We're tracking Chris. Is the gulf in the tropical storms path?
I think she was just too friendly with the students.
And police say that student was right. Tonight a former high school art teacher is charged with sex crimes.
I go to different charities and get help.
But is he telling the truth? We've learned that some panhandlers are making a career off of your generosity.
And our cameras are there as Beyonce hits the red carpet for a family affair.
Good evening everyone, I'm Lisa Ferranda.
And I'm Greg Hirsch. Thanks for joining us.
We are beginning tonight with trouble in the tropics. Tropical storm Chris is churning toward the gulf.
Let's get right to Dr. Neil Frank with the latest on Chris' location, Doc.
Well, it's good news tonight. Chris has not strengthened during the daytime.
The Air Force has been flying into it all afternoon. Found the winds are still at 60 miles an hour.
And the radar out of Puerto Rico would suggest that it's maybe a little even disorganized.
And as we put everything into motion now for the last 24 hours, you can watch this cloud mass associated with tropical storm Chris
passing north of the islands in the eastern Caribbean. North of Barbuda, north of St. Martin's.
And tonight the storm center is about 95 miles north of St. Thomas.
It'll be passing north of Puerto Rico during the nighttime hours.
However, some of those heavier bands on the south side could bring some heavy rains to the island.
We expect it to continue to move towards the west northwest.
And if it doesn't deviate from this track, we might see a tropical storm or even a hurricane in the eastern gulf of Mexico by the first of the week.
We'll have all the details when we come back.
And for up to the minute information on tropical storm, on that tropical storm watch, you can go to KHOU.com and get email alerts every time there's any update.
You can also find tracking maps and satellite images of the storm on our website.
A Montgomery County wife, mother and former art teacher is charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child.
28 year old Lisa Minchew has been under investigation for months.
She taught at Magnolia High School in Montgomery County and was fired earlier this year.
11 News reporter Sherman Chow went to the school to get reaction.
One thing high school students do well is talk to each other.
Most kids know about it.
In fact, nearly every student we spoke with was well aware of why the new art teacher had been terminated in February.
Rumors were going around that she had slept with a student.
Even the authorities heard about and began to investigate.
Students had had a party and Ms. Minchew was there, allegedly brought alcohol and had some sex with some students.
Some of the students complained.
Then about four months after Minchew's firing, there was another party in July and two students driving her car had an accident that sent them to the hospital.
When her parents were talking with the sons, it was learned that they were at a party where Ms. Minchew was at
and that sexual relations with some of the other students there at the party had happened.
That led to Minchew's arrest Wednesday morning.
She was picked up at her home. Her husband and two young children were there.
She was actually arrested today.
Oh, was she?
Three counts.
That's a shame.
Former school board member Mike Sorel clarified.
You know, it didn't happen on school grounds.
It happened in a lot of different locations, from houses to cars.
Minchew's husband was a coach here last semester and many students are thinking about him as well.
He had to go through a lot, I'm sure.
Minchew is now behind bars on a bond totaling $75,000. The youngest alleged victim is 14.
Minchew had been a teacher at Magnolia High School for only seven months and did pass a criminal background check before hiring.
Authorities believe also that there are photos or videotapes of the encounters and they are anxious to locate those.
If you have any information, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.
From the newsroom, Sherman Chao, 11 News.
A 16-year-old girl from northwest Houston is missing and her mother believes she was abducted.
Carmen Reese was last seen Sunday night at a Sonic near Cypress Wood and Highway 249.
Her friends say a man called her over to his car and she got in.
Carmen likes her friends, but I think she would be home as she could be. And so I'm scared for her.
Carmen's mom says her daughter is addicted to her cell phone, but since Sunday, the phone has been turned off.
If you have any information about Carmen's whereabouts, you're asked to call Precinct 4, Deputy Constables.
We have a heartbreaking story coming out of Galveston tonight.
Acting on a tip, police went to an apartment and found a mother and her two children nearly starved to death.
It appears none of them had eaten for five days.
The eight-year-old boy was hospitalized and his 12-year-old sister was put in foster care, and the mother was charged with endangering a child.
We were able to bring you this story through our partnership with the Galveston County Daily News.
You can read more in tomorrow's paper.
Harris County deputies have arrested five men from Romania suspected of being part of an identity theft ring.
The men were picked up at a motel in northwest Harris County where they'd been staying for about two weeks.
Deputies confiscated copiers, cameras and other high-tech equipment which could be used to make fake IDs.
It's likely you've seen panhandlers on Houston streets asking for money or for food.
These days they're getting creative and tugging more and more in our hearts.
As 11 News reporter Jeff McShann shows us, they are allegedly cashing in on our compassion.
Excuse me, are you Nathan?
Yeah.
If you live in or around the Montrose area, you know it.
For months this well-spoken man, who is legally blind, has allegedly made a career crossing busy intersections.
HBD tells us nearly every day someone calls 911 telling them a blind man needs help.
But by the time police arrive, he's usually been picked up by someone.
Someone that gives them a ride like yours truly.
On this night, Peggy and Dan Krohn stop to help him.
Just now.
No, they just now met me.
Yeah, we were just walking along the first time.
What Nathan does when he gets in your car is ask for money for a hotel room.
People across the street try desperately to warn the Krohns.
Apparently there are a bunch of people over there at that sports bar who...
Well, you know, honestly what I think, you know, people can f*** off basically because I need the help
and bottom line is I'm going to get the help regardless.
I'm one of those that have been burnt more than once by him.
It's been well documented that across this nation, street beggars are becoming more creative.
Some make more than $40,000 a year.
This woman who was soliciting money for her dying child actually avoided our cameras after we learned her story was a lie.
Probably.
Yeah.
Probably most of them are lying to get the money.
Assistant DA Russell Turveyville.
Unfortunately, the United States Supreme Court interpreting the Constitution, the First Amendment,
basically said that no state or locality can enact any law to effectively regulate charities.
And these street beggars are classified as a charity.
So for now, the tugging of your heart continues because for now it has allegedly been profitable to people like Nathan.
We thought you should know.
It was about a month ago, the mayor made a request to the citizens of Houston
basically not to give money to people begging for money on the streets.
He said it's better to give it to the larger charities that can offer rehab, job training and places to live.
We're live at Montrose and Westheimer.
Jeff McShann, 11 News.
Former TSU president Priscilla Slade has surrendered to authorities after being indicted by a Harris County grand jury.
Slade was booked on charges of misusing university funds.
Police took this mugshot and she posted bond.
She left the Harris County jail without speaking to reporters.
But we did get a copy of her indictment today from the district clerk's office.
It details the district attorney's allegations that she misused public money for her own personal use.
Her first court appearance is set for August 10th.
An Amber alert remains in effect for missing three-year-old Danielle Jimenez.
Police believe the little girl from Pasadena was taken by her father after he stabbed her mother to death.
Leandro Jimenez is the man police are looking for and think he may be driving a silver 2004 Chevy pickup.
The license plate number is 9NGH92.
One day after HID announced it may close three schools, parents and some community leaders began assigning blame.
Some say it's not the students' fault they performed so poorly.
State Representative Harold Dutton blamed the district for not hiring more qualified teachers.
The schools that could close are Cashmere High, Sam Houston High and Reynolds Middle School.
A Houston mother says a popular antidepressant caused her child's birth defects.
You'll hear her story only on 11 News.
A Texas town five hours from Houston has become a developer's dream.
The building is unbelievable here.
We're headed down there to see why Money Magazine is calling it the market with the most potential.
See what the worst flooding in 100 years did to a television station in El Paso.
And time is running out for Time Warner.
See who's tuning in and when.
You're watching 11 News at Ten with Greg Hurst, Lisa Ferranda, Dr. Neil Frank with weather and Gif Nielsen with sports.
11 News at Ten.
Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration recommended women in the early stages of pregnancy not take the antidepressant packs.
Now there is concern the warning may have come too late for some.
There's been a flurry of lawsuits filed by mothers whose babies were born with birth defects.
Lisa Collins of Houston is one of those mothers.
Her son, Chase, was born with only half a heart.
You see your child the way that I've seen him.
I mean most people should never go through this in their lifetime.
We asked GlaxoSmithKline, the company that makes Paxil, to tell us its side of the story.
A company official told us it won't comment on pending lawsuits.
The maker of Vioxx won another case today.
A California jury found Merck is not liable for an elderly man's heart troubles.
Thousands of lawsuits are pending against Merck and the company is bound to fight each individually.
So far it has won five cases and lost three.
Houston Baptist University may hire Robert Sloan as their next president, which is a decision sure to stir up controversy.
Sloan was the president of Baylor until he resigned last year.
His critics accused him of being divisive and regents failed three times to fire him.
The board of Houston Baptist University will vote on whether to hire Sloan next week.
The Texas border has made a lot of news lately in the immigration debate,
but there is another story that's unfolding in the Rio Grande Valley.
It's one that's vastly changing the landscape and turning one city into a border boomtown.
The city of McAllen is five hours south of Houston and is gaining national fame for its explosive growth.
But we were surprised to learn what's fueling it.
Eleven is reporter Jason Whiteley went to see for himself.
If you ask someone for the best breakfast in McAllen, you will likely end up at Rex Cafe.
The diner has been a downtown fixture since the 1940s.
I just got out of high school in 97 and I came straight to work over here.
Baltimore Gidero is the third generation owner.
Inside, this place looks a lot like it did when it opened 60 years ago.
But outside, McAllen is at its prime, a modern day boomtown.
We're under the microscope right now. A lot of people are really recognizing that there is people down here.
There is a lot of money down here, a lot of untouched real estate.
A lot of real estate. New subdivisions are going up as fast as workers can build in.
Hundreds of new homes for thousands of new residents.
The building is unbelievable here.
We used to have a lot of orange groves and now everywhere you see they're either for sale or they've already been cleared and they're building houses.
Our bathrooms, Perry Homes.
In the past decade, real estate agents tell us that home sales in McAllen have more than doubled.
Houses are selling faster now too and for significantly higher prices, but still affordable.
The average place goes for $123,000.
Money Magazine even recognized McAllen this summer as the number one real estate market with the most potential.
I think we've finally been discovered. We've been down here and having wonderful weather, wonderful climate, wonderful culture.
Nothing new just finally noticed.
There's another fascinating angle to this story.
McAllen actively recruits businesses from all across the country not just to come here, but to move to Mexico where land and labor are cheaper.
But in American City luring businesses to Mexico, it made us wonder why.
We really are one city that happens to have a river running through it.
Since 1988, the McAllen Economic Development Corporation has convinced 300 factories to relocate in Reynoso.
The Standard Motor Company is one of them, making spark plug wires.
These maquiladoras, as they are known, are a major reason for McAllen's growth.
For every 8 to 10 jobs that move here, at least one position is created in McAllen.
The numbers are adding up too.
Since the late 80s, McAllen has helped create more than 83,000 jobs in Reynoso.
McAllen itself has netted an extra 19,000 positions from its neighbors' factories, mainly in support companies.
They will have to have support networks set up to feed materials to their plants.
They're going to bring management staff. They're going to bring additional freight lines in here to haul their freight in and out.
Bottom line is they generate or they contribute an estimated $1.3 billion a year to the McAllen economy.
It is a lucrative tradeoff. You can see it in McAllen's real estate market and at Rex Cafe.
Financially, we've seen it grow.
The diner's profits are up 6 to 8 percent this year alone.
It is a steady growth in a city now booming with business.
Jason Whitely, 11 News.
Governor Rick Perry will be in El Paso tomorrow to get an update on recovery after days of torrential rains and floods.
The downpours took their toll on the CBS television station.
Flood water roared into the 60-year-old building from everywhere and forced the station off the air.
Memories for us of Tropical Storm Allison.
We had water we were sloshing through just outside of the studio here and now we're watching Chris.
That's true and Chris is passing north of the islands in the eastern Caribbean tonight.
The good news is it didn't strengthen during the daytime.
We're going to put the radar from Puerto Rico in motion for the last 24 hours.
Watch the right-hand side of your screen.
You'll see the center of the storm come into view.
There it is.
And then passing north of the islands, north of St. Martin and north of the Virgin Islands tonight.
As a matter of fact, the center is about 95 miles north of St. Thomas.
And if you watch carefully, you saw right at the end there a little bit turn to the left.
If anything, it's wobbling a little bit south of due west at the present time.
But the good news is it certainly hasn't strengthened and it's not much better organized tonight than it was 24 hours ago.
This gives you the broader look now from the satellite.
And we're going to put everything into motion now for the last 24 hours.
And you'll watch the center pass north of the islands.
And that green line would indicate the past track of the storm.
And the center at 19.8 north, 64.9 west.
Winds are still at 60 miles an hour.
So where's it going to go?
Well, we still think it's probably going to move west or west northwest for the next four or five days,
which would put it into the Florida Straits or in central Florida or by Jamaica sometime on Sunday.
And it could be in the Gulf of Mexico sometime on Monday.
I emphasize now this yellow area.
That would be this cone of uncertainty.
And we would expect that about 65 percent of the time the hurricane would follow on a track that would stay with inside of that cone.
About 35 percent of the time the track of the hurricane could be outside of that.
I think it's very important for you to know that when we make a forecast, the forecast actually has two parts.
Number one, you forecast a track.
But the more important part of the forecast is the second part.
What is the uncertainty in that track?
And that's what that cone of uncertainty is trying to illustrate for you.
And you need to take that into consideration as you make your decisions.
So we're going to be watching this system very carefully.
Right now it's not strengthening.
There's a good reason why it's not strengthening.
And I'll show you that in a minute.
Why are we getting all those showers over the western part of the state?
Well, a low pressure system in the upper part of the atmosphere that's been around West Texas now for several days is drifting towards the north.
And we had a few showers over the western part of our viewing area.
Another hot day, 101 up in Dallas.
Locally we were 93 degrees.
Here is a big picture, and this is a storm system that is going to determine what happens to the strength of the storm.
That's a low pressure system over the Bahamas.
Also notice that big high over the east that's been causing the heat wave.
Well, that high is going to start drifting back to the southwest.
So as the storm clears this area in the Bahamas, it could come underneath that high, and then it would move westward across the gulf.
So the big key to our forecast is what's going to happen to that low.
And there are several alternatives I'm showing here that the low is going to stay there,
which means the storm probably isn't going to do much until we get to the weekend.
And then it comes underneath the influence of the high, moves west, and it could strengthen some at that time.
Forecast in the morning calls for mid-70s.
Tomorrow afternoon, let's call it a 20% chance of an afternoon or evening thunderstorm.
And we'll stay that way through the weekend, although I think there's a good chance that on Sunday
we might see a few more showers than we saw today or we're going to see tomorrow.
But Chris, it's a very unusual storm and we're going to have to watch it. Yep.
All right. Thank you.
The crisis in the Middle East saw the most forceful response to date from Hezbollah.
Militants fired more than 200 rockets into Israel and set a record today
by getting one rocket deeper into the country than ever before.
One of the rockets killed a man from Boston who had been living in northern Israel.
He was on his bike trying to get home when a warning siren went off.
Israel has 8,000 ground troop soldiers in Lebanon.
In Iraq, explosions on two soccer fields killed 14 young Iraqis.
Eleven of the victims were killed by hidden homemade bombs, the others by mortar shells.
Police say the dead ranged in age from 15 to 25.
Time-mortar cable is moving out, but who is moving in?
And will you have to dig deeper into your wallets?
Plus, have you been to the Galleria lately?
We'll give you a look at the retail renovation.
MUSIC
Model year clear.
You're watching Houston's Most Watched Late News.
This is 11 News at 10.
Time-mortar cable is tuning out.
The cable company is cutting its connection to Houston,
and Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, is moving in.
Just like Time Warner, Comcast is hoping to provide the same features,
you know, digital cable, internet and telephone service.
But after making calls today, we learned those services cost more in other cities.
A switchover will happen sometime early next year.
By the way, in a customer satisfaction survey,
Comcast ranks below Time Warner and the industry average.
Hey, can you hear me now?
The indicator says the service is back up.
The company says a glitch in the system-affected service in the Houston market
and in other parts of Texas.
Part of the Galleria has undergone a retail renovation.
Our cameras got a firsthand look at what is being done
to the space where Lord and Taylor once used to be.
The remodeled area has three new restaurants, new shops and a children's play area.
The president's finally getting reporters out of the White House.
The White House news briefing room has been described as cramped, dirty,
it's been a fire hazard and a home to rats, but finally it's getting a makeover.
The room is getting state-of-the-art technology and wider seating accommodations.
In the meantime, White House news briefings will be held in a building across Pennsylvania.
Texans running back Dominic Davis says he might not be ready to start the season.
So it's something new and I have to deal with it.
And Oklahoma kicks two players off the team.
Coach, as the tale's next in sports.
On the sideline, watching the action is not what the Texans had in mind
for running back Dominic Davis.
Hello everyone, I'm Butch Alcindor.
When the Texans drafted Mario Williams number one,
they put the running game in the capable hands of Double D, but he needs to be healthy.
And so far he's hit a couple of bumps in the road returning from knee surgery.
Now Davis went to visit an independent doctor in North Carolina,
and after the morning workout, he gave us the 411 on the knee.
I have a little light bruise on the inside of my knee,
and that'll take a little time, maybe two weeks, maybe six.
But I just need to get off of it.
But the good news is that I never tore nothing, I don't have to have another surgery.
And the outside part of my knee is feeling great.
I'm not feeling anything on that, so that's good news.
Meanwhile, Mario Williams also set out the morning workout.
His middle toe is infected, but the good news is it wasn't the toe he had trouble with during mini camp.
So rest should help out the big guy.
Meanwhile, most of the Texans' veterans' players got the afternoon off.
And according to 11 Sports reporter Matt Musil, resting the vets is part of Kubiak's philosophy.
The wear and tear of two-a-days in the scorching heat can get to any football player,
so at Camp Kubiak, they're trying a different approach.
Coach Kubiak has certainly endeared himself to the veterans on this team,
as periodically he gives them practices off.
That would be totally unheard of under head coach Dom Capers.
One of the biggest reasons I do it, and really Mike taught me this,
is he says when you have the confidence as a coach to sit some of those guys down and go practice,
what you're doing is you're telling the rest of your team and those young guys, I got confidence in you.
This was my first day off and I needed it.
I mean it was right to the point where I felt like my body was going to break down.
And Coach is smart, he knows some guys have been in this league 10, 11, 12 years,
he knows you can't beat them up if you want them to be here for the whole season.
You know the game by now, if you played 10, 11, 12 years, you know the game.
The biggest thing for you now is just to stay healthy and just get through the season and be able to stay fresh.
I think that's what he's doing, trying to keep the older guys fresh so you can just go out there and compete at a high level.
Kubiak assures though that if the veterans ever take advantage of his policy, he can always drop it.
Matt Musel, 11 Sports.
And of course for the most comprehensive news on Texans Camp, log on to our website at KHOU.com for the latest on the Texans.
Well the Oklahoma Sooners suffered a huge loss and the college football season is still a month away.
Quarterback Red Beaumont and offensive lineman JD Quinn apparently got paid from a car dealership for work they didn't do,
which is a violation of NCAA rules.
While the Astros are out west facing the Padres for the second straight night,
right now trailing 1-0 in the fifth.
But after a Todd Walker error, Willie Taveras single, scoring Brad Osmous, tying the game at one apiece,
and it is still 1-1 right now in the fifth.
Turning to soccer action, the Houston Dynamo hosted the Dynamo from Carolina when the sprinklers came on.
It was so hot the fans didn't mind tonight.
They also liked this. Alejandro Moreno with the header. Dynamo went on to win it 4-2.
And in the night camp it was El Salvador facing Honduras, Sergio Mendoza passing to Luciano Emilio,
and that's a goal for Honduras and they hung on to win it 3-2.
Now also today, former Elkins star Kip Wells got his first win with the Rangers.
He was traded from the Pirates to the Rangers as they pounded Minnesota 10-2.
Of course he was a big time player at Elkins and now he's back in Texas with the Rangers.
We're on team. Thank you.
Up next, rolling out the red carpet for a hometown screening.
This portion of the news is brought to you by Star Furniture.
Grammy-winning singer Beyoncé is back in her hometown of Houston promoting a new movie starring her sister Solange.
We were at the Magic Theaters in North Houston for their Walk Down the Red Carpet.
The movie is called Bring It On, All or Nothing, but don't look forward in theaters.
This one's going straight to DVD.
No further comment is necessary. We'll go straight to The Late Show with David Letterman.
It's coming up next. Sleep tight.