APD seeks robbery suspect

On 10-29-12, at about 9:45 PM, officers responded to a reported personal robbery on a parking lot at 3301 Amarillo Boulevard East.

 The victim, a black male age 43 of Amarillo, told officers that he was pulling into a convenience store parking lot when a white male standing at the edge of the parking lot waved to him as though he wanted him to stop the vehicle.

 He stopped to see what the man wanted. The man asked the victim if he could ask him a question, then opened the driver’s side door and tried to sit down in the car with the victim. When the victim told the suspect to get out of the car, the suspect produced a black pistol. He then reached over and tried to take the victim’s keys out of the car’s ignition.

 The victim started struggling with the suspect. He also drove toward the front of the store to try to attract attention and get help. The suspect grabbed the man’s wallet and cellular phone that was in the car seat beside the driver and ran north on Woodland from the scene. The victim was not injured and there have been no arrests.                                                                                                                                                  

Stanley Marsh named in 2nd sex lawsuit

By Jim McBride

jim.mcbride@amarillo.com

A Houston law firm filed a second civil lawsuit Monday against Stanley Marsh 3, alleging Marsh 3 paid a 16-year-old to engage in sex acts with him at his Amarillo office and gave the teen Viagra so he could perform sexually for the Amarillo millionaire.

The suit, filed in 108th District Court on behalf of John Doe 2 by Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee, names Stanley Marsh 3, SM3 LLC, a limited liability company; Barb Wire LP, a Marsh-owned business; Marsh 3’s wife and guardian Gwendolyn “Wendy” O’Brien Marsh; David Weir, a Marsh associate; his son, Stanley Marsh IV; Amarillo Protective Services LLC, which provides security for the Chase Tower; and McCartt & Associates, which manages the Chase Tower, as defendants.

The suit said Marsh 3 paid Doe 2, a black teen, for various sex acts at Marsh 3’s Chase Tower office and in one instance at Marsh 3’s Toad Hall home at 801 N. Western St.

The lawsuit alleges Marsh 3 paid the teen a sum of money to [filtered word] in front of the Amarillo millionaire and watch pornographic movies.

Marsh 3, the suit said, knew the teen was 16 at the time and alleges that Marsh 3 made Doe 2 take Viagra so that he “could sexually perform at Marsh 3’s whim.”

The suit further claims that at least one sexual session with John Doe 2 occurred at the Marsh 3 family home, the suit said, and Marsh 3’s wife showed the teen into a bedroom where Marsh 3 was waiting for him.

Last week, an Amarillo woman sued Marsh 3 in Potter County, alleging the Amarillo millionaire gave her teenage son cash, vehicles and drugs to engage in sexual acts with Marsh 3 at his downtown Amarillo office.

Kelly Utsinger, an Amarillo attorney representing the Marshes and Weir, said Monday his clients plan to contest the suit in court. Attempts to reach Amarillo Protective Services and McCartt & Associates for comment were unsuccessful Monday.

“After many years of trial experience, I’ve found that it’s best not to form conclusions based on allegations contained in pleadings, but instead to reserve judgment until the evidence is fully developed in the courtroom,” Utsinger said. “As before, my typical practice is not to discuss pending litigation, but we will be filing responsive pleadings to deny the allegations.”

The suit said another of Marsh 3’s alleged victims reported the abuse to Amarillo police in the summer of 2012. Police, the suit said, contacted John Doe 2, who reported “Marsh 3’s abuse of him as well.”

The suit claims Marsh 3 targeted young men who abused drugs and alcohol and who were known to have had troubles with law enforcement.

Amarillo Police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld, said Monday the police department cannot confirm or deny anyone is a suspect until a criminal complaint is filed.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE AT AMARILLO.COM

Breaking Forest Hills in lock down due to SWAT standoff.

Amarillo Police Department request that people avoid area of Amarillo Blvd. and N. Grand, North past NE 11th Ave. Parents with children at Forrest Hills School may pickup children on south side of school only. All others please avoid area. There are no reported injuries or arrest at this time. Additional details will follow when available.

Ballloon glow tonight at John Stiff Park

(C) Steve Douglass 

 Balloons will inflate after dark and use there fire burners to light up the night sky next to McDonald Lake nestled in John Stiff Park. Gates open at 5:00 PM and admission is free. Please come out and mingle with the Pilots and Crews as they set up to dazzle your eyes and cameras with a beautiful show. Dress warmly as the nights can get cold.

The event is part of the Pirates of the Canyon annual balloon festival that takes place this weekend.

For a full schedule of events click HERE 

Pirates Of The Canyon balloon rally debuts flying shoe

AMARILLO — This year’s Pirates of the Canyon balloon rally will see the official Amarillo debut of the first special-shape balloon that will call the city home.

Pirates organizer Chris Jones purchased the Old Lady in the Shoe last year and got her flight-ready in the spring. He flew her at the recent Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta but, outside a brief test flight, he plans to have the Old Lady officially make her bow at this weekend’s seventh-annual Pirates rally.

Balloonists will be at John S. Stiff Memorial Park, 45th Avenue and Bell Street, for a variety of activities on Friday and Saturday before closing out the weekend with a mass sunrise ascension Sunday at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

At 147 feet tall, the old gal and her big boot are about two times taller than most special-shape balloons, Jones said, and she weighs about 1,000 pounds, four times the weight of most of her peers.

“She’s got a lot of air in her,” Jones said. “One of our goals is to figure out what size bra she would wear.”

The balloon also features 12 children, including one on the roof of the boot who moons the crowd and one who’s hanging on for dear life from a shoelace.

“She’s definitely a conversation piece,” Jones said.

The Old Lady is a challenge to fly, he said.

“When she gets in different layers of wind, she’ll spin like a top,” Jones said. “It gets dizzying.”

The weekend’s activities kick off at 6 p.m. Friday with a balloon glow around McDonald Lake at Stiff Park. Balloonists are scheduled to take part in a mass sunrise ascension from the park at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.

Activities on Saturday continue through 4 p.m., including food vendors, demonstrations from Amarillo Radio Kontrol Society and Flying Dutchman Boat Club, and tethered balloon rides. Balloons will launch around 3:30 p.m. following trick-or-treating for children at 2 p.m.

The rally ends with the planned sunrise ascension at the canyon.

When the winds don't blow in Amarillo ...

- the balloons go up.

click to enlarge

(C) Steve Douglass

Severe weather set up for tomorrow in Texas Panhandle

Amarillo teen charged with manslaughter

By AZIZA MUSA

aziza.musa@amarillo.com

Prosecutors charged an Amarillo teen Tuesday with manslaughter after authorities said he raced another car down Interstate 40 and struck a woman’s SUV, killing her.

Edwin Elias Ortiz, 19, also was charged with accident involving personal injury or death in the May 5 collision that left Mearlene Hooker Scott, 77, dead, according to court records.

The manslaughter charge, a second-degree felony, carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, and the accident charge, a third-degree felony, is punishable up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

 READ THE REST OF THE STORY AT AMARILLO.COM

Refueling tanker declares emergency - lands in Amarillo.

A KC-135 tanker from Altus AFB declared an in-flight emergency and diverted to Amarillo after its' stabilizer froze up during an aerial refueling mission over the Texas Panhandle.

 Speaking under conditions of anonymity the pilot said "This was the second time today the stabilizer froze. The first time iit was temporary - the second not so much." The stabilizer is the large movable surface on tail the aircraft that steers the plane.

 If for any reason the stabilizer becomes locked, the aircraft can be steered by using wing flaps and engine thrust.

However, steering the large aircraft in this manner is not ideal. Turns have to be wide and very slowly. GASSER 13 declared an in flight emergency and was diverted to Amarillo. The airspace was cleared as the large aerial refueling tanker made wide turns to line up with the long runway 22 at Rick Husband Int Airport. AFD was called out to meet the tanker (which was filled with jet fuel)as a precautionary measure.

 The KC-135 landed safely and without incident will be spending a few days in Amarillo, awaiting a crew from Altus AFB, in southwest Oklahoma, to repair the problem.

Photo (C) Steve Douglass