DA Looks Into Eversole's Campaign Fund Use

The Harris County District Attorney's Office has launched an investigation into whether Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole misused thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for his own benefit, District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said Wednesday.

The inquiry will focus, in part, on collector-quality guns and a Florida vacation Eversole bought at charity auctions.

The probe was prompted by stories about Eversole's work habits and campaign spending aired by KTRK (Channel 13) in recent weeks. A story by KTRK reporter Wayne Dolcefino questioned whether Eversole benefited from auction items purchased with campaign contributions.

Eversole defended the charity purchases during an interview with the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, although he has refused to discuss the accusations with Dolcefino.

Texas Oilman Sentenced in 'Oil for Food' Case

Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to violate the rules of the U.N. oil-for-food program.

Wyatt, 83, of Houston pleaded guilty last month and agreed to be sentenced to 18 to 24 months in prison. He also agreed to forfeit $11 million, conceding that he approved a $200,000 illegal payment directly to an Iraqi bank account in December 2001.

New Law Requires Teachers to be Fingerprinted

Under a new state law, veteran Texas teachers will be required to get fingerprinted.

Additionally, if it is discovered that they lied about past criminal activity, they would be fired. Is this a bad idea?

While some may argue that they should not be held responsible for something they did while they were teenagers, others would argue that we should not have convicted felons teaching our children.

'Baby Grace' Has Been Identified

Riley Ann Sawyers, the 2-year-old girl missing from Spring is Baby Grace, the girl found dead in a plastic storage bin in West Galveston Bay nearly a month ago, Galveston County Sheriff¹s office officials said Sunday.

Chief Deputy Freddy Poor said that while investigators were sure enough about the match to inform the child’s next of kin, only DNA testing, which still was pending, could provide a positive match.

Meanwhile, the child’s mother and stepfather are being held in the Galveston County Jail charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence, according to jail clerks.

Astronauts Find Damage on Space Station

According to the Houston Chronicle, spacewalking astronauts uncovered new signs of damage within a crucial rotational mechanism of the solar power system aboard the international space station early today.

Dan Tani and Peggy Whitson made the discovery after they re-routed external cooling system lines to prepare the orbital outpost for the arrival of the European Columbus science laboratory module in December.

The troubled rotational mechanism is one of two circular joints on opposite sides of the station that enable outstretched solar panels to track the sun as the outpost circles the Earth. Constant tracking permits the most efficient generation of electrical power for the station's life support systems and scientific research.

Study Says Houston Ranks in Middle for Relocation

Houston cracked the Top 20 of cities believed most desirable for relocation, according to a recent study by the Human Capital Institute.

The Bayou City is ranked No. 19 out of more than 30 cities in the United States. Austin was named the sixth-most-desirable city for relocation, while Dallas came in just above Houston at No. 17.

FAA Selects Houston to Test Unmanned Aircraft

Houston is one of two cities chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration to test whether unmanned aircraft can be used safely in an urban environment, authorities said.

During the testing period, expected to run at least until next June, HPD and the Miami-Dade Police Department will help the FAA establish national flight guidelines, such as how the small aircraft can be deployed and what training is needed to operate them.

DNA Samples May Bring Clues to Baby Grace's Identity

Investigators have requested DNA samples from the families of eight missing children, one of them from Spring, who fit the description of Baby Grace, a 2- to 3-year-old girl whose body was found in a plastic box on a sandbar in West Galveston Bay.

After receiving about 350 leads, investigators chose the eight cases from among 110 cases of missing children who matched the girl's description, Galveston County sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said Wednesday.

The eight cases are from all over the United States, he said.

Authorities requested a DNA sample from the father and mother of the Spring girl, Tuttoilmondo said. The father lives in Ohio and the mother lives in Spring, he said.

DNA results from Baby Grace are expected late this week or early next week. Tuttoilmondo did not know whether the DNA samples from the Spring girl's father had been received. He said it takes two to three weeks to obtain DNA results once the samples arrive at the lab.
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If anyone has any information, concerning the identity of this little girl, please contact your local authorities.

DNA Tested in 'Baby Grace' Investigation

Galveston County investigators have poured over the thousands of tips they have received in the case of Baby Grace, the girl whose body was found in a plastic storage case on a small island near Galveston last month.

But Galveston county detectives know little more about the child they've named Baby Grace.

Just knowing who the girl is would be a major key to solving the case.

“That’s all we’re looking for if you can (identify) this little girl tell us who she is,” said FBI special agent John Kinard. The FBI is assisting the Galveston County Sherriff’s office in the investigation.

On Tuesday, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward for help in confirming the dead girl’s ty.

Three weeks into this investigation, from the time a lone fisherman discovered the box off a remote area in Galveston's West Bay, detectives said they've received thousands of phone calls and nearly 300 solid leads, 100 of which have been specific to a missing girl said the sheriff's office.

Two of those leads have resulted in the submission of DNA samples from two different sets of parents living outside of Galveston who claim the child is theirs.

But it will be weeks before they make a comparison to Baby Grace’s DNA

“Unfortunately this is not as fast as we see on ‘CSI.’ These tests do take time,” said Galveston County Sheriff Office Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo

Detectives tell us they have taken each lead seriously, including a report from an Ohio man who says the mother of his daughter took her to the Galveston area.

A source tells 11 News that man called detectives 12 days ago and that for now, it’s a lead that's no more credible than any other is.

Community Activists Are Demanding Charges Against Vigilante

Houston community activists are demanding charges against a man who shot and killed two burglary suspects in Pasadena.

On Monday, they held a protest in front of Joe Horn’s home on Timberline.

“Mr. Horn did not have to kill those men,” said Quanell X. “We believe that Mr. Horn became judge jury and executioner at the same time.”

Horn’s actions were recorded during his call to 911.

Horn claims the men he shot and killed had busted into his next door neighbor’s house.

The shots he took followed repeated warnings from the dispatcher not to go outside.

“Had this black man been on the phone the same way, he would be under the jail and not see the light of day,” said Quanell X.
Pasadena resident reportedly shoots suspected thieves

Robert Hammons lives in the area. “I think they’re the ones turning this into a racial matter, it’s not racist.”

Another neighbor said the shooting had nothing to do with race and that Horn was only trying to protect his family, which he considers to be this entire neighborhood.

But Horn’s actions have ignited a criminal investigation, and could cost him his freedom.
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Yes, I do believe that his actions were that of a vigilante. If any of my readers disagree, please do so respectfully. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.