Arlington, TX

I was unfortunate enough to get in a huge traffic jam on southbound Hwy 360 at Mayfield this morning. As I was forced to exit at Mayfield Rd., I noticed a man straddling the concrete railing on the bridge. I now know what was going on.

Police were involved in a standoff with a man threatening to jump from the 360 bridge that crosses Mayfield Road. The standoff began around 7:30 this morning.

Police completely closed southbound 360 between Mayfield and I-20, and closed Mayfield Road on either side of the bridge as well. It all ended peacefully about 10:50 a.m. when the man gave up and walked toward officers with his hands in the air. He has not been identified.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Police Standoff, Hwy 360, Mayfield Rd.

As always, we have great music around town and a couple of plays you can check out. The G-Kon gaming convention is in town and Fright Fest is starting up at Six Flags.

Be sure to check out the Front Street Festival in downtown Arlington this weekend. There will be art, entertainment, history, food and fun. Admission to Knapp Heritage Park is $2 for adults and $1 for children.

What: Fender Bender
When: Friday, Sept. 28 @ 9:30pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

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What: Professor D
When: Friday, Sept. 28 @ 9:30pm
Where: Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub, 245 Lincoln Square Center, 817-226-2300

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What: Bonedriven 
When: Friday, Sept. 28, 9:30 pm
Where: Hot Rods & Hoggs, 706 N. Watson Road, 817-649-5220

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I found this interesting video of actor Lou Diamond Phillips singing vocals with local band Velvet Love Box at The Flying Saucer in Fort Worth.

Lou is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and got his start acting in the Fort Worth area. His big break was starring as Ritchie Valens in 1987’s La Bamba. Most recently he has guest starred on Law and Order: SVU, Numb3rs and Psych.

Velvet Love Box has been rocking the Metroplex for over 10 years and was voted Cover Band of the Year three times by Fort Worth Weekly. They play regularly at Bronco’s Sports Bar in Hurst and have been the house band for the Dallas Stars since 2000. Find out when and where you can hear them play by visiting their MySpace page.

Arlington, Arlington Texas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Velvet Love Box, You Tube

Some of Arlington’s finest restaurants will gather together on Tuesday, October 2 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. for the annual Taste of Arlington celebration. This year marks their silver anniversary.

The event, which brings together nearly 75 restaurants at the Arlington Convention Center, raises money for the Arlington YMCA and Theatre Arlington. In addition to all the great food, organizers have planned a silent auction, a Big Board auction, music, sponsor displays, and a performance by Theatre Arlington’s youth touring group. Auction items include theater and other fine arts tickets, dinners, autographed collectibles, jewelry, art, event tickets, entertainment tickets, autographed books, gift baskets, spa treatments, and overnight stays. (more…)

The city has hit a snag in the bid to offer bus service from North and South Arlington to downtown Fort Worth.  The T is short on buses but has plans to buy more in the spring, allowing the Arlington shuttle to get underway.

The city plans to pay $75,000 a year for the service, which would provide three trips in the morning and three in the afternoon between the city’s two park and ride facilities and the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center at 9th and Jones Streets in downtown Fort Worth. Park and ride facilities are located at I-20 and Park Springs in South Arlington and I-30 and Cooper in North Arlington. Parking is free at the park and ride facilities and the bus ride is expected to cost $1.50 for a one way trip. (more…)

Six Flags Over Texas has announced plans to add a new Tony Hawk roller coaster for the 2008 season. The new coaster will replace the 25 year old “Wildcatter” free-fall ride, located near the Boomtown section of the Park. For all you old-timers (like me) that ride was formerly known as the “Texas Cliffhanger.” I won’t be too sorry to see it go. I got stuck on it once and it scared the hell out of me…but I digress.

If you’re not familiar with Tony Hawk, he is a professional skateboarder who gained popularity during the 1999 X-Games. He is credited with creating several aerial skateboard tricks and his popularity has led to video games, clothing lines, television and more. (more…)

Arlington General Motors workers joined other United Auto Workers, at 80 facilities in 30 states, in a nationwide strike this morning. Employees walked off the job around 10 a.m.  The UAW said union members walked out because they want GM to promise that future cars and trucks, such as the replacement for the Chevrolet Cobalt or the Chevrolet Volt electric car, will be built at U.S. plants. This is the first nationwide strike in 37 years.

Many Arlington workers have expressed concern about their retirement benefits. GM wants to move much of its $51 billion in unfunded retiree health care liabilities off the books and into a trust, called a Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association, or VEBA. In doing so, they could potentially raise their stock price and credit ratings. The union insists that the strike isn’t about the trust or wages, although they are eager to discuss the trust.

The UAW has over $800 million in a strike fund which will pay striking workers $200 a week plus full health benefits. The fund’s size would support 73,000 workers for approximately 1 year.

The Arlington plant employs about 2,800 workers, 2,500 of whom are hourly. The salaried employees will continue to work according to a company spokesperson. The strike has shut down the assembly lines at the Arlington facility, which builds trucks and SUVs including the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevy Suburban, and Cadillac Escalade.

IN OTHER NEWS:

• 13 neglected cats, some with amputated legs, were removed from an Arlington home over the weekend.
• Two south Arlington cell phone stores were robbed on Friday.
• The Tarrant County Medical Examiner has blamed “cheese” heroin in the death of 17 year old James David Burnette, a graduate of Martin High School.

Arlington, Arlington TX, General Motors, Strike, neglected cats, cell phone store robbery, Tarrant County Medical Examiner, cheese heroin, James David Burnette

What: Gone By Dawn
When: Friday, Sept. 21 @ 9:30pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

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What: Inflateable Love Boys
When: Friday, Sept. 21 @ 9:30pm
Where: Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub, 245 Lincoln Square Center, 817-226-2300

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What: Le Freak
When: Friday, Sept. 21 @ 9:30pm
Where: Reflections (Admiral Hotel), 1507 N. Watson Road, 817-640-7712

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What: Little Shop of Horrors
When: Fri.-Sun., Sept. 21-23 @ 8 pm
Where: Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., 817-275-7661

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Joshua Meyer, 20, of Alvarado was killed about 1:20 am Thursday morning when an 18-wheeler rear-ended his pickup on southbound U.S. 287 near the Broad Street exit. Both vehicles ran off the road and down an embankment. The driver of the semi was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Police did not say if speed or alcohol were factors.

Police are warning residents to be on the look out for people impersonating law officers. Two men posing as policemen stopped a 28-year-old Arlington woman driving in the 1800 block of South Collins Street about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The men were driving a white Chevrolet Caprice with a flashing red light on the dashboard and a spotlight. After she pulled her over, two men approached her vehicle, one on each side. She asked to see a badge and one of the men cursed at her and demanded her purse. She then sped away. The only unmarked vehicles used by Arlington police are Crown Victorias that are silver, gray or dark blue and have multiple lights, including red and blue lights in the front grill, over the rearview mirror and over the rear center brake light. The suspects are described as follows: a black man, about 25 years old, 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 4 inches tall, with a heavy build. He was wearing a baseball cap and a grill on his teeth. The second suspect is white, 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a scar on the right side of his face and a chin piercing. If you feel you are suspicious of a vehicle pulling you over, continue to drive the speed limit and call 911. Give a description of the car and the driver to the operator and they will verify whether or not it is a legitimate police officer. If you don’t have a phone, you can drive to a well-lit, populated area or better yet, a police station, to pull over. Anyone with information is asked to call Safe City Commission Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477 or to submit a tip online at www.469tips.com.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Car Accident, Joshual Meyer, Impersonating Police, South Collins Street

Today we bring you the Arlington Goodtimes Chorus, a Men’s Barbershop Chorus based here in Arlington. They are a chapter of The Barbershop Harmony Society and a chapter in the Southwest District of Champions. For more info on the group, check out their website.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Arlington Goodtimes Chorus, Barbershop, Singing, You Tube

A Texas A&M study ranks the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area as the 5th worst for traffic. According to the study, North Texans waste an average of 58 hours a year stuck in traffic. That’s almost 2 1/2 days folks! Twenty-five years ago, the average Metroplex traveler lost only 10 hours a year. That shows just how much this area has grown in the last half century.

The study counts “wasted time” as the time sitting in traffic jams, not the normal, driving the speed limit commuting time. Add all that up and you’ve wasted even more days.

The top worst traffic cities were (with # of hours):

1. Los Angeles, 72
2. Washington, D.C., 60
3. San Francisco, 60
4. Atlanta, 60
5. Dallas-Fort Worth, 58
6. Houston, 56
7. Detroit, 54
8. Miami, 50
9. Phoenix, 48
10. Chicago, 46

For more information on the study, visit http://tti.tamu.edu/.

Arlington, Arlington Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Traffic, Top 10 Traffic Cities

DeAngelo Cortez Morton, 19, the accused in the shooting of Sam Houston football player Quintarick Wilson,  is also being investigated for a Sept. 13 shooting involving a firearm with the same caliber and brand of ammunition, according to the warrant released this week. No one was injured in the previous shooting. No other details have been released. Police say Morton is a known gang member. 

Residents at the Grey Stoke Apartments in North Arlington began receiving evacuation notices Friday. Banks foreclosed on part of the complex, and tenants in those areas have less than 30 days to clear out. The apartments were sold two weeks ago, but employees say they didn’t even know. One employee said she had just leased two units. A broker handling relocations said some families are being offered money to move quickly and that she is also trying to negotiate an agreement to allow tenants more time.

Arlington, Arlington Texas, DeAngelo Cortez Morton, Quintarick Wilson, Sam Houston High School, Shooting, Grey Stoke Apartments, Evictions

Guests with disabilities will no longer to be able to skip the line at Six Flags parks nationwide. The company will now require disabled guests to get a boarding time from an attendant and return. The system will work like the ”Flash Pass” system, which is available to any guest for an extra charge. The disabled guest will now be required to use the “Flash Pass” entrance and receive an appointment time to come back. The new policy took effect Sept. 7 and applies to all 21 Six Flags theme and water parks, including Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor in Arlington.

The new policy is designed to cut down on those who cheat the system. There had been complaints that people were faking disabilities in order to skip the line. There was also a problem with disabled guests sharing their wrist bands with non-disabled guests, allowing them to move to the front of lines.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, Disabled Guests, Flash Pass

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple of days. I’m having the allergy attack from hell. And I’m mad at NyQuil for changing it’s formula so I can’t get any sleep. Thanks meth heads. Anyway - to the news…

Police are asking for help in locating a man who robbed the First Convenience Bank inside the Kroger in the 2300 block of Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard about 7 p.m. Tuesday. The robber told the teller he had a gun, but did not show it to her, police said. The gunman is described as white, about 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches and heavy-set with a goatee. He was wearing a dark baseball cap, dark sunglasses, blue jeans, and a blue shirt with white stripes. A $6,000 reward is being offered for information on the robber. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477 or to submit a tip online at www.469tips.com.

A mistrial was declared Tuesday in the capital murder trial of Charles Reynard Dickens. Dickens was accused of killing his drug supplier in a robbery gone wrong. 

A memorial service for Quintarick Wilson, the Sam Houston High School student who was shot and killed last week at a party, will be from 5 to 6 p.m. today at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 5415 Matlock Road.  The AISD announced that all of this week’s games against Seguin High (ninth-grade, junior varsity, and varsity) have been canceled. Wilson will be buried Saturday in Greenville, Mississippi.

One teen is dead and 3 others injured after a shooting at a party Friday night. Quintarick Wilson, 18, a Sam Houston football player, was shot in the chest while in the back yard of a house in the 3000 block of Prairie Hill Lane. Three other students, ages 16 & 18, were wounded and taken to area hospitals. Their wounds are said to be non-life-threatening. The identities of the wounded students has not been released. The shooting occured after the Sam Houston High School homecoming game during a combination birthday/homecoming party at the home of another Sam Houston student. Some uninvited guests arrived at the party, which had been posted on MySpace, and started making trouble and it ended in the shootings. Late Saturday, Arlington police arrested DeAngelo Cortez Morton, 19, in connection with the shootings.

The city is taking extra security measures to fight vehicle break-ins at city parks and recreation facilities. At least 68 vehicles have been broken into this year, with the most burglaries occurring at River Legacy Parks, Randol Mill Park and the Elzie Odom Recreation Center. Crime at city parks has increased 60 percent since the city eliminated park security during budget cuts in 2003. The city had been spending $115,000 a year on security, including off-duty police officers to patrol the parks before the cuts. The City Council voted this year to allocate $25,000 for private security at the parks. Parks officials also ask that patrons use common sense to avoid break-ins. Lock your car and don’t leave valuables laying in plain sight.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Sam Houston High School, Shooting, Quintarick Wilson, DeAngelo Cortez Morton, Break-ins, Parks & Recreation