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You may talk to your children about how to act when approached by a stranger, but do they really listen to you?
Our hidden camera reveals your investment in your child could save their life. That's our top story for July 18th.
Well, it seems that you hear about case after case of missing or abducted children.
There are several in the national news now, including the recent sexual assault and murder of this five-year-old in Southern California.
Despite a report that a suspect was arrested today, police say that that is not true.
Police are still looking for the man who kidnapped and killed the girl.
Police are pursuing hundreds of leads right now. A number of people have been detained, and a few were arrested but not in connection with the slain girl.
And with hidden cameras in place, we wanted to see what Central Texas youngsters would do when faced with a stranger.
Our Aubrey Mika shows us children in our area may be smarter than we think when it comes to going with strangers.
Pass that little boy in the blue to come over here.
We begin our experiment at the water park in Cameron Park.
An NBC 6 News employee poses the stranger.
After getting permission from the parents, he approaches our first toddler, Jason.
What's your name?
Jason.
How are you, Jason? Are you having a good time? Playing in the water?
Have you played on the slides and stuff over there? You want to walk over there and play on them now?
I'm getting ready.
You don't want to go over there again? See, there's some other little boys over there.
How about if we walk over there and play with those boys?
A failed attempt, so he tries with Dominic.
What's your name?
Okay, these two kids have been taught well.
Here goes a different approach, this time armed with candy.
Want some candy? Here.
Now, let your hands.
You sure you don't want to walk over there to the slide?
Yeah.
Although both boys did take the candy, they refused to leave the water park with our stranger.
I'm going to tell him not to take candy from strangers and not to even talk to strangers, I think.
It was very interesting to see his reaction, and when he said, Chickas said no, I was really pleased.
I know he looked over at me. I tried to look away from him like I wasn't paying attention, but he wouldn't go with him, so I was thrilled.
Our next stop, the Cameron Park Zoo.
Our stranger did manage to strike up a conversation with this little girl and even get her to walk away with him.
Yes, she said she had to get you first.
But only after talking to her mom first.
We're just going to go right up here on the other side of the hill and we'll come right back.
And our last attempt, another failure.
Sarah repeatedly says no after being asked to leave this play area.
I did tell her that the next time if someone ever came up to you that she shouldn't even talk to the person,
because I was a little concerned that she stayed there and conversed for that long.
We should also mention that all of the moms we talked to did ask for my press identification before agreeing to the experiment.
And at least for today, these Central Texas kiddos passed with flying colors.
Aubrey Mika, NBC6 News.
Police say you should begin talking to your children about strangers at an early age.
Parents, you need to let your children know that if a stranger contacts them, they're not to talk with them,
they're not to go with them, particularly not to get in their car.
If they're grabbed by a stranger, you need to fight, yell, scream, scratch, bite, do whatever you can to get away.
It's also a good idea to have a secret password that you, your child, and only people you consider safe know about.
That way, if someone doesn't know that secret word, your child will not go with them.
And when a child is kidnapped, police have to get the word out quickly.
That's why Central Texas cops are joining local broadcasters like us to set up an emergency notification system.
Law enforcement agencies would notify all local TV, radio, and cable stations within minutes after a child is abducted.
They could also use a system for any other life-threatening emergency involving a missing person, adult or child.
Waco Police have offered to coordinate these emergency messages and hope to have their system running soon.
And some interesting information on who actually preys on children.
The FBI says most abductors are relatives or acquaintances of the child.
Statistics show stranger abductions are actually falling, though.
The FBI opened up 93 such investigations last year, and that's down from 134 the year before.
A local school district will pay after 20 children were abused by their teacher.
The Waco Independent School District reached an agreement with families of children abused by Allen Slates.
Slates is spending eight years in jail. Early last year, he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecency with a child.
He abused children who attended J.A. Chines and Alta Vista Elementary.
And their families sued WISD, claiming they investigated Slates in 1998, found he was abusing students, and did nothing.
Pending a judge's approval, those families will get $550,000.
WISD claims they were not aware of abuse until a student came forward in March of 2000.
We'll have more news in just a moment, but it does appear that summertime has returned to Central Texas.
Yeah, it feels more like good old July out there.
There you go.
It's a hot old July. Let's go to our chief meteorologist, Andy Anderson, with an update on your first forecast. Andy?
Bruce, Lisa, a couple of weeks of mild temperatures for July standards anyway.
Looks like they're over with readings this afternoon, well into the 90s.
We're still in the 90s now, cooling into the 80s by 9 o'clock this evening, probably low 80s by 9, and overnight low tonight, only down to about 75 degrees.
I think we'll see a deck of low clouds rolling in, although I don't think we'll see much in the way of fog, at least not like this morning.
Look for a high tomorrow reaching 95 under partly cloudy skies and a few isolated showers.
As I said, readings around the area now in the low 90s, but it feels like 102. That's the heat index up in Waco.
We'll have complete details on the forecast coming up a little later in the newscast.
Thank you, Andy. A local woman accused of running a bogus psychic business lost her home in court today.
36-year-old Gina Evans ran a spiritual advice and guidance business that consisted of ridding people of evil money or possessions.
Prosecutors say that she tricked customers out of $300,000.
Today, a federal judge decided to sell her home to pay for the restitution.
Evans could face up to 15 years in federal prison for fraud and money laundering charges.
Four men behind a string of local robberies are behind bars, according to Waco police.
Dominique Betancourt and DeMarcus Carr are both 19 years old.
They were captured this morning along with 17-year-old Ernest Proctor and 24-year-old Darren Williams.
Police say the group's latest robbery victim actually helped officers catch the men early this morning after a lengthy foot chase.
Police were already looking for two of the suspects for robberies earlier this month.
Tonight, the men are in the McClennan County Jail and police are still searching for another suspect, 19-year-old Michael Calhoun.
A routine trip to the mailbox ends in death for a young woman today.
It happened around 7.30 this morning at Highway 6 in Falls County.
DPS officers say 22-year-old Jennifer Baker pulled over to the side of the road to check her mail.
When she was finished, she tried to make a left turn. That's when an 18-wheeler smashed into her car.
Baker was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the 18-wheeler was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Good news for Texas. The state's unemployment rate is down.
However, locally, it's not the same story. Take a look.
The state's rate decreased to 5.8 percent in June from 6.2 percent in May.
The Waco area's unemployment is up by 1 percent to 5.4.
Labor market officials say that increase is due to the lack of seasonal jobs, like for college students.
The Colleen Temple area stands at 5.6 and Bryan College Station is there at 2.2 percent.
More than 100 new jobs will be coming to Central Texas soon.
Now, we told you about this earlier, about the Blue Cross and Blue Shield moving an office to the Lacey Lakeview area.
From August 5th to the 7th, the company will be holding a job fair at the Waco Convention Center.
The new facility is expected to open in early 2003.
Strip clubs, cigars, wine, just some of the items paid for by your tax dollars by Army soldiers.
And Fort Hood is part of the investigation. Details coming up.
Also, police say this man is one of the smoothest con men around.
Next in our special report, you can help us track him down.
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The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
The prairie sky is white and high
Deep in the heart of Texas
One hundred years ago, Xtrico made its home in central Texas.
Over that century, our commitment to the people here has never changed.
Because of your spirit, there's only one place we want to be.
Deep in the heart of Texas
All new Dateline Friday.
Lindsay was on the road to a new future.
Then she disappeared, seemingly without a trace.
No calls, no signs of her car.
Was she kidnapped? Maybe murdered? Where was she?
I'm Stone Phillips. Join me for Dateline Friday at 8, 7 Central on NBC.
Tonight, a special report that could save you thousands of dollars.
Police say there is a scam artist out there posing as a home repairman.
He's already fooled dozens of people across the country.
And we want to make sure that you're not next.
Melissa Aguirre joins us now live in our studio with more on this. Melissa?
Melissa Bruce, bottom line, there's a con artist on the loose.
And he has already made his mark in central Texas.
Before he hit Waco, though, he scammed a family in Plano.
This is home video shot by that family.
They trusted a man to replace the floor in their home.
It was a $15,000 job.
They paid 50% up front.
A move they are now regretting.
The con man took off with their payment after doing some damage to their existing floor.
It's a home repair scam costing people thousands of dollars.
David Will is wanted all across the country for felony theft.
And he could be anywhere.
But one man has made it his mission to see justice served.
They come into your home, they steal your money, and they hurt you.
Somebody's got to stop them.
This case obviously means a lot to him, and he didn't want to see other citizens,
the same thing happen to them.
Find out who this wanted man is, and just how far one of his victims will go to catch a thief.
That's tonight at 10 on NBC 6 News. Bruce, back to you.
Alright, Melissa, thank you very much.
Well, the two Fort Hood soldiers injured in a deadly truck rollover on Tuesday are now out of the hospital.
Three other soldiers did die in that accident.
All were members of the 4th Infantry Division.
Yesterday, we mistakenly reported that they died in a tank rollover.
The memorial service for those victims has also been moved to a larger space and an earlier time.
It will now be tomorrow morning at 1030 at the Main Post Chapel on Tank Destroyer Boulevard.
Also at Fort Hood, a congressional investigation out today accuses some soldiers there of buying personal goodies at your expense.
The General Accounting Office has been investigating Army purchase cards,
which work like a credit card paid back with taxpayer money.
The GAO says some soldiers at Fort Hood, the Texas Army National Guard, and three other Army installations
use those cards to buy things like computer and home electronics, cruises, even the closing costs on a new home.
In all, they questioned $150,000 worth of purchases.
The report also says other Army installations like Fort Bragg used government travel cards for $38,000 worth of visits to strip clubs.
New hope tonight for the millions of Americans with Alzheimer's disease comes from our backyard.
A team of researchers at Scott and White Hospital are working on proving the effectiveness of a memory loss drug.
It's been in use in India for thousands of years.
In tonight's Medical Minute, find out how this drug works and when it could be available to you.
That is tonight on NBC 6 News at 10.
Time now for a weather forecast. Andy, we've been talking about it for days.
And finally, some consistent sunshine out there.
Yeah, Andy forecast 93 and we hit 93 today.
And it looks like tomorrow's going to be even hotter for us.
We're now looking at summertime heat with that sunshine building in, no clouds, not much to stop it.
Temperatures already in the low 90s area wide.
Looks like it's going to be even hotter tomorrow, mid maybe upper 90s.
The rain, however, has moved away on up into the Ozarks.
We take a look at the forecast next.
President Bush pledged to leave no child behind.
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Our budget's balanced and we're investing in priorities that matter, creating jobs and economic opportunity.
Governor Rick Perry, proven experience, a leader for all Texans.
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Now, NBC 6 Weather with chief meteorologist Andy Anderson.
And welcome back everyone, Brian Fulton of our staff.
Bringing in tonight's video postcard from the waterpark over the way.
Yeah, great afternoon to go and enjoy the water.
I mean, it was hot this afternoon. Heat index around 100 to 102 is what it is right now.
Actual air temperatures in the lower 90s to mid 90s.
Areawide satellite radar together here showing as much better weather picture than we have seen in probably two, two and a half weeks or so.
Now there is a little bit of rain still going on.
We've been watching a couple of showers down here north of Houston near Conroe back towards Huntsville.
Also been a couple of showers back near Meridian and that cloud deck there.
Other than that, it's been real quiet this afternoon and rainfall totals have been less than a quarter of an inch in any of these showers.
Still the partly cloudy sky, isolated shower, maybe south winds five to 10 miles an hour.
The overnight low 75 tomorrow, about 95 for a high again as the afternoon wears on.
We heat the we hit the heat, the peak heat of the afternoon mid 90s.
Air could be unstable enough to pop off, maybe a 20 percent chance of a shower, maybe not even that much.
Altogether, we're talking about generally dry weather setting in for us.
And it's thanks to this high pressure sitting down here in the Gulf of Mexico.
It's going to push back towards the Gulf of Mexico.
That's kind of cutting off the supply of moisture coming in.
It doesn't completely shut it off because we're going to have moisture coming in at the low levels of the atmosphere right down near the ground level.
That means high humidity will continue for us, just making it feel very summer like, very tropical.
Fair skies now, 54 percent humidity.
Seventy one is the dew point.
So that's an indication that there is moisture leaking in around that high.
Southeast winds at nine, the barometer high 30 inches, taking a bit of a dip.
Ninety now in Brian College Station, 91 in Temple and Colleen.
Waco reporting 93 at this hour.
That's been the high temperature so far for the day.
Seventy five was the morning low, still considerably milder than we would normally be.
The middle portions of July, no rain today.
And we have not really seen any rain in the area other than a few spotty showers in the periphery in the last 24 hours.
UV forecast for tomorrow, nine, that's high, indication of plenty of sunshine.
Again, for you allergy sufferers, we are picking up some small quantities of weed pollens, grass pollens showing up in the moderate category,
mold spores in the high category.
So if you're having respiratory stress, more than likely it's a mold spores.
But be mindful, tell your doctor there is a little weed and a little grass showing up.
Ninety now in Dallas, 92 in Houston with sunshine, 92 down in the valley.
Some of the moisture coming out of the Pacific, what we call the monsoonal flow, affecting west Texas with a few showers back to the Guadalupe Mountains,
back towards the El Paso Valley.
Otherwise, things generally kind of quiet across the low star state.
Here's your seven day planner, always a weekend forecast.
Gonna stay quiet for the next several days.
Won't completely rule out an isolated shower any afternoon.
We're talking about less than 20 percent chances of rain until probably back to work next week.
Maybe not so much on Monday, but I think Tuesday and Wednesday better chances of rain for us.
It's gonna be really hot this weekend, so slow down, plan your outdoor activities accordingly.
Go to the water park, maybe go to the hill country and check out one of the caves.
It's gonna feel very much like late July as we go into the weekend and first part of next week.
Watch out for the weed and grass though.
There you go, you'll get ya.
Alright, thank you, Andy.
Texan Lance Armstrong makes a statement at the Tour de France today.
And the drive for a three straight begins before Tiger Woods.
Stick around, Stephen has a look at sports and much more coming up.
What do you want?
You want wings, you want the wings now.
And now, NBC 6 Sports with sports director Stephen Ayandori.
Well, it seems these days the only thing Tiger Woods is playing against is history.
His legend grows with each trophy he hoists.
He tries to join Ben Hogan as the only players to ever win the first three major championships in the same season.
And it starts today.
To round one of the British Open at New York Field in Scotland.
Defending champion David Duvall hasn't played well lately.
Bad luck doesn't help.
He gets out of this bunker on 16, but the ball ends up hitting the stick and rolling off the green.
He finishes his round at one over par, 72.
Woods to tee off.
He does not do the thing everybody knows you need to do to win this weekend.
Stay in the fairway.
He pushes his first drive into heavy grass.
Eldrick then before his second shot is going to take umbrage at photographers who snap pictures during his set up.
It's a good thing he's not staring down on the Rainey Johnson 98 mile an hour fastball from 60 feet, six inches with 50,000 fans screaming.
Woods gets to one under on the ninth after just missing an eagle pot to the left.
He settles for birdie.
He shoots a one under 70.
How about David Tombs?
This birdie on 13 moves in the four under where he would stay.
And he is one of three at the top.
And lefty Phil Mickelson is in a large group one shot back.
This birdie on 17 puts him at 200.
He'd birdie 18 as well.
Carl Peterson and Duffy Waldorf join Tombs at the top entering Friday's round two.
Twelve are tied at three under.
More than 30 golfers finish under par.
And that means they all have a chance.
Anything under par today is going to be a good score especially with the weather coming in the next couple days.
And it's going to be tough and anytime you can get off a good start like this under par in a major championship you're going to be happy.
And nobody on tour knows better than that man.
Well in thoroughbred racing there's a term trainers use when they want their horse to fire to the finish line.
They yell to the jockey plug him in.
They want that extra juice to come at just the right time.
With the first mountain stage of the Tour de France today and Austin native Lance Armstrong in second place it's time for the three time defending champion to plug it in.
Trailing by 26 seconds entering it Armstrong shows why the mountains are his specialty.
He covers the 98 miles in four hours 21 minutes and 55 seconds.
Seven seconds in front of Spain's Joseba Belaki.
He's now wearing the yellow jersey with the 11th stage victory.
He's 12 seconds ahead of second place Belaki.
64 high school football teams hit the gridiron in College Station this weekend for a preseason display of passing.
The seven on seven state championships provide a number of local teams summer conditioning and fine tuning.
Copper's Cove is amongst the teams playing.
The Bulldogs pretty much coach themselves as they get ready for fall practice which begins in less than a month.
You just let it flow and we have fun with it.
You know we play a team hard and they're playing us hard but we're still having fun.
And I think that's the most important thing that's what I like about seven on seven.
It's a I guess a looser atmosphere than actual football season.
Midway, Cameron, Brian and A&M Consolidated will also compete in the tournament which begins tomorrow and wraps up with the championship Saturday.
We'll have more tonight at 10.
We will also hear from the new overall leader of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong at 10 o'clock and he's very happy.
He gave all the credit to his teammates and you need a strong team if you're going to compete and he knows better than everybody else.
Yeah he just laughed at everybody. There was like one guy maybe a little bit further down the road.
Third place is Roberto Aras who he gives complete credit to.
He's also on the United States Pulsar Service team.
You saw him hit his brakes right before the finish allowing Armstrong to move on.
It's just pure team teamwork. It's nice to see.
Okay we'll hear from Lance later on tonight.
Thank you.
Andy's up next one last time. Stay with us.
Andy's telling us some amazing statistics.
Well just an idea of how much milder this summer has been so far.
Better than five inches of rain has been recorded at Bryan College Station a year ago.
They'd only had a quarter of an inch of rain by this time.
Tonight, fair skies, almost clear conditions in some locations.
Overnight lows down into the low 70s. Tomorrow's highs into the low and mid 90s area wide.
This time a year ago we would have already seen 10, 100 degree or better days.
So this has been a very mild summer for us.
And spring for that matter too.
Great. Alright. Thank you.
We'll see you back here tonight at 10 with more local news, weather and sports.
Have a great evening and enjoy Wheel of Fortune. That's up next.
Alright. See you later.