Inside Today: Images from 2013 Graduation • Page 6B
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SATURDAY | June 15, 2013 | Vol. 59 | No. 33 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader
THE BRIEF. sponsored by
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10570 NW Frwy • 713-680-2350
Celebrating Dad One of the greatest gifts a father can leave is a lasting legacy to his children. We have plenty of men like that in this community. We hope you’ll read about them. Related stories on Pages 4A, 5A, 1B, 2B, 3B & 4B
Honor our hometown heroes in 2 weeks
With our most patriotic holiday approaching, The Leader is seeking to honor our true American heroes – men and women from our neighborhoods on active duty with the military for the Fourth of July. Please email us photos of your loved ones in uniform as jpeg attachments to news@theleadernews. com, along with their name, military branch and rank, current base and duty, name of their high school/college, parents and/or spouse and the name and contact information of the person submitting the information. Submissions may also be dropped off at The Leader, 3500-A E. T.C. Jester Blvd. between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Deadline for photos and information is June 28. So while we get ready for picnics, parades and fireworks, let’s remember those who are living their patriotism far from home by serving their country and protecting our freedoms.
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with a Roznovsky Gift Certificate
M-F 11am-9pm Sat 11am-5pm
3401 W. T.C. Jester 713-957-1100
What
Can U O Y Find Inside EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER:
Available five days per week. Latisha, 832-343-4277.
OAK FOREST BUILDING FOR SALE OR LEASE: See our Real Estate section for details.
SEWING/ALTERATIONS:
See more in our CLASSIFIED section
• Page 7A-8A
THE INDEX.
Public Safety Hipstrict Topics Obituaries Coupons Puzzles Sports Classifieds
Speeders Beware
Houston traffic cop keeps area safe
2A 3A 4A 7B 4B 4A 9B 7A
HPD has hands full with crime increase An attempted smash-and-grab ATM robbery, an assault by car and a number of robberies and assaults kept police in Leader neighborhoods active in recent days.
by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Would-be smash-and-grab robbers hit OF Valero
The Valero convenience store at 43rd Street and Rosslyn in Oak Forest was hit by a messy smashand-grab robbery attempt early Tuesday morning. ABC-13 reported that investigators say a group of five men backed a pickup truck through the storefront about 3:20 a.m., before it opened and no employees were on site. Apparently the suspects fled when the alarm sounded, according to the report. Robbers frequently use that technique to steal ATM machines, but the ATM at the store wasn’t taken. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
At any given time on the 700 block of the Yale Street walkway, people are jogging, walking with their children and riding their bicycles. Houston Police Department senior officer Antonio C. Boutte is there to ensure their experience is a safe one. “(Motorists) are oblivious of the pedestrian traffic,” Boutte said. “Officers are out here for the safety of the public. The speed limit is the safest speed you can drive on these roadways.” Boutte, 51, can tell how fast a car is going by “visual estimation,” but since that won’t hold up in court, he has a laser that tracks vehicles from 1,000 feet away. “The equipment is very efficient – it helps you write tickets,” said Boutte, who estimates that 80 percent of the tickets he writes hold up in court. He has an 11 mile per hour “cushion,” which means that he doesn’t stop cars unless they’re going 11 miles over the speed limit. Some officers, Boutte said, have a 5 mph cushion, and it can vary depending on the officer. The HPD traffic officers drive unmarked black cars, known within the department as “slick tops.”
Timbergrove woman faces charge in assault-by-car
Houston Police Department traffic officer Antonio C. Boutte ensures that motorists follow the posted speed limit, especially along Yale Street near I-10. (Photos by Michael Sudhalter)
see Cop • Page 6A
Reasonable. Call Charlotte, 713-6940003.
The Fraga Family, Page 1-2B
A Timbergrove woman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a family member after she struck her boyfriend with her 2013 Nissan Ultima on the 1600 block of Bevis at 3:15 p.m. on June 4. Houston police said Gabrielle Hunter, 19, was arguing with her boyfriend, Terrance Barnes, 20, when he attempted to get away. She followed him in her vehicle and struck him, investigators said. He was taken, in stable condition, to Ben Taub General Hospital with a broken leg and possible fractured skull.
see Crime • Page 6A
Sudden storm leaves mess behind in Oak Forest Sunday provided a sudden and fierce reminder of why this isn’t just “hurricane” season but the time of year to expect severe weather of all kinds. A fast-moving storm packing downpours and wind gusts was routine for most of the Houston area but wreaked havoc on some Oak Forest streets. Centerpoint crews worked quickly to restore power from downed lines, and neighbors helped neighbors to remove fallen trees and debris. Residents’ photographs and written accounts posted on social media showed trees fallen onto a home on Lido Lane, onto a car parked on one street and pulling down power lines. One limb appeared to be hurled,
projectile-style, into the side of a residence. At one point, Centerpoint reported 4,500 homes in the area without power, but crews were dispatched to pinpoint and repair the problems, and by evening, power had been restored to most residences. One resident who was caught outside in the storm described it “like a tornado” with limbs crashing and debris flying, including yard furniture. Another resident said the top of a carport ended up in her yard. ABC-13’s chief meteorologist Tim Heller studied data from the affected area and said it showed no tornadoes. The strongest wind gusts from the storm were only about 35-40 miles per hour, he said. – From Staff Reports
What was described by neighbors as a well-tended 100year-old tree crashed onto this Oak Forest home Sunday in a sudden outbreak of high winds and rain. (Photo from Facebook)