Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Highway
POSTED: 1:37 pm CDT May 28, 2008
UPDATED: 6:10 pm CDT May 28, 2008
TULSA, Okla. -- A Texas man told authorities that engine problems forced him to make an emergency landing on U.S. Highway 75 near Tulsa.
No injuries are reported, and the only damage appears to be to a road sign.
Allen Braden said he was flying his single-engine Cessna from Emporia, Kan., to his home in Houston when he developed engine trouble.
Braden said he tried to make it to Tulsa International Airport but couldn't so he landed on the highway after seeing an opening in traffic.
The Federal Aviation Administration is being called to investigate the incident.
Information from: KOTV-TV, http://www.newson6.com
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Thursday, May 29, 2008
5.898 GPA student NOT valedictorian!
Grapevine student with top grades won't be valedictorian
12:27 AM CDT on Thursday, May 29, 2008
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
lfox@dallasnews.com
Grapevine High School senior Anjali Datta holds the highest grade-point average of the 471 students graduating from Grapevine High School this year.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school's history.
Anjali Datta's GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the Grapevine High School history, but she can't be valedictorian and get a one-year scholarship from the state because she graduated in three years instead of the usual four.
View larger More photos Photo store It's still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor's GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she's the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years. But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn't affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district's schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that's not the situation in this case, the district's attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be "Valedictorian – Three-Year."
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
"We're doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy," said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. "I'm not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We've not faced this situation before."
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
"There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer," she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
"I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes 'too quickly,' " said her father, Deepak Datta. "Anjali's experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
"They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system."
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district's position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
"The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy," Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. "In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district's attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
"Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy," he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn't raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family's attention.
"We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well," she said. "Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution."
Anjali says she's struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn't even mention the word "valedictorian" when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an "Honor Graduate Certificate." The certificate is to be presented to the "highest ranking graduate" in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district's responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn't feel quite right.
"This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title," she said.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school’s history.
It’s still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor’s GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she’s the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: “the valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade point average for four years of high school.”
The dispute over Anjali’s status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and she says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn’t affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district’s schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that’s not the situation in this case, the district’s attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville, will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be “Valedictorian—Three-Year.”
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
“We’re doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy,” said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. “I’m not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We’ve not faced this situation before.”
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
“There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer,” she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
“I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes ‘too quickly,’” said her father, Deepak Datta. “Anjali’s experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
“They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system.”
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district’s position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
“The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy,” Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. “In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district’s attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
“Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy,” he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn’t raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family’s attention.
“We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well,” she said. “Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution.”
Anjali says she’s struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn’t even mention the word “valedictorian” when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an “Honor Graduate Certificate.” The certificate is to be presented to the “highest ranking graduate” in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district’s responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation on June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn’t feel quite right.
“This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title,” she said.
12:27 AM CDT on Thursday, May 29, 2008
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
lfox@dallasnews.com
Grapevine High School senior Anjali Datta holds the highest grade-point average of the 471 students graduating from Grapevine High School this year.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school's history.
Anjali Datta's GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the Grapevine High School history, but she can't be valedictorian and get a one-year scholarship from the state because she graduated in three years instead of the usual four.
View larger More photos Photo store It's still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor's GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she's the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years. But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn't affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district's schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that's not the situation in this case, the district's attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be "Valedictorian – Three-Year."
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
"We're doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy," said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. "I'm not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We've not faced this situation before."
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
"There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer," she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
"I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes 'too quickly,' " said her father, Deepak Datta. "Anjali's experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
"They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system."
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district's position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
"The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy," Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. "In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district's attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
"Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy," he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn't raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family's attention.
"We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well," she said. "Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution."
Anjali says she's struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn't even mention the word "valedictorian" when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an "Honor Graduate Certificate." The certificate is to be presented to the "highest ranking graduate" in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district's responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn't feel quite right.
"This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title," she said.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school’s history.
It’s still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor’s GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she’s the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: “the valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade point average for four years of high school.”
The dispute over Anjali’s status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and she says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn’t affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district’s schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that’s not the situation in this case, the district’s attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville, will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be “Valedictorian—Three-Year.”
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
“We’re doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy,” said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. “I’m not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We’ve not faced this situation before.”
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
“There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer,” she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
“I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes ‘too quickly,’” said her father, Deepak Datta. “Anjali’s experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
“They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system.”
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district’s position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
“The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy,” Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. “In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district’s attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
“Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy,” he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn’t raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family’s attention.
“We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well,” she said. “Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution.”
Anjali says she’s struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn’t even mention the word “valedictorian” when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an “Honor Graduate Certificate.” The certificate is to be presented to the “highest ranking graduate” in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district’s responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation on June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn’t feel quite right.
“This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title,” she said.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Taser Happy
Taser used on dad leaving Houston hospital with baby
By CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA and KEVIN MORAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
A Houston couple said both the Houston Police Department and the Woman's Hospital of Texas are responsible for endangering their newborn when the husband who held the baby in his arms was hit by a taser as an off-duty police officer as he attempted to leave the hospital early Thursday morning.
But police maintain that William Lewis, the baby's father, endangered the 2-day-old infant by refusing orders to quit trying to remove the baby from the hospital when abduction alarms went off.
Lewis, 30, said he and his wife were preparing to leave the hospital when staff told him he would not be able to leave with the baby. After a failed attempt to leave through the elevators with the baby, who wore an alert sensor that warns hospital officals about potential kidnappings, staff called security, Lewis said.
The man's wife, who did not want her name used, said she came out of her room into the hallway as police arrived and saw off-duty HPD Officer D.M Boling shocking her husband. Boling was working security at the time.
"He was holding the baby when [the officer] tasered him. My baby hit the concrete floor," said Lewis' wife, who was still in the hospital at the time recovering from a C-section. "When I went down to pick her up to take her to the neo unit her scream was so loud and so bad I thought she was dying right there."
The mother said hospital pediatricians examined the baby after the incident and said she was fine, "but my baby she had the shakes real bad. She's not as calm as she was before."
Lewis was first charged with kidnapping, although it was later changed to endangerment, police said. Lewis appeared in State District Judge Debbie Stricklin's court today. His arraignmnent was rescheduled for April 30 and Lewis is free on a $5,000 bond.
Boling tased Lewis after Boling repeatedly told Lewis he could not leave the hospital, Houston police spokesman Officer Gabe Ortiz said today.
Boling's report of the incident does not indicate whether he knew Lewis was the baby's father, Ortiz said.
He said the report showed that Lewis dropped to the hallway floor after being hit by the Taser. Boling estimated in his report that the baby fell from the father's arms about two feet before landing on the floor.
Boling joined the department in September 1984 and was working an off-duty security job at the hospital when the incident occurred.
Records show that since HPD officers began carrying Tasers in December 2004, Boling has shocked at least two other people. In one incident, in February 2005, Boling discharged his Taser three to four times to subdue a man who resisted arrest during a disturbance call.
The reports show that the baby was born April 9 and was two days old when Lewis decided to leave the hospital with the baby about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Ortiz said.
Police reports gave no indication that the baby suffered from any conditions that required continued treatment, Ortiz said.
Hospital officials did not address whether they believe the father should have been leaving with the baby in a statement released after the incident.
"Our nurses educate the mothers and their family members upon admission regarding the safety procedures throughout our hospital," hospital officials said. "The security of our infants is our utmost priority here at The Woman's Hospital of Texas."
Security measures identify the mother with a new infant from the moment of birth, they said. "In this case, our safety measures worked. Our infant abduction deterrent was effective."
Woman's Hospital spokeswoman Kris Muller said the hospital has had the most advanced anti-abduction meaures availalble in place at the hospital since it opened in 1976.
"We regularly upgrade it whenever improvements are available,'' Muller said.
The hospital delivered 8,867 babies in 2006 and 8,333 in 2005, Muller said.
St. Luke's Hospital spokeswoman Melinda Muse said that institution also has sophisticated anti-infant abduction security measures in place. However, the hospital does not release details of the systems, Muse said.
"My deal is that I broke no laws and maybe I broke some hospital policies but I broke no laws," Lewis said. He and his wife said they were preparing to leave because they felt they were ready to leave, but "it was like you can't leave no explanation, no reason," Lewis said.
Lewis' wife said "the only thing that endangered my child was that police officer who tased my child when Will was holding the baby ... I don't know how it went from us leaving to this."
Lewis' wife said she was prepared to ask for a copy of the hospital's surveillance video. She also said she may not return to the hospital "because they hired an irresponsible cop and he was taser happy."
By CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA and KEVIN MORAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
A Houston couple said both the Houston Police Department and the Woman's Hospital of Texas are responsible for endangering their newborn when the husband who held the baby in his arms was hit by a taser as an off-duty police officer as he attempted to leave the hospital early Thursday morning.
But police maintain that William Lewis, the baby's father, endangered the 2-day-old infant by refusing orders to quit trying to remove the baby from the hospital when abduction alarms went off.
Lewis, 30, said he and his wife were preparing to leave the hospital when staff told him he would not be able to leave with the baby. After a failed attempt to leave through the elevators with the baby, who wore an alert sensor that warns hospital officals about potential kidnappings, staff called security, Lewis said.
The man's wife, who did not want her name used, said she came out of her room into the hallway as police arrived and saw off-duty HPD Officer D.M Boling shocking her husband. Boling was working security at the time.
"He was holding the baby when [the officer] tasered him. My baby hit the concrete floor," said Lewis' wife, who was still in the hospital at the time recovering from a C-section. "When I went down to pick her up to take her to the neo unit her scream was so loud and so bad I thought she was dying right there."
The mother said hospital pediatricians examined the baby after the incident and said she was fine, "but my baby she had the shakes real bad. She's not as calm as she was before."
Lewis was first charged with kidnapping, although it was later changed to endangerment, police said. Lewis appeared in State District Judge Debbie Stricklin's court today. His arraignmnent was rescheduled for April 30 and Lewis is free on a $5,000 bond.
Boling tased Lewis after Boling repeatedly told Lewis he could not leave the hospital, Houston police spokesman Officer Gabe Ortiz said today.
Boling's report of the incident does not indicate whether he knew Lewis was the baby's father, Ortiz said.
He said the report showed that Lewis dropped to the hallway floor after being hit by the Taser. Boling estimated in his report that the baby fell from the father's arms about two feet before landing on the floor.
Boling joined the department in September 1984 and was working an off-duty security job at the hospital when the incident occurred.
Records show that since HPD officers began carrying Tasers in December 2004, Boling has shocked at least two other people. In one incident, in February 2005, Boling discharged his Taser three to four times to subdue a man who resisted arrest during a disturbance call.
The reports show that the baby was born April 9 and was two days old when Lewis decided to leave the hospital with the baby about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Ortiz said.
Police reports gave no indication that the baby suffered from any conditions that required continued treatment, Ortiz said.
Hospital officials did not address whether they believe the father should have been leaving with the baby in a statement released after the incident.
"Our nurses educate the mothers and their family members upon admission regarding the safety procedures throughout our hospital," hospital officials said. "The security of our infants is our utmost priority here at The Woman's Hospital of Texas."
Security measures identify the mother with a new infant from the moment of birth, they said. "In this case, our safety measures worked. Our infant abduction deterrent was effective."
Woman's Hospital spokeswoman Kris Muller said the hospital has had the most advanced anti-abduction meaures availalble in place at the hospital since it opened in 1976.
"We regularly upgrade it whenever improvements are available,'' Muller said.
The hospital delivered 8,867 babies in 2006 and 8,333 in 2005, Muller said.
St. Luke's Hospital spokeswoman Melinda Muse said that institution also has sophisticated anti-infant abduction security measures in place. However, the hospital does not release details of the systems, Muse said.
"My deal is that I broke no laws and maybe I broke some hospital policies but I broke no laws," Lewis said. He and his wife said they were preparing to leave because they felt they were ready to leave, but "it was like you can't leave no explanation, no reason," Lewis said.
Lewis' wife said "the only thing that endangered my child was that police officer who tased my child when Will was holding the baby ... I don't know how it went from us leaving to this."
Lewis' wife said she was prepared to ask for a copy of the hospital's surveillance video. She also said she may not return to the hospital "because they hired an irresponsible cop and he was taser happy."
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