Abilene News: November 1-15, 1996

11/15 - Eastland Pair Plead Guilty to Fraud: An Eastland businessman who defrauded more than $200,000 from Medicare, and his mother, who tried to conceal her son's scheme, pleaded guilty to federal crimes Thursday.
....According to court documents, Michael Shaun McDaniel, owner of McDaniel Medical, submitted 566 false billings to Medicare over two years, claiming he provided 43,597 female external urinary collection pouches to nursing homes in Ballinger, San Angelo and Dallas.
....Though McDaniel, who's company is no longer in business, never provided the pouches, he collected $244,560 from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
....Suspicious of the large number of claims from McDaniel, Medicare requested he provide documentation to support the billings.
....Prosecutors say Darlene Powell McDaniel, Shaun McDaniel's mother and administrator of Heritage Oaks Estates nursing home in Ballinger, altered patient records to falsely report they had used the pouches. In doing so, she forged the signature of nursing director Lelanie Denise King, her daughter and Shaun's sister.
11/15 - BBB Warns of Phone Schemes: The Better Business Bureau is warning about a couple of telephone-related schemes.
....In one, an invoice is received at a business. The charges are for an international business and trade database director and CD-ROM in Barcelona, Spain.
...."These types of solicitation in the disguise of an invoice have been around for years," said Steve Abel, president of the Abilene BBB. "They are mostly associated with 'yellow pages' ads and the 'walking fingers.' These logos and trade names are not trademarked and can be used by anyone."
....Abel said federal law states it is illegal to send such a solicitation without a large, conspicuous disclaimer.
....The other scheme involves a phony telephone company repair call.
....The caller identifies himself as a phone company employee who is testing your telephone line. The phony repairman asks the company switchboard operator for a line and to dial "00".
....This is toll fraud, Abel said. The caller can now call anywhere and the charge will come back to your business.
11/14 - New Area Code Coming to Some Area Towns: Big Country telephone customers in the 817 area code will be assigned one of two new area codes by mid-1997.

....The Public Utility Commission approved a three-way split of the 817 area code one week ago, leaving the Fort Worth Metroplex with the old code and arranging for two new area codes in other areas currently designated as 817.
....David Featherstone, PUC director of industry analysis, said Wednesday that Bellcore, the national number plan administrator, should decide within the next few weeks what the two new area codes will be for telephone customers outside the Metroplex area.
....Featherstone said the new area codes will provide relief for the burgeoning 817 area, which otherwise would have run out of phone numbers in January 1998.
...."Between population growth and the increased number of cell phones, second lines for computers, pagers and fax machines, the 817 area was rapidly running out of numbers," Featherstone said. "Most people don't think about it, but they usually have five or six numbers that they use personally."
....The boundary line for the new northern and southern area codes will run east to west through the bottom of Palo Pinto County, up and across the top of Stephens County and cut into Throckmorton, Haskell and Stonewall counties before turning almost due north.
11/14 - Book Time for Kids Saturday: There will be more than just shopping going on at the Mall of Abilene and malls across the state on Saturday.
....Between stops at the toy store and other pre-Christmas errands, parents and children are invited to take part in Book Time for Kids, an event sponsored locally by the Abilene Educators Association.
....Book Time for Kids will take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the J.C. Penney courtyard.
....The event kicks off American Education Week, observed for the first time 75 years ago to raise public awareness about the importance of education. The theme for this year's week is "The Future Begins in Today's Schools."
....Book Time is a program directed by the Texas State Teachers Association, designed to inspire parents promote reading at home. This event goes along with TSTA's goal to "promote quality education for all our children, both on and off the campuses of our public schools."
....According to information from TSTA, the teachers' organization is hoping to hold Book Time in approximately 75 malls across Texas The program began in 1990.
11/13 - Dyess Rode Emotional Roller Coaster This Year
11/13 - Mills County Sheriff's Election Deemed a Tie
11/13 - TDCJ Holds Board Meeting Here Friday: Parole officers may someday carry handguns and private prisons may have to cough up specific reimbursements if they ask the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for emergency assistance.
....If the TDCJ passes resolutions on these issues at its board meeting at the Paramount Theatre Friday, the State Legislature will have to decide whether to implement them.
....'The purpose of having the board meeting in Abilene is to spread the meetings around Texas to let people know what we're doing," said TDCJ spokesperson Larry Todd.
....The board committee meetings will be from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and the board meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Except for discussions of personnel, professional conduct and pending courses, the meetings are open to the public.
11/13 - "Special Exception" for "Elderly" Mobile Home: The mobile home Sheila Jones parked in her mother's yard to care for the elderly woman is no longer breaking the law.
....The city's Board of Adjustments on Tuesday approved a "special exception" to let Jones keep the trailer at 1601 Griffiths Road.
....The move capped a four-month struggle that convinced the Abilene City Council to draft a new city ordinance.
....Under the ordinance, passed last month, Abilenians living in agricultural-open space zones may temporarily move mobile homes onto their property to care for sick or elderly relatives. But they must first seek a permit from the Board of Adjustments.
....Jones was unaware she was breaking city codes when she moved the trailer onto her family's 82-acre spread to care for her stroke-ridden mother and her 93-year-old grandmother. Neighbors in nearby University Hills complained to city officials.
....The permit is good for two years and can be renewed. The mobile home must be removed within three months when it no longer fulfills its purpose.
....The ordinance does not address temporary housing in residential neighborhoods, an issue some at City Hall say must be examined as baby boomers age and their children consider how to care for them.
....The council in January 1995 passed an ordinance allowing elderly parents to live in separate, permanent dwellings behind their children's homes. Few have done so, however, presumably because the cost of construction.
11/12 - Parents to AISD Board: "If you Move Us, Move Us Together"
11/12 - Police Investigate Death of Local Man
11/12 - Wylie Trustees Establish Project Priorities
11/11 - First Round of Discussions on Fine-Tuning Boundaries Begins Tonight
11/11 - Westbrook Man Recounts Submarine Adventures
11/11 - Local Woman Killed in Wreck: A 39-year-old Abilene woman became the city's most recent traffic fatality early Sunday morning.
....Guadalupe Flores Diaz was killed when a 1995 Dodge driven by 20-year-old David Lee Chambers of Abilene struck the vehicle she was a passenger in, causing the vehicle to slam into a third car.
.....Chambers, who was charged with intoxicated manslaughter, was traveling westbound at the intersection of South 1st and Pioneer when he ran a red light, police said.
....His vehicle slammed into a 1995 Chevrolet containing Diaz and driver Guy Wayne Everett, 39.
11/10 - Library Branch at Mall of Abilene an Intriguing Idea
11/10 - Local Democrats Didn't Make Many Gains
11/9 - Traffic Fatalities Up Almost 40% in Area
11/9 - AISD Boundary Situation Has Impacted Athletic Attendance
11/9 - Man Still Critical From Accident that Killed Two
11/8 - Police Chief: Abilene Doesn't Need a Teen Curfew
11/8 - Consent Agenda Review Irks Council Members
11/8 - Dyess Memorial Playground Closer to Reality
11/8 - Speaker: Sense of Community Essential for Nonprofit Survival
11/7 - AISD Boundary Situation Hits Close to Home for Newcomer
11/7 - Fraser Commits to Unifying Abilene: On Tuesday, Abilene helped Troy Fraser get the state Senate seat he's wanted for so long. On Wednesday, Senator-elect Fraser vowed to return the favor.
....As he did throughout his campaign, Fraser repeated his promise to see that Abilene, split between two senatorial districts since 1992, is made whole again if lines are redrawn next year. The move would also be a coup for Republicans anxious to keep the seat.
...."(Splitting Abilene) was a move to dilute your political strength," he told reporters at a morning press conference. "It has effectively done that."
....And he announced he would open an office in Abilene once the Legislature convenes in January.
...."I look forward to serving the people of the Big Country," he said. "The people of Abilene are going to like having me as a senator. I will do a good job."
11/7 - Joint Venture Raises $61,445: The 23rd annual Joint Venture auction to benefit the West Texas Rehab Center raised $61,445 Wednesday - down from the $70,000 collected in 1995.
....Oilman John Chalmers, co-chairman of the event, was philosophical about the decrease.
...."It's not quite as much as we had hoped. But we'll accept it and move forward," Chalmers said.
....The two-hour auction, held in the Display Building at the West Texas Fairgrounds, was a fund-raiser staged by members of the oil and gas industry.
....Oilmen had hoped for greater proceeds this year because of strong oil prices, above $20 a barrel.
....More than $100,000 in oil field equipment and other items was pledged prior to the sale.
11/6 - Quick Look at the ELECTION
11/6 - Stenholm Squeaks by Izzard
11/6 - Dieken Easily Wins Re-election to Sheriff
11/6 - Fraser Wins in District 24
11/6 - Summary of Other Texas Midwest Election Results
11/6 - Wright Wins 11th Court of Criminal Appeals
11/6 - Counts Takes Victory in District 70
11/6 - District 60 Race Goes to Keffer
11/6 - DCOA Approves Lease Agreement for "Mystery" Company
11/6 - Merkel Man in Jail After Standoff
11/5 - School Boundary Refining: Keeping Kids Together
11/5 - Even if You Don't Vote Today, You're Paying for It
11/5 - Area Election Night May Not Be Worst Ever
11/5 - Loan Holder to Foreclose on Mall of Abilene
11/5 - Teen Curfew for Abilene Expected to NOT be Recommended
11/4 - Alternative Boundary Maps to be Presented: Citizens will be lining up to present their alternative boundary maps,questions and concerns to the Abilene schools trustees during tonight's board meeting.

.....At last week's meeting, board president Betty Davis announced to the 250-plus in attendance the board would give citizens another week to present their suggestions for fine-tuning the school boundaries.
.....Three weeks ago, Superintendent Charles Hundley requested an extention on his deadline for presenting the administration's map so that he could further refine his proposal.
....Because that gave citizens only one week to prepare their maps, the board agreed it was fair to give those who were interested another week to work on their presentations.
....Additional maps, along with other public input, will be received tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Bassetti Elementary cafetorium, 5749 Highway 277 South.
11/4 - Rollver Kills Rotan man: A 24-year-old Rotan man died sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning in a one-car rollover south of Roby.
.....The accident occurred on Highway 70 near the Longworth Cutoff. According to Department of Public Safety investigating officer, Greg Arnwine, the car driven by Sammy Daniel left the highway while northbound at a high rate of speed.
11/3 - Turnout Will Be Critical for Stenholm and Izzard
11/3 - District 24 Is a "Horserace" Till the End
11/3 - Citizens Fire Academy Keeps 'em Hoppin'
11/2 - Deer Hunting Season (with economic boon) Begins Today
11/2 - Sweetwater Gangs Questioned: Sweetwater police spent several hours early Friday rounding up and questioning members of two rival gangs that came together in a confrontation shortly before 1 a.m.
....Police Chief Jim Kelley said several 911 calls alerted officers of shots being fired in the 1000 block of Hickory on Sweetwater's northwest side.
...."When officers converged on the scene it was discovered there were in fact shots fired between members of two gangs," Kelley said.
....Sweetwater paramedics rushed one person to the Rolling Plains Hospital for treatment of a head injury.
....Kelley said officers stopped several cars attempting to flee from the scene and questioned their occupants. Witnesses said one person had approached a member of a rival gang and pointed a BB gun in his face.
11/2 - Juvenile Suspects Certified as Adults: A Jones County grand jury indicted three juveniles who had been certified as adults in the June stabbing death of a Stamford man.
....Indicted for the first degree murder of John Thomas Hicks, 40, were Israel Ibarra, Adam Mendez Jr. and Dario Jesse Pardo.
....The three, along with three adults, are accused of murdering Hicks by stabbing him to death on June 20.
....The youths are ages 16, 14, and 14.
....The three men indicted for the murder were Gary Edward Acosta Jr., 17; Norman Ben Acosta, 32; and Jude Pardo, 19, all of Stamford.
11/1 - Racial Equity Lawyer in Town to Discuss AISD Boundary Issue
11/1 - Lambert Briefs Employees on Incentive Savings Plan
11/1 - Two of the Synder Quints Head Home
11/1 - Abilene Woman One of Top Hispanic Engineers in Nation
11/1 - Middleton Unit Warden Recognized by TDCJ

Abilene News: November 1-15, 1996

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