Wise County on the Web

A tongue in cheek review of the news published this week regarding Wise County.
Normally posted every Sunday around 10:00 p.m.
(Note: To make sure you are receiving the most recent update, hold down the "Shift" key while you click on reload/refresh).
For the week ending 03/02/02:

The Story	Northwest ISD, in the wake of public pressure, redraws the boundary maps designated for the various elementary schools in the district.
News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5)	**
The Spin	Wasn't it only two weeks ago that school Superintendent Keith Sockwell said, "People come to me and tell me their property values are going to go down if we put them in a certain elementary zone. Well, I don't care. I think about what the President said - no child, no child shall be left behind"?

The Story	The Decatur City Council votes against the Texas Department of Transportation closing the median crossing at Wichita Street and 287.
News worthiness	*
The Spin	TxDot doesn't need the city's permission. TxDot will close the crossing.

The Story	Rhome citizens get P.O.'d when it learns that its voting box has been moved 12 miles away in the city of New Fairview. "People are mad and they say they are not going to vote," said City Secretary Ramah Burns..
News worthiness	**
The Spin	Yeah, it's a pain, but is the Right to Vote not worth a fifteen minute trip?

The Story	NTSB blames the July, 2001 LifeStar helicopter crash in Wise County on pilot error: "The pilot's failure to follow the checklist and turn on the transfer fuel pumps . . . resulted in fuel starvation and a dual loss of engine power while in cruise flight."
News worthiness	**
The Spin	He forgot to turn on the gas?

The Story	Tommy Wayne Bays of Alvord goes crazy when officers were called to his home on a family disturbance call. He allegedly assaulted officers "with his cane" and, while at the jail, broke windows in his cell by removing "the metal foot rests from his wheelchair and began beating the cell windows." Pepper spray was used at one point. "Everyone back there was in tears except for Bays, the pepper spray didn't affect him one bit."
News worthiness	*******
The Spin	In order to avoid a major incident, officers immediately wrestled his colostomy bag away from him.

**Special Highly Technical Research Project to be Conducted Throughout 2002:**
	New This Week	Year To Date
Number of new births announced in the Wise County Messenger	14	98
Number of new births announced by parents with different surnames (or no father identified):	4 (28%)	33 (34%)

See something in the local papers that struck you funny? Then suggest a topic for The Spin.

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