Lightning strikes house on Kensington Dr. in Heath

Just found this video of a house on Kensington Dr. in Heath that was just struck by lighting last June. I saw the house one day and wondered what happened.

Fate voters to decide on seven charter proposals this November

Voters in the City of Fate will be asked to decide on seven proposals to the City charter this November.

The proposals would:

1. Let City Council members and the mayor serve as many as three consecutive three-year terms, up from two terms now. A person could serve up to 18 consecutive years – nine as a council member and nine more as mayor – but no more than nine in either role.

2. Require the city to hold any runoff 20 days after canvassing election votes. The change from the current 30 days would bring Rowlett into compliance with state law.

3. Remove the monthly pay caps of $100 for council members and $150 for the mayor, beginning June 2011. Council members would continue to receive $50 and the mayor $75 per official council meeting attended, but removing the caps could double their pay some months.

4. Require the city to broadcast council meetings unedited.

5. Tighten conflict-of-interest rules, particularly to prohibit council members or the mayor from receiving outside financial benefits from their official roles.

6. Require a council supermajority – 80 percent of the members present – to issue bonds or other debt instruments. Currently, a simple majority is required.

7. Prohibit residents from petitioning for a referendum to reject council-approved debt issuances.

Private Rockwall Christian school to partner with Texas university for dual credit courses

A private Christian school in Rockwall has announced that it is beginning a partnership with a Christian university in Texas consistently recognized as one of “America’s best colleges” by U.S. News & World Report so it can offer dual-credit, high school and college-level courses to it’s students.

Heritage Christian Academy (HCA) will begin offering the classes on its Rockwall campus this Fall with LeTourneau University, a Longview-based interdenominational Christian university of nearly 4,000 students, with education centers in Dallas plus four other locations across Texas.

LeTourneau has also been honored for distinguished community service by being named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts.

“This is a very unique opportunity for us to be able to partner with such an outstanding university, knowing that our mission statements and educational philosophies are similar,” said Robert Huckabee, Assistant Headmaster at HCA.

“Students can earn college credit without having to leave the campus and the environment that we strive to provide for them,” said Dr. Ron Taylor, HCA Headmaster.

One of the things that parents value most at Heritage is the environment, according to parent Paula Salter.

“So this is a great opportunity for our students to have the best of both worlds.”

“We have been visiting universities this Summer and the academic advisors have been highly impressed that our daughter would be receiving dual credit from a prestigious four-year university,” she added.

According to HCA, Heritage and LeTourneau are also in discussions about opening a satellite campus for adult education at HCA sometime in the near future.

Missing mentally-ill woman found in Oklahoma

The missing woman with schizophrenia and a history of suicidal tendencies who lives near the Rockwall Co.-Collin Co. border has been found in Oklahoma, nearly 200 miles away from her home, according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Department.

Dianne Medlin was not harmed and has been returned to her home.