You're watching KXAM TV 36, your 24-hour news service. This is News 36 at 6. Police arrest nearly 70 men accused of committing sex crimes in a neighborhood park. Good evening everyone. For years, folks living around Bull Creek Park have complained about people using the park as a meeting place. A meeting place for sexual encounters, but police are taking action. Over the past few weeks, they have conducted an undercover operation and they've arrested nearly 70 men. News 36's Nancy Miller was there for the bust. You're looking at exclusive video of an undercover police bust in the middle of a sunny afternoon and the man with his back to you is accused of public lewdness. Simply accused of having sex with a stranger right in the park. Only this time, the offer for sex went to a police officer. There are condoms on the trailside. And we're right at the parking lot here. You're right on the entrance of the park. And there's a condom wrapper right there. That's correct. This is Bull Creek Park, a public park where police say people come to do a very private act as we stroll through the evidence is obvious. Like a 14-year-old girl with her dog walking down the trail and not more than 100 feet away we had made a rest. It had just occurred. We were in the park about 35 hours and we averaged about one arrest every 30 minutes. We go tadpole hunting. Terry Rush's new home backs right up to Bull Creek Park. When she moved in, it wasn't Flower Garden's neighbors chatted about, but sex. You don't want to be walking and have to explain it yet to a five and six-year-old what's going on. He's going to learn it soon enough. He doesn't need to be exposed to it right in his own backyard. Literally, his own backyard. Folks like Terry now have support from police. Officers hope arrests like this one send a message. They won't tolerate X-rated acts in a public park. Now as we mentioned, nearly 70 people face charges on everything from public lewdness to indecency. Among those accused, well, just about anybody. Men who are out of work to at least one prominent business owner. Sally? Well, Nancy, the parks may be cleaned up today, but what are police going to do to keep it that way? Well, they're really hoping to get the word out about their zero tolerance policy. They hope to have sting operations like this at least once a month and publicize them. And they say that they'll keep the walls painted in the restroom. They say apparently people would use the walls to sort of make dates. They'd write on them. Sally? Thanks, Nancy. There's some mixed news on crime in Austin. Police just released these statistics for 1995. Major crimes, as you can see, in Austin were up 5% last year. Police say it's mainly property crimes like thefts and burglaries. Aggravated assaults also went up, though. Still, Austin is one of the safest places to live in Texas. Of the state's eight largest cities, Austin ranks seventh in violent crime. Tomorrow voters decide if Austin should spend millions of dollars to build and improve city schools. Polls open in the morning for the $369 million dollar school bond election. And tonight, bond supporters and opponents are working to get voters to the polls. Robert Hadlock joins us now live from Casise Elementary with more on preparations for the vote. Robert? Ron, there is a lot riding on this school bond passage tomorrow. $369 million dollars in bond improvements, as you mentioned. And here's how it looks on the ballot. The first deals with renovations. 96 schools would get something, the cost over $120 million. The second proposition deals with building 11 new schools. Over 150 classrooms would also be added. Price tag almost $177 million. The final proposal deals with upgrading security and computer technology. Acquiring land for new schools is also in there that cost $72 million. Clearly, there is a lot at stake tomorrow, but there's also a lot of work to be done by both sides to get their voters out. Both sides want to make sure you see it their way tomorrow, so they're working hard today. In a grassroots effort, you've got to have all the ammunition ready to go for your troops. And when you have thousands of folks out there going door to door, you need the stuff. And so that's what they were doing today, is getting the stuff ready. John Barr is organizing a troop of volunteers in a battle for the bonds. They started back in September. Tomorrow we will put out a total of 6,000 yard signs and tens of thousands of door hangers. These folks are hammering, stamping, marking, and even phoning their way to what they hope will be a victory. If you have the time, we're urging a yes vote on all propositions. Bond opponents have a phone bank too. It's Mickey Bentley. This is his headquarters. This is his mission. We talk about crisis management in the school district, but today is our crisis management to try to get the vote out tomorrow to get these bonds defeated. Today we're trying to wrap up and getting ready for the election for tomorrow. We're having signs printed, we're having some more signs picked up right now. Yes ma'am, do you have any signs ready? We cannot have any ready today. It has to be tomorrow. No, the election is tomorrow. He may not have signs yet, but Bentley says he does have support. There's people going around knocking on doors right now, handing these out and trying to get the vote out. So there are many activities that are going on and it's just, to know where everybody is, it's impossible. I think we are going to be setting records grassroots wise. This campaign is unbelievable. We're going to have literally thousands of volunteers out tomorrow. The deal is there's a lot that needs to be done before an election. Now since we spoke with Bentley, he did manage to get those signs. Now both signs will be out as early as 4.30 tomorrow morning, putting out all those signs. Of course, the greatest impact of these school bonds will be on the students. But here at Casise Elementary, it's just one of the schools on the repair list. Right now, students here are learning their writing and arithmetic in rather cramped quarters. The fifth graders inside this classroom know more about this issue than you might think. I've noticed that it's been real hard for Ms. Black and all the subs to get us all calmed down because they'll get one part of the class calmed down and the other half will be excited. I don't really know much, but I know that they're going to raise the tax money so we can have money to buy more stuff for local schools. The stuff in here is kind of old, so if we use things, they sometimes don't work after a while. If you own a $100,000 home, your taxes would go up $40 a year if this passes. Now cramped quarters are only part of the problem here in the schools. There's also a shortage of necessities like textbooks and paper. We want to remind you the polls will open tomorrow in Austin at 7 in the morning. You can vote until 7 in the evening. If you're not sure where to vote, you can call the AISD at this phone number, 414-3196. I'll be back with more from here at Kasis a little later. Sally and Ron? Thank you, Robert. Now the campaign for president is back in the Lone Star State. Republican front runner Bob Dole campaigned in three Texas cities today. In Dallas, Dole visited a school that teaches kids about technology. He told supporters that the government should take a smaller role in elementary and secondary education. Dole also went on to San Antonio and Houston. Taxpayers will be sweating over their calculators and computers this weekend trying to beat the tax filing deadline. In filling out, your return can be, well, taxing. But as News 36's Larry Brill reports, computer software is changing the way America pays Uncle Sam. Schedule A, schedule C, W-2s, and 1040s. They can all add up to hours of stress trying to manipulate dividends and deductions and reach that bottom line. Last year, three and a half million Americans filed their returns using personal tax software, and it could be almost twice that many in 1996. Jitinder Fram will be one of them. He used the most popular software, TurboTax. It took him about two hours, and without it? I would say it would have easily taken me two, three days before I actually started doing my taxes and then from doing my taxes, maybe another day or so. I don't know that that will ever be fun, but it can be a lot less intimidating. Kathleen Hotchkiss runs a software training company in Austin and says the biggest advantage to these programs is that users don't need to know their form 1099 from their 4562 or their schedule A, B, or C. Software leads them through a series of questions and fills out the proper forms and does all the math for them. Even tax experts say it works. Unlike any other software, though, it's dependent upon the user's knowledge on how well it's going to work out for you. Using the computer to do your taxes has become so popular this year that Volt TurboTax and the IRS have set up websites this year to provide tax forms for you and also provide online help. The IRS says 42 percent of the taxpayers file a simple 1040 form each year, and it hopes that more will turn to electronic filing, making at least one part of the process more simple. Larry Brill, News 36. Remember April 15th is the tax deadline. You need to have your return postmarked by midnight Monday to avoid paying a penalty to the IRS. Well, we may get a return of the rain in central Texas. But we could also see some storms. Bob Rigio has the details of the first forecast, Bob. Sally and Ron, there's just a slight chance for a severe thunderstorm this evening, but I doubt it. Let's take a peek at that first forecast, and we're going to have less than a 20 percent chance of an isolated thunderstorm. If it does develop, it could be severe. Sixty will be the overnight low temperature, and look at this tomorrow. Can you believe this? Ninety-four degrees, sunny skies, much too hot for this time of the year. There is a tornado watch in effect for some of the counties in the area, and we'll show you that in a few minutes. You're watching KXAM News 36 at 6. With Ron Aloeveda, Sally Halvabay, field anchor Robert Hublack, James Benscher with First Warning Weather, and Roger Wallace with Sports. A central Texas community is in a building boom, and it's attracting retirees. And a new drug could mean an end to insulin shots for diabetics. Those stories, when News 36 continues. Back for more fire, Ann Killer, huh? So what should I get? Amdro. The ants do the work for you, see? They carry amdro deep inside the mound. Queen dies, the mound dies. Just one step. Home and family are at the heart of our lives. And quality is at the heart of Stanley Steamer. Quality in our performance, our products, and in our people. People you can always trust to make you feel right at home. It's Foley's Red Apple Sale this Friday and Saturday only. Shop 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and save up to 50%. Don't miss Foley's Red Apple Sale. Green, green, it's green, they say, on the far side of the hill. Green, green, I'm going away to where the grass is green. Dandelions are ruining this lawn. Too bad they didn't use Scott's Turf Builder Plus 2. Every patented particle gives you dandelion control, plus Scott's exclusive greening technology, so it helps keep every square inch green and weed-free. There is a difference in fertilizers, the Scott's difference. If you could build a radio station with a better mix, you'd have Mix 94.7. More music, more variety, a better mix. You've probably seen there is a definite boom in new home construction underway in Austin. It may be small compared to the number of homes going up in Georgetown. Close to 500 homes are finished and there are plans for another 9,000 at Sun City Georgetown. This new community for active retirees includes four golf courses, a new hospital, and several shopping centers. Most of the people moving here are Texans who want to retire close to home. And we also put in other architectural features so that it will be something Texans feel comfortable with. 17,000 people are expected to be living in Sun City when it's complete. That will double the current population of Georgetown. 16 million people suffer from diabetes in this country. Most have what's called Type 2 diabetes. Insulin shots are often part of their daily life. But as News 36's Lisa Glass tells us, new medicines are letting some folks go without the shots. Lydia Anani is an OR nurse living with diabetes. Only now it's much easier. For her, there are no more insulin shots. Her doctor has her on a winning combination of new medicines. So now we have medications that work in many different ways and we can sort of push on different buttons to try to more effectively lower or control the person's blood sugar. Lydia is among a growing population at high risk for diabetes. One in seven Hispanics over 35 already has the disease. Minorities in general are at high risk. So are those over 40. Also those with a family history of diabetes. And those with symptoms like chronic thirst and frequent urination. Lydia says her new simple medicine ritual has made a big difference. And the pills, you can just set them up for the whole week if you put them in something that is designated for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So it's very convenient. And it really has helped me. It's changed my life. Two or three medicines together can now do what one alone couldn't. And if it means no more shots, patients like Lydia Anani are all for it. Lisa Glass, News 36. Not everyone's as lucky as Lydia. Doctors say not every patient is a good candidate for being taken off of insulin. But they say medicine combinations are definitely worth looking into. Well, we're wondering if we're going to need an umbrella or maybe sunscreen this weekend. I'll take the umbrella. We could see some rain. We could certainly use it. Bob Rigio has the forecast when News 36 continues. It's spring testing. It's Wolf Nursery Spring. Savings spectacular. The area's premier nursery for fresh and healthy tree shrubs and bedding plants. This week, the complete line of Green Line lawn and garden products. All 25% off. Plus our huge assortment of plastic pottery, all sizes. This week, take 25% off. Plus Wolf's huge selection of fresh bedding plants. Jumbo six packs. This week, just $1.99. Come join the spring savings spectacular at Wolf Nursery. Cutting prices, not quality. We have a truckload of savings going on at Lax. Plus, right now, save 30% to 60% on Lax entire stock of Sealy Inserta. Queen sets start at just $12 a month. Twin sets start at $6 a month. At Lax, all Sealy Posturepedics and Certifervix sleepers are on sale. Queen sets as low as $20 a month. All week long, Lax is bringing in truckloads of savings. Huge bargains throughout the store. Plus, no money down, no payments till June. At Lax, if it's not right, we'll make it right. Truckload of savings at Lax. It's the Ross 1499 swimsuit spectacular. Save 60% to 75% on the top names in swimwear. I got it at Ross. The folks at McDonald's have a brand new deal. They're calling it the Super Buy Combo Meal. A French McChicken sandwich over Lay O Fish. A classic hearty Big Mac, if you wish. With a small freaking price, it's just $2.99. McDonald's Super Buy Combo for a limited time. McDonald's, the official break of the Olympic Games. Monday night at 7.30, a News 36 Olympic special. Meet Olympic hopefuls from central Texas. I never thought that I couldn't do it. Separate athletes, one dream. No one can take that away from me. Will they succeed? Only time will tell. I want to win. But watch their story and see what drives them to the gold. My gift comes from God. News 36, profiles in spirit, Monday night at 7.30 on KXAN TV 36. Robert Hadlock back live in West Austin at Kaseese Elementary with a reminder about the school bond election tomorrow. Supporters of the bonds tell me they're praying for rain. They feel their supporters are the most active and will get out and vote tomorrow no matter what. Bob Rigio, are they going to get their wish? No way. No way at all, Robert. No rain in the forecast, even though there is a tornado watch in effect for some of the counties in central Texas until 10 PM. That includes San Sable and passes Burnett, Williamson, Milam County, and off to the east of us, Travis Lee and Fayette. Does not include Travis County. I do not. I'd be awfully surprised. I would not be surprised, rather, if this watch isn't dropped within the next hour or so. And this is the reason why. Here's our live Doppler radar. And don't adjust your folks or your sets, folks. There is nothing out here. It is just as dry as could be. And this is the reason why. Let's go back to our weather graphics. And you can see dry air to the west. Here's all the moist air to the east of Austin and to the northeast of Austin. We'll draw in our surface features for you. Cold air north of this cold front. And as this cold front is pushing down, it's kicking off this dashed line we see here. That is a dry line. Typically, you would expect to see some thunderstorms firing up along the dry line, as well as along this cold front. That should not happen in central Texas. And the reason why, let's look where the dynamics are aloft. They're not down here. If we go back to the graphics, they are not down here. They are located to the north of us. This is where all of the dynamics is located. This is where the energy is. This is where all the heavy thunderstorms should be occurring. Now we can go to our next rad. And you can see, yes, indeed, golf ball to baseball-sized thunderstorm or hail is being produced by this line of thunderstorms you see moving right through the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Here in Austin, nothing. That dry line is now to the west of us. So we're not expecting anything to trigger in central Texas, even though we have that watch. But again, I would not be surprised if it's taken away within the next hour or so. These are the current conditions. Now let's take a peek at those. You can see no thunderstorms out there. Mostly clear. 84 is that temperature. Dew point is 25. Look at the humidity, 11%. So that tells you right there that that dry line is to the east of us. West winds at 18. That also tells you that the dry line is to the east of us. So there's nothing in our area that should trigger any thunderstorms. Pressure is steady. The sunrise, 706. Sunset, 757. High today was 85. And we expect some warmer temperature than that tomorrow. 68 was the morning low. There is your normal, 79. 59, record, 92 and 36 was the record low. Molds are high. Oak, high, 1575. And if you park your car under an oak tree like I do, you just have to brush all that pollen off. Pecan is low and grass is low. Here's a look at our weather map for tomorrow. Sunny skies. We're going to keep that cold front to the north of us tomorrow when that larger low moves to the east, that larger upper level low moves to the east. And that will provide the push to get this colder air down but not until tomorrow. So tomorrow, look for that southwesterly winds. That's why we expect those temperatures to be up in the 90s in central Texas into the south, 80s over north central, west Texas, and 70s up there in a panhandle. Let's take a look at our forecast then for tonight. Just a slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm if that does develop. And I don't believe so. But if it does, it could possibly be severe, clear, and warm for the most part. 60 will be the overnight low. Southwesterly winds at around 5 miles per hour. And then tomorrow, can you believe this, 94 degrees with that southwesterly winds, 10 to 15. It is just much, much too hot. But I promise by Sunday when that cold front comes down from the northwest, we're going to cool these temperatures down to where they belong. Here it is. 82 on Sunday. And then we'll get those temperatures down in the upper 70s on Monday and Tuesday. 82 again on Wednesday. And Ron, there's not a raindrop to be seen in there. So if you don't get one from his storm tonight, we're going to be dry for the next five days. Boy, that's too bad. Thanks, Ron. Well, the shark tries to keep up the pace in Augusta. And the Longhorns will battle for first place in the Southwest Conference. We'll head out to the Dish when News 36 continues. The School Weather Network is brought to you by Motorola Austin. So you finally let him get that humongous TV with the man-eating speakers that apparently go with his other 12 blinking black boxes. Now, where the heck are you going to put them? No one puts the home in home theater like Ethan Allen. There's a sale on now. From Lubbock to Houston, Dallas to San Antonio, all roads lead to Crestview RV and the biggest fold-down sale in Texas. Over 150 Jacob, Gohmans, and Starcraft on sale today from $32.99, with only $99 down. Plus travel drillers from $79.99 and motor homes from $34.999. If our name's not on your RV, you probably paid too much. See us today. Crestview RV, exit 220 I-35 South Austin. You know, I was raised. Certain things are done a certain way. Did I forget forks? You never run around the house. You never put your shoes on the table. It's my mother's fault. And you never eat roasted chicken with your fingers. You just don't do it. Well, now KFC has this new tender roast. Roasted chicken in pieces. I can't handle it. So good. All my rules go right out the window. Mom. New chicken? New rules. KFC, we're changing the way America eats roasted chicken. Now get two pieces of new tender roast, two sides, and a biscuit, a complete meal, just $2.99. www.kxam.com is your access to the latest in news, weather, sports, and more. The News 36 website is updated twice a day, putting the day's headlines at your fingertips. The KXAM News 36 website, another reason we're your 24-hour news service. There will be no repeat for Ben Crenshaw at the Masters. He needed 69 today to make the cut. He shoots 74, and he misses the cut. Let's go to Augusta for guys that will be around this weekend. Lee Jansen, the former US Open winner, and he rolls in a putt from all around 60 feet. You're not supposed to do that at Augusta. Jansen, one of three golfers at 5 under par. Nick Faldo, he won in 89. He won in 90. Shoots 67 today, and he is right in the hunt. But the hunt is led by the shark. Greg Norman, check out this bender. He shoots a 69. Great way to follow a 63. He is at 12 under par, and right now, he is looking at everyone in his rear view mirror. Let's take a look at the board. There you see Norman Faldo, David Frost, and Mickelson at 6 under par. Your Longhorn board, Estes and Leonard, will play this weekend. The cut was at plus 2. Brooks, Crenshaw, and Kite are finished. Texas Tech Red Raiders in town to take on the Horns. Tech ranked fourth in the country, but they are second in the conference, behind 15th ranked Texas. Our Derek Castillo is out at the dish. And Derek, would you say the pressure is on Tech this weekend? Hey, Roger, I think the pressure definitely is on the Red Raiders. Of course, Texas Tech, the preseason conference favorite. They are also one of the top five teams in the nation. Of course, they're number four. But really, the pressure is on them, because Texas has already beaten the Red Raiders earlier this year. As for the Longhorns, well, they are one of the hottest teams in the nation. Texas has won 10 straight and 17 out of 19. The Horns swept Houston in Houston over the weekend to give them sole possession of first place in the conference. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, lost 2 of 3 to Rice over the weekend. Tech is in second place now in the conference. So this one is huge. How huge? Well, just ask Coach Gus. World War II was bigger. Maybe even World War I was bigger. Now, seriously, it's a big series. It's probably the biggest series of the year for us in terms of Southwest Conference. They're a real good team. I don't know where they're ranked now, since they got beat this weekend. But I mean, they're still going to be ranked high. I think we move up in the rankings a little bit, maybe. But rankings don't matter this weekend, because they're going to be a good football club. And we're going to both be pumped up, because we know the championship's on the line. So a lot on the line, the Southwest Conference title could be on the line. First pitch set for 7 o'clock. Jake O'Dell will get the start. And if you plan to come out here to the dish, you better hurry. Less than 1,000 tickets remain for this one. A beautiful night for baseball. We'll have all the action for you coming up tonight at 10. Roger? Thanks, Derek. Tomorrow there's a doubleheader. You can catch the Longhorn football team before the doubleheader. It's the orange and white game at the UT practice fields. Of course, Memorial Stadium under construction. It's been a good spring for the quarterbacks, with James Brown resting the shoulder. Richard Walton is emerged as the solid backup. And Marty Cherry, the red shirt freshman, also giving Walton a run for his money. But this is nothing but a friendly rivalry. Oh, yeah. Marty's a great guy. I'm trying to get all the way down, complete, 100%. And Marty's still kind of learning and stuff. So pretty much the same way that James and I were last year since we were Shagon. I was trying to learn it. And James was, I was spending time with James. So it's going to be good. I tell you what, it will never be fierce between Richard and I. We've always been friends. We will always be friends. So it's been a friendly competition. And all it's doing is making the team better. Finally, our parting shot. It's more like our shattering shot. Hockey fans, this is what you have to look forward to. If you sit in the front row, Francois Leroux from the Pittsburgh Penguins will give you a shot in slow motion. Check it out. The puck comes whistling at the glass. And the glass, not supposed to shatter, but it does. Fortunately, everyone OK. And tomorrow before the scrimmage, Coach Macavick and all the coaches are going to be flipping pancakes so you can go out there, have some breakfast, and watch football. All right. Sounds like fun. Some folks who went to Zilker Park got more than just some time outside today. They also got a taste of the art Austin has to offer. We'll tell you about a unique program when News 36 continues. Go ahead. Catch up on your sleep, because Star Furniture is closed until noon this Saturday. Then, starting exactly at noon, the sale you've waited a year for is back. For 10 big hours, get the furniture you really want on sale and don't pay anything for a full year. No down payment, no monthly payments, no finance charges. Don't pay anything for a full year at Star. Sleep late, but get to Star by noon this Saturday to get sensational store-wide savings. And don't pay anything for one full year at Star Furniture. A child at work on a computer, discovering, learning, accomplishing. Now we can give every Austin student a chance to learn the skills that will prepare them for tomorrow by voting for the bonds on April 13. By adding just a nickel to our tax rate, we can build new schools, restore existing ones, and put computers in every classroom, giving our students a safe and productive learning environment. Let's help every child be a winner. Say yes to the bonds. If you could build a radio station with a better mix, you'd have Mix 94.7. More music, more variety, a better mix. The Spam Cordon Bleu from France, eggplant parmesan from Italy, and Jamaican Spam Panadas. There's only one place to find these scrumptious dishes. Can you say Spamorama? This pandemonious party of potted pork will feature live music, fun for the kids, and events that focus on America's favorite, meat and a cake. So get off the porch and come to East Sixth Street on Saturday, April 13. Spamorama benefits United Cerebral Palsy. It's Spam-tastic. It's not as entertaining as Jim Swift, but the folks who went to Zilker Park did get something extra today. The park was filled with art and artists. Artists set up booths, and children and other visitors got a chance to try their hand at creating art. Folks were also treated to musical performances throughout the day. It's all part of the Art in the Park program. Nice day to be out in the park today, too. You bet. There's still a tornado watch in effect. Let's take a look one more time at that out with our graphics. There it is. It includes Williamson, Lee, Bastrop. It does not include Travis County in effect until 10 PM. Radar shows no thunderstorms in our viewing area. And I would not be surprised if they cancel that. And no rain tomorrow, you said? No rain tomorrow. Sunny skies, 94 for a high. All right. Thanks, Bob. And thank you for being with us. We'll see you at 10. Have a nice evening. I don't think anyone else can even come close to the selection of explorers that leave Johnson Ford. Selection, just one of the reasons that.