florida and around the nation are faced with growing drug addiction that is accompanied by pain, suffering, and even death,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Rogue doctors who run these operations violate their professional oaths and are, in fact, drug dealers. Florida today is “ground zero” in the fight against pill mills, and we are determined to continue to aggressively pursue those who are responsible for this nationwide epidemic.”
According to the indictment, the defendants operated the clinics as pill mills that offered patients prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances where there was no legitimate medical purpose and not within the usual course of professional medical practice. The indictment alleges that the defendants marketed the clinics through more than 1,600 internet sites, required immediate cash payments from patients for a clinic “visit fee,” directed the patients to obtain MRIs that the defendants knew to be inferior, over-aggressively interpreted MRIs in order to justify prescriptions, and falsified patients’ urine tests for a fee to justify the highly addictive pain medications.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo A .Ferrer stated, “According to recent estimates, Florida prescribes ten times more oxycodone pills than all other states combined. Operation Snake Oil [an OCDETF investigation conducted as part of Operation Pill Nation] is part of our concerted effort to keep South Florida from drowning in pill mills. Working together with our state and local partners, we are shutting down these shady storefronts through the systematic prosecution of doctors, clinic owners and operators who deal drugs while hiding behind a medical license.”
According to the indictment, demand for oxycodone has grown to epidemic proportions in South Florida and other parts of the United States, where drug dealers can sell a 30 mg oxycodone pill on the street for $10 to $30 or more. Oxycodone has a high potential for abuse and can be crushed and snorted or dissolved and injected to get an immediate high. This abuse can lead to addiction, overdose, and sometimes death.
Additional agencies participating in Operation Pill Nation were the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Miami Dade Police Department, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud, Florida Department of Health, and Florida Highway Patrol. The Operation Pill Nation investigations are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office, Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office and Broward County State Attorney’s Office.
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