Grand Prairie Hospital Now Medicare-Certified

Christine Lee, NBC 5 Grand Prairie Reporter

The Texas General Hospital in Grand Prairie opened earlier this year and has been busy ever since filling a void by providing much needed health services to people who live in the area.

Grand Prairie Hospital Fills Void

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For more than a decade, Grand Prairie was the largest city in the United States without an acute care hospital, but now has a hospital certified for Medicare and Medicaid.

Texas General Hospital, which opened in January near Jefferson Street and Great Southwest Parkway, is now Medicare- and Medicaid-certified.

Hasan Hashmi, hospital chairman, said about 40 percent of the hospital's volume is Medicare and Medicaid patients. Until it was certified, Texas General Hospital provided many of the services for free.

Councilman Mark Hepworth said the city has needed such a facility for years.

"Forever, we've had the title -- and I think it's been 10 or 15 years -- 'the largest city in America without a hospital,'" he said.

Brittany Danielle White said she rushed to the hospital on Wednesday after waking up with unexpected aches. She said living just five minutes from the hospital paid off that day.

"I'm blessed to have a hospital nearby, because I never know what can happen," she said. "I didn't expect any chest pains, so I'm really happy that it was nearby."

Hashmi said the hospital is growing quickly.

"We started off by seeing three or four patients in a 24-hour period," he said. "Now we see about 30 to 40 patients in a 24-hour period in our emergency room. Our operating room volume was about two to three a week. Now, it is over 30 a week."

With about 7,500 patients seen to-date, hospital officials said they are looking forward to an even busier year in 2013.

The hospital is preparing to launch its emergency services in January, adding at least 100 new jobs and providing faster response times in cases of emergency throughout the city. The hospital has hired 175 people during the past year, with more than 150 physicians on staff.

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Frisco Sixth-Graders Train to Save Lives

Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News

The Frisco Independent School District is teaching its middle school students life-saving skills like CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

Frisco Students Learn Life-Saving Skills

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12-Year-Old Recovering From Cardiac Arrest

Five months after her school coach used an AED to save her life, a Frisco 12-year-old is thriving. Her parents have a message for all schools and families.

12-year-old Kylee Shea collapsed in the hallway at school and her coaches Brent Reese and Kristen Goodgion saved her with an automated external defibrillator.

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Middle school students in Frisco are learning CPR and how to use a defibrillator as part of an expanded CPR awareness curriculum.

The curriculum gives every sixth-grader in the district hands-on CPR training. It costs less than $10,000 to implement at the district's middle schools.

"If you don't know how to do it and there's somebody who needs it, they can possibly die," sixth-grader Ellee Edgar said.

Last year, seventh-grader Kylee Shea collapsed while walking to gym class after her heart stopped beating.

Her coaches, Kristen Goodgion and Brent Reeese, revived her by performing CPR and using a defibrillator.

"It can't just happen to an adult or to a student running -- it can happen to anybody, anytime," Kylee said.

Since her collapse, the school's coaches and Kylee's mother have been crucial in creating and championing the training.

"That was the biggest driving force is we need to get the word out," Goodgion said. "We need to get everybody prepared to do what they need to do."

Seventh- and eighth-graders in physical education classes will also receive the training.

"It's amazing, because two ordinary people can do it," Kylee said. "It's not just coaches. Everybody can do it."

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Video, 911 Calls in Fatal Cowboys Crash Released

Irving Police released the dash camera from the police car that arrived on the scene of the fatal accident involving Dallas Cowboys players Josh Brent and Jerry Brown, as well as the first two calls to 911 after the crash. Brent is facing an intoxicated manslaughter charge related to the accident Saturday morning, and is free on bond.

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Loved Ones Remember Brown at Vigil

Family and friends shared their memories of Dallas Cowboys practice-squad player Jerry Brown Jr. during a candlelight vigil outside his former high school in St. Louis.

Police Release 911 Tapes in Fatal Cowboys Crash

Police in the Dallas suburb where a Cowboys player was killed in a car accident have released audiotapes of two 911 calls reporting the crash. Defensive tackle Josh Brent faces an intoxicated manslaughter charge in Saturday morning's accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown. Brent is free on bond. Police and prosecutors met today to discuss the case.

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The Irving Police Department on Thursday released two 911 calls and a dashboard-camera video of the fatal one-car crash scene involving Dallas Cowboys players Josh Brent and Jerry Brown Jr.

Brown was killed in the crash, and Brent was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter.

In the 911 calls, two different callers report an upside-down vehicle on the frontage road to State Highway 114 near Rochelle and O'Connor roads.

One of the callers reported seeing smoke coming from the vehicle, and the other said the car was on fire.

In the short video, Brent's car can be seen upside down in the roadway. Video of other activity at the crash site was not released.

Brown remembered at vigil in hometown

A memorial was held Thursday evening in St. Louis at Brown's former high school to honor the athlete.

Three dozen people holding candles and pictures talked outside Vashon High School about their memories of Brown.

Brown's mother, Stacey Jackson, said she had spoken to Brent and forgives him.

"I talked to Josh today before we came to the vigil, and I just told him to keep his head up; we're praying for him," she said. "And I still love him. He can call me at four in the morning; he can call me at twelve crying -- I don't care, because Jerry loved him like a brother."

Brent is just like one of her sons, she said.

"It was an accident. We were all young once. We've all done something stupid; we've all regretted what we've done, but we're here to live and see another day," she said. "Jerry's accident was God's way to tell us it was time for his servant to come home. And then Josh -- to get from this, he needs to go out and teach other people and reach other players and let them know never be ashamed to call and ask for a ride. Never be embarrassed, because that's what that service is there for."

Prosecutor expects grand jury to hear case next month

Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Harris Heath said Thursday he is confident the intoxication-manslaughter case will go to trial.

"The fact that Mr. Brent is a Dallas Cowboy or any attention this case has gotten -- we're not going to treat it any differently," he said.

Heath, whom Irving police briefed on the case, said he would look at all the factors, including evidence from the scene, such as sobriety tests.

The day of the crash, Irving police said Brent was arrested after failing a field sobriety test.

Exclusive police documents obtained by NBC 5 show that Brent failed tests such as the walk-and-turn, one-leg stand and visual sobriety tests that required him to follow light stimulus with his eyes. According to the documents, the responding officer said Brent "could not stand without swaying and following the green light stimulus that I was using. Mr. Price-Brent even caught himself swaying."

Heath said he expects a grand jury to take the case by January.

"Josh ought to get the same fair shake from the system that anybody else gets," said George Milner, Brent's attorney.

Brent is free on $500,000 bail.

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Whooping Cough Cases on Rise

A student at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth has been diagnosed with whooping cough.

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North Texas doctors are seeing an uptick in cases of pertussis, which is more commonly known as whooping cough.

So far this year in Tarrant County, 135 cases have been reported.

A student at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth is the latest case. The school sent a letter home to parents telling them of the case and to monitor their children.

Administrators told NBC 5 that the sick student is not in school at this time.

Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, the director of infectious diseases at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, said the hospital saw 14 cases in all of 2011 but had 113 cases this year through November.

Kahn said younger children -- infants to six months old -- are hit the hardest. Even though the children could have already started their pertussis shots, their immune systems aren't strong enough to fight the highly contagious cough, he said.

Children usually contract the cough from family members, Kahn said.

"Basically, all the cases that we've seen here -- very young children -- there's a history of someone in the household who has had a long chronic cough and they don't recognize that cough as being pertussis," he said.

The cough is treated with an antibiotics regiment, Kahn said.

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Artist Wants Stolen Art Honoring Brother Returned

Kristi Nelson, NBC 5 News

Two pieces were stolen from Rolondo Diaz's collection at the Janette Kennedy Gallery on South Side on Lamar. The collection was created to honor his brother, who recently died of leukemia.

Art Stolen From Dallas Gallery

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A Dallas artist is offering a reward for the safe return of two works of art stolen while on display at a gallery earlier this week.

Two of the smaller pieces in Rolondo Diaz's current collection on display at the Janette Kennedy Gallery at South Side on Lamar were stolen Tuesday night.

"It's not even so much the stealing of the work of art -- even though I haven't had that happen to me in the past -- it's the fact that what they took is very personal," he said.

Diaz said the mixed-media pieces have a special significance -- they are part of a collection created to honor his brother, Christian, who recently died of leukemia.

"The pieces that were stolen actually had photographs of me and my brother as children, just like this like here -- my favorite photograph from Havana," he said while pointing to another piece on display.

The building's surveillance video is being checked for clues.

The Cuban-American artist incorporated snapshots and other childhood memories on many of the pieces in his current collection at the JK Gallery.

"I am inspired by all things in life," Diaz said. "I believe that art is the expression of life and, in this particular, the show was definitely inspired by the struggles I saw my brother go through for two and a half years."

Diaz said he and his brother always shared a special bond and he wants the paintings back -- no questions asked.

This is the 10th year for his annual exhibition at the gallery, which continues through Dec. 26.

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Man Attempts 3 Failed Carjackings in Same Parking Lot

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An unknown man attempted to carjack three different victims in the same shopping center parking lot in southern California on Thursday, officials said.

According to police, the carjacking attempts happened around 2:50 p.m. in the parking lot of a Target store in Oceanside, Calif.

In the first attempt, the suspect allegedly approached a woman as she was exiting her car. He showed her what she believed was a knife and ordered her back into the vehicle. She got inside and drove away, leaving the suspect behind, police said.

The man then immediately approached another woman exiting her car in the lot. Police said he brandished a handgun and told her to get back inside her car.

The victim ignored the suspect and ran into the Target store to report the attempted carjacking.

Police said the man then approached a third woman in the same parking lot who was getting out of her car. He attempted to steal her vehicle at gunpoint, ordering her to remove the club device from her steering wheel and leave her keys in the car.

The victim complied, removed the club and left the keys in the car. Before walking away, she activated some sort of kill-switch that disabled the ignition.

The man tried to start the car but instead became locked inside the vehicle.

He smashed through a window to get out and fled the scene, police said.

None of the three victims was injured.

Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to immediately locate him. He remains outstanding.

Officers describe the suspect as a white male in his 40s to 60s with a thin build and "leathery" skin. He was carrying a black backpack and was described by witnesses as transient in his appearance. He wore a blue denim jacket, pink shirt and blue jeans.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Nearly 1 in 3 Are Distracted While Walking: Study

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

A man uses his mobile phone as walks in London. A new study states that one in three pedestrians is distracted while walking.

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New Survey Shows More Young Drivers Surfing the Web

Experts say texting is bad enough, but now many teen drivers are also surfing the web while driving. State Farm Insurance says 48 percent of people aged 18 to 29 have used the internet on their cell phones while behind the wheel. Gordon Tokumatsu reports from Northridge for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on November 27, 2012.

Smartphone Addicts Get Therapy in Costa Mesa

For Christiana Ike, not having her phone provokes extreme anxiety. She has three phones and carries 2 phone chargers with her at all times. She even takes her phone with her in the shower. Ike belongs to a support group at Morningside recovery Center in Costa Mesa to help curb his addiction, dubbed Nomophobia. Dr. Bruce Hensel reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2012.

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Nearly one in three pedestrians is distracted by a mobile device while crossing a busy street, and texting appears to be the most distracting and potentially most dangerous activity, according to a new study.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Injury Prevention, looked at pedestrians crossing 20 busy intersections in Seattle in the summer of 2012. It concluded that nearly one out of three pedestrians was engaged in some distracting activity, including taking on the phone, listening to music, talking with others, or dealing with children or pets.

Pedestrians who were texting took, on average, 2 seconds longer to cross busy streets and were less likely to pay attention to traffic while doing it.

Distracted drivers took the lives of more than 3,000 people in 2010, according to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, which has an ongoing initiative related to the issue. Cell phone use was reported in 18 percent of all distraction-related fatalities, according to the NTHSA.

State legislatures have taken notice.

The authors of the distracted pedestrian study recommend studying intervention efforts to reduce the risk of pedestrian injury. They suggest an approach similar to the "don't drink and drive" campaign.

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Dallas ISD Seeks Community Input on Evaluation Process

HSD2

DISD's lone finalist for the job of superintendent, Mike Miles.

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The Dallas Independent School District seeks input from the community on the superintendent evaluation process.

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees posted documents it plans to use to evaluate Mike Miles.

The evaluation documents are working drafts that state the superintendant can receive incentives worth up to $200,000 if certain performance goals are met.

The Dallas ISD Board Policy documents provide additional information on the evaluation process.

Miles' contract with the district is also available for viewing.

Parents, teachers and community members can express thoughts to the district about the plan.

Visit DallasISD.org to submit your feedback.

The deadline to submit input is noon on Friday, December 14.

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AMR Plans to Cut Jobs at Maintenance Base

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Dozens of workers at American Airlines maintenance base at Alliance Airport are losing their jobs Friday.

American Airlines says starting Friday 252 workers are being laid off and over the next few weeks about 700 employees are transferring within the company. The airline said 230 took an early retirement option.

Employees said they're being called in three people at a time to get their final paperwork. 
They've known about the cuts about a year, but it doesn't make their last day on the job any easier.

"The company elected to let this go, in my opinion, for greed," said maintenance worker Dennis Robinson.

Robinson is one of the victims of American Airlines bankruptcy.  He's thankful he's already found another job, but frustrated by American Airlines CEO/President Tom Horton's lack of a send-off.

"Mr. Horton, I say, it speaks highly of his character, not even to come out here and speak to us," said Robinson.

American plans to shut down the maintenance and engineering base as early as March.  A company spokesman said there will be some work done on components, not aircraft, into part of next year.

They'll be making room at the DFW hangar, so American can make its final departure from Alliance Airport.  The engine shop and test cell will continue to operate under the bankruptcy plan.

"To the employees, this is totally unfair.  Management took so much and has given so little back to employees," said maintenance worker Helen Petty.

Initially the company thought the cuts would be even more painful, but around 700 employees have decided to stay with American and relocate.  It's not a welcomed move for Alicia Besette's family.  Her husband, who is a mechanic, is now Miami-bound.

"We've just been run through the ringer, financially speaking, emotionally speaking, you name it.  It's enough.  They talk about shared sacrifice? The only ones I see making the sacrifice thus far are us, the lower end, the mechanics, spouses, children," said Besette.

Aircraft mechanic and Arlington-native Dave Warden is leaving a company he's been dedicated to more than a decade. 

"After 13 years, it's a little emotional.  We're going to be okay," said Warden.

American Airlines was the first tenant at Alliance Airport 23 years ago. The company makes up about three percent of the workforce at the location.

Neighboring businesses expect to feel the pain from the loss.

"It would really hurt our business, and yes, we talk to our customers about it and they're very, like they don't know what's going to happen or anything," said Betty Yeary, manager at Snooty Pig Restaurant. "So we're all concerned about it."

The Chamber of Commerce tells NBC 5 that half a dozen companies have already looked at possibly moving into the 1.6 million square foot facility.

A lot of work done at the Alliance location will be outsourced to other companies.

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