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October 30, 2011

Euless Man Killed in Motorcycle Collision on Robinson Road

Grand Prairie recorded its twentieth traffic fatality of this year Saturday evening when a motorcyclist collided with a SUV at the intersection of Robinson Road at Crossland Boulevard.

The accident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. when Steven Washington, 49, of Euless, driving a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle northbound on Robinson Road collided with a westbound 1997 Mitsubishi Montero that entered the intersection in front of Washington to turn south.

Sergeant Eric Hansen, Traffic Division, said Washington died at the scene.

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School Student Center Named Col. James R. Almand, MD Student Activity Center

Dr. James Almand speaks to a standing room only crowd at the dedication ceremony on Friday for Grand Prairie High School's Col. James Almand, MD Student Activity Center.

The Grand Prairie ISD held a dedication ceremony Friday to name Grand Prairie High School’s Student Activity Building as the Col. James R. Almand MD Student Activity Center after prominent local physician and retired Air Force Colonel, Dr. James Almand, MD.

Dr. Almand, who setup his medical practice in Grand Prairie in 1956, has served the school district for more than thirty years. He provided low cost physicals to students who participated in athletics and other school activities. The money raised from these physicals was used to fund the Dr. James Almand Scholarship that has provided more $50,000 in scholarship to deserving graduating seniors.

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October 29, 2011

Gophers Lose 45-2 to Mansfield

The Grand Prairie Gophers scored only once Friday night when Jaylen Fail returned a blocked extra point to the end zone for two points in the Gophers 45-2 loss to the Mansfield Tigers at the Gopher-Warrior Bowl.

The Warrior also lost Friday night, getting beat 45-16 in Cedar Hill.

October 28, 2011

Police Seek Suspect in Attempted Robbery at Apartment Complex


Grand Prairie Police photo

Grand Prairie police are looking for the suspects in connection with the attempted robbery of an individual at the Sheffield Square Apartments, 2770 West Bardin Road on October 27 at about 5:40 p.m.

Police spokesman Detective John Brimmer said a black female used force in an attempt to steal a victim’s purse as she walked to her apartment. The suspect was unsuccessful and fled in a green 90s Toyota type car driven by a black male.

The suspects and the fit the description of the suspects in a previous robbery that occurred in Grand Prairie, Detective Brimmer said. He said in this robbery, police have surveillance photos of the female suspect using the victim’s credit card at a Kroger store in Arlington.

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October 27, 2011

Police Search for Suspect that Threatened and Robbed Individual

Grand Prairie Police Department photo

Grand Prairie police are searching for the suspect wanted in connection with the armed robbery of an individual on October 21 at the car wash, 3050 Kingswood Boulevard.

At about 8:18 a.m., the suspect, armed with a black semi-automatic handgun, approached a man washing his car in one of the open bays demanding his wallet.

When the victim said he had nothing, the suspect chambered a round in the gun and threatened, “Give me your wallet or I’ll shoot you.” The victim gave up his wallet.

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Little Lunch of Horrors Benefitting Children First Counseling Center

More than 300 attended the 16th annual Little Lunch of Horrors, the fund raiser for the Children First Counseling Center of Grand Prairie.

October 26, 2011

Cooler Temperatures for Remainder of Week

A strong cold front is expected to move through Grand Prairie Wednesday night bringing with it strong northerly winds and widespread rain.

Ahead of the front on Wednesday, temperatures will once again warm into the 80s under mostly sunny skies and breezy southerly winds.

With the front moving through by Thursday morning, the high in Grand Prairie on Thursday is expected to be in the upper 50s to low 60s.

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Second Teen in Saturday Crash Dies of Injuries

Kimberly Pimentel, 17, of Grand Prairie, the driver of the car in Saturday’s single car accident on SH 360 that killed Carlos Marquez Jr, 15, of Arlington, died Monday evening at Methodist Dallas Medical Center from injuries sustained in the crash, police said Tuesday.

Two other passengers, Isaiah Rodriguez, 16, of Arlington, and Flordeluna Flores, 15, of Grand Prairie, are still hospitalized in stable condition.

This is the 19th traffic fatality in Grand Prairie this year.

The collision remains under investigation.

October 24, 2011

Firefighters Wear Pink to Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Grand Prairie firefighters assigned to B Shift at Station 1, wear pink t-shirts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Grand Prairie Firefighters Association is selling the pink t-shirts to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Members of the Grand Prairie Fire Department began dressing in pink on Saturday to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The firefighter will wear pink t-shirts through October 30.

In addition, the Grand Prairie Firefighters Association is selling the t-shirts for $15 each to raise money for Susan G. Koman for the Cure, largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

The shirts are available for purchase at the following locations:

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Single Car Crash Kills One Teen, Injures Three Others

An Arlington teen was killed and three others were injured, two critically, in a single car accident Saturday night in the 6400 block of South Highway 360 near New York Avenue, Grand Prairie Police said Sunday.

All four are students at Mansfield Timberview High School.

Sergeant Eric Hansen, Traffic Division, said Carlos Marquez, 15, of Arlington, a back seat passenger in a 2003 Lexus RX300, was pronounced dead at the scene.

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October 23, 2011

Come Together - The Beatles Concert Experience at the Uptown Theater


October 22, 2011

Warriors Score 42 Points in Win Over Mansfield Legacy

The South Grand Prairie Warriors beat Mansfield Legacy 42-25 Friday night at the Gopher-Warrior Bowl.

Scoring for the Warriors:

Leonard Aikens 11-yard run (Johnny Armijo kick)
Tomorris Hamilton 45-yard punt return (Johnny Armijo kick)
Jared Johnson 2-yard run (Johnny Armijo kick)
Louis Dailey 39-yard pass from Jared Johnson (Johnny Armijo kick)
Bryan Ajumobi 3-yard pass from Jared Johnson (Johnny Armijo kick)
Leonard Aikens 15-yard run (Johnny Armijo kick)

Continue reading "Warriors Score 42 Points in Win Over Mansfield Legacy" »

October 21, 2011

Dubiski Students to Work with Race Crews

Rick Elmore, Automotive Program Facilitator/Instructor at The School of Transportation & Logistics at Dubiski Career High School announced Thursday a partnership with the school and professional motorsports companies to give students a chance to explore career opportunities.

This weekend, a select group of students will work with race crews at the American Drag Racing League event at the Texas Mortorplex in Ennis to get an inside look at a career in professional motorsport.

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October 20, 2011

Foundation Honors Slain Grand Prairie Police Officer

At a ceremony held Wednesday at the Public Safety Building, Denise Hunter, widow of Grand Prairie Police Sergeant Gregory Hunter, was presented a memorial statue by David Blanchard, President of the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation.

The Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation is the national advocacy group for the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Based out of Washington DC, the foundation has trustees throughout the country.

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October 19, 2011

City's 2011 Holiday Ornament Celebrates Farmers Market


The annual custom-designed 2011 City of Grand Prairie holiday ornament, which celebrates the city’s Farmers Market, is now available. First Lady Janice England created the ornament project as a way to celebrate Grand Prairie. Revenues benefit local charities. Ornaments retail at $15 each and may be purchased at:

City Hall
317 College St.
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon-Fri

Tourist Center
2170 N. Belt Line Rd.
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon-Sat

Farmers Market
120 W. Main St.
8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sat

Continue reading "City's 2011 Holiday Ornament Celebrates Farmers Market" »

Grand Prairie Public Library to Offer Downloadable Music

Beginning in mid-October, the Grand Prairie Public Library will offer the Freegal downloadable music service, giving library card holders free access to hundreds of thousands of songs from Sony Music’s catalog of new and legendary artists.

Under the terms of the agreement, registered card holders of the Grand Prairie Public Library can download three Sony Music tracks in the MP3 format each week at no direct cost via www.gptx.org/library. This service is provided by the Friends of the Grand Prairie Library, Inc.

“We have been waiting a long time for a service like this that delivers great music, compatibility with lots of devices and simplicity of use. We think this will be incredibly popular with our patrons and will help the library in marketing all its services to the community,” said Elisabeth McMahon, librarian.

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October 18, 2011

Earth Force and General Motors Recognize Former GPISD Teacher for Environmental Education

Earth Force and the General Motors Foundation announced on Saturday that former Grand Prairie ISD teacher Phillip Kinstley was named as one of five winners of the Chevrolet GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) Educator Award.

The GREEN award recognizes educators who integrate environmental education into their school or community curriculums.

“These teachers represent the best of our education system, extending their environmental knowledge to tomorrow’s leaders and problem solvers," said Vivian Pickard, president of the GM Foundation.

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Season Tickets for AirHogs 2012 Season on Sale

By Josh Hirsch

Season tickets are now on sale for the Grand Prairie AirHogs' 2012 season, as the club looks to defend its first-ever American Association championship.

Deposits for season tickets cost $100, with three options available - club seats (the first 8 rows behind home plate) for $500 per seat, reserved seats (all other outdoor seats) for $350 and the Officers' Club for $750.

The Officers' Club will be open to all with the comfort of air-conditioned seating and the terrace outside for just $15 per game! Sign up today to book your seat before it fills up!

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October 17, 2011

Cold Front to Bring Cooler Temperatures, Chance of Thunderstorms

An upper level disturbance and strong cold front is expected to move through Grand Prairie tonight bringing much cooler temperatures for the rest of the week and a chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday night as the front moves through. A few of these storms may produce strong downburst winds and some hail.

As the front moves through, winds will shift to the Northwest and then North at 15 to 25 miles per hour.

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October 15, 2011

Fugitive Task Force Relocates to Public Safety Building

Grand Prairie Chief of Police Steve Dye along with U.S. Marshal Randy P. Ely, announced Friday at a press conference the relocation of the Dallas/Fort-Worth Fugitive Task Force to the Grand Prairie Public Safety Building.

The Fugitive Task Force has been in operation since January 1, 2004 with participating agencies that include the Dallas Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Mesquite Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department and the Tarrant County Sheriffs Department as well as numerous other local, county, state and federal agencies personnel assigned to the task fo

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October 14, 2011

Congressman Marchant to Host Veterans Fair

U. S. Congressman Kenny Marchant announced that on November 5 he will host a Veterans Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Euless Family Life Center, 300 W. Midway, Euless, TX.

With many veterans unaware about the different services, benefits, and programs that are available to them, Congressman Marchant said, the fair will have over thirty representatives from services and organizations that could greatly help veterans’ lives.

A list of vendors is available online at: http://marchant.house.gov/VeteransFair

October 13, 2011

Chamber Holds Legislative Forum to Discuss Business and Community Issues

Members of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce met with local, county, state and federal level elected officials Wednesday at the Chamber’s Legislative Affairs Committee’s Legislative Forum.

Each representative got the opportunity to briefly speak to the audience about issues critical to businesses and the community which was followed by a question/answer and open discussion session with Chamber members.

Some important topics discussed:

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October 12, 2011

Grand Prairie Honored With Gold Leaf Award for Arbor Day of the Year

The city of Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Department has received the coveted Arbor Day Gold Leaf Award of the Year from the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and the Texas State Forest Service.

The Arbor Day Gold Leaf Award is designed to recognize an individual, organization, or community for outstanding Arbor Day programs that have shown an impact over several years through special projects, ceremonies, news articles or observations with an Arbor Day theme.

Grand Prairie’s efforts to preserve and promote our environment and trees include:

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October 11, 2011

Chance of Rain Forecast for Tuesday Night

A fast moving upper level disturbance will move through the region late tonight that could bring isolated to scattered storms to Grand Prairie.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth said the storms are expected to develop to our west and northwest and head eastward.

Rainfall amounts will be much lower with this system, and many locations will not see rain this time around. Storms will continue to head east Wednesday morning into northeast Texas and Arkansas.

October 08, 2011

Grammy Winning Los TexManiacs Plays at the Uptown

Los TexManiacs, the 2010 Grammy Award winning group, played Saturday night at the Uptown Theater as part of the theater’s 2011-2012 Professional Concert Series.

The group while maintaining its roots in traditional conjunto music, played a blend of music with Texas rock, blues, and R&B that the group calls, "hip music everyone can relate to."

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Twenty-Fifth Annual Grand Prairie Metro Rotary 5K, 10K Pumpkin Run


Cedar Hill Beats the Gophers 63-20

Scoring for the Gophers:

Ardarius Singleton 65-yards (Alex Rostro kicked)
Devante Lacy 42-yard pass (Alex Rostro kicked)
Ardarius Singleton 4-yard pass (kick failed).

South Grand Prairie lost to Mansfield Timberview 14-39 in Mansfield.

October 07, 2011

Animal Shelter Offers Free Pet Vaccinations

Grand Prairie residents are invited to bring dogs, cats and ferrets for free rabies and 5-in-1 vaccinations at the Prairie Paws Animal Shelter, 2222 W. Warrior Trail, on October 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. There is a limit of 5 pets per household.

Rabies and 5-in-1 will be limited to the first 1,000 dogs, cats and ferrets and Bordatella will be available for the first 800 dogs only.

All dogs must be on a leash and cats and ferrets in a secure carrier.

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Slight Chance of Rain This Weekend

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth said a slow moving upper level low will move near the North Texas area this weekend bringing widespread rainfall to much of the state west of Interstate 35. But for Grand Prairie, the Weather Service expects less than a quarter inch of rain.

Rain chances will end on Monday as the system exits the area.

Chamber Welcomes Rising Star Christian Academy

Jessica Nimo and Marketta Nimo (center), co-owners of Rising Stars Christian Academy, pose with members of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce Branding Irons at Thursday's ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce Branding Irons hosted a ribbon cutting on Thursday for one of its newest members, Rising Star Christian Academy.

The family owned, Christian centered child care facility began operations in December 2010 and now has over a hundred students.

“Rising Star is the highest quality provider at the lowest cost of any day care in the southern sector of Grand Prairie,” co-owner Marketta Nimo said.

Continue reading "Chamber Welcomes Rising Star Christian Academy" »

October 06, 2011

Grand Prairie to Participate in the National Take Back Initiative for Disposal of Prescription Drugs

Grand Prairie Police will offer residents a chance to dispose of pharmaceutical or controlled substances that are expired, unused, no longer wanted or needed. Residents may take these substances to the Public Safety Building, 1525 Arkansas Lane, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no limit on the number of prescriptions that residents may bring, and this service will be free of charge. The program is anonymous and all efforts will be made to protect participant privacy. No identification will be required before disposal, and no questions will be asked. Senior residential complexes are encouraged to encourage their residents to take advantage of the event or collect such pharmaceuticals from their residents to bring to the event in one box. All drugs must be delivered to the location. Officers are not able to collect drugs from residences or businesses.

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October 05, 2011

Harvest Fair Features Gourmet Food Trucks at Farmers Market

Harvest Fair at Grand Prairie’s Farmers Market, 120 W. Main St., gets in the food truck frenzy on October 15, when seven deliciously gourmet food trucks park on Main Street for good eats at Market Square.

This will be an opportunity for visitors to sample the ridiculously good, roaming restaurants. Offering a variety food that should satisfy everyone’s appitite, the trucks will serve pulled pork, Korean BBQ, New York deli, steak sandwiches, tacos to yogurt. The following trucks will serve from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m:

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Chamber Host Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for OWL'S Day Habilitation

Suzanne Shook (center), Executive Director of OWL'S Day Habilitation, cuts the ribbon at Monday's ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by members of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce Branding Irons. © 2011 - Bob Fitch/Grand Prairie Reporter

Members of the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce Brand Irons hosted a ribbon cutting on Monday to welcome OWL'S Day Habilitation at 1700 W. Polo Road to the Chamber.

October 04, 2011

Texas A&M Student from Grand Prairie Receives Texas Armed Service Scholarship

This month, recent South Grand Prairie High School graduate Antonio Alaniz received the prestigious Texas Armed Services Scholarship, upon the recommendation of State House Representative Rodney Anderson.

To be considered for the award, Antonio had to be nominated by an elected state official. Each elected official can nominate only one student each year for the scholarship, making the bid for a nomination very competitive. In order to qualify to be nominated, however, Antonio first had to show that he met certain criteria, such as maintaining a 3.0 grade point average, achieving a class ranking falling within the top one-third of his senior class, and scoring either a combined 1590 on the SAT or a 23 on the ACT.

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October 03, 2011

Police Take Part in “White Ribbon Man Up” Campaign

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month, the Grand Prairie Police Department will again partner with the Ina Mae Greene Foundation’s “White Ribbon Man Up” campaign.

Today, male officers and civilians will wear a white ribbon to symbolize “that our future has no place for domestic violence in any form.” Female officers and civilians will wear a purple ribbon to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness month.

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October 01, 2011

The Woods UMC Opens Pumpkin Patch with 3,000 Pumpkins

The Woods United Methodist Church, 1350 W. Bardin, opened its sixth annual Pumpkin Patch Saturday when more than seventy church members unloaded about three thousand pumpkins along with various shaped and sized gourds.

Cary Dover, Director of Church Operations for The Woods, said the pumpkins go on sale immediately after unloading and the patch will be open seven days a week through October 31 or until all the pumpkins are sold. All proceeds from the sales help support the church’s ministries and community activities such as the Grand Prairie Co-op. Purchases are tax deductible.

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Soroptimist Girl of the Month for September Ceremony

Soroptimist Girl of the Month for September ceremony held Saturday. (L-R)Liz Paynes, Terri Dirba, Jordyn Gaines, Tiffany Martinez, Karen Torres, Emily Bourlon, Emily Shaw and Angela Giessner

Saturday, the Soroptimist International of Grand Prairie recognized five high school and middle school girls in the Grand Prairie ISD for their outstanding character, community service and leadership.

Each month the Soroptimist Club honors the winners with a certificate and at the end of the year one girl from each high school is chosen Girl of the Year and awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

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Mansfield Beats South Grand Prairie 41-28

Mansfield beat the South Grand Prairie Warriors 41-28 Friday night in the Gopher-Warrior Bowl. The Warriors tried to come back in the fourth quarter scoring three touchdowns but could not close the gap.

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