People
At publication time, police were still searching for the person or people who beat neighborhood resident Damien Falgoust and left him near death on a Greenville Avenue sidewalk. The attack on the 39-year-old attorney occurred near his East Dallas home. Police say robbery apparently was not a motive because Falgoust’s intact wallet and cell phone were left with him. Falgoust, at publication time, was in a coma at Baylor Hospital. Anyone with information should call Detective D. Singer at 214.671.3854 or 214.671.3603.
Education
Bryan Adams High School student Lupita Rios was featured on the Dallas ISD website (disd.org) for her role on the Teen School Board. Students on the board play a greater role in affecting change by personally presenting their thoughts to the DISD superintendent and Board of Trustees. They meet monthly to discuss issues. The board is made up of junior and senior class presidents at each DISD high school.
Woodrow Wilson High School football player Colin Spencer received a visit last month from University of Kansas head football coach Charlie Weis. Weis, along with two Kansas recruiters, came to talk business with Spencer, who is committed to sign with Kansas on Feb. 1. Spencer and his parents, Celeste and Rob, the pastor of Ridgewood Park United Methodist Church, were excited about the opportunity for Spencer to join the Jayhawks. His parents say they are especially impressed by the emphasis Kansas puts on academics. Weis says he and his staff look for more than just an athlete; they look for young men of character. Woodrow football coach Bobby Estes says Spencer is the man for the job. ”When he was a sophomore, I knew he was going to be special,” Estes insists. Not only does Spencer “jump higher and run faster than most human beings, but he’s also a hard worker and a selfless team player.”
Following a December mass school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Dallas ISD officials and police issued statements concerning safety in our neighborhood schools. Dallas ISD police chief Craig Miller said that the events in Connecticut could influence the way they do things here. “We will learn from what took place there in Connecticut. We’ll make improvements as a result of that,” he said. Superintendent Mike Miles said, “We are obviously monitoring [the Newtown] events to determine what additional safety measures can be put in place, especially in our elementary schools. There will need to be a significant discussion in our community, as well as every community, to decide how best to protect our children.” A new smart phone app, School Connect, is now downloadable. It allows parents and schools to connect quickly in emergency situations.
