No more tailgatiNg for mike.

Mike Molthan had been having some medical issues that week.

“I went to the hospital with migraines and high blood pressure,” he says.

Doctors kept him for a couple days to make sure everything was OK. As if things weren’t bad enough, one night when his wife returned from visiting him in the hospital, the tailgate on his 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup truck had been stolen.

The tailgate will cost a few hundred dollars, Molthan says, but his insurance will probably cover it. In recent days, he says his health issues have subsided and he is trying to stay positive and take things in stride.

“This is very minor to me,” he says of the stolen tailgate. “It’s not a big deal.”

The Victim: Mike Molthan

The Crime: Auto accessory theft

Date: Monday, Nov. 19

Time: Between 6:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.

Location: 6600 block of Mimosa

Dallas Police Major Bill Humphrey of the North Central Patrol Division says this type of crime is tough to prevent.

“It doesn’t take long to remove a tailgate, even a locked one, making it a more elusive crime,” he says. “The average one to replace is around $1,200, according to some websites. We are seeing some of these types of offenses, but not consistently. With the cameras on some of the new tailgates, their costs obviously increase, which may make them more of a lucrative target.”

Humphrey advises residents to consider some additional safety items that can be purchased from a dealer or vehicle accessory store. And always call 911 when you see unusual or suspicious activity, he adds, giving police the best chance to make an arrest.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and author of “Raising the Stakes”, obtainable at raisingthestakesbook.com. If you have been a recent crime victim, email crime@advocatemag.com.

3:14 2 12000

Time of afternoon when officers received a call about a suspicious man entering an empty school bus on 729 W. Jefferson

The Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society will meet at 1 p.m. Jan. 14 at University Park United Methodist Church. The program is provided by Dr. Elymra Encarnacion, a movement disorders specialist at Baylor Health Center. Call the society at 972.620.7600 for more information.

The Catholic Foundation awarded $733,000 in grants to 21 Dallas area organizations and schools in the Diocese of Dallas totaling $1.43 million for 2012. Jesuit College Preparatory School received $18,000 for energy conservation windows as a part of the foundation’s goal to help update campuses and facilities.

Education

W.T. White, Hillcrest and Thomas Jefferson high school students will participate in a regional academic decathlon Jan. 25 and 26 at Emmett J. Conrad High School. The Preston Hollow students will compete alongside students from eight other Dallas ISD schools. The Dallas ISD teams are competing with Richardson, Plano, Highland Park, Garland and Rockwall.

People

Elizabeth Solender of Preston Hollow received the top honor, the Circle of Excellence Award at the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network annual convention in Chicago. Solender brings her background in nonprofits and real estate to her role in CREW. She is president of commercial real estate and consulting company Solender/Hall, Inc.

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Number of officers it took to pry the bus door open after they showed up and found the man sitting in the front seat and trying to set fire to papers in his lap

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Block of Inwood where the school bus originally was reported stolen from at 1 a.m.

Source: Dallas Police Department