By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX –
The Texas Department of State Health Services says that the swine flu vaccine will begin trickling into the state over the next week or two.
The department said Wednesday that the first vaccines will be in the mist form. Dr. David Lakey, the department commissioner, says the first week's allocation of about 237,000 doses of FluMist will go to children 2 and 3 years of age.
He urges Texans to be patient as the vaccines begin arriving. For example, he says "pregnant women are one of the highest priority groups for vaccination, but the first vaccine available to us is FluMist. Pregnant women should not receive FluMist."
Department spokesman Doug McBride says officials hope some shots will arrive in the next batch. For that batch, pregnant women, more 2 and 3-year-olds and health care workers are expected to get the vaccines.
Dallas police find ammo missing from training site
Investigators suspect an inside job in the disappearance of 38 cases of ammunition from the Dallas Police Department firearms training center.
A police statement issued Wednesday says the ammunition is missing from storage bunkers at the center near Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas. According to the statement, the theft happened within the last 30 days and includes ammunition for both rifles and handguns.
The statement goes on to say that the theft "appears to have been committed by someone with access to the facility," so the department's Public Integrity Unit has begun investigating. According to the statement, a lengthy investigation is expected.
AT&T to sell satellite phone from TerreStar
AT&T Inc. says it plans to sell a satellite phone from TerreStar Corp. that can place calls even in the deep wilderness or at sea. The Dallas-based carrier said Wednesday that the TerreStar Genus phone is due in the first quarter of next year.
It'll have all the features of a standard "smart" phone, including a touch screen, "QWERTY" keyboard, and the ability to use AT&T's ground-based wireless network. But it'll also be able to connect to a TerreStar satellite for service in parts of North America where the cellular network doesn't reach, or when cell towers have been knocked out by disasters like hurricanes.
AT&T plans to market the phone first to business and government customers, and later to consumers. AT&T didn't disclose the price of the phone or the service.
Woman jailed in hot-car death of 17-month-old son
A 37-year-old Arlington woman is free on bond after she was charged with first-degree felony injury to a child in the death of her 17-month-old son.
Arlington police say Keashia Dyon Matthews turned herself in Friday to face the charge in the death of Darrell Singleton III.
Police spokeswoman Tiara Richard says Matthews told family and friends that she kept her son in her sport-utility vehicle while at work Sept. 3 and checked on him repeatedly during the day. She said she noticed nothing wrong until she left work. She picked up her two other children and went to the hospital. Doctors report the child had a 107-degree temperature.
Matthews, who's free on $13,000 bond, has an unlisted telephone number. Richard didn't know if she has an attorney.
If convicted, she could get up to a life sentence. Her daughters are with Child Protective Services.