Please also visit www.TheRockwallNews.com, “Rockwall County’s leading online news and information service”

When you’re done reading my blog, please visit our all-new daily news website www.TheRockwallNews.com, “Rockwall County’s leading online news and information service,” first to provide you with the latest news and sports info, feature stories, event listings, photos and videos!

Updated story now online about tragic death of Alex Hamilton

We’ve just posted a story with updated information from Garland Police about the tragic death of Alex Hamilton, the 20-year-old son of Rockwall ISD School Board member Doug Hamilton.

Alex died last Thursday night from injuries suffered in a traffic accident .

See the story now at TheRockwallNews.com.

Rockwall Co. has received second highest amount of Swine Flu vaccines in Dallas area

Rockwall County has received the second highest amount of Swine Flu vaccines to private health-care providers in the Dallas area, according to the Dallas Morning News story. 

Dallas County has the most at 8.3 vaccines per 100 residents, followed by Rockwall Co. at 7.5 and Tarrant Co. at 6.5.

Several factors are considered by Texas health officials when allocating vaccine, including its current scarcity, providers’ requests and the need for geographic balance.

Just last week one doctor in Rockwall said he couldn’t seem to get rid of  all of the Swine Flu vaccines he had received. He still had 75 percent remaining.

Belfiore Salon, Day Spa hosting open house to introduce new doctors this Thursday

Despite the recent death of co-owner Cecil Hastings, Belfiore Salon & Day Spa will host a combined community open house and Rockwall Chamber of Commerce business after-hours event this Thursday, Nov. 12, from 5-8 pm.

Besides lots of food, music, and networking opportunities, marketing director Diane Jones says the community can meet facial plastic surgeon D.J.Verrett M.D., who will be partnering with Belfiore, as well as Gary Donovitz M.D, of the Institute of Hormonal Balance, who will begin offering office hours at Belfiore one day per week.

The salon and day spa will also present Elite Cometique, a unique esthetic and lifestyle membership program (www.myeclife.com).

Raffle prizes will include items from Kerastase Paris Hair Care, Glymed Skin Care and DermaWare Skin Care.

For info visit Belfiore’s website or call 972-771-8411.

20-year-old son of RISD school board member Doug Hamilton killed in traffic accident

The son of Rockwall ISD school board member Doug Hamilton was killed in a traffic accident involving a heavy flatbed truck Thursday evening.

Alexander “Alex” Hamilton, 20, (pictured with his girlfriend Annette Martinez) died from a traffic incident on I-30 near Bass Rd. which backed up traffic for miles in both directions.

Click here to read the story at TheRockwallNews.com.

Dallas mom seeking to stop parents from showing porn to kids coming to Rockwall Saturday

The Dallas mother whose ex husband forced her two young daughters to view hardcore porn and has now attracted nationwide publicity with her campaign to change the obscure Texas law that allows parents to show their children porn will be speaking in Rockwall tomorrow morning.

Crystal Buckner, 30, sought help for her cause from professional publicist J.J. Smith, who founded and directs the Rockwall-based Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation.

Both will be speaking at the new TR Cafe and Grill, 101 N.Goliad Street from 10:30 am – Noon at a regular weekly meeting of the Rockwall Co. Conservatives and Coffee, organized by Rockwall City Council member Mark Russo.

Their story has now been carried by over 450 news outlets across the nation, starting with the Dallas Morning News, CBS11 TV and Associated Press in Dallas.

Buckner’s eight and nine-year-old daughters made an outcry to their Plano counselor in June about the incident that occured in February when their father was viewing porn and drinking alcohol at 3 am.

“I don’t want to prevent parents from educating their children about sex,” Buckner says.

“But forcing children to view hardcore sex at 3 am when you’re drunk like my ex did is not sex education,” she added.

The law that allows parents to show their children porn was enacted in 1973 when the current Texas penal code was completely rewritten. At the time, authors of the legislation were more focused on giving parents the freedom to teach their children about sex or anything else however they wanted, said Smith.

“But pornography back then was not as widely available nor as visual or violent as it is today. A change in the law is definitely needed,” he explained.

“Most people we’ve talked to already assumed it was illegal for parents or any adults to show porn to children, and they wholeheartedly agree it should be.”

“State Sen. Bob Deuell, who is one of our board members, has stated that his first act of the next legislature will be to introduce a bill and change this obscure law.” 

Smith said support from citizens across the state will be needed to pass new legislation. To help or for more info, call Smith at 972-900-7575.

Alexis Lancaster memorial video

Here’s a really well done memorial video about Alexis Lancaster which is also posted on her Facebook page at “R.I.P Alexis Lancaster.”

I also posted the YouTube.com video on our home page which you can see at: TheRockwallNews.com. 

 

Snuffers restaurant site of fundraiser for slain women

 

CBS11TV reported last night that a fundraiser will be held all day and night Nov. 11 at the Snuffer’s restaurant in Rockwall to honor Dallas mother and daughter Jeanne and Janice Carroll from Dallas who were killed last year by Keith Hill, the daughter’s husband.

Daughter Janice worked for CPS and dearly loved the children she helped.

The funds raised will be donated to Community Partners of Dallas, a non-profit organization that provides children in CPS custody with new clothes, shoes and toys through their Rainbow Room program.

There’s a Rainbow Room in Rockwall, too.

For more info, read the story at TheRockwallNews.com,  

or watch the CBS11 TV video. 

Rockwall Co. sheriff’s deputy injured in accident

Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office deputy Dennis Hoffman was slightly injured in a Monday night two-vehicle crash in Rockwall.

Sheriff’s Lt. David Davis said Deputy Hoffman was working traffic enforcement along State Highway 276 near Rochelle Road when a pickup truck collided with Hoffman’s patrol vehicle, knocking it 80 feet into a ditch on the opposite side of the highway.

After being transported by ambulance to the emergency room at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, he was treated and released and is now doing well, Lt. Davis said.

Click here to read more at TheRockwallNews.com.

Heath resident named Chief Justice, Dallas Court of Appeals

Heath resident Judge Carolyn Wright was appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Dallas Court of Appeals Oct. 23 by TX Gov. Rick Perry.

An associate justice on the court since her 1995 appointment by then-Gov. George W. Bush, she began her new term Oct. 31, which continues to 2010, when she says she will campaign for election to the post.

In succeeding Linda Thomas, Chief Justice Wright becomes the first African-American to serve as chief justice of any intermediate appellate court in Texas.

A fourth-generation Texan and graduate of Howard University Law School, she was also the first African-American woman to win a multi-county election for any elected office in Texas.

Click here to read the complete story at TheRockwallNews.com.

Rockwall pediatrician finds little demand for Swine Flu vaccines

There was story on Channel 33 News last night about how Rockwall pediatrician Gregory Sonnen can’t seem to give away Swine Flu vaccines, yet can’t get enough seasonal flu vaccines to meet demand. 

Click here to see the story at TheRockwallNews.com.