Countywide ‘No Refusal Weekend’ starts now
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Law Enforcement agencies across Rockwall County started their second annual Labor Day "No Refusal Weekend" at 12:01 a.m. today. It runs until noon Tuesday.
In the program, warrants are sought to draw blood from individuals who are suspected of driving while intoxicated and refuse to provide a breath or blood sample.
Efforts have been coordinated on a number of fronts. The District Attorney's Office bought 50 blood draw kits from the Department of Public Safety for participating agencies to use during the program. Lake Pointe Medical Center and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall provide trained phlebotomists to draw blood at the hospital. Area judges agreed to work in shifts to review and consider the approval of the blood draw warrants. The Rockwall County Commissioner's Court reimburses the cities for the judges' overtime costs.
Appearing at a press conference to announce the event this week were, left to right, Rowlett Police Officer Charles Hoff, Rockwall Police Assistant Chief Kirk Riggs, Rockwall County Sheriff Harold Eavenson, Royse City Police Lt. Jeff Stapleton, Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney Kenda Culpepper, Heath Department of Public Safety Chief Terry Garrett, Rockwall Police Chief Mark Moeller, and Rockwall County Constable Randy Parks.
City of Rockwall Press Release: Shores golf course sale off
Press Release Issued by the City of Rockwall on September 3, 2010.
Due to financing and bonding company limitations, Landscapes Unlimited Golf Group has advised the City of Rockwall that they will not be able to purchase The Shores Golf Course from IRI Golf Group, the current owner of The Shores.
Landscapes Unlimited Golf Group owns and operates more than 20 golf courses nationwide. They had reached a preliminary agreement with IRI and Hillcrest Bank on terms for purchasing the course after IRI had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
News that Landscapes Unlimited would not continue to pursue the purchase came as city officials had started working with the company on terms for a lease agreement on that portion of The Shores Golf Course located on land controlled by the City, which includes the back nine holes along with portions of another four.
Hillcrest Bank has filed a motion with the bankruptcy court asking the court to lift the stay that has prohibited its foreclosure on the property owned by IRI Golf Group. At this time, the City does not know the timeline for the court’s action on the motion or a timeline for reopening of the course.
IRI filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed the golf course in July.
City Manager Julie Couch said the City of Rockwall will continue to support the efforts of others to secure reopening of the course as a quality golf facility.
“We will also continue to insure that the areas of the course that are currently maintained by the City will continue to be irrigated, mowed, and maintained,” she added. “The Rockwall City Council remains committed to improving conditions at the course and to get it reopened.”
Rockwall ISD reports an easy first day back
Spokesperson Sheri Fowler reports that all went well in Rockwall ISD on the first day of the 2010-11 school year.
None of the schools reported any mechanical problems. (I'm sure all the students were grateful for those blasts of air conditioning.)
Out of around 13,500 students in the district, only 39 showed up today without proper immunizations. That number dropped throughout the day as parents took students to get their shots and then checked them into school.
Fowler's favorite "first-day of school" scene? A glimpse of kindergarten students wearing "Class of 2023" T-shirts at Reinhardt Elementary.
"They received the shirts at orientation and they are PRECIOUS!" she wrote in an e-mail.
UPDATE: Fowler sent me some pictures of those cute kindergarteners.
Rowlett High experiences traffic congestion
Students at Rowlett High are getting a lesson in road construction.
The front of their school along Kirby Road is barricaded by a 30-foot-deep ditch surrounded by concrete barriers and fences.
It's all part of the construction of the Bush Turnpike's eastern extension - a 9.9-mile, $1.04 million expansion of the President George Bush Turnpike.
And the result is a lot of traffic. At one point this morning, cars backed up onto Lakeview Parkway / State Highway 66 and then further, onto Rowlett Road.
Students got a tardy-reprieve today -- a lucky break since cars were still lined up to drop off the students at least 10 minutes after the morning bell at 7:30 a.m. The last student I saw dropped off got in around 7:50 a.m.
Buses ran mostly on time according to Garland ISD spokesperson Chris Moore. Almost all 21 buses (carrying more than 1,000 kids) dropped students off in the "preferred window," between 6:50 and 7 a.m.