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Court issues another stay (2)

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Armed Forces appellate court issues stay for Major Hasan case

FORT HOOD, Texas — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces issued another stay of proceedings Oct. 22 in the Maj. Nidal M. Hasan court martial. 

The CAAF issued the stay after defense counsel for Hasan notified the court last week that they planned on appealing the recent decision from the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals that upheld the trial judge’s ruling that Hasan must appear in court clean shaven.  

The CAAF did not state how long the stay would remain in place, only saying that Hasan’s motion for a stay “is hereby granted pending further order of the Court.”     

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Court issues another stay

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Armed Forces appelate court issues stay for Major Hasan case

FORT HOOD, Texas — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces issued another stay of proceedings Oct. 22 in the Maj. Nidal M. Hasan court martial. 

The CAAF issued the stay after defense counsel for Hasan notified the court last week that they planned on appealing the recent decision from the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals that upheld the trial judge’s ruling that Hasan must appear in court clean shaven.  

The CAAF did not state how long the stay would remain in place, only saying that Hasan’s motion for a stay “is hereby granted pending further order of the Court.”     

The CAAF sits in Washington, D.C., and serves as the highest-level appellate court for the U.S. military.  It provides civilian oversight of the military justice system and reviews appellate decisions from appellate courts for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. 

Five civilian judges usually make up the court, however at this time, one of the five positions is vacant.  A former CAAF judge, however, has been designated to sit on the court for the Hasan appeal to ensure five judges in fact hear the appeal.  In August, the CAAF stated:

“In view of the existence of a vacant position on the Court, notice is hereby given that the Chief Judge has called upon Senior Judge Andrew S. Effron to perform judicial duties in the above-captioned case [Nidal M. HASAN, Petitioner v. Gregory Gross, Colonel, United States Army, Military Judge, Respondent], and that Senior Judge Effron has consented to perform judicial duties in said case under Article 142(e)(1)(A)(ii), Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 942(e)(1)(A)(ii) (2006).”

The CAAF Web page is available at: http://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/newcaaf/home.htm.

The accused, Hasan, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

ThomasLeeElkins2

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ThomesLeeElkinsThomasLeeElkins1

 

Sexual Predator Fugitive Arrested in Dallas County  

AUSTIN – Thomas Lee Elkins, 58, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender, is now in custody after being arrested in Coppell on Friday by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol and Coppell Police Department. A $5,000 reward will be paid on a tip that helped lead to his arrest. Elkins was wanted for felony Failure to Comply with Civil Commitment Requirements after discarding his electronic monitoring device and leaving a Houston halfway house October 5. 

The tip came from Arizona and established that the offender may be a passenger in a truck traveling in Dallas County. DPS and the Coppell Police Department pulled the vehicle over and arrested Elkins Friday morning at 346 E. Beltline Road in Coppell. His lengthy criminal history included Aggravated Sexual Assault, Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Rape, Forcible Rape, Indecent Liberties with Child and Aggravated Battery. See Elkins’ captured bulletin at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/Texas10MostWanted/capturedDetails.aspx?id=169 .

So far in 2012, DPS and other agencies have arrested 29 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including 20 gang members, and $93,000 in rewards have been paid for tips that resulted in arrests. The cash rewards are funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division.

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Weather Whys

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Q:  What causes cold fronts?

A: The simple explanation is that the leading edge of a cold air mass is moving into an area previously occupied by a warmer air mass, says Brent McRoberts of Texas A&M University. “The air mass behind the cold front is noticeably colder and it pushes out the warmer air,” McRoberts explains. “As a cold front moves into an area, the heavier, colder air lifts the warmer, lighter air upward. If the warm air is humid enough, water vapor in it will condense and rain can occur. A greater contrast in temperatures between the two air masses will lead to stronger upward motion, which is why strong cold fronts often trigger thunderstorms.”

Weather Whys is a service of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University.

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Weather Whys 2

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Q:  How fast can the temperature drop when a cold front arrives?

A: Sometimes amazingly fast, McRoberts adds. It is not uncommon for the temperature to drop 15 degrees or more in just one hour after a cold front arrives.  “There are some incredible stories about temperature changes, with one in particular that stands out” he adds. “On Jan. 22, 1943, the town of Spearfish, SD was sitting on the edge of an arctic air mass and recorded a temperature of -4 degrees at 7:30 in the morning. Within two minutes, the thermometer shot up to 45 degrees because of strong ‘Chinook’ winds descending down a nearby mountain peak. By 9 a.m. the temperature was up to 54 degrees, but as the winds died down and the cold air mass settled in, the temperature fell to -4 degrees within 27 minutes, a 58-degree temperature drop that is still believed to be a record.”

Weather Whys is a service of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University.

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Grants for College

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Comptroller Offers Matching Scholarships, Tuition Grants to Students in State’s Prepaid College Tuition Plan

(AUSTIN) — There is a new way to save for your child’s college tuition.

To encourage families to put aside money for the cost of higher education, the Texas Comptroller’s office is offering competitive matching scholarships and tuition grants to 150 students this year through the Texas Match the Promise Foundation®.

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Comptroller grants

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Comptroller Offers Matching Scholarships, Tuition Grants to Students in State’s Prepaid College Tuition Plan

There is a new way to save for your child’s college tuition.

To encourage families to put aside money for the cost of higher education, the Texas Comptroller’s office is offering competitive matching scholarships and tuition grants to 150 students this year through the Texas Match the Promise Foundation®.

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Water-Grant

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Texas Water Development Board approves $900,000 in financial assistance to the Salado Water Supply Corporation to finance water system improvement

AUSTIN – (October 17, 2012) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution a loan in the amount of $900,000 to the Salado Water Supply Corporation (Bell County) from the Rural Water Assistance Fund to finance water system improvements.

The Salado Water Supply Corporation intends to use the funds to construct infrastructure that will allow it to connect to the Kempner Water Supply Corporation’s recently constructed surface water treatment plant.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning and preparing the State Water Plan for the development of the state’s water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.

Appellate Court Issues Decision

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Army appellate court issues opinion in Hasan case

FORT HOOD, Texas — The U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals issued an opinion Oct. 18 upholding the trial judge’s decision to order Maj. Nidal M. Hasan to appear in court clean shaven.  The ACCA ruled that Col. Gregory Gross, the trial judge, properly found that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not provide Hasan the right to wear a beard while in uniform during his upcoming court martial. 

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