Polo tycoon convicted in deadly crash could leave jail today

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Polo tycoon John Goodman could be out of jail and back at his Wellington Estate as soon as today.

He's expected to be released on a $7 million bond while he appeals his DUI manslaughter conviction and 16-year prison sentence.

A jury found Goodman guilty of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide for a 2010 crash in West Palm Beach, Florida.

As part of the agreement, Goodman will pay for two off-duty sheriff's deputies to stay within 100 feet of him at all times, which will cost him about $2,000 per day.

Goodman also had to agree to exit the Wellington social scene.

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

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Galveston improvements could give island economic boost

  GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The Galveston Seawall is undergoing improvements. And the changes could provide an economic boost for the island.

The Pleasure Pier near 25th St. and Seawall is already under construction. New mosaic art benches will also be added. They will feature tiles designed by local school children. In addition, Fort Crockett Park by 46th Street has been completely rebuilt after the park was destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

"Well, the ultimate goal is for it to be a first class destination like you've come to expect at other coastal communities in America," said Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.

You can also expect to see a cleaner Seawall as litter patrols in the area have doubled.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Burglary suspect could face murder charge

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A burglary suspect is facing felony murder charges over the shooting death of his alleged accomplice in a home invasion that took place last week. But it wasn't the suspect who pulled the trigger.

The accomplice was shot and killed by a deputy who responded to the burglary. The teenage murder suspect's attorney claims the charge is heavy-handed and unfair. He says all his client did was burglarize a house -- nothing more.

Ashton Lee Smading, 18, is accused of breaking into a Katy area home with two friends last week. According to court documents, a responding deputy shot and killed one of the other suspects while they struggled over the deputy's gun. Smading fled.

Even though investigators admit he'd already run when his friend was killed by the deputy, Smading is now charged with murder.

"It was a surprise. I thought it was unnecessary," said Ed Chernoff, Smading's attorney.

He calls the charge over-reaching.

"Just because the law allows for the charge doesn't mean it's a necessary or proper charge," Chernoff said.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office says it filed the case, in part, under the "felony murder" statute.

KTRK legal analyst Joel Androphy explained, "The law says when you break in to a home, you are responsible for all the consequences, whether or not you knew exactly what was going to happen."

According to Donna Hawkins with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, "At the time the charge was filed, there was probable cause to believe that the defendant engaged in an act that was clearly dangerous to human life in the course of committing a felony. And that a man was killed during the commission of that offense."

Neighbors of the burglary victim say they're pleased to see the murder charge, hoping it might act as a deterrent.

"If that's the way the laws read, that's excellent," said neighbor Russell McCoy. "Something has to stop all this."

Smading could be sent to prison for life if convicted. The DA's Office says ultimately a grand jury will determine whether to indict Smading on this murder charge or any other charge.

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

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Certain sports could lose all school funding

  By Demond FernandezFRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- You've heard it a lot lately -- school districts across our state are making tough decisions in a tough economy. Now budget cuts are hitting another local school district, and parents are not happy.

The target of these cuts is athletics. A proposal would cut funding for certain sports at Friendswood ISD.

The superintendent says this school district is nickel and diming it right now. She says it just doesn't have the money to continue supporting some sports programs.

Around Friendswood ISD, parents like Marie Tkac say sporting events bring the community together. Her son is on the football team.

"Programs like that, parents rely on that," she said.

But now a big budget blow has the Friendswood school board considering $40,000 worth of cuts in the athletics department, among other areas.

Tkac said, "I think that would be a big mistake."

I found out about 150 to 200 students in this district participate in non-university interscholastic league sanctioned sports. The superintendent told me this district is too broke to support lacrosse, swimming and gymnastics.

The board is also looking at possibly slashing funding for co-ed soccer at the junior high, as well as high school water polo. But the superintendent says those teams would continue using the facility.

"It's going to make a big difference," Tkac said. "It's going to be a negative effect, unfortunately."

Board members say with a $4 million budget deficit looming, they just don't think they'll have the money to pay non-UIL coach stipends, team travel to games and entry fees.

They say the athletic director is also proposing $11,000 in cuts for his UIL football team. That has Christopher Tkac concerned.

"I would think it would be a decrease in quite acceptable rated equipment, which would probably take an impact," he said.

Board members say the athletic director is also proposing his UIL teams limit the amount of tournaments outside the area to save money on travel.

The board is also considering major cuts in other areas as well.

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

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Nearly 200 officers could lose jobs

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's not a rumor anymore. Big cuts are more than likely coming for the Houston Police Department. There's not enough money, so cops may have to go. Hundreds of civilian employees will also probably lose their jobs.

It's important to note that nothing is final until the mayor says it is, but Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland did submit his proposal to Mayor Annise Parker. In order to meet those budget goals, a significant number of HPD employees -- both police officers and civilians -- would be laid off if he had to implement that plan today.

Chief McClelland is recommending that 181 police officers and 445 civilian employees be laid off. The civilian employees would include those working in the jail. Officers with the least seniority would be cut first.

The department would have to give those employees a minimum of 45 days notice. Since the budget has to be passed before June 30, pink slips could be handed out in just a few weeks.

Chief McClelland calls his proposal a worst case scenario, and says there is still time to save these jobs.

McClelland said, "The mayor has told me she's committed to doing everything that she can to reprogram money back into HPD to make sure that that doesn't happen. There's a lot of things that could happen outside of the mayor's control. She may not be able to guarantee 100 percent, but she has certainly committed to me, 'Look, I don't want to do this. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that this does not happen.' And I believe that."

"I personally don't see how we can lose any classified officers and continue to deliver the services to the citizens of Houston that they expect," said Houston Police Officer's Union President Gary Blankinship.

Chief McClelland says he would need $17 million from the city of Houston in order to save those jobs. The fight to save these jobs will not be an easy one. HPD's operating budget is somewhere near $685 million -- 95 percent of that goes towards salaries.

There are two new cadet classes slated for the budget for next year, and those cadets will not be cut. One class is scheduled to start in May.

Firefighters could lose jobs too Major budget cuts could also hit the Houston Fire Department hard. A source told us that roughly 200 firefighters are facing job cuts due to budget constraints. Jeff Caynon, president of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association, said those numbers are accurate and worries what those layoffs would mean. "When we have structure fires with fatalities, it's always almost the very, very young or the very, very old and we're making a decision here that essentially says the city of Houston is okay with the very, very young and very, very old dying in house fires," Caynon said. Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest on this story. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) 

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State redistricting means Harris Co. could lose a rep

 HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The battle lines are being drawn as critical decisions that will affect your voice in the Texas House of Representatives for the next decade. As things stand right now, Harris County could wind up losing a representative.

A proposed map might not be the final one when all of the district lines are drawn in pen, but it is significant in that it suggests Harris County, despite growing in size, should lose a seat in the Texas House -- going from its current 25 seats down to 24. In the Texas House of Representatives, Republicans hold a huge majority and they are using it to their advantage. "The growth is occurring in Republican strongholds, so I think ultimately the Republicans are going to benefit," said Jared Woodfill, Harris County GOP Chairman. While they are working this decade's redistricting map to their benefit, Harris County could actually lose out with the current proposed map combining the districts of State Representatives Hubert Vo and Scott Hochberg. Both are Democrats who represent minority districts. "There was an argument ten years ago that we should have only had 24 seats, not 25. We are entitled to 24.4 something seats. Same as ten years ago," said Dick Murray, KTRK Political Consultant. It is a plan that obviously does not sit well with Democrats. Nobody representing the Harris County Democratic party could go on camera today, but State Representative Sylvester Turner did say, "It is deeply troubling that this map would apparently violate the Voting Rights Act in an attempt to silence the voice of our minority communities by combining two districts of incumbents in Houston." And State Representative Carol Alvarado said she believes, "There is a major deficiency in taking Harris County down from 25 districts to 24 districts. It is important that Harris County be able to maintain its 25 House districts in order to best represent our constituents." Will this map be the final one voted on before the end of May? Even Republicans think that is unlikely. "Probably. I think we'll end up with 25 districts. I don't think any Republican or Democrat in Harris County is supportive of a plan that reduces the representation in the county," Woodfill said. If legislators do not agree on a final map before the end of May, a redistricting board will redraw the lines. Either way, the map will need Justice Department approval, and chances are one side or the other will take the map to court at some point. As the state wrestles with redistricting, the city of Houston is going through its own redistricting battle. The city is adding two new council seats: J and K. The current proposed maps would significantly change the way districts are drawn both west and southwest of downtown. Hispanic community leaders want more leadership on City Council and say the changes would make it nearly impossible for a Hispanic candidate to win in either of the two new districts. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Killer could get out of prison after 2 years

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man in California, who admitted to dumping the body of a Texas woman in the ocean after he claims she died of a drug overdose, is about to get out of prison after serving just two years of a five-year sentence. Now her father is preparing to fly from Clear Lake to California to fight his release.

Donna Jou graduated from Clear Lake High School in 2006. Now her father fears the man who admitted guilt in connection with her death could strike again.

Nearly four years after his 19-year-old daughter went missing, Reza Jou still wears a picture of his daughter, Donna, around his neck every day.

He said, "My child's voice has been silenced, but my voice is never going to be silenced."

Reza is speaking up again because the man who plead guilty in connection with Donna's death is about to be released from prison. Jou recently received a letter from the California Department of Corrections stating that John Steven Burgess would be paroled just two years into his five year sentence.

Jou said, "I'm very angry of how the criminal justice system works. In this case, we've been victimized not only by Burgess, we've been victimized by our criminal justice system."

Burgess pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and hiding Donna's body. Investigators say the two met through an ad Donna placed on Craigslist offering math tutoring. Burgess told investigators Donna attended a party at his Los Angeles-area home and that he gave her heroine, cocaine and alcohol. He claimed he woke up to find her dead the next morning. He says he panicked and dumped her body in the Pacific Ocean.

Donna has never been found. Without a body and scientific proof, her father never believed Burgess' claims. Donna was attending college in California as a straight-A student with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Her father can't believe what the state of California is telling him about why it is releasing Burgess, a convicted sex offender. He says they told him the sentence was reduced for good behavior.

"This is very unfair," Reza said. "He got a small slap on his wrist for such a heinous crime."

California Department of Corrections officials did not return calls for comment. Donna's mother is in Sacramento hoping to corner the governor at a victim's rights rally to see if he can intervene. Her father is planning a trip to California later this week to protest outside the Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on the day of the release.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Houston area could be at risk for wildfires

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Hot and dry conditions, along with high winds, are putting firefighters under pressure as they face wildfire after wildfire in parts of Texas, but what is the risk like locally?

People with the Texas Forest Service said Sunday was the single worst fire day the state has ever seen.

Firefighters from 25 states were called in to help put out the blazes, but they had difficulty getting a handle on the fires because of high winds.

Most of the major fires were out in west Texas as of Sunday night. The largest has burned more than 71,000 acres.

The fire danger is not limited to western areas of the state, however. The risk is high throughout Texas, including locally. Although none of the wildfires are here, the Texas Forest Service is keeping close watch.

Some residents are being watchful as well. Jeannine Varela is one of many Montgomery County homeowners keeping a close eye on the conditions outside. She lives near Jacobs Reserve where conditions are both dry and windy.

"We have a lot of trees and brush, so it could go up in quite a quick time," Varela said.

"Any little spark can turn into a major fire catastrophe," said Ray Uballe, a resource specialist with the Texas Forest Service. "Every day that goes on without moisture, it's just going to get even worse."

Officials are encouraging people in rural areas to refrain from lighting campfires and burning garbage or leaves.

"Right now, messing with any kind of fire can actually get away from you with these high winds," Uballe said.

With the entire state of Texas under severe drought, resources from fire personnel to bulldozer crews are being brought in from Alabama, Arizona and New Mexico.

Uballe said they are preparing for the likelihood of more incidents, and he suggests that people who live in wooded or rural areas should prepare as well.

"Be aware that it could happen, and if it does, just evacuate and get out," Uballe said.

Evacuation is something Varela has already thought out.

"We will load everything up and head out," she said.

There was no burn ban in effect for Harris County as of Sunday night, but we could see more burn bans enacted throughout the state in the days to come.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest on the wildfires and the drought. We'll also bring you updates on Facebook and Twitter.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) 

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