AA Asks for Another Extension on Business Plan

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The Fort Worth-based airline asked for an extension until April 1. It's the fifth time the carrier has asked to delay the process.

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American Airlines late Friday asked a bankruptcy judge for a delay in filing a business plan to emerge from restructuring -- a sign a consensual merger with US Airways is unlikely anytime soon.

The Fort Worth-based airline asked for an extension until April 1.

It's the fifth time the carrier has asked to delay the process.

American was joined in the request by the influential Unsecured Creditors' Committee, or UCC.

The airline has made "significant progress" in its restructuring effort but still needs more time, the company said.

"The work proceeds on many fronts concurrently, but is time and resource demanding, and therefore, additional time is necessary," the airline's attorneys wrote.

The board of directors of American's parent company, AMR Corp., met this week but made no announcements.

Friday's request, filed as the bankruptcy court in New York closed for the day, is an indication the airline has chosen to continue to evaluate its options and has decided not to pursue an immediate merger with US Airways.

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Natural Gas Explosion Levels Lewisville Duplex

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A natural gas explosion destroyed a duplex in Lewisville hours after construction workers mistakenly cut a gas line.

The duplex behind the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church of God is owned by the Christian Community Actions, an organization that assists people who are in need.

The home exploded at 12:30 p.m., while crews were working to repair a gas leak. Construction workers mistakenly cut a 4-inch gas line in the area at about 10 a.m., investigators said.

Emergency crews at the time told NBC 5 they had the issue under control and that no evacuations were necessary. But fire officials later told another NBC 5 reporter that they had evacuated a block downwind of the gas leak.

The house that exploded was not included in the evacuations.

Atmos Energy said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Two Lewisville firefighters and a man who was inside the duplex at the time of the explosion were sent to area hospitals after the explosion, according to fire officials.

Witnesses said the explosion "felt like a bomb went off" and said they could feel the shock wave from blocks away.

"Honestly, I didn't see anything at first," said Danny Vigil, who lives in the area. "What I felt was a huge explosion. It was almost as if you were sitting in a movie, a big action movie -- you hear bombs going, that's what it sounded like."

"Pictures were rattling, falling onto the ground," he said. "The first thing I did was run out the front door -- ran all around because I thought some car hit our home. [I] ran to the back, I saw flames, smoke, debris in the air, shingles, branches. It was just an unbelievable sight."

"I was sitting at my desk whenever was a loud explosion," Dwayne Ryaman said. "[I] literally thought maybe an 18-wheeler had ran into my building at first."

"When I came out of my door, I immediately saw the black smoke and flames," he said. "I got a little bit closer to the scene, saw the debris that was strewn out in the middle of the street."

Debris covered the roadway in the 500 block of East Main Street in Lewisville. The road was shut down while emergency crews worked near the scene.

None of the surrounding homes or businesses were damaged in the explosion.

The man who was inside the duplex was critically injured and taken to Medical Center of Lewisville. He underwent surgery and was later airlifted to Medical Center of Plano, where he was in intensive care Friday night. He is expected to survive.

The injured firefighters were released from the hospital later Friday.

Crews are put out hot spots at the location of the explosion. Atmos Energy crews assisted, along with fire crews from Lewisville, The Colony and Carrollton.

NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg and Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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Flu Outbreak Has Spread to 47 States: CDC

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A shortage of Tamiflu has many on edge, but it's not the only remedy this flu season. Dr. Bruce Hensel reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2013.

The flu is widespread now in more than two-thirds of the country. A widespread flu outbreak pushes up demand for popular treatment.

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The Centers for Disease Control's latest report on this unusually bad flu season shows that the virus'es geographic reach has grown but that the outbreak may have begun to wane.

"The bottom line: It's flu season," said Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a press conference addressing the report on Friday morning. "Most of the country is seeing or has seen a lot flu and this may continue for a number of weeks."

The report, which covers the week from Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, shows that the outbreak has now spread to 47 states, up from 41 the previous week.

Flu Spike: How to Stop It

"We're continuing to see influenza activity remaining elevated in most of the U.S.," Frieden said. "It may be decreasing in some areas, but that's hard to predict, because particularly when you have data from over the holidays season."

While 24 states are still reporting a high level of flu, that number is down from 29 the previous week. Frieden went on to say the data showing the flu could be waning may have been skewed by the holidays, a time during which doctors may be on vacation or people may be less likely to seek treatment.

Flu Tips for Parents

Since the outbreak began in October, more than 3,700 people have been hospitalized with the flu, and 20 children have died.

This year's vaccine has been 62 percent effective, about what the CDC expected given current conditions, according to Frieden, who warned that even if the flu is ebbing, flu season is far from over.

"Nationally, it's likely that flu will continue for several more weeks," said Frieden. "During the past decade we have seen an average of about 12 consecutive weeks — three months — of ILI (influenza-like illness) being elevated. But as we often say, the only thing predictable about flu is that it's unpredictable. Only time will tell us how long our season will last and how moderate or severe this season will be in the end."

States reporting widespread flu activity:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

States reporting high flu activity:

Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia

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Celina Father Accused of Making School Gun Threat

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A Celina man who allegedly told elementary school officials he had a gun as part of an experiment on school safety is facing third-degree felony charges.

School officials said Ronald Miller went to Celina Elementary School, where his child is a student, on Wednesday and claimed to have a gun.

Administrators said Miller first approached a school greeter with whom he was acquainted and said he had a gun.

"He told her he was a gunman and his target was on the inside -- and 'I'm going inside. What are you going to do about it?'" Superintendent Donny O'Dell said.

O'Dell says the school greeter froze in panic, allowing Miller to walk through the school's front door while children were entering the building for the school day.

Miller then entered the office and made similar threats, he said.

"He told them that he is a shooter and 'you're dead, and you're dead,'" O'Dell said.

O'Dell said Miller then asked to speak to the school principal, telling staff he was conducting an experiment into school safety.

Miller never produced a weapon.

School officials called administrators and, eventually, police once Miller left the property.

"The main thing that you learn is that it could be anybody at any time," O'Dell said.

Celina parent David Sciano, who has two children at the school, said the incident illustrates how little the district has stepped up security in the wake of last month's school shooting in Connecticut.

"A guy walks in, makes threats. Everyone is sitting there terrified, doesn't know what to do," he said. "It shows that this is going to happen again."

Sciano said he had heard about the incident through word of mouth.

School officials said they had held off communicating with parents so it would not interfere with the police investigation.

A letter went home with students on Thursday afternoon.

"We're not perfect, but what we've got to do is get more perfect," O'Dell said.

The superintendent said the district has looked at its security protocols since the fall and often runs emergency drills.

He said the district has considered and will look into hiring a school resource officer.

In the meantime, parents such as Sciano said they feel bad for Miller for making what seems to have been a poor choice with lasting consequences.

"His intent was probably just to say, 'Hey, you've done nothing,' and that's what it showed, so if that's what it takes, that's a shame," Sciano said. "This guy gave up his life to make a point. I don't know if he was going to hurt anyone or not, but if there's anything that we've gotten out of this, is that we know that we are not prepared."

Miller was arrested late Wednesday on a charge of making a terroristic threat. He is being held on a $75,000 bond.

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Woman, 3 Children Killed in Haltom City House Fire

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Three children and a woman were killed in a house fire in Haltom City on Thursday evening.

The fire was reported at a two-story home in the 4900 block of Colonial Park at about 5:15 p.m. It appeared from Chopper 5 that the fire was out before 6 p.m.

MedStar EMS said fire crews pulled a 6-month-old girl, a boy who is 5 or 6 years old, a girl who is 10 or 11 years old and a woman from the house. They sustained smoke inhalation and had minor burns, MedStar said.

Firefighters found the children and the woman from upstairs, MedStar said.

The children were taken to Cook Children's Medical Center, and the woman was taken to North Hills Hospital. MedStar confirmed later Thursday night that the three children and the woman had died.

Crews from North Richland Hills and Fort Worth assisted Haltom City firefighters in battling the fire.

A neighbor called 911 when he noticed the fire.

"I walked out and I noticed the front window -- there was smoking coming out of it -- so I ran next to it to the curb and I yelled, 'Hey! Your house! The house is on fire! Is anybody in there?' And nobody said anything, so I called 911," Phillip Heard said.

Heard said he thought the house was empty.

Several neighbors broke down when they heard the news about the deaths.

Heard said he was heartbroken.

"It's just very devastating to know that this tragedy happened," he said.

"Oh, we're here for them," said Connie Webb, another neighbor. "We're just a close neighborhood. We try to be, a lot of us, and we try to watch out for each other's homes, even if we don't know each other."

Webb said the children's mother was at work when the fire broke out and rushed home in tears.

"I hugged her when she walked up and I said, 'Go to the hospital and be with your family. We'll watch out for your home and take care of everything,'" Webb said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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DISD Communications Chief Resigns to Focus on Family

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After just one rocky semester, the head of communications for the Dallas school district says she is stepping down.

Jennifer Sprague told NBC 5 in an exclusive interview that she needs to focus on family. She said she and her family plan to remain in Dallas.

"Well, Superintendent Mike Miles offered me a great opportunity to come out to Dallas ISD and do some great work and really drive forward the improvements in his improvement plan," she said. "And I accepted the opportunity and moved my family out here from Colorado and just realized over the past couple of weeks -- after some personal reflection time over the holidays -- I just realized that, career-wise, Dallas ISD is not the place for me, and so I look forward to the next chapter of my career."

Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles brought Sprague with him from his previous school district in Colorado.

Her hiring sparked controversy from the beginning. Her salary -- $185,000 -- was about $100,000 more than she made in her previous job, and Miles hired her without interviewing any other candidates.

Sprague said she didn't necessarily think her salary would be so controversial.

"I think that I was hired here for the chief of communications position and it's a cabinet-level position," she said. "But most importantly, I agree with some of the ideas of the board as far as 'pay for performance.' I was asked to come to Dallas ISD to implement his -- Superintendent Miles' -- goals and improvement goals, and that consists of a pay-for-performance plan for our teachers and staff, and I am a huge supporter of that and I agree with the system."

At a news conference in June, Miles defended Sprague's appointment and salary by saying that she represented national-level talent and competency.

"I'm not trying to diss the people who have already been here, but we're getting national-level expertise and we're changing the paradigm of communications," he said.

In that same press conference, Miles said: "If Jennifer Sprague were an ugly, slightly older male with 20 years of experience who had won all these national awards, would any of you in this room make a story of it if he received the same salary as a communications person in Houston ISD?"

Sprague said in her interview with NBC 5 in her rented Pleasant Grove home this week that, in hindsight, there were things she could have said and done differently in the beginning.

"I think the superintendent would agree and, in many cases, there's always things that we could have done better or said differently," she said.

A board meeting in August fired up her naysayers even more. Sprague was criticized for being unprepared to answer questions from trustees.

Sprague said she kept a "laser-like focus" on what she was hired to do through it all.

"We really focused on internal communications, getting the staff on board with the changes and with the Destination 2020 goals and making sure everybody understood the core beliefs," she said.

Sprague didn't elaborate on how Miles responded to her resignation, but said that if she were not resigning, her job would be safe.

And she said she stands by the superintendent.

"Superintendent Miles is a great leader, and he knows what he's doing, and I back him 100 percent," she said.

Sprague said she is looking forward to the next chapter of her career.

"I, again, made the decision to resign based on my family and based on what's best for my family," she said.

Links to interview excerpts:

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New York Gov. Proposes Assault Weapons Ban

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for closing loopholes on a state ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 bullets as part of a wide-ranging gun control package he proposed in his State of the State speech Wednesday.

"Guns have both a noble and a tragic tradition in America and in New York state," Cuomo stated in remarks provided before his speech. "They are a sign of our nation's fiercely defended independence and self-reliance ... (but) in the wrong hands, guns are also weapons of untold destruction and heartbreak.

The state already has among the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation, but a deal is expected soon that could make New York one of the first states to pass gun control laws following the Dec. 14 shooting, in which 20 first-graders and six educators were gunned down with a powerful weapon at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The shooter also killed his mother and himself.

New York's effort was hastened further by the Christmas Eve killings of two firefighters in western New York by a man who set his neighborhood on fire, lay in wait with a high-powered rifle for responders, shot them and killed himself. Webster residents related to the firefighters were honored guests at the State of State address.

"Some weapons are so dangerous and some ammunition devices so lethal that we simply cannot afford to continue selling them in our state," Cuomo said.

Cuomo would also require follow-ups for owners of handgun licenses to make sure they are still qualified to possess a gun based on criminal and other records. He would increase sentences for gun crimes including for using guns on school property and for gang activities.

Legislators were working Wednesday behind closed doors to reach agreement on the governor's demand for tighter controls on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Republican Sen. Martin Golden agreed the closed-door talks have brought all sides to within 95 percent of a deal, which could be announced and acted on this week.

"New York leads the nation, it's time New York lead the nation in this," Silver said. His priorities are bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines of ammunition.

Golden, a leader in the Senate on crime-fighting measures, said in an interview that the final deal is expected to have some stiffer sentences for gun crimes, although not as severe as he hoped. Also, he said, the deal will crack down on the trafficking of illegal guns. The Brooklyn Republican, a former New York City police officer, said illegal guns are the weapons of choice in New York City crime.

The priority for Cuomo and Silver is to close what they say are loopholes that let some weapon designs escape a ban on assault weapons. They also want to outlaw the high-capacity magazines.

"I think we will come up with a reasonable definition and a reasonable closing of loopholes," Silver said.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos is insisting on changes to a state law that authorizes longer court-ordered mental health treatment for individuals who won't seek help but are deemed a safety threat.

Legislators are prepared to be called into session by Cuomo as early as Thursday if a deal is struck, though a Cuomo spokesman said he knows of no plan to call legislators into session that day. The Legislature isn't scheduled for regular session until Monday.

In other priorities, Cuomo proposes raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.75 an hour, an idea he also pitched a year ago; allowing three casinos for upstate New York and none in New York City; and making possession of up to 15 ounces of marijuana seen in "open view" punishable as a violation.

In addition, the governor would eliminate the Long Island Power Authority as part of measures to better protect New York City and Long Island and would "harden" the energy network that failed for millions of New Yorkers for as many as 21 days with the Oct. 29 storm. The governor said the Long Island Power Authority failed during the storm.

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Dallas License-Plate Cameras Raise Privacy Concerns

Ken Kalthoff, NBC 5 News

Dallas police will soon have a new tool to fight crime, new cameras and software will allow officers to scan license plates on vehicles, but there's some concern about the privacy of innocent people.

Dallas Police to Scan License Plates

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Dallas will be one of the nation's largest cities to use license plate-tracking cameras, the police chief says.

The City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to mount 14 cameras on Dallas police squad cars to scan vehicles on streets.

The plan includes more than $3 million worth of special software that allows the cameras to instantly alert police about stolen cars or wanted drivers. Much of the money comes from confiscated drug money.

And most city leaders welcomed the plan that would mount 14 more of the license-tag cameras on utility poles in high-crime areas.

"Most people in and around drug houses are wanted for crimes and so, if we use this right and protect privacy, Dallas will be safer," Police Chief David Brown said.

Unlike the surveillance cameras Dallas police use to watch for crimes in progress, the license-scanning camera equipment could store tag information to be used years later.

Councilwoman Angela Hunt said it raises invasion of privacy fears because information on innocent people could also be held and tracked by police.

"I'm concerned about how it will be retained, and it is setting up a system where this could be abused in the future," she said.

Hunt voted against the plan, but all the other council members voted yes.

"It's our job to use power in a thoughtful and disciplined manner," Mayor Mike Rawlings said.

Council members want to review the privacy policy for the license-plate cameras before they are ready for use by Dallas police in April.

Carrollton and some other smaller cities already use the technology.

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Truck Driver: Good Samaritan "Was An Angel to Me"

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A Parker County father says he can't say "thank you" enough to a stranger who rescued him from his burning 18-wheeler after he crashed in Dallas on Wednesday morning.

"She was an angel to me," Elias Uribe said. "She's my hero."

Uribe lost control of his semi-trailer on a rain-slickened Interstate 30 near downtown. The truck burst into flames. His door was jammed shut. He remembers the fire just inches from his elbow.

"Probably 30 seconds more and I would have caught on fire," he said.

Seconds from certain death with the flames spreading, a stranger showed up from nowhere, he said.

"And then in the distance I could hear a woman screaming, 'Can you get out? Are you OK? Can you get out? It's burning,'" he said.

The voice belonged to Terry Sims, who happened to be driving by on her way to work.

"I came around, and I saw flames coming from underneath the trailer, so I pulled him out of the truck. she said soon after it happened.

Sims said she was concerned for her own safety but ran up to the burning truck anyway.

"He was in the truck, and the door wouldn't open," she said. "We had to pull him out the window. I was just so scared it was going to blow."

Sims then led Uribe to safety.

"I could barely walk, but I leaned on her and she pulled me all the way," he said.

Within minutes, the entire cab was engulfed in flames.

Uribe said Sims single-handedly saved his life -- "no doubt."

His three children -- Eliazar, 8, Elizabeth, 10, and Elias Jr., 12 -- would have been left without parents.

"I don't know if they understand, but I tell them I made it," Uribe said. "That's all that matters."

His longtime wife, Dolores, was killed in May in a car crash near their Parker County home. It makes what Sims did all the more special.

"I'd like to thank her very much," Uribe said, choking back tears. "I don't have words to say."

After all this, Uribe said he's going to take a break from driving professionally and "take some time with my kids and be with them.

"More than ever, you don't know how fragile life is," he said.

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Woman Fatally Shot in UT Southwestern Parking Garage

Ben Russell, NBC 5 News

Dallas police are investigating a fatal shooting inside a parking garage on the campus of UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Woman Shot to Death on UT...

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Dallas police are investigating a deadly shooting at a parking garage on the UT Southwestern Medical Center campus.

The shooting was reported in a parking structure in the 5300 block of Harry Hines Boulevard on Tuesday night. A witness heard at least three fired in Garage 2 at about 7:30 p.m., UT Southwestern spokesman Russell Rian said.

The female victim has not been identified and police have not said what relationship, if any, she had with UT Southwestern.

Rian said the parking garage is available to any visitors to the campus.

The parking garage is on county property, but Dallas police will investigate the shooting.

The campus was locked down and remained on lockdown as of 10 p.m.

Graduate students who parked nearby told NBC 5 that the school sent alerts by text message that warned of a possible homicide.

"So we all just got text messages at the same time saying don't go outside, there's been a possible homicide and they said which garage and we all scrambled to the Internet because we don't know what all the garages are numbered as," grad student Dorothy Cupka said.

No arrests have been made in the shooting.

NBC 5's Ben Russell contributed to this report.

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Girl With Flu-Symptoms Dies Hours After Leaving ER

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Flu Shots Urged; 6-Year-Old Treated for Flu Dies

The health department and doctors are urging everyone to get a flu shot even before a 6-year-old girl who was being treated for the flu died.

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Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Tahila Johnson was diagnosed with the flu. However, because the child was never given a flu test, it is not known if she had the flu.

A 6-year-old child with flu-like symptoms died hours after she visited an emergency room, where doctors declined to administer a flu test, her father says.

Tahila Johnson's grandmother found her unresponsive shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday and called 911.

The family said the girl seemed to be doing fine when it last checked on her at about 2 a.m.

Johnson's family took her to the emergency room at Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite on Monday after she missed school because of aches and pains. They waited for four hours before doctors told them she didn't need a flu test.

"'We're not going to test her for the flu; we're not testing anybody today,' and there was a lot of kids in the lobby, so is my child the only one? You never know," said her father, Earl Johnson.

After seeing doctors, the family was sent home with instructions to treat the illness with Tylenol and Zyrtec.

"My daughter didn't get tested, and I woke up in the morning and it wasn't even 12 hours from leaving the hospital, and she's dead," Earl Johnson said. "I wish I could have made them do more."

The hospital released a short written statement Tuesday.

"The staff at Dallas Regional Medical Center would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Tahila Johnson," hospital spokesman Adam Groshans said. "This is a tragic loss for which we are deeply saddened."

The statement did not address questions about the care the child received, but a hospital spokesman said administrators are reviewing what happened.

Her father said his daughter had not had a flu shot.

"She rarely got sick, ever. She didn't have allergies; she wasn't allergic to anything," he said. "She never missed school -- that's how we knew she was sick; she didn't want to go to school."

"She was daddy's girl," he said. "I don't know what to do. It's like my heart is gone now."

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office will determine Tahila Johnson's cause of death. It is expected to perform an autopsy Wednesday, but officials said it could take several weeks to determine if her death was flu-related.

Flu vaccine supplies run low

Dallas County has run low on flu vaccines with the early onset of flu season, but the county health director says that enough are on hand now and more supplies are on the way.

"There's not a vaccine shortage nationally," said Zach Thompson, county health director. "There's just a low inventory because you try to get as many people vaccinated before the holiday period."

The county health department has ordered 1,000 more vaccines and has 200 on hand.

Health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated. The vaccination takes 10 days to be effective.

"We know vaccines work. We know they're effective, and so if we can get the message out to the community that the more people we get immunized, the less disease we have spreading," said Vicki Yeatts, Garland Health Department public health administrator.

Dallas Regional Medical Center said it is encouraging people to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu-prevention guidelines:

• Get a flu vaccine
• Take steps to prevent the spread of germs, such as frequent hand-washing
• Take the antivirual drugs prescribed by a physician if you get the flu

If complications such as difficulty breathing, persistent fever, excessive vomiting or difficulty swallowing become apparent, people should immediately go to closest emergency room, the hospital said.

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff, Tammy Mutasa and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

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80-Year-Old Thrown to Ground in Violent Purse Snatching

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Police are asking for help in finding a brutal purse snatcher who was caught on camera in East Dallas just days before Christmas.

The female robber threw an 80-year-old woman to the ground at 11:35 a.m. outside a Wal-Mart along Interstate 30 in the 7400 block of Samuell Boulevard on Dec. 20.

Surveillance cameras recorded the entire attack. Photos released by Dallas police show the woman leaving the store just moments before.

Investigators described the attacker as a black woman who is about 30 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 130 pounds and was wearing a red hoodie, blue jeans, plaid shirt and white snow boots.

The 80-year-old victim, who lives nearby, refused medical treatment and told police the robber got away with a $10 purse, a Texas driver license, prescription medication, a credit card and $230 in cash.

The surveillance video shows the attacker leaving in an older model black Mercedes Benz.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Doug Jones at the Southeast Investigative Unit at 214-671-0119 or Crime Stoppers at 214-373-TIPS (8477).

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Man Buys $2 Million Lottery Ticket on Christmas Day

Tammy Mutasa, NBC 5 Rockwall Reporter

Thanks to selecting the Power Play option John Williams of Rockwall won $2 million when his Powerball Quick Pick matched all five numbers but not the Powerball. He bought the winning ticket at a Rockwall 7-Eleven.

Powerball Ticket Wins North Texas Man...

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A Rockwall man got a holiday bonus after he bought a $2 million winning ticket.

John Williams bought a Powerball ticket at a Rockwall 7-Eleven as usual on Christmas Day. The day after, he found out that all five of his Quick Pick numbers matched.

"When I looked at his ticket, he got five numbers straight -- $2 million," said Mahabe Yallew, who sold the man the ticket. "We're so happy selling winning ticket."

Williams did not match the Powerball number, but his second-tier prize doubled to $2 million because he selected the Power Play option.

"He's so happy; he's very excited," Yallew said. "He's a nice guy. He comes every day to buy [a] ticket."

Williams told the Texas Lottery that he won't change his routine and plans to continue to try for the Powerball jackpot, which is currently estimated at $70 million.

"I'll still work," he said. "It's not really enough to retire on, but I'm going to take some fabulous vacations."

Yallew said he's never sold a ticket worth that much money in the five years that he has run the store in the 100 block of Kaufman Road.

But people are flocking to the 7-Eleven that sold the winning ticket in hopes of also changing their luck.

"This is definitely the lucky store," Abner Betancourt said. "I've won several hundred dollars in lottery tickets, so I'll always keep coming back."

What would people do with that much cash in their pocket?

"I'd buy a mansion and have parties there and a trampoline, or I'd buy 2 million Slurpees," Emily Ragsdale said.

"We're in college, so we're broke, so anything over $20 is really exciting," Savannah Estes and Katie Bower said.

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Three-Week Delay in AA's Merger Decision

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The board of directors of American Airlines' parent company, AMR Corp., was set to vote on a consensual merger with US Airways this week but asked for a three-week delay, a person with knowledge of the high-level negotiations told NBC 5.

The board meets on Wednesday.

The delay to better evaluate US Airways' offer would move the decision to the last week of January, the person said.

"I think they're not going to be able to stop it at this point," said Vicki Bryan, an analyst with Gimme Credit. "Just because American Airlines management team wants to delay it, that doesn't mean they'll be able to delay it."

Bryan was among the first to predict American Airlines' bankruptcy in November 2011.

Pilots, flight attendants and some creditors are already on board with a merger. By some estimates, a merged airline would be worth $1 billion more to creditors than a standalone airline.

Overnight, the new airline would become the world's largest.

"Everyone will be happy to see this process end and the future beginning," Bryan said. "Cobbling together a $40 billion airline is not something you knock together in a garage. It's a tough process."

Bryan said US Airways management would likely win control of the new company. Under this scenario, American Airlines CEO Tom Horton and other top executives would be pushed aside.

US Airways has said it would keep the American brand and keep its headquarters in Fort Worth.

Among the hurdles to a merger -- how much US Airways should pay and how much creditors should get.

US Airways offered creditors 70 percent equity in a new airline with 30 percent going to US Airways shareholders, analysts say. Creditors want 80 percent.

Whatever the final numbers, the growing consensus is a merger will happen soon, setting the stage for yet another battle.

"They've got their work cut out for them because Delta and United are not going to wait around for American Airlines to sort itself out," Bryan said. "They are going to step into a world-class competition on a scale no one has ever seen."

American Airlines spokesman Bruce Hicks declined to comment on the board meeting or even confirm the meeting was taking place.

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Motorcyclist Killed in Fort Worth Crash

NBC 5 News

A Haltom City man was killed and his wife was injured when he lost control of his Harley on I-35W.

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A Haltom City man was killed and his wife injured when he lost control of his motorcycle Saturday afternoon.

Fort Worth police say it happened on southbound Interstate 35W just south of the exit to Meacham Boulevard shortly before 1:30 p.m.

44-year-old David McKinney lost control of his Harley, hit the right side guardrail and was thrown into a pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His 42-year-old wife was also thrown from the motorcycle, she was taken to John Peter Smith hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Police said McKinney was not wearing a helmet.

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Flower Mound Teen Laid to Rest

Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News

Max Schwolert, a senior at Flower Mound Marcus High School, died the day after Christmas during a family vacation in Minnesota. Saturday family and friends gathered to remember the teen who was so giving to the church, his community and his family.

Flower Mound Teen Laid to Rest

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17-Year-Old Dies of Flu Complications

Max Schwolert, a senior at Flower Mound Marcus High School, died the day after Christmas during a family vacation in Minnesota.

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Hundreds of friends and family members filed into the Village Church in Flower Mound Saturday to remember 17-year-old Maxwell Thomas Schwolert.

"[He] loved God, love people, that was Max's life, that's how he lived it and that's what's been really kind of revealed by the number of people that showed up here," Phil Schwolert, Max's uncle said.

On Dec. 29, Schwolert died in a Minnesota hospital, during a family vacation, after suffering complications from the flu. His aunt told NBC 5 the flu turned to pneumonia, followed by a staph infection.

In the days following his death, friends paid tribute at the Faith Lutheran Church where Schwolert was actively involved with the youth ministry.

Schwolert loved sports, from playing basketball to teeing off on the fairway.

"Actually his grandfather was an avid golfer and is also in heaven and they will be up there playing," Michelle Schwolert, his aunt said.

His aunt and uncle will always remember Schwolert as the vivacious teenager who strived to make others around him smile.

"I think the biggest testament to Max is that he just loved everyone and wanted everyone included in anything that he was a part of and wanted he to make sure everyone knew that God loved them," his aunt said.

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Man Charged After 2 Southlake Carroll Students Die

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Two Southlake Carroll Students died from what appears to be a drug overdose Friday night according to Grapevine Police, and the man who lived at the home has been charged in their deaths.

Just before 9 a.m. Saturday, police said they were called to a home in the 700 block of Heather Wood Drive for a possible overdose. Two males were found unresponsive in the bedroom of the home.

Grapevine Fire Department paramedics pronounced Kyle McNutt, 17, and Chase Nunez, 18, dead at the scene. Both lived in Grapevine and attended Carroll Senior High School.

Grapevine police say McNutt and Nunez were hanging out Friday night with 22-year-old Cullen William Marino who lives at the house. Detectives determined that illegal narcotics were used by all three.

"It was obvious that, you know, it was more or less a cocktail of different narcotics that were used by the individuals," said Grapevine police Sgt. Robert Eberling. Eberling went on to say alcohol was involved and possibly marijuana.

Marino was arrested at the scene for an unrelated warrant and taken to the Grapevine jail.

During the investigation detectives said they learned that during the night Marino discovered McNutt and Nunez unresponsive, but instead of calling 911, police say he moved them to a bedroom in the house. 

Based on those findings Marino was charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide for not calling for help.

"Chances are if they would've received that medical attention they might be here today," Eberling said.

Eberling went on to say Marino admitted to police he provided the teens with the drugs. Police say he could face additional charges.

According to court records Marino has been in trouble with the law for drug-related offenses before this weekend's incident. Marino was arrested in November 2008 by Bedford police for misdemeanor possession of less than two ounces of marijuana, in November 2010
Grapevine police arrested Marino for the same offense. In March 2012 Grapevine police arrested Marino for driving while intoxicated, also a misdemeanor.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office will determine the exact causes of death for McNutt and Nunez.

A spokeswoman for the Carroll Independent School District released the following statement:

Carroll ISD was contacted by law enforcement officers Saturday night regarding the death of two Carroll Senior High School students. We were deeply saddened to learn this news. The district is mobilizing our school counseling team and will have trained professionals available at CSHS to assist staff on Monday and students on Tuesday when they return for classes (Jan. 8). We will also have counselors available at Carroll High School this week should they be needed.

CISD will not be releasing information on the students pending parental permission granted under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Our hearts go out to the families of the students involved even as we help their friends and classmates through the grieving process.

Carroll ISD Hosts Town Hall to Discuss Student Issues

The Carroll Independent School District is hosting a Town Hall for parents and students in February that focuses on serious student issues, the event was planned prior to this weekend's deaths.

Students and Parents Against Risks to our Kids (SPARK) is hosting the meeting on Monday, Feb. 4 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Carroll Senior High School in the Auditorium. Parents and students grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend, but anyone fro the community is welcome to attend.

SPARK says the event will be an honest and open discussions about painful issues that lead to tragedy for young people, including stress, depression and suicide.

SPARK hosted three town hall events at Carroll High School in the fall of 2012 focused on drugs and alcohol.

More: SPARKnow.org

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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Driver Dead After Car Crashes Into Arlington Home

Rodney Prekins

The Arlington Police Department is investigating a deadly crash that occurred early Saturday morning when a car rolled and hit a house in the 1800 block of Faithful Trail.

Deadly Car Crash Leaves Driver Dead

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Arlington police are trying to determine what caused a deadly crash that ended with the car hitting a home early Saturday morning.

Arlington police say at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday it received a call about a crash in the 6100 block of New York Avenue. When officers arrived they found a 2005 Cadillac CTS had crashed into a home in the 1800 block of Faithful Trail, the driver was dead at the scene.

Police say according to the preliminary investigation it appears the driver was going south on New York Ave. when the car left the roadway at Faithful Trail, hit a fire hydrant and a fence, rolled and ended up in the front of the home.

No one inside the home was injured and the driver was the only person in the car.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will release the driver's identity after the next of kin have been notified.

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Motorcyclist Killed in Fort Worth Crash

NBC 5 News

A Haltom City man was killed and his wife was injured when he lost control of his Harley on I-35W.

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A Haltom City man was killed and his wife injured when he lost control of his motorcycle Saturday afternoon.

Fort Worth police say it happened on southbound Interstate 35W just south of the exit to Meacham Boulevard shortly before 1:30 p.m.

44-year-old David McKinney lost control of his Harley, hit the right side guardrail and was thrown into a pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His 42-year-old wife was also thrown from the motorcycle, she was taken to John Peter Smith hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Police said McKinney was not wearing a helmet.

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Flower Mound Teen Laid to Rest

Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News

Max Schwolert, a senior at Flower Mound Marcus High School, died the day after Christmas during a family vacation in Minnesota. Saturday family and friends gathered to remember the teen who was so giving to the church, his community and his family.

Flower Mound Teen Laid to Rest

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http://www.nbcdfw.com/video/#!/news/health/Flower-Mound-Teen-Laid-to-Rest/185767602

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17-Year-Old Dies of Flu Complications

Max Schwolert, a senior at Flower Mound Marcus High School, died the day after Christmas during a family vacation in Minnesota.

More Photos and Videos

Hundreds of friends and family members filed into the Village Church in Flower Mound Saturday to remember 17-year-old Maxwell Thomas Schwolert.

"[He] loved God, love people, that was Max's life, that's how he lived it and that's what's been really kind of revealed by the number of people that showed up here," Phil Schwolert, Max's uncle said.

On Dec. 29, Schwolert died in a Minnesota hospital, during a family vacation, after suffering complications from the flu. His aunt told NBC 5 the flu turned to pneumonia, followed by a staph infection.

In the days following his death, friends paid tribute at the Faith Lutheran Church where Schwolert was actively involved with the youth ministry.

Schwolert loved sports, from playing basketball to teeing off on the fairway.

"Actually his grandfather was an avid golfer and is also in heaven and they will be up there playing," Michelle Schwolert, his aunt said.

His aunt and uncle will always remember Schwolert as the vivacious teenager who strived to make others around him smile.

"I think the biggest testament to Max is that he just loved everyone and wanted everyone included in anything that he was a part of and wanted he to make sure everyone knew that God loved them," his aunt said.

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16.26 | 0 komentar | Read More