Alvin teacher wins prestigious award

  ALVIN, TX (KTRK) -- A local school teacher has won a major award and a big check for her work in the classroom.

Governor Rick Perry surprised Alvin ISD teacher Kristi Plummer with the 2012 national Milken Educator Award. Plummer is one of 40 teachers in the country who will receive this award.

The California-based Milken Family Foundation issues the award based on what teachers have already achieved, as well as the promise of their future accomplishments.

Passmore Elementary School teacher Kristi Plummer said, "I'm in shock. I had no idea. I love being a teacher. I love my job. I love coming to work every day all because of you kids."

Plummer did not know that she was under consideration for the Milken award because the selection process is carried out in a confidential manner. Plummer is the only Texas educator to receive the 2012 award.

Plummer began teaching in the 2007-2008 school year and has now taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade math and fourth grade science. Beginning this year, she is working as a math interventionalist, which means she works with at-risk students to help them develop stronger math skills.

This award is considered the Oscar of teaching and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.

Since the award's creation 26 years ago, the program has honored more than 2,500 educators and issued more than $63 million in cash prizes. To date, 44 Texas educators have been named Milken Educator Award recipients and have received a total of $1.1 million in prizes.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more In the Classroom »

in the classroom

View the original article here

Amber Alert canceled for abducted 1-year-old Alvin boy

  ALVIN, TX (KTRK) -- The 14-month-old boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert was found safe Tuesday night. Police say the toddler was taken earlier in the day from his home in Alvin.

Alvin police say Manuel Recendez was kidnapped at about 5:20pm. They say his mother had him in a stroller as they were out for a walk near West Phillips and Second Street, which is not far from their home.

Investigators say that's where at least three men and two women jumped out of a car nearby, grabbing Manuel from the stroller. They apparently didn't show any weapons, but police say they sped off with the child before the mother could do anything about it.

Alvin police negotiated the child's release.

"The identity of one of the suspects was known by the family," said Detective Bobby Taylor with the Alvin Police Department. "Detectives were able to get on the phone with him and I think through a third party, made arrangements for the child to be dropped off at the hospital and be examined."

Police are not yet saying why the child might have been kidnapped or if the abductors made any demands. At this point, they have four women who they consider "detained for questioning." They tell us no arrests have yet been made.

They are looking at the possibility that three people, possibly more, could have been involved in this kidnapping. What relationship, if any, there is between kidnappers and the victim or his family right now is not known.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »

amber alert, alvin, local
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/ktrk/xml?id=5758258&ptnr=promoCarousel");

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

View the original article here

Alvin man accused of impersonating officer

FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- A man is now facing charges, accused of impersonating a police officer. Police in Friendswood say they got suspicious when they saw a car taking a curve too fast. But when they stopped the driver, they got a surprise.

The Friendswood police officer who pulled over Estevan Acosta on December 22 was working off duty at the time. He was actually on his way to work in his personal car. Investigators say he when he questioned Acosta, the former security guard's story just didn't add up.

No one answered the door at Acosta's Alvin apartment. The 23-year-old former security guard is accused of misrepresenting himself as a peace officer. Friendswood police arrested him Thursday night after he was pulled over for reckless driving.

"The erratic driving consisted of running stop signs, traveling 50 miles an hour in a 20 mph zone and then making high speed turns," said Chief R. Wieners with the Friendswood Police Department.

As the officer approached Acosta, he noticed he was wearing a pistol on his hip and a black jacket with the word 'Police' on the front and back. He also noticed a badge on his belt and blue police lights inside his vehicle.

"He told the officer that he thought he was being followed and that's why he was driving erratically through the neighborhood," said Chief Wieners.

Police say Acosta told the officer he was military police. They later discovered he'd been employed by Blue Moon Investigations. The company's president described Acosta as a problem employee and told us he'd been fired just days before his arrest.

"He was not working any post at that time and when the police called me they said, 'Was he working a post?' And I said, 'No. There was no reason he should be in any kind of uniform,'" Bobbi Bacha with Blue Moon Investigations told us over the phone.

Neighbor Vickie Doucet says she never saw Acosta in a security guard's uniform but did see him in a Blue Moon vehicle.

"That's unbelievable. Who has the nerve to do that?" Doucett said.

Police say the pistol Acosta was carrying was loaded. He is also facing a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon.

If you're being pulled over by someone you think might be impersonating a police officer, call police and ask the dispatcher if they have a unit in your area then drive to the nearest police station.

"Whoever that caller is they should know that on the other end that those dispatchers are advising police units in the area of what the situation is," Chief Wieners said.

Friendswood police say they will be contacting the FBI because Acosta identified himself as military police. Federal investigators will conduct a follow up investigation into where Acosta got the items in his possession and where else he may have conducted himself as a peace officer.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

alvin, friendswood, local, andy cerota

View the original article here