Ross Langdon, Middle School Band Director, announced the names of the five young musicians today.
The text of his announcement follows:
I would like to recognize these students that made the All-Region Middle School Band on Friday last week.
1. Jessica Cochran- Flute
2. Garrett Mayeaux- Bari Saxophone
3. Andrew Mulanax- Trombone
4. Caitlin Ross (Alternate)- Alto Saxophone
5. Christian Gouldie (Alternate) – Bass Clarinet
These students have showed tremendous leadership and playing ability on their instrument and have done an amazing job representing New Diana. I would like to thank the NDISD Staff, Pam Martin, and Greg Pope. I Would also like to recognize the amazing work that High School Band Director George Little has provided for our program.
Sincerely ,
Ross Langdon
The Advocate joins in congratulating the talents and efforts of the five, as well.
Well Done!
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New Diana joins ISD's across Texas with installation of drivers license scanning equipment, linked to an online sex offender registry.
In an effort to tighten campus security, and identify known predators before they are allowed access, New Diana Middle School announced it has installed and is using the Raptor V-Soft system.
The announcement, in the school newsletter this week, follows:
When you come to pick up your child at NDMS, you will experience a system designed to make our school safer by scanning licenses for the sole purpose of checking for sex offenders only. We will ask you or any other visitors to our campus to allow us to scan your license. If staying on campus, you will receive a sticker with your photo and destination while you are on our campus. While this can take a little more of your time, please realize that this is for the safety of your child and all students in our schools. Thank you!
The Raptor system has been in the news lately, due to a lawsuit in Lake Travis over it's use, alleging violations of parents constitutional rights, including freedom to associate with their children at school, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure. The case has yet to be tried.
Responding to that suit, Houston based Raptor Systems said it was unaware of other similar lawsuits.
On it's website, Raptor claims to have the system installed in 5000 schools, including Southside, McKinney, Tyler, Kilgore and Athens ISD's in Texas.
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Assisted by the Upshur Sheriff's Office, Hawkins Police Department, the Texas DPS and the Longview SWAT Team, Big Sandy officers nabbed Duane Beard, a fugitive from a murder charge in Kansas, Tuesday.
According to the AMW website, Beard is wanted for first-degree murder, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action and 1st Degree Assault
The News-Journal has the story of the capture.
America's Most Wanted list the following details of the crimes Beard is accused of:
According to authorities investigating the case, roommates Sherry Stewart and Samantha Curlee were hurting for cash. The end of the month was just around the corner, and bills, rent, and utilities would be coming due.
The roommates thought they had stumbled upon good fortune when their friend, Duane Beard, gladly agreed to lend them some of the necessary funds.
Police say the roommates left Kansas City for the weekend. Samantha had family that lived in Clinton, a small, rural town 77 miles outside of Kansas City, and they often visited to get away from the bustling city.
Meanwhile, vexed by Sherry and Samantha's unexpected absence from town, Beard's temper churned. Prosecutors say that Beard had money on his mind and did not take at all kindly to the girls' unforeseen getaway, especially without receiving repayment or prior notification.
Upon their return home, police say Sherry and Samantha didn't have to wait long before receiving an unexpected visit from Beard. Beard's animosity accumulated with the arousal of his foul temper. He wanted his money. According to police, Beard felt he was being dealt a short hand.
When he arrived at Sherry and Samantha's apartment, Beard was let right in. The girls were not aware of his horrifying potential. Tempers flared, according to authorities, and angry words were exchanged between Sherry and Beard. Samantha, an innocent bystander, was on the coach, unaware of the developing situation.
Police say Sherry tried to run from the argument by heading towards the bathroom. Beard, by now, they say, had become dangerous and irrational.
Prosecutors say Beard, furious at this point, shot Sherry. He immediately turned towards Samantha and shot her as she lay on the coach.
According to police, Sherry was dead on arrival, and Samantha was suffering from a serious wound to the abdomen. She was taken to a nearby hospital, and survived the devastating assault.
Duane Beard, a very small man weighing in at just 127 lbs. and standing a mere 5'7" tall, faces four colossal charges: first-degree murder, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action and 1st Degree Assault.
Police say Beard was due in court, but posted a $300,000 bond and bailed out of jail.
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An estimated 55 million children and teens from birth to age 19 were treated in emergency departments for unintentional injuries from 2001 to 2006, according to a new report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report also notes that between 2000 and 2005, unintentional injuries resulted in 73,052 deaths among children and teens. Falls caused most non-fatal injuries (about 2.8 million each year), while most deaths were transportation-related (about 8,000 deaths each year involved a motor vehicle occupant, pedestrian or pedal cyclist).
According to the report, every year, an estimated 9.2 million children visited emergency departments for unintentional injuries. Falls were associated with over half of the nonfatal injuries involving children less than one year, while transportation-related injuries and deaths were highest among children 15 to 19 years of age. Overall, males were almost twice as likely to die as a result of unintentional injuries than females.
To help parents and other adults prevent child injuries, CDC is also launching the “Protect the Ones You Love” initiative. More about this initiative can be found at www.cdc.gov/safechild.
“Injury risks change as our children grow and we want them to be appropriately protected as they develop,” said Dr. Ileana Arias, Director of CDC′s Injury Center. “We encourage parents to be vigilant and to understand that there are proven ways to help reduce injuries at each life stage.”
Other notable findings in the CDC report include:
* The highest fatality rates were among occupants of motor vehicles;
* Drowning was the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages one to four. For those ages 5 to 19, most injury deaths were due to being an occupant in a motor vehicle crash; and
* Children ages one to four also had the highest nonfatal injury rates due to poisoning and falls.
CDC′s report of national and state information on the leading causes of childhood injury is being released to coincide with the World Health Organization′s (WHO) and the United Nations Children′s Fund′s (UNICEF) launch of the 2008 World Report on Child Injury Prevention. The World Report provides a global perspective of child injury and prevention.
The full report, “CDC Childhood Injury Report: Patterns of Unintentional Injuries among 0-19 Year Olds in the United States, 2000-2006,” is available at www.cdc.gov/safechild/Child_Injury_Data.htm.
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Proposing an alternate means of jump starting the nation's economy, Rep. Louis Gohmert is advocating a two month tax holiday.
His plan would use the remaining 350 billion of the $750 billion bailout fund to grant a two month period in which no federal taxes would be collected. Fiscal conservatives are climbing on the band wagon, but the plan faces opposition in the democratically controlled House of Representatives.
Gohmert faced tough questions today about his plan from conservative bloggers who met with him today at the Heritage Foundation.
Most wanted to know why Gohmert was pushing a short-term tax holiday rather than a long-term solution such as cutting capital gains or reducing corporate taxes. Gohmert said it boiled down to political reality. With Democrats controlling 256 seats in the House, there’s little Republicans can do to enact long-term tax relief.
Heritage.org has the story.
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Sheriff Anthony Betterton reports that 160 calls for service were reported to the UPSHUR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE between the dates of 12-1-08 and 12-07-08
Sheriff Betterton also reports that 49 people were booked into the Upshur County Jail on a variety of charges which include Driving while license suspended, Assault, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Federal Detainer, Theft by Check, Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Mischief, Credit Card Abuse, Criminal Negligent Homicide, Criminal Trespass, DWI, Evading Arrest, Arson, Stolen Vehicle, Bench Warrant, Child Support and traffic. There were also 59 people released from the Upshur county jail.
Thefts 10
Assault 9
Burglary 3
Criminal Mischief 5
Disturbance 17
Traffic 24
Suspicious Vehicle/Person 9
Civil Matters 4
Assist other agency 14
Drug cases 1
Unwanted Guest 7
Deaths 1
Shots Fired 3
Juvenile 5
Harassment 5
Other 43
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