Guard your credit cards - even from your family!

FOX BUSINESS":

In the classic 1989 movie "Parenthood," Keanu Reeve's character makes the point that "you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car--hell, you even need a license to fish. But they'll let anyone be a father."
That was slightly edited, for anyone who doesn't like salty language. Anyhoo…truer words were never spoken, as you'll see in our first story in this week's look at odd credit card crimes.

In Houston, three women have been charged with using a young boy to help them steal an elderly couple's credit cards. According to Click2Houston.com on Sep. 15, police accuse Ginger Frank, 29, of using her five-year-old son as a prop to help her in her life of crime.

If all went down as they and the victims say, Frank and her son knocked on the elderly couple's front door and said that they needed help finding the boy's lost cat, and that they needed to look in their back yard for it.

So probably being kind and helpful sorts of people, the elderly couple gave them the go-ahead, and of course, they went along with them to the backyard to look.

Shortly after, the mom told the couple that the boy needed to use the restroom. The couple said that that was fine, and then the boy soon after reported that he saw a spider in the bathroom and that he needed to use another bathroom.

The couple agreed, which meant the mother and son were able to penetrate the house more deeply.

About this time, another woman reportedly appeared at the front door and claimed to be offering cleaning services, which kept the couple occupied while the mom--and a third partner-in-crime, according to KHOU 11 News on Sep. 15--searched the home and stole jewelry and credit cards.

It isn't clear what the boy was doing during the theft. Probably wondering how, of all the mothers out there, he got stuck with this one.

The elderly couple apparently declined the cleaning services and bid the woman farewell, about the same time the mom and son said goodbye to the couple, never finding the kitten, of course. Meanwhile, the elderly couple--KHOU reports that the husband is 87--at first didn't realize anything was amiss.

The women then allegedly used the stolen credit card to buy two Versace purses and a $900 Nordstrom gift card, according to KHOU. They also filled up their SUV with $100 worth of gas.

But there is a happy ending. While the "missing" kitten was never found, Frank and her alleged accomplices were. KHOU reports that the credit card company noticed that the transactions seemed unusual and called the U.S. Secret Service (!). The police found Frank and her accomplices, Roseanna Marks, 36, and Rhina Mitchell, 31, with the help of the Secret Service and a store's surveillance video, which caught them using the cards.

Meanwhile, with any luck, the little boy is safe with a relative or social services.

Another interesting credit card crime in the Houston area, involving another senior citizen, and again from the KHOU news team. A 70-year-old woman in Cypress, Texas, recently found a bill on her Kohl's credit card with a purchase that she hadn't made.
She called the police.

The police looked into it and found the culprit.
The identity of the accused? None other than the woman's 32-year-old daughter.
Yikes. Well, could it have been a mixup? Maybe the two were shopping together and got their cards confused? Maybe they were having a visit, and the purses were on a table, and the credit cards were all spread out, and the daughter picked the wrong one up?
Nope. At the time of the purchase in July, the accused was visiting her sick mother in the hospital. And allegedly found the time to take her card and go shopping at Kohl's. Nice.

Don't see much of a future for these two


Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/09/27/5-year-old-helps-mom-steal-credit-cards/#ixzz1ZH5tf7NY

Cypress woman steals mom's credit- up on charges.

CYPRESS, Texas KHOU – A 32-year-old Cypress woman is facing charges after deputies say she stole her mother’s Kohl’s credit card and rang up fraudulent charges.

The victim, 70, told Harris County investigators that she was in the hospital in July of 2011 when her daughter came to visit her.

After she was released, she found a bill from Kohl’s with charges she said she didn’t make.
When she looked for her card, she realized it was missing from her purse.
Deputies obtained surveillance video from the fraudulent purchases.

They sent stills of the person making the charges to the victim, who identified the suspect as her daughter.


The victim said she never gave Garza permission to use her card.
Garza is charged with credit/debit card abuse.

Dog kills newborn in Cypress

KENS: CYPRESS, Texas – A newborn baby was killed after it was attacked by a dog in Cypress.
It happened at a home just before 8 p.m. Saturday.

Deputies said the mother placed the 13-day-old boy in a carrier inside one of the rooms in the house.

She went outside and was watching the child through a window when a dog inside the house sniffed the infant before mauling it.

The newborn was airlifted to the hospital, where the boy died Sunday morning.
Neighbor Terri Ayala was stunned by the news.

“We just saw the baby and the mama outside and then later we saw the commotion out there,” Ayala said. “The last thing we thought was the baby.”

The dog, described as a lab mix weighing more than 100 pounds, was taken by Harris County Animal Control and put in quarantine.

The case will be referred to a grand jury, which will decide if charges should be filed.

Bastrop is burning ...

BASTROP

- The most destructive wildfire on record in Texas showed no signs of slowing down Monday, destroying 25,000 acres in Bastrop County and 476 homes, more houses than any single wildfire before and more than all other fires this year combined, according to the Texas Forest Service.

With more than 60 new wildfires raging across the state, Gov. Rick Perry left the campaign trail Monday in South Carolina to address the public and organize requests for more federal aid.

Closer to Houston, a fire in Magnolia burned 20 homes and more than 1,600 acres, and was threatening subdivisions in Montgomery and Grimes counties late Monday. It had moved southwest into Waller County last Monday.

It was one of several fires to hit the area, straining state and local resources as officials focused on the most dangerous blazes. One firefighter was injured and one fire engine burned in blazes in the Magnolia area, said Lt. Dan Norris, spokesman for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities did not yet know how much of the most dangerous fire had been contained Monday, but planned to continue fighting it "as long as necessary," Norris said.

Strong winds and dry conditions fanned the flames and aided the blaze's rapid growth, forcing the evacuation of more than 150 homes. Montgomery County officials were encouraging evacuations from the intersection of FM 1774 and FM 1488, about 42 miles northwest of Houston, up to the Grimes County line, an official said.

Magnolia fire

The Magnolia fire, located off FM 1774 and FM 1488, jumped FM 1488 late Monday and forced further evacuations, although some families were being allowed back to their homes. The Magnolia Independent School District canceled classes today because of the fires. Evacuation shelters were being set up throughout the area, including at Magnolia High School.

Another fire in the area had burned 100 acres and was 80 percent contained, Norris said. It had destroyed one structure and caused no injuries after 50 homes were evacuated.

A fire covering about 100 acres was burning in Oak Ridge North late Monday.

A fire near Nacogdoches that started Sunday night raged to 300 acres Monday and forced 60 families to evacuate their homes, said Ralph Cullom, a spokesman for the Texas Forrest Service. That fires grew with strong gusts of winds and fed off of dry conditions on the ground.

"This drought we're having is just unprecedented," Cullom said.

No injuries have been reported in Bastrop, but two people were reported killed in a North Texas fire Monday. A woman and her 18-month-old child died when a fast-moving fire near Gladewater, east of Dallas, set their mobile home on fire and they were unable to escape.

The Bastrop County Complex Fire, pushed by strong winds and fed by plenty of dry grasses, shrubs and trees, steadily moved south Monday and expanded throughout the day. It jumped the Colorado River twice.

"We will be working days on end," said Mike Fisher, the Bastrop County Emergency Management Coordinator. "The fire is so dynamic we really have no idea where it is."

'Lives at stake'

Perry said the wildfire burning in the central part of the state is "as mean looking" as he's ever seen.

Cypress soldier killed in Afghanistan honored ...

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson, Colo., gave a final salute on Thursday to 14 soldiers killed in a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan including one from Cypress.

About 500 members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, part of the 4th Infantry Division, and about three dozen friends and relatives attended the ceremony at the post.

The brigade's commander, Col. Jeffrey Martindale, and command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Kinloch placed a wreath before photos of the 14 soldiers.

"I am truly sorry that I could not bring all of this brigade home," Martindale told the mourners.

Later, a comrade of each of the 14 walked slowly to the wreath, paused, and gave a slow, graceful salute before walking away as a bagpiper played "Going Home." Spc. Joshuwa Clare was picked to salute his former boss, Chaplain Dale A. Goetz Jr., a 43-year-old captain from White, S.D.

"Rendering that final salute is an honor and brings a little bit of peace, but there's still some pain," Clare said after the service.

Goetz is believed to be the first chaplain killed in the line of duty since the Vietnam War. He and four others were killed on Aug. 30, 2010, when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle.

Other members of the 1st Brigade killed alongside Goetz were Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin James Kessler, 32, Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, Huntington, Ind.

The fifth person killed that day was Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, Conover, Wis. He was a member of Fort Carson's 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, which is not part of the 1st Brigade.

The other 1st Brigade soldiers honored Thursday: 1st Lt. Mark A. Noziska, 24, Papillion, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak, 34, Lompoc, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, Carrollton, Texas; Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, Spring Valley, Calif.; Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, Portsmouth, Va.; Sgt. Robert C. Sisson Jr., 29, Aliquippa, Pa.; Sgt. Ken K. Hermogino, 30, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; Spc. Timothy L. Johnson, 24, Randolph, N.Y.; Spc. Pedro A. Millet Meletiche, 20, Elizabeth, N.J.; and Pfc. Eric Soufrine, 20, Woodbridge, Conn.

Fort Carson officials said 325 soldiers from the post have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Driest year on record plagues Texas ...

VOA: Weather forecasters and agriculture experts in the southwestern U.S. state of Texas say there is no relief in sight for what already is the worst drought year on record. The searing heat and dry conditions have caused devastating wildfires in the western part of the large state and led to crop losses, cattle deaths and water rationing in areas of east Texas that are normally wet at this time of year.

Driving through the countryside northwest of Houston, one sees dried up fields, dying trees and livestock ponds that are not much more than a puddles of fetid, algae-covered water. In some towns, farmers' markets have been cancelled because local growers have little to offer. Those with wells for irrigation are struggling with the high cost of fuel to run their pumps.

Debbie Cross, who operates a farmers' market near Cypress, Texas, says people are becoming discouraged by the lack of rain and the high temperatures, which are around 40 degrees most days.

“The drought is hurting everything. It is hurting all the crops, the cattle, the hay. There is no grass. The chickens are miserable. I mean everybody is just miserable. We need water,” Cross said.

Cross says local farmers are unable to supply much fruit and vegetables and that she is getting by with produce trucked in from other states where conditions are better.

“We are getting it from the local southern states and southwestern states are kicking in -- Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma. Everybody knows that the Texas market is a great consumer market, so they are helping out a lot here,” Cross said.
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One of the hardest hit agricultural sectors is livestock. Texas is the biggest cattle producer in the United States and ships beef to many foreign markets. Earlier this year, ranchers endured one of the worst winters on record, with several days of subzero temperatures in a region where freezes are rare. The drought has made it even harder, driving up the cost of hay and leaving some areas so dry that cattle have died of thirst in their pastures.

One rancher who has managed to get through this crisis with most of her stock in fairly good condition is Dorie Damuth, owner of the Flying D ranch near Magnolia, Texas.

Damuth raises prize-winning Texas Longhorns for breeding and she has managed to find hay and enough water to keep them alive. She says she has seen dry spells before, but nothing that compares to this year.

“The drought is something I, as a cattle woman, and all of my fellow cattlemen and cattlewomen have never experienced before. This is probably the 100-year drought, just like you can have a 100-year flood. It is very devastating for all of us ranchers who work so hard to provide beef for our country as well as for around the world,” Damuth said.

In a dried up lake on her property, there is a Longhorn skull sitting on top of cracked earth that is muddy and soft underneath.

“We have had lakes and stock ponds on the ranch that have dried up because of no rain, no rainfall. They will dry down to a little mucky place in the middle that is still wet and the cattle will sometimes go down and try to get water and they can't. And they step into that mucky mud and it is kind of like quicksand, and they can't get out.”

Lately, there have been beautiful fluffy clouds floating over the area. But ranch hand Chris Quinters is not encouraged by them.

“Those are some nice clouds, but it don't look like they are going to bring any rain,” Quinters said.

Howl O Ween set for Cypress

CYPRESS, TX –Tails are already wagging as Bridgeland embarks on a Fido favorite event — Howl-O-Ween Fest, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in Bridgeland’s Oak Meadow Park.

The annual pup party, which drew more than 3,000 dog lovers last year, offers plenty of fun for two- and four-legged family members. Top dog on this year’s stage schedule is Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix, which performs at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. With appearances on David Letterman, Primetime Live and the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus, the comedy act stars mostly rescue dogs. Returning this year after successful shows in 2010 are Guennadi and his world-famous dog act, who performs at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and the gravity-defying canine antics of the Houston Canine Frisbee Disc Club, which performs at noon. And especially for young audiences is a magic show by Houston’s Lanny Kibbey, who performs at 2 p.m.

As in previous years, Howl-O-Ween Fest is a pit stop for the “Splash Dogs” dock-diving competition, which takes place both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29 and 30. High-ranking dogs for 2011 have leaped more than 25 feet into the water. Learn more and register at www.splashdogs.com or at the event. There will be a registration fee, with a portion going toward Howl-O-Ween fundraising efforts.

Other Howl-O-Ween Fest treats include a 1 p.m. pooch fashion show and costume contest, with prizes going to the top three winners, a farmers’ market with pumpkin patch, several rounds of bingo with prizes awarded, pet vendors and street performers. As in years past, Foundry Church will hold its annual fall event during Howl-O-Ween Fest, with carnival games, bounce houses, a miniature train, laser tag and more.

Most activities will be free; however a few will fetch a small donation, which will go to participating animal rescue groups, including Cocker Spaniel Rescue of East Texas — Houston, Chesapeake Bay Retriever Relief & Rescue, Great Dane Rescue of Southeast Texas and Weimaraner Rescue of Texas. Other rescue groups will be added as the event date nears.

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