By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX –
The Texas Attorney General's Office has announced a $4.5 million settlement of its lawsuit against the Conn's appliance chain.
Under terms of the settlement, the Beaumont-based retailer will pay $4.5 million in restitution to consumers and $250,000 to defray the state's attorney's fees and court costs. Conn's also agreed to donate $100,000 to the University of Houston Consumer Law clinic.
The state had alleged Conn's relied on aggressive, deceptive sales tactics to build its sales of extended service warranties for its appliances and electronics. In a statement issued by Conn's after Tuesday's settlement, company Chairman William Nylin said the company continues to deny the allegations.
However, the chain has agreed to provide greater disclosure of the warranty conditions.
Smadi faces trial next summer in alleged bomb plot
A Jordanian man charged with trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper with what he thought was a car bomb will go on trial next summer.
A federal judge has moved Hosam Smadi's trial to June 7.
The 19-year-old Smadi had been scheduled for trial starting Dec. 7, but the judge found the case was complex and agreed more time was needed to interview witnesses and review evidence.
Authorities allege Smadi parked a truck in a garage beneath a the downtown office tower in September. Once he was at a safe distance, Smadi dialed a cell phone he thought would detonate a bomb in the truck, but the device was actually a decoy provided by FBI operatives posing as al-Qaida members.
Annual Hazardous Toy Warnings
The Texas Public Interest Research Group is out with its annual warning about hazardous toys - just in time for the holiday shopping season.
At the Children's Choice Day Care Center, Dallas State Representative Carol Kent helped with the released of the 2009 "Trouble in Toyland" report. She says "choking" is a serious toy hazard.
Kent: So far, in 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more than 5.3 million toys and other children's products from store shelves in the United States because of choking hazards.
Kent says if the toy is small enough to slide thru a toilet paper roll don't buy it for your infant or toddler. The 2009 Trouble in Toyland survey cites 7 toys as examples of potential choking hazards, including the Disney Toy Story "Pizza Planet Gift Pak".
Caraway billboard campaign aims to stop "saggy pants"
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem is taking another run at "saggy pants." Two years ago, he launched a public awareness campaign called "pull em up". Caraway said he was tired of seeing young men with pants worn so low it exposed their underwear. He hopes a new billboard campaign will help get the message across.
Caraway: You're not going to become the President of the United States as Barack Obama, not if your pants are hanging down. The banks are not going to hire you. You're not going to become a lawyer and think you can walk into the court and defend anyone with your pants sagging.
The new billboards feature Dallas actress Irma P. Hall. And also include a message to girls: "Keep it a secret" - urging some modesty.
Waskom man gets 6 years for stalking
A man prosecutors say texted or called a former Tyler woman up to 500 times a day has been sentenced to six years in prison for stalking. Harmon Lee Manuel II of Waskom was convicted in June, during a bench trial, of stalking the 23-year-old woman, who was acquainted with someone he knows.
A judge in Tyler on Monday sentenced the 26-year-old Manuel.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Tuesday that Manuel, in his text messages, threatened the woman who never went out with him and assured Cidney Legg that she would be taking his last name. Legg, in her victim impact statement, said that "this is real, and we're not joking around, no means no."
Waskom is in far east Texas, just across the border from Louisiana.