The event will once again feature a special Easter egg hunt in which dogs and owners work as a team to collect their share of thousands of brightly-colored eggs scattered throughout the dog park.

Festivities will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with a doggie costume contest, followed at 6 p.m. by the Easter egg hunt.

Admission is $1 per dog. All dogs must register at the dog park and all must have a leash.

For more information, contact the Katy Parks and Recreation Department at 281-391-4840.

The Katy Dog Park is located on Franz Road, between the Katy Municipal Court and the library.

Laurie Allen, 45, was sentenced to 2½ years of deferred adjudication for lacing the food with the over-the-counter pain killer.

In addition to the probated sentence, Allen was ordered to pay a $500 fine, make restitution to the victim and perform 100 hours of the community service.

The dogs belong to neighbor Helena Diana Mohammazad, who agreed to terms of the sentencing.

According to the court record, Mohammazad witnessed Allen bending over the fence between their property and then found saltine crackers containing cheese and chunks of meat. She also found a substance, later identified as ibuprofen, in the center of the cheese and meat mixture.

Later, the dogs began vomiting blood and had to be taken to a veterinarian. They were treated and survived.

Allen was initially indicted on the felony charges by a Waller County grand jury last September.  

She could have a faced as much as 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

The juveniles came to the attention of police as the result of information received from tipsters. The pair was interviewed and released by police late Thursday night.

Brookshire Police Chief Joseph Prejean said an undisclosed amount of money is missing from the residence of victims Stanley Jackson and Janella Edwards, and that may be a motive in the double slaying.

The victims were both shot one time in the head.

Two young girls – daughters of Brookshire Mayor Joey Vaughn – apparently slept through the killings and were unharmed. Jackson and Edwards were the girls’ godparents and had been babysitting the children.

The investigation began around 7 a.m. Thursday morning when police were called to the home in the 3200 block of Third Street on Brookshire’s east side. Prejean said the girls were awakened around 7 a.m. by knocking on the door. When the older girl went to check on the sound, she found Jackson laying dead near the front door.

Frightened by the discovery, the girls hid in a bathroom and called their mother on a cell phone, only to find the sound was the mother knocking on the front door. The mother then called police.

Both victims were well known in the community. Jackson drove a concrete truck; Edwards worked at a department store. 

Prejean said he personally knew the victims, as well as the two girls, and that the incident had been “very, very difficult” for the children.

Investigators spent several hours combing the home and surrounding area for clues while concerned residents looked on.

Streets surrounding the neatly-kept pink brick home were clogged with more than 100 neighbors and onlookers watching the investigation take place. Many expressed shock at the killings.

The Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting in the investigation.

These and other questions are answered in a new statewide 4-H curriculum enrichment program developed to increase awareness and understanding of local government among seventh- and 12th-grade students.

“We were looking into updating the 4-H County Government Guide, which was about 25 years old, but after extensive input the idea morphed into producing a new 4-H curriculum enrichment program,” said Rick Avery, director, V.G. Young Institute of County Government, part of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and one of the organizations developing the program.

The result was “Keys to the Courthouse: A Curriculum Enrichment Program for Youth,” a more than 170-page leadership-oriented publication on county government, produced through a partnership between the Texas Association of Counties, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas and the V.G. Young Institute.

Each lesson includes information compatible with state-mandated TEKS requirements and teachers may use these in conjunction with in their own lesson planning.

“The program features five lessons with associated, age-appropriate classroom and research activities,” Avery said.

In addition to helping students meet requirements, the program will help them build “developmental assets,” including community values and serving others, as well as life skills such as responsible citizenship, teamwork, planning and organization, he said.

Chapters of the publication address county government framework and function, services offered by county government, the justice system, local elections and voting, and financing county government. Contents include vocabulary, roles of elected and appointed county officials, county services, county legal system components, a description of the local election process, and an explanation of county funding and budgeting. There also are various age-appropriate activities, including additional vocabulary, review and note pages, fill-in-the-blank quizzes, word search, county service cards, research projects and a “County I.Q.” test.

The spiral-bound publication will include a fold-out map of Texas counties and a DVD of program activities that may be printed separately.

“The DVD also contains video tours of various county offices throughout the state which have been prepared by the Texas Association of Counties in its ‘County Government: There When You Need It’ video,” said Gene Terry, executive director of the Texas Association of Counties.

“Unlike the counties in some other states, all 254 Texas counties have a similar form of county government, and that makes it much easier to use the curriculum statewide,” Terry said. “County government is the level of government with which the average Texan will have the most interaction during his or her lifetime. Educating young people about county government will make them more familiar and comfortable with it, and help them understand how it benefits them and their community.”

The program was developed over a three-year period with extensive input provided from focus groups consisting of county officials, school teachers and administrators, AgriLife Extension agents, and 4-H youth and adult leaders, explained Dr. Toby Lepley, AgriLife Extension 4-H and youth development specialist and state learning strategies coordinator.

“We received input from those who would be using the program and would have the most to offer toward determining its content and direction,” Lepley said.

Burleson County Judge Mike Sutherland joined a 25-member focus group in Austin in 2008 to provide input toward curriculum development.

“As a former teacher who taught a class on government, we used to spend about two weeks on local government, about three weeks on state government and the rest of the semester on the federal government,” he said. “Increasing the focus on local government and getting young people to understand its structure and limitations will help them become more well-informed and responsible citizens.”

The program will “benefit society as young people learn the role of local government and how they can become more involved in it as a way to improve their community and state,” added Sutherland, a member of the Texas Association of Counties and the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas.

“I thought it was great that they included me in a focus group,” said Melanie Plemons, 18, who has been a member of 4-H for 10 years. “It’s important that young people know about voting and other things in the government. When you turn 21, government controls a lot of what you do, so you need to be informed.”

An initial printing of the publication will be completed this spring and distributed statewide to county agents of AgriLife Extension involved in 4-H and youth development efforts. Agents will distribute or make these publications available to 4-H programs and county officials. They also will promote the materials directly to local social studies teachers, focusing on seventh- and 12th-grade government classes.

The publication also will be available on the AgriLife Bookstore Web site, http://agrilifebookstore.org .

“In May, we will begin distributing these publications and also will be holding regional and district trainings to familiarize the agents with the program,” Lepley said. “And in July, we plan to add the curriculum to the Texas 4-H Program Curriculum Catalog.”

In September, county AgriLife Extension personnel will begin actively marketing the program to school teachers during curriculum enrichment educational programs, he added. In November, a County Government Workshop is slated for the Texas 4-H Summit on the Texas A&M campus.

“The curriculum is also written so an elected official can use components of the curriculum with civic groups and other adult audiences to explain the role of each elected official and county government,” Terry noted.

The materials also will be posted on the Texas Association of Counties public education website, www.TexasCounties4U.org, which includes videos showing how to obtain county services, plus other information about Texas county government, he said.

“4-H clubs can use this as part of their citizenship program, and judges and county officials can use it for educational and awareness efforts, plus we’ve also had 4-H parents who home-school express an interest in the program,” Lepley said.

“We’re excited about this new curriculum enrichment program and hope it will help fill in any gaps in existing school curricula on county government, while helping young people be more aware of and involved in county government,” Avery added.

In an afternoon press conference, Brookshire Police Chief Joseph Prejean said two young girls in the residence apparently slept through the killings.

The girls, ages six and nine, are the daughters of Brookshire Mayor Joey Vaughn. Neither was harmed.

The victims, identified as Stanley Jackson, 50, and his girlfriend Janella Edwards, 41, were both shot one time in the head. They were the girls’ godparents and the children had spent the night at the home in the 3200 block of Third Street.

Prejean said the girls were awakened around 7 a.m. by knocking on the door. When the older girl went to check on the sound, she found Jackson dead. Frightened, the girls hid in the bathroom and called their mother on a cell phone only to find it was the mother knocking on the front door.

The mother then called police.

Both victims were well known in the community. Jackson drove a concrete truck; Edwards worked at a department store. 

Prejean said he personally knew the victims, as well as the two girls, and that the incident had been “very, very difficult” for the children. Investigators, he said, were being very careful in questioning them.

“They’re small children, and you certainly don’t want to traumatize them any more than what they have been,” Prejean said.

Prejean confirmed the body of Jackson was found near the front door, while Edwards was found near the back door of the residence. There was no sign of forced entry and police have no motive at this time, but Prejean said he suspects the victims may have known the murderer.

Investigators spent several hours combing the home and surrounding area for clues while concerned residents looked on.

Streets surrounding the neatly-kept pink brick home were clogged with more than 100 neighbors and onlookers watching the investigation take place. Many expressed shock at the killings.

The Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting in the investigation.

As in years past, the egg hunting will take place by age group.

The egg hunt for 2-3 year olds will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 4-5 year-old group at 5:45 p.m. The 6-8 year-old children will start their egg hunt at 6 p.m.

The park will open at 4:30 p.m. with activities that include face painting and a petting zoo. Additionally, children can have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny for a $1 donation.

There is an admission fee of $1 per child for the hunt and bags will be provided to each participant.

The Easter egg hunt is sponsored by the Katy Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call 281-391-4840.

According to sketchy reports from the scene, police found a man and a woman inside the residence at the corner of Third Street and Kenney dead of gunshot wounds.

DOUBLE MURDER – Authorities stand guard as crime scene investigators gather evidence from the scene of a double murder in Brookshire earlier today.

Two young girls were taken from the residence by authorities. Both were unharmed.

As of 1 p.m., investigators from the Brookshire Police Department, Waller County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety were combing the area for clues. A crime scene technician could be seen dusting the residence’s front door for fingerprints.

Preliminary reports from the scene are that the murders took place early today. Although authorities have not released the names of the victims, relatives at the scene told InstantNewsKaty the dead were Stan Jackson and his girlfriend Jamella Edwards.

The body of one of the victims was reportedly found near the rear door of the residence, while the other was located near the front door. There were no signs of forced entry, according to police at the scene.

The two girls were the children of Brookshire Mayor Joey Vaughn. Jackson and Edwards were the girls’ godparents and were babysitting, according to neighbors.

The girls reportedly saw the suspect or suspects involved in the killings and took shelter in a closet when the shootings occurred. It was not immediately clear if they saw the actual murders.

When the girls’ mother came to pick them up, she discovered the grisly scene.

Both children were taken to the Child Advocacy Center in Fort Bend County to be interviewed.

Streets surrounding the neatly-kept pink brick home were clogged with more than 100 neighbors and onlookers watching the investigation take place. Many expressed shock at the killings, saying Jackson was well-known in the community.

“I can’t believe it; I just can’t believe it – they’re both dead,” one woman cried as she was helped from the scene.

Authorities plan on releasing additional information at a news conference later today.

The event will include live music, face painting, professional theater performances, games, “make-it-and-take-it” art projects, artist demonstrations, a “bounce house,” student presentations and exhibitions and refreshments.

All events and activities are free of charge. Hours for the festival will be 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Additionally, the festival will open with the first-ever Art Dog Parade, courtesy Waggin’ Tails Pet Ranch and Pet Butler of Katy.

Corporate sponsors for the event include the Texas Commission on the Arts, LaCenterra and Katy Magazine. Community sponsors are New York Life, Seeking Sitters, The Bug Reaper, Waggin’ Tails Pet Ranch, Agave Road, Pump It Up, Katy End Zone and Research Across America.

The district was formally classified as “Not Accredited: Revoked,” according to an announcement from the TEA yesterday.

The revocation was not unexpected for the struggling one-school district, which has been plagued with low test scores and dwindling financial resources for a number of years.

The district is expected to close effective July1 with students from Powell Point Elementary, the only school in the Kendleton district, transferring to Lamar Consolidated ISD. Currently, Kendleton junior high and high school students already attend schools in Lamar CISD.

Kendleton earned the dubious honor of becoming the first district to lose its accreditation since the accreditation system was implemented in 2006 under new legislative requirements.

In addition to Kendleton ISD, three charter schools also lost their accreditation. Those schools included Jean Massieu Academy in Arlington, Alphonso Crutch’s Life Support Center in Houston and Texas Preparatory School in San Marcos. Alphonso Crutch is currently not operating.

A district or charter with accreditation status of “Not Accredited: Revoked” may challenge the TEA’s decision. There is no word on whether Kendleton will appeal.

Commissioner of Education Robert Scott said the revocation of the schools’ accreditation came after years of substandard performance.

“This is an extremely serious step and it is not one that this agency takes lightly. Each of these districts or charters has exhibited years of extremely poor academic performance and/or ongoing financial problems,” Scott said. “Children and taxpayers deserve better.”

No one from Kendleton ISD was immediately available for comment on the TEA action and there was no mention of the accreditation revocation on the school district’s website as of late Wednesday night.

The TEA also gave 11 school districts or charter schools a classification of “Accredited: Warned, which is one step below full accreditation, because they either:

-         were rated Academically Unacceptable in 2008 and 2009;

-         received a Substandard Achievement or Suspended – Data Quality rating in the financial accountability system in 2008 and 2009; or

-         had one year of poor ratings in both the state academic accountability system and the financial accountability system.

Two school districts – Mullin and Marathon – and three charter schools – Northwest Preparatory in Fort Worth, Houston Alternative Preparatory Charter School and Metro Academy of Math and Science in Arlington – were assigned a status of “Accredited: Probation.”

The schools received the rating because they had poor academic and/or financial ratings in 2007, 2008 and 2009. If any of the schools earn additional substandard ratings next year, they could also face revocation of their accreditation.

“These five districts and charter schools must take decisive and effective action to turn this dire situation around,” Scott said.

TEA has not yet assigned an accreditation status to three school districts and 11 charter schools due to ongoing investigations that might affect the status assigned. In those instances, the accreditation status is reported as being withheld pending a final determination.

On a more positive note, 97 percent of all Texas school districts and charter schools received full accreditation status.

Scott announced 1,198 out of 1,232 districts and charters earned an “accredited” status from the TEA.

The state’s accreditation system examines both the financial and academic health of districts and charter schools. It also examines performance in other areas such as data reporting, special program effectiveness and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. This is the third year that an accreditation status has been issued for school districts and the second year a status has been assigned to charter schools.

“An overwhelming majority of our Texas school districts and charters are providing strong academic instruction to students and are appropriately handling public funds,” Scott said.

Under the accreditation system, ratings of Accredited, Accredited-Warned, Accredited-Probation or Not Accredited-Revoked are issued. The status of a district or charter can be listed as pending if an investigation is under way.

The state’s accreditation system examines both the financial and academic health of districts and charter schools. It also examines performance in other areas such as data reporting, special program effectiveness, and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. This is the third year that an accreditation status has been issued for school districts and the second year a status has been assigned to charter schools.

Twenty districts or charters received a status below the accredited level, including the four that have been notified that they are losing their state accreditation.

The chamber orchestra, consisting of strings and woodwinds, will perform a variety of works including Mozart and Haydn. Included on the program will be Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro and Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 in C major, often called the Bear Symphony.

Half of the program includes works composed specifically for winds and strings alone.

Tickets are $10 and are available online at www.fbso.org, by calling 281-276-9642 or at the door.

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, now in its 18th season, is under the direction of Héctor Agüero, Jr.

St. Peter’s First United Methodist Church is located at 20775 Kingsland Blvd., east of Westgreen Boulevard.

Program classes, comprised of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers, are conducted in both English and Spanish. 

In addition to learning the regular Katy ISD curriculum, students also become bilingual, bi-literate and bi-cultural, according to the district.

The optional program is offered at Fielder and Memorial Parkway Elementary Schools, but is available to students from other Katy ISD attendance zones, if space is available.   

“It’s electrifying to walk into a TWI classroom and hear and see the students learning in a language that is not their own.  I’m excited that a new group of students will also have this opportunity,” said Rosie Garza, Katy ISD Instructional Officer for Bilingual Education. 

The Two-Way Immersion Program is currently in its second year and students are already demonstrating success, Garza pointed out.  In addition to the academic and linguistic advantages, students are benefitting from learning about different cultures. 

All TWI students are expected to perform at or above grade level expectations and become fully literate in both languages by the end of fifth grade. 

Interest in TWI has increased substantially in the last two years, and parent involvement has been a pivotal part of the program, according to Kathleen Collins, Katy ISD TWI program facilitator. 

“The success of students in the program is touted by parents who continue to spread the word in the community.  Parents of children as young as eight months have called to inquire about the waiting list,” Collins said. 

In order to obtain an application for enrollment, parents are required to attend an informational session hosted by the district’s Department of Other Languages.  Sessions will be held at the Educational Support Complex in Katy on March 23 at 9 a.m., March 29 at 9 a.m. and April 13 at 5:30 p.m. 

Informational sessions will also be held at Memorial Parkway Elementary on March 30 at 6 p.m. and Fielder Elementary on April 6 at 7p.m.

Donna Gonzalez, 40 of Houston, the former Saint John Vianney Federal Credit Union manager, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison without parole for embezzling $56,862.36 from the credit union.

Gonzalez was indicted in August 2009 and pleaded guilty to embezzlement on Oct. 20 of last year.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed down the prison term at a hearing yesterday morning.

The sentence includes an upward adjustment of normal sentencing guidelines because of Gonzalez’s abuse of her position as a bank manager at the credit union to embezzle funds in her custody. Hittner also ordered Gonzalez to pay as restitution in the amount she embezzled to the San Antonio Credit Union.

San Antonio Credit Union now operates the former Saint John Vianney Federal Credit Union.

Gonzalez’ prison term will be followed by three years’ probation.

Gonzalez admitted that from Sept. 22, 2006, to Feb. 22, 2008, while employed as a manager of the Saint John Vianney Federal Credit Union in the 600 block of Nottingham Oaks Trail, she defrauded the federally-insured credit union, as well as some of its customers, of approximately $56,862.36. The funds were taken from dormant accounts.

Gonzalez issued official checks made payable to Bank of America, against funds in dormant customers’ accounts and deposited those checks into her personal bank account at Bank of America. 

Gonzalez, who has been on bond since her arrest, was permitted to remain out on bail pending the issuance of a court order to surrender to a Bureau of Prison’s facility to be designated.

The charges against Gonzalez were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Houston Area Fraud Task Force.

Council members approved a request from event organizer Donald Rockmore to close Fourth Street between Cooper and Velasco for the April 24 show.

Rockmore’s request for grant funding from the city’s hotel-motel tax fund was tabled, however, after City Attorney Art Pertile told the council the application had not been properly prepared.

Pertile said the request had not been submitted in the format established by the city, and he was not prepared to make a recommendation.

“Staff is not prepared to recommend you act on this request because it is not in the proper format,” Pertile said.

Mayor Joey Vaughn shouldered part of the blame for the confusion.

“Part of that was my fault; I gave Mr. Rockmore some wrong information,” Vaughn said.

Pertile recommended the council postpone action on the request until he could meet with Rockmore and iron out the application discrepancies.

Council members tabled the request until their next meeting.

Hotel-motel tax money is collected from Brookshire motels based on room rentals. By state law, the money collected can be used to fund events that encourage additional room rentals at hotels and motels within the city.

Founded in 1992 by parents within the membership of Simonton Community Church, the school is operated as a Texas nonprofit organization and is part of the church.

Simonton Christian Academy is administered by Simonton Community Church Board of Trustees, which is responsible to the church. The board consists of seven people, as well as the senior pastor of the church who serves as a non-voting member.

The board of trustees is responsible for all activities of the school, including formulation and implementation of policy, administration of finances, employment and curriculum.

The school stresses “superior academics in a Christian environment.” It serves children in grades Pre-K through sixth grade. In addition to standard subjects, the academy offers art, chapel and Bible study. Physical education classes have the use of a full-sized gym and enrichment activities are scheduled weekly in the computer lab.

The open house begins at 6:30 p.m. at the school, 9703 FM 1489 in Simonton. Those interested in registration for the fall semester can get more information during the event.

For additional information, contact the school at 281-346-2303 or visit the website at www.simontonchristian.org.

The breakfast will take place tomorrow, March 11, 7 – 9 a.m. at Luby’s Cafeteria on Mason Road.

The first guest speaker will be marketing consultant Hiett Ives. He will talk about health and how to create a healthy environment at home and at work.

Over the past two years as president of Wilness.com, Ives has discovered and embraced natural solutions to chronic conditions traditionally addressed by pharmaceutical and surgical solutions.

His presentation will include a discussion of the current state of the healthcare system, market trends within the industry and proactive choices people can make to improve their personal wellness.

The second speaker will be Texas Supreme Court candidate Rick Green. Green, an attorney and author, is currently in a runoff for a seat on the high court.

In addition to his law practice, Green is an entrepreneur who has built several successful businesses. Additionally, he has taught on the U.S. Constitution in virtually every state, educating people on what can be done to preserve constitutional freedoms.

Green received his BBA in finance from Angelo State University in San Angelo, and his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his Kara have four children and make their home in Dripping Springs.

Membership in the Christian chamber is not required to attend the breakfast.

The cost is $20 for non-members, $10 for bronze-level chamber members and free for silver, gold and platinum members.

For more information, call Delisle Doherty at 832-232-2049 or go to the chamber’s website at www.houstonchristiancc.org.

Luby’s Cafeteria is located at 485 S. Mason Road, just south of the Katy Freeway.

To ensure that complete count, Harris County is working to educate residents that the Census encompasses everyone, no matter who they are.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said it was crucial to the county’s future that everyone be counted.

“Our residents need to know that we need everyone to participate in the Census; nobody should be left out,” Emmett said. “It is vital that every single resident of Harris County is counted, so that our communities may gain the federal dollars and political representation they deserve.”

All residents should be counted where they live most of the time.  In addition to residents who own or lease their own households, the following groups of people must also be counted by the Census:

-         All students attending universities or colleges who currently live in campus dormitories or apartments.

-         Residents living in Harris County on a student or work visa.

-         Those living with relatives or friends because of a natural disaster or foreclosure.

-         Soldiers currently stationed on military bases

Harris County residents who are experiencing some form of displacement or lack of permanent address must also take part in the Census.  These residents will be counted at area service-based locations, such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

Additionally, “Be Counted” forms are Census questionnaires that will be available at various community locations for those who either did not receive a Census questionnaire in the mail or who were not otherwise included on any other Census form.

“The Census doesn’t discriminate,” Emmett said.  “If you don’t receive a questionnaire in the mail this month, that doesn’t mean you don’t count.  Be sure to follow up at a service-based location near you to obtain a form.”

For more information about Harris County’s 2010 Census campaign, visit www.PowerinNumbersHarrisCounty.com.

FFA WINNER – Taylor High Senior Shelby Jasso, (center, left) a Firethorne Guide, shows off her prize-winning rabbit to Firethorne GM Wayne Meyer (center, right) and FFA students Caitlin Powers (left) and Shelby Wells (right) at the recent Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show and Sale. The “Firethorne Stampede” auction team was high bidder on Jasso’s rabbit, as well as the sale’s the Grand Champion Goat, Reserve Champion Broiler and Grand Champion Showman Lamb, among others.

The Firethorne team also bought the fourth place goat, eighth place rabbit, 14^th place lamb and pig, plus 10 add-ons in the barn sale.

All money raised through the auction goes to support FFA college funds for Katy ISD students.

Stampede spokesman Wayne Meyer, who is also the master-planned community’s general manager, said Firethorne representatives were particularly excited to bid on a rabbit raised by a part-time employee who is also an active Taylor High FFA member.

“The Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show and Sale is always a highlight of the year.  We especially were thrilled to purchase the rabbit raised by one of our own Firethorne Guide employees, Shelby Jasso, who is a senior at James Taylor High School,” Meyer said. “Shelby has done a great job as an FFA student and at Firethorne, where she’s worked after school and summers.”

The Firethorne Stampede participants included Mike Dinges, John Steffes & BKD, Lyndel Berry, Cliff Kavanaugh, Tax Tech, Terracon, Storm Water Solutions, Freed Advertising, Susan Farb Public Relations, Park Construction, Bluegrass Maintenance, Jones & Carter, David Weekley Homes, K. Hovnanian and Jefferson Development Company.

Under terms of the agreement, Arizona-based LifeLock Inc. agreed to more accurately describe its identity theft protection services and provide $11 million to the FTC and $1 to the 35 states to settle charges the company used false claims to promote its identity theft services.

The joint investigation by the states and the FTC revealed that LifeLock unlawfully exaggerated its range of services and ability to prevent ID theft. LifeLock claimed its services were guaranteed to protect customers’ personal information and prevent criminals from using that sensitive information to open accounts.

Through the settlement – one of the largest FTC-state coordinated settlements on record – LifeLock and its principals will be barred from making deceptive claims and required to take more stringent measures to safeguard the personal information they collect from customers.

Through company advertising claims, customers were left with the impression identity thieves would be absolutely prevented from stealing LifeLock customers’ identifying information.

FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said while LifeLock promised consumers complete protection against all types of identity theft, the protection it actually provided “left holes big enough that you could drive a truck through it.”

State and federal authorities were also concerned about LifeLock marketing materials that improperly claimed customers faced a heightened risk of ID theft, despite the fact that LifeLock had no basis for those claims. Under terms of the settlement, LifeLock is also prohibited from making false claims about potential customers’ identity theft risk profile.

In addition, LifeLock must not misrepresent that it:

-         Protects against all forms of ID theft;

-         Eliminates the risk of ID theft;

-         Constantly monitors activity on each of its customers’ consumer reports;

-         Always prompts a call from a potential creditor before a new credit account is opened in the customer’s name.

As part of the restitution program, the states and the FTC will send letters to eligible LifeLock customers notifying them of the agreement with instructions on how they can opt-in to participate in the settlement.

In a statement issued following announcement of the settlement, LifeLock Chairman and CEO Todd Davis said he was pleased with the outcome, which he said works to set advertising standards for the entire identity theft industry.

“As FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz stated today in the press conference, the FTC has ensured that LifeLock has a legitimate business model going forward with honest advertising.  Notably, as part of its just-concluded investigation, the FTC reviewed both the LifeLock service and LifeLock’s current advertising to confirm that LifeLock is in compliance with all applicable legal requirements,” Davis said. “We will abide by the terms of this consent decree because we intend to continue to be true to our core mission – to help protect you, your family and your friends from identity theft.”

Davis added his company welcomed state and federal efforts to regulate the ID theft industry because that regulation also helps protect consumers from the risks of identity theft. He also noted LifeLock’s marketing has raised awareness of identity theft.

“Because of LifeLock’s marketing efforts, many more Americans now know of the risks of identity theft and the need to take effective action to protect themselves. LifeLock is committed to developing and applying the most advanced technologies available to help protect consumers from the consequences of identity theft,” Davis said. “We will continue to work very closely with federal and state regulators on regulatory and best practices to protect individual consumers.”

He also stressed the settlement does not change any current advertising since the claims centered on outdated marketing efforts.

“Nothing changes as a result of this settlement because it was based on activities from over two years ago. We agreed to settle this matter in order to quickly put this behind us so we can get back to doing what we do best – helping to protect our members from identity theft,” Davis said.

Founded in 2005, LifeLock is best known for its series of high-profile advertisements featuring Davis’ social security number 457-55-5462 and the guarantee, “If your identity is misused while you are our client, we’ll spend up to $1,000,000 to make it right.”

In addition to Texas, the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia all took part in the settlement.

The settlement, which stems from a 2006 investigation that found HISD employees reportedly taking gratuities from technology vendors and falsifying information given to federal auditors, will free up millions of dollars in federal aid that was frozen following incident, the district said.

The violations cited by the government also included non-competitive bidding by the district, as well as district officials receiving trips, meals and loans from vendors. 

The E-Rate program, which Congress created as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, was designed to bridge the digital divide between more affluent suburban students and urban students who are at or below the poverty line. More than 78 percent of HISD students qualify for free and reduced-price school meals, which is an indicator of poverty.

Under the program, which is funded by fees collected from telephone users, schools apply for funds to pay for hardware and monthly connectivity service fees.  The FCC oversees the E-Rate program.

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Tony West said the settlement resulted from an ongoing federal investigation of possible fraud and anti-competitive conduct in the E-Rate program in Texas by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the FCC Office of the Inspector General.

“The E-Rate Program provides critical support for Internet access and wiring to the most under-served schools in the country,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Tony West said. “We are committed to protecting the integrity of this important program that benefits our neediest children.”

For its part, the school district said it signed the settlement in order to release as much as $89.4 million in school technology funding awards that were frozen in 2006 when the investigation first uncovered wrongdoing.

As part of the settlement, HISD agreed to hire an e-rate compliance officer to closely monitor the program. The district picked veteran compliance officer Richard Patton to keep the program in check.

Patton has nearly 30 years of audit and compliance experience, the district noted. He spent 23 years with Duke Energy, Panhandle Energy and Texas Eastern Transmission in Houston in various financial audit and compliance capacities. For the past six years, Patton served as the chief compliance office for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP and Koch LP in Houston.

Patton, who is both a certified public accountant and a certified fraud examiner, said the district “has shown incredible commitment and teamwork” to restore the funding.

“As part of that effort, the district has strengthened its gift policies to the point that any employee who deals with an E-Rate vendor can’t accept so much as a McDonald’s hamburger,” Patton said. “The funding can be used for telecommunications services, Internet access, internal connections and maintenance of internal connections.

HISD has been trying to restore the funding for several years. When Dr. Terry Grier became superintendent last year, he made it a priority reach an agreement with the government to settle the court action. The HISD Board of Education agreed and authorized the district’s attorneys to expedite the settlement process.

HISD Board President Greg Meyers called the settlement “sound business.”

“It is a sound business decision to settle this and move on in order to help level the digital playing field for our students.”

All parents and incoming students will meet in the Hayes gym.  Important information about registration, immunizations and kindergarten supplies will be presented. 

Registration paperwork will be available at the orientation.  This paperwork can be returned on or after April 8. 

During the parent meeting, future kindergarten students will be in the kindergarten classrooms working on activities.