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Hearing To Challenge Texas Voter Law

Michael Galkovsky
/
(cc) flickr

A federal judge in Galveston is to consider motions in a lawsuit filed by a Washington-based voters' rights group that contends Texas laws make it illegally difficult to register voters.

The group Voting for America is seeking an injunction to block enforcement of laws they say keep registration records from the public, attack voter registration drives and impede its "mission of voter advocacy."

State lawyers deny anything improper and say the organization has met none of the requirements for obtaining an injunction. They also argue that the group wants to process voter registrations it collects with no state oversight and risk no penalty if ineligible citizens become registered voters.

The hearing set for Monday afternoon is before U.S. District Judge Gregg Costa.

AP

Another Parkland Executive Resigns

Parkland Hospital says the top executive in charge of emergency and surgical services is resigning to take a job out-of-state.

Brad Simmons has been a Parkland Vice President since 2009.

The hospital’s emergency room and surgical unit were among departments cited for serious safety problems in a federal inspection last year.

Simmons’ resignation follows a number of others since Parkland failed the critical inspection: including, former CEO Dr. Ron Anderson, and senior managers of nursing, quality control and human resources.

Parkland has until April of next year to fix more than 50 serious problems or lose Medicare and Medicaid funding.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Slain Arlington Couple Identified

The victims of a double homicide in Arlington are identified as 72 year old Long Nguyen and his wife 63 year old Huong Ly.

The couple was found dead in their apartment over the weekend.

The family was planning a birthday celebration for Long Nguyen the day the bodies were discovered.

Oak Farms Dairy is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Police say the smallest detail could lead officers to a suspect.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Arlington Police Work Vandalism Spree

Police are investigating several incidents of vandalism on Crowley Road near Westwood in East Arlington.

Neighbors awoke Sunday morning to find about a dozen homes and cars spray painted with vulgar messages and images, plus offensive words related to sexual orientation. There was also a negative message directed at police officers.

Detectives are asking that anyone with information about the crime spree to call the police.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Report says Texas top destination for refugees

A report finds Texas has become the favorite destination for refugees seeking haven in the United States.

Houston on Monday began marking World Refugee Day, which is June 20.

The Houston Chronicle reports more than 5,600 refugees reached Texas last year. Houston was the favorite city nationwide.

The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement says a total of 56,419 refugees settled in the U.S. during 2011, with about 10 percent in Texas.

Caitriona Lyons with the state's Refugee Resettlement Program credits the strong Texas economy and affordable housing.

A refugee is defined as someone unable or unwilling to return to his or her homeland because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

AP

Sheriff: Dad kills daughter's alleged attacker

Authorities say a father used his hands to beat to death a man who allegedly tried to sexually assault his 4-year-old daughter on their rural farm.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said Monday he doesn't anticipate arresting the father following Saturday's killing near Shiner. Harmon said nothing so far suggests the beating death happened for "any reason other than what he told us."

The victim was only identified as a 47-year-old man from Gonzales. Harmon said the man appeared to have no prior criminal history and that he went to the property Saturday to help care for some horses.

Harmon said the father's name is being withheld because of the ongoing investigation. He said a grand jury will decide what, if any, charges the father will face.

AP

Vandals Spray Paint Arlington Houses and Cars

Police are investigating several incidents of vandalism on Crowley Road near Westwood in East Arlington.

Neighbors awoke Sunday morning to find about a dozen homes and cars spray painted with vulgar messages and images, plus offensive words related to sexual orientation. There was also a negative message directed at police officers.

Detectives are asking that anyone with information about the crime spree to call the police.

BJ Austin, KERA News

'Dallas' is back with new villainy - and J.R., too

J.R. Ewing is back to resume his special grade of sweet-crude villainy.

TNT's resurrection of the TV show "Dallas" does the near-impossible. It reclaims the soapy and sinister charm that made this saga a hit for 14 seasons until relinquishing its hold on the CBS Friday night lineup in 1991.

All this awaits viewers on the back-to-business new "Dallas," with the two-hour premiere Wednesday night.

The show ushers in a new generation of at-odds characters to supplement such timeless personalities as J.R. (Larry Hagman), his former wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) and his ever-upright brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy).

There's also a push by Bobby's son Christopher to profit big from renewable energy - which is heresy to J.R. and his own son John Ross.

AP