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A homicide investigation is launched in Hidalgo County after the La Joya Police Chief is found dead in his patrol unit. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino told Action 4 News Chief Jose Del Angel was found with at least one gunshot wound to his chest around 9 o’clock Thursday evening at a vacant lot on Palm Shore Drive in La Joya. The Sheriff said a passerby noticed an officer sitting in a unit not moving, and called 911. An officer responded to the scene, and discovered his boss slumped over in his city issued vehicle near a vacant lot. Texas...

The National Enquirer reported the Peruvian prison informant told police van der Sloot had murdered Holloway because she refused to have sex with him. The magazine reported the informant as saying van der Sloot had confessed to burying her body in a shallow sandy grave, before transferring it to a coffin with a body inside that was ready for burial. Talking to the publication, an investigative 'insider' said: 'Joran revealed to the prison snitch that in emails he told a buddy he became enraged when Natalee refused to have sex with him, and when he ignored her protests and started...

This is a consolidation of the current threads on FR. It is intended to make discussion and updates easier. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2526123/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2526200/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2526225/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2526245/posts

LIMA (BNO NEWS) — A Dutch man who is the prime suspect in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, Joran van der Sloot, has been accused of murdering a young woman in Peru. Police said Van der Sloot, 22, is the main suspect in the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramirez, whose body was found in the Miraflores District of Lima in the early morning hours on Wednesday. (MORE SOON.)

WESLACO - An internal memo from the Texas Department of Public Safety details a possible cartel threat CHANNEL 5 NEWS obtain the memo. We haven't been able to confirm the threat, but we thought it was important to tell you about it. The memo told officers to be more careful on and off the job. It states a flyer was found on a car in Brownsville on May 8. It was written in Spanish. According to the flyer, this weekend would be very violent, because two cartels will be doing battle. The internal memo states, “The public should remain calm,...

Omaha, NE- Elva Gomez wasn't just another patient to the physical therapy people who work at the Nebraska Medical Center. Her family's story of heartache touched their hearts, especially one woman, who knows all too well what's it like to depend on the kindness of strangers. Elva Gomez thought Monday was another scheduled therapy session for her second and third degree burns. Instead as she is escorted into a room full of presents she is told this, "Elva you deserve everything you're getting sweet heart." Elva can't hold back her tears and sobs at the sight of Santa's surprise. She...

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Natalee Holloway - Extended Thread 1Natalee Holloway - Extended Thread 2Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 3Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 4Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 5 Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 6Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 7Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 8Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 9Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 10Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 11Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 12Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 13Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion Extended Thread 14Natalee Holloway - Case Discussion...

A Valley soldier’s mother asked Action 4 News to take action Tuesday night to help bring her son home. Barbie Gunter, of La Feria, e-mailed the Listens Line looking for ways to get a refund on an airline ticket that would bring her son, Todd, back home to the Valley for a visit. Barbie Gunter, a kindergarten teacher, is still moving into her new second-story apartment in La Feria. She said that the challenges of moving into her new home with two of her sons is nothing compared to the battle she's facing trying to bring her eldest son, Todd,...

(Falfurrias-AP) -- Two Afghans and one Pakistani are among six illegal immigrants detained near the La Gloria over the weekend. However, the Border Patrol says it's unlikely that any of those detained Sunday have terrorist connections. All six detainees are young men, possibly in their 20s. The Border Patrol says the vehicle was stopped early yesterday near Ranch Road 755 near La Gloria, about 40 miles northwest of McAllen. Concerning possible ties to terrorists, patrol agent Johnny Garcia says nothing's been determined, but it's unlikely. Garcia says no drugs or arms were found in the vehicle, and the detainees were ...

Group seeks one-year laser visa delayBy STEVE TAYLORValley Morning StarAUSTIN — A border advocacy group wants Gov. Rick Perry to use his relationship with President Bush to get the introduction of Mexican laser visas delayed by one year.The Texas Border Infrastructure Coalition also wants Perry to go on Mexican TV and, in Spanish, tell potential tourists that the Texas-Mexico border is open and that they are welcome.Following a TBIC meeting in Austin Tuesday, chairwoman Dolores Briones tried to visit with Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar to see what more could be done to help border communities suffering from a ...

Cuellar calling it quits FridayBy STEVE TAYLORValley Morning StarAUSTIN — Henry Cuellar shocked Texas politics Tuesday by resigning as Secretary of State — just nine months after being appointed by Gov. Rick Perry.Cuellar, a 46-year-old former Texas House member for Laredo, said his decision was based on the "changing environment" currently taking place in Texas politics."I am exploring the possibilities of seeking elective office or other options and I do not want to compromise the integrity of this agency," said Cuellar, in his resignation letter to Perry. The resignation is effective at 5 p.m. Friday.Political commentators were surprised at ...

Is it OK to pray? I was just wondering ... Now that the president has called us to prayer ... Now that Congress has called us to prayer ... Now that our governor has called us to prayer ... Now that the city’s mayor has called us to prayer ... Now that the liberal media and most other branches of our American society have called us to prayer ... And now that our churches are assembling in special prayer ... Honorable justices of the Supreme Court, I have only one question. Would it be OK to pray in our schools? ...

‘Hit list’ alarms students By MARIA HUGHES Valley Morning Star HARLINGEN — A freshman student at Harlingen High School was expelled from the campus Tuesday afternoon for reportedly writing a letter that stated he wanted to murder 40 students at the campus. The 40 students’ names were listed on the letter, most of them freshman, cheerleaders and athletes. In the letter, the boy indicated that he wanted to commit the same act of violence as Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams, 15, did at Santana High School in Santee, Calif., on Monday. The California shooting left two students dead and 13 ...

10 years later Having been a private multi-engine pilot for almost 40 years, I have had the opportunity to fly four governors, three U.S. senators, one congressman and countless state senators and representatives, as well as numerous corporate executives. About 10 years ago, some friends of mine prevailed upon me to help then-Cameron County Judge Tony Garza by flying President Bush’s son, George W., from Dallas and back to speak at a fund-raiser at Rancho Viejo. It was my first time to be checked by the Secret Service. I was so impressed that I got a friend to fly co-pilot ...

May 29, 2000 - 01:42 AM Chinese President Thanks Clinton on Trade Vote The Associated Press BEIJING (AP) - Chinese President Jiang Zemin thanked President Clinton in a telephone call for his help in pushing through permanent low-tariff trading rights for China, state media said Monday. Jiang said the U.S. House of Representatives was "wise" to pass controversial legislation granting Beijing permanent normal trade relations. But Jiang also said "the bill contains some articles that China cannot accept," the official Xinhua News Agency said. China has complained about provisions in the legislation to establish a commission to monitor Beijing's ...