By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – A grand jury has declined to indict a fraternity member linked to the hazing death of a Prairie View A&M University student last year.
Waller County Assistant District Attorney Fred Edwards told The Associated Press Wednesday that the grand jury made its decision after twice meeting to consider the circumstances surrounding the death last October of Donnie Wade II of Dallas.
Wade collapsed and died after he and other Phi Beta Sigma pledges engaged in a series of punishing exercises on a high school track near the historically black university 45 miles northwest of Houston.
Hazing can be prosecuted as a state jail felony if it involves a death.
Prairie View A&M has suspended its Phi Beta Sigma chapter for violating the university's anti-hazing policy.
Boeing delays more 787 test flights, shares drop
Boeing is putting off more test flights of its new 787 passenger jet while it investigates an emergency landing of one of the planes in Texas.
Boeing shares have fallen almost 3 percent in Wednesday trading.
On Tuesday, a Boeing 787 on a test flight over the western United States had to make an emergency landing in Laredo, Texas, after the crew reported smoke in the rear cabin of the plane.
Boeing spokeswoman Loretta Gunter says the company will stick to ground tests until it can pinpoint the cause of the incident.
The shares dropped $1.85, or 2.7 percent, to $67.40. In percentage terms, it was the worst performer in the Dow Jones industrial average.
Fake rifle for Halloween led to Texas A&M lockdown
Police believe a man toting what looked like an assault rifle across the Texas A&M University campus planned to use the fake gun with a Halloween costume.
Documents released by university police in response to open records requests from the media, had details of the Oct. 28 incident. The campus in College Station was locked down for about two hours until police determined there was no threat.
The documents indicate a bus driver reported seeing a man with what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle.
The police report says a gunnery sergeant allowed a 28-year-old student, who's a Marine, to borrow the plastic replica rifle for use during a Halloween party. The sergeant contacted police when he learned of the campus alert.
Lobbyists, Texas legislator testify in DeLay trial
Prosecutors offered testimony from lobbyists and a current Texas legislator in the Austin money laundering trial of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Lobbyists for Oklahoma energy firm Williams Companies Inc. and Kansas-based electric utility Westar Energy Inc. were questioned Wednesday about donations their companies made to DeLay's political action committee.
GOP Rep. Dan Flynn of Van told jurors about a donation he received from the PAC that prosecutors allege came from illegal corporate money.
DeLay is accused of using his PAC to illegally funnel corporate donations to Texas GOP candidates in 2002. Prosecutors say further evidence will tie DeLay directly to the alleged scheme.
DeLay denies wrongdoing.