A disturbing twist to a story about Maryland resident Anthony Graber's encounter with Maryland State Trooper Joseph D. Uhler.

Uhler stopped Graber for speeding on his motorcycle. Graber's helmet camera captured Uhler cutting off Graber in an unmarked patrol car then approaching Graber with his gun drawn before identifying himself as a police officer.

Graber's badge is not visible in the video.

After Graber posted his video on YouTube, which quickly became an internet sensation, Graber was arrested, had his home searched and several computers seized.

The charge: violation of Maryland's wiretapping laws.

The Maryland Attorney General recently issued an opinion that the state's wiretapping laws would likely not apply to a traffic stop.

Even so, Graber remains charged with the violation--a felony which could bring Graber 16 years in prison.

We are still trying to obtain clarification from the State of Maryland as to whether Uhler is still patrolling Maryland's highways.

EDIT (7/25/2010): Tom Benning confirmed that the DMN article is unclear. The meal count is in fact a daily count, so Dallas ISD serves about 176,000 meals or snacks per day, or 31,680,000 per academic year. Assuming 180 school days, this is about $2.62 per meal or snack served. The article's title was corrected to reflect this new finding.

Dallas Morning News reporter Tom Benning reports that Dallas ISD will spend $83,000,000 on its school food program for the 2010-2011 school year, delivering "120,000 lunches, 46,000 breakfasts and 10,000 after-school snacks" to schoolchildren.

While a professional reporter would use a bunch of words, this reporter will lay out the bare math: $83,000,000 ÷ (120,000 + 46,000 + 10,000 meals) = $454.55 per meal served.

Is Dallas ISD really spending $454.55 for each of my son's school lunches?

Mr. Benning has been contacted, and we'll update you once we get a response.

Texas State Representative Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) recently hit the spotlight after accepting gifts from a firm that has reaped millions of dollars in contracts from the State of Texas.

The most prominent gift was her 2010 Mercedes ME550 Sedan purchased by Durable Enterprises--a maker of red light cameras.

Harper-Brown sits on the Transportation Committee and was a vocal advocate for red light cameras.

Read LindaHarperBenz.com

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is in the spotlight for, apparently, consorting with a felon and disciplining a deputy who tried to collect a debt from him.

Dallas business owner Kevin Dewayne Pate has a lengthy criminal history ranging from theft to indecent exposure.

A deputy charged that Pate failed to pay them for working off-duty security at Pate's Value Giant--a contributor to her annual Christmas toy drive.

Valdez sided with Pate and demoted the deputy.

Read the Story at the Dallas Morning News

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque is asking for the public's help in locating fugitive Nicholas Crespin. Crespin is believed to be in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Crespin is 19 years old, 5'1", 120 lbs., brown eyes.

Crespin is wanted for federal firearms violations and drug trafficking.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Albuquerque Crime Stoppers line at 505-843-STOP or 505-843-7867

According to a story in the Dallas Morning News the County Commissioners are targeting the Constables' traffic enforcement units for termination.

The Commissioners, faced with a $43 million dollar shortfall, are trying to find programs to eliminate to close the budget gap. The traffic units don't generate revenue for the County.

Constables, in Texas, are supposed to serve civil process (small warrants, subpoenas, etc.). However in recent years they've been doing much more than that and some have been coming under fire for doing so.

CBS 11 TV ran a story calling the Constable's scope creep into question.

Angela Armstrong is proud to be a teacher and never thought twice about making references to her profession on her Facebook page.

But those online remarks could get her into trouble under a recent proposal presented to the Lewisville school district. It would prohibit employees from criticizing the district or even affiliating themselves with the school on social networking sites.

Read the story at The Dallas Morning News

I just read about the $23 million dollar savings experienced by Dallas ISD which will perhaps turn into $60 million in the not too far off future.

I wonder if the savings was due to lack of air conditioning and heating in some school buildings. This year, especially, I have never been so hot or so cold as in other years, although in previous years there has also been a great deal of discomfort.

by Mike Millican, President, Dan D. Rogers PTA

Through the years 2009 through 2010, I was privileged to have served as El'Presidente of the Dan D. Rogers PTA.

Through the hard work by their wonderful principal and expert staff, Dan D. Rogers now stands as an equal in it's school peer group and will continue to rise in it's future.

They now serve as a reminder to everyone as Socrates did; that standing true in the face of a popular vote against it, truth can never be anything less than it is, that Plato's bewitchment of languages can be bridged through the hard work of free will and that dancing has a value that shows anyone can be a winner, only if we cooperate together in a meaningful way.

On a more personal note:

You know, one of these days, I'm going to hack in something Javascriptish to do live updates and automatic refreshes. Someday.

This is going to be a long meeting. Warning you now.

It's 5:57 and a quick recap of what happened:

Eric Cowan was sworn in replacing Jerome Garza.

Here is the slate of new officers:

• President - Adam Medrano
• First V.P. - Lew Blackburn
• Second V.P. - Carla Ranger
• Secretary - Bruce Parrott

Each of the four was nominated and ran unopposed. Maybe we're actually achieving Board unity? They're all going to get along! One big happy family! Nah. The more things change the more they stay the same! Congratulations to all the newly elected Board officers.

UPDATE: ALL CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST PATAKY, BARNES!

All charges have been dropped against blogger Jeff Pataky and former Phoenix Police detective David Barnes. Read the story here.

Last year we reported on blogger Jeff Pataky and the seizure of the computer and networking gear he used to produce the website BadPhoenixCops.com.

At the time, we were left scratching our heads over why the police would seize things like cable modems and routers (which, as of this posting, still hasn't been returned) while insisting they weren't trying to shut down Pataky's blog or keep him off the Internet.

Since then the Phoenix Police department has tried to indict Pataky on charges of identity theft, computer fraud, theft of a computer and harassment. None of the charges were successful.

"Co-conspirator" and former Phoenix Police Detective David Barnes was indicted for harassment and perjury in connection with the website. The final charge against Barnes, who was officially fired from his job in March, was dismissed last week.

Pataky was indicted for perjury along with Barnes but Pataky's lawyer, Jess Lorona, expects that charge to be thrown out as well.

"The whole thing is B.S. and they're just harassing [Pataky and Barnes]," Lorona said.

Lorona is representing Pataky in a large federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department.

The videos (below) were acquired through the discovery process by lawyers for Pataky and Barnes in connection with the lawsuit--and were furnished by the Arizona Attorney General.

There is an interesting story brewing out of the Lake Highlands area regarding the mysterious closure of Red Cat Consignment and the disappearance of its clients' property.

According to The Advocate magazine and a Fox 4 News investigation, some of Red Cat's former customers have accused owners Stephen Randall "Steve" Hall and Marukh Feroze Hall of taking their property and selling it in private sales around the area. Steve Hall has said his business is in bankruptcy--though there was no record of the filing as of last week.

The Halls, who also own Hall's Landscaping, apparently contracted with customers to sell merchandise on consignment for a 50/50 split. Earlier this year, Red Cat abruptly ceased operations and the merchandise, along with the Halls, disappeared from the store.

A letter posted on the door of the former Red Cat store indicated that the Halls had abandoned their lease.

The Dallas Police Department has said the Halls committed no crimes.

Dallas.Org investigated Red Cat's owners and found that Marukh Feroze Hall is a convicted felon (court documents appear below).

Marukh Hall was convicted, in 2007, of DUI for the third time--a 3rd degree felony. She is serving 10 years probation after a short stay in the Dallas County Jail.

by Michael Millican, President, Dan D. Rogers Elementary PTA

I am known as "El Presidente De Dan D. Rogers PTA."

There is something special going on at "Big D" (as I like to call Dan D. Rogers Elementary)

The Mouse That Roars!

We have along our Texas border an emerging insurgency of thugs crossing into our country with the soul purpose of creating a permanent drug mob within our Texas. It is of my own opinion that our best hope in stopping such a mob from becoming more established lay within the plight of our elementary children.

No parent I know would wish for their child's best financial future to be one of a drug pushing culture. But that threat is a real one and it's war now lay at our Texas State door steps.

The people of Dan D. Rogers, as an emerging community as they are, are our best line of defense in hopes of our continued area's prosperity and celebrated culture of class.