Be On the Lookout!

As an editor, I am always amazed at some of the things that get printed. I mean, think about it. Some copy editor, editor, maybe even managing editor has read it and said, “That’s okay to print!”

The following story is a good case in point.

The newspaper said that Dallas authorities are searching for a man who they say ran over a woman with his car before abducting his estranged wife as she was trying to leave him.

After the couple had a fight Tuesday, 25-year-old Misty Rose Scott contacted a friend about helping her leave her husband, Bobby Shayne Scott.

When her friend, 38-year-old Tracy Arauju, came to pick her up, Bobby Scott, 26, rammed the car with his minivan and ran over Arauju after she got out to inspect the damage. She was rushed to Baylor Hospital where she is in critical condition.

A witness told cops that Bobby Scott then jumped into Arauju’s car and drove off with his wife still inside.

Now, here’s the sentence that gets me. Actual word-for-word what was printed: Police believe that Misty Scott’s life could be in danger.

Do you think? Wonder how long it too some reporter to write that sentence? And what possessed the editor to sign off on it! Of course her life is in danger. He had a fight with his wife, ran into her friend's car, ran over her friend, and kidnapped his wife. Her life could be in danger?

Come on reporters and editors, get it right! Why not turn your attention to something else, like the economy. We know you'll report that correctly!

Someone Else's Fault

A Texas high school basketball coach has been fired after his team beat another team 100–0 on the same day that sent an email to a local newspaper saying he would not apologize “for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

On its Web site last week, Covenant, a private Christian school, posted a statement regretting the outcome of its January 13 shutout win over Dallas Academy. “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition,” said the statement, signed by school officials.

The coach who has been criticized for letting the game get so far out of hand, made it clear in the email Sunday to the newspaper that he does not agree with his school’s assessment. “In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed. We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

A parent who attended the game said Covenant continued to make 3-pointers—even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime.

Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with “learning differences,” such as short attention spans or dyslexia.

Okay. I appreciate a school not wanting to run up the score on another team. Especially on a team that specializes in teaching students with “learning differences”—whatever that term is supposed to mean.

But wait a minute. What about teaching the girls another lesson—life is sometimes tough and stinks all the way to heaven! There are going to be blowouts in life. Blowouts happen! (I can see that on a bumper sticker now!) All of life isn't good and just because school administrators try to deny it or hide it or protect the girls from the truth, the truth is still the truth. Sounds like to me the girls handled the truth pretty well--it was the adults who couldn't handle the truth! What else is new! Kids have a great way of seeing life for it is. It's us old folks that struggle with make-believe!

What did the school think would happen? Only 20 girls in the entire school and only 8 girls on the team. Those 8 girls have “learning differences.” That team hasn’t won a game in 4 years! 4 years!

So, rather than teaching the girls the value of playing the game and accepting loss, the other team fires its head coach for not pulling back his girls. What lesson would pulling them back teach his team? Play hard sometimes? Play hard when the competition is tough? Play hard when you are told to play hard?

I know the score was very one-sided. I get that!

But, think about this. Maybe those girls were shooting three-point shots from way outside their normal range, just hoping to miss and every shot they made still found its way in the hoop! Did anyone think about that possibility? The winning team still had to shoot the basketball and even layups are not always going to go in--especially if someone attempts to guard you! Also, the winning team couldn’t score for the other team! Did you think about that?

I’m sorry if this post seems heartless, but I’ve played sports for many years of my life. I don’t ever remember any team, coach, or player “taking it easy” on us just because we were smaller, less experienced, or whatever excuse we could have come up with! We played to win. They played to win. And, most of the time, the best team comes out on top. Period. That's why we keep score, as Michael Jordan reminded us, even in practice. Because in sports, someone always wins or loses, except in soccer, but that's another rant for another day.

Friends, it’s not always someone else’s fault!

Guess Who Is In Charge

A jail in northern Texas has been closed and its nearly 60 inmates transferred as authorities investigate what they call dangerous conditions for jailers and those behind bars—including cells that locked from the inside or contained recliners.

Yes, jail cells that locked from the inside and includes recliners. Now, that may just be the most inhumane punishment you’ll hear about in prison, don’t you think?

The district attorney said some surveillance cameras’ cords had been disconnected; recliners were in cells; some bathrooms and cells could be locked from the inside; and inmates had made partitions out of paper towels to block jailers’ views inside their cells. One alarming discovery was a type of rack made of nails, he said. Some inmates had apparently used extension cords to lock deputies out, and unidentified pills were strewn about other jail cells.

This story seems to give new meaning to the inmates running the asylum!

Some Things are Beyond Description

You know, nothing like this story ever happened to me as a kid. Never. That's good, I know.

It appears that a 27-year-old woman has been arrested on charges of distributing harmful material to a minor after a 14-year-old’s parents found a topless photo of her on his cell phone.

Victoria Ann Chacon, a former middle school teacher, allegedly met the boy at their church, where she was a Sunday school teacher. (The story just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?) Authorities at Somerset Independent School District said they found no evidence of any inappropriate relationships with their students; the 14-year-old attended school elsewhere.

The boy’s parents called police in March after finding racy letters in which Chacon professed her love. The boy initially refused to give a statement about the relationship, the arrest warrant says.

Several months later, the parents found a cell phone with a topless photo of Chacon. The phone was owned by Chacon and the two had been calling one another, according to court documents.
The woman was arrested Tuesday.

Sad, really, it is. This poor boy will be changed by this for the rest of his life. Ms. Chacon, well, there’s nothing good to say about her and the damage she has done. Hopefully, she will seek help through this. And, hopefully, she’s take ownership for her actions and mistakes.

Classy Is In the Eye of the Beholder

If there’s one thing Texans are serious about, it’s pickup trucks.

A Dallas-area man says his truck is being targeted simply because his homeowners association doesn’t think it’s classy enough. (Well, I’ve always been a Chevy man myself, because my father was, but come on sir! Not classy enough? Really?)

Jim Greenwood said he never dreamed his HOA would have a problem with his new Ford F-150 pickup. Then he received the first of three notices threatening him with fines.

“Mr. Greenwood, you’re violating a subdivision rule that prohibits pickup trucks in your driveway,” the notice reads.

Stonebriar HOA rules allow several luxury trucks on driveways, including the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline, and Lincoln Mark LT. But most Ford, Dodge, or Chevy pickups are restricted.

Mr. Greenwood continued by saying, “It’s very frustrating and confusing. It’s hard to imagine how an HOA would try to dictate what type of vehicle you can drive and park in your driveway.”

Bill Osborn of the HOA board said the association also prohibits boats, trailers, golf carts and RVs in driveways. “The high-end vehicles that are allowed are plush with amenities and covers on the back. It doesn’t look like a pickup,” he said. “It’s fancier.”

Mr. Greenwood appealed, claiming his Ford F-150 isn’t much different from the Lincoln Mark LT.

“The response was: ‘It’s our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people,’” (Ouch. Okay, that had to hurt!)

What do you think? Should an HOV have that much power? We have a small HOV in our neighborhood. The only time I can find them is when they come collecting our annual dues! They don’t monitor grass-cutting, boats on the street, paint colors, or even garbage cans being left at the curb. But, they sure know how to collect dues!

Share your experiences.