Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • A5

INSIDE Keeping pets warm As colder weather rolls in, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers hints for pet safety. Page 8A JUAST TEXAS PAGE 5A SATURDAY, NOVEMEBER 27, 2010 Pittsburg school district begins bilingual program Area briefs LONE STAR Trustees discuss school transfer in English." The program evolved over time, she said. "What they did over time was the program turned into an English program with a bilingual teacher," Carrell said. In 2008 and 2009, the district converted to a full immersion program, with students starting out 90 percent Spanish and 10 percent English, gradually progressing through the grades until the classes were 50-50, by sixth grade. Then, Carrell said, the Texas Education Agency upped the ante.

Not enough students were taking the sixth-grade Spanish Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, See BILINGUAL, Page 8A tive language, which helps them master English more than other Jean Carrell, career and technology education director and bilingual English as a second language director for the school district. "The district has recognized the need to provide an excellent bilingual program," Carrell said. "The higher they can achieve in that first language, the higher they can achieve in English." In 1997, the district numbers for native Spanish speakers grew to the point where the state required the district to be a bilingual district. "In 1997, we had the early exit program," Carrell said. "It was bilingual.

Students were taught a whole day in Spanish and 30 or 40 minutes BY KIM COX East Texas Community Newspapers PITTSBURG "Yo veo una cali-bra amarillo," the page said. "I see a yellow snake." The timer on the computer screen dings, a cleanup song comes on, and suddenly little hands start putting blocks back in boxes, stuffing flash cards into folders. As the song ends, students move to another station. "I tell them all the time they are lucky, lucky kids," said Benita Tom-linson, a first-grade bilingual teacher at Pittsburg Primary School. Pittsburg Independent School District is instituting a new bilingual program.

The program students a better grounding in their na Special to the News-Journal Two Pittsburg students work together on a bilingual program the school launched this year. Autopsy: Blood clot cause of inmate's death DAINGERFIELD Christmas could come early for the city of Lone Star if the Daingerfield-Lone Star Independent School District board of trustees votes to donate Lone Star Elementary School to the city. Members of the school board discussed the matter Nov. 18 with the mayor of Lone Star and City Council members. If the donation is made, it would be pending legal study of transfer of real estate, Superintendent Pat Adams said.

"It is too good a school to be torn down," Lone Star Mayor Nick Nichols said. PITTSBURG Secretary named interim manager Pittsburg City Secretary Margaret Jackson has been named interim city manager until the City Council can find a permanent replacement. She succeeds Jim Gibson, whose contract was not renewed. Jackson has served as interim city manager twice. She has 27 years of experience with the city and has been secretary since October 2003.

BY JIMMY ALFORD MOUNT PLEASANT A Titus County Jail inmate died Thursday afternoon only hours after telling jailers he was not feeling well. Fredrick Hurndon, 34, of Mount Pleasant vomited at about 3 p.m. and was immediately sent to Titus Regional Medical Center, according to Titus County Sheriff Tim Ingram. He died less than two hours later and was pronounced dead by Titus County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Paula Dyke. Hurndon' body was sent to Dallas for an autopsy, and preliminary results indicate Hurndon died from blood clots in his leg.

Hurdon had been an inmate since his Nov. 7 arrest on a child support charge. Hurndon also was wanted in Upshur and Marion counties, but Ingram did not know the specifics of the charges. The autopsy report stated the blood clots in Hurndon's leg traveled to his lungs and caused his death, Ingram said. Results also indicated the clots were most likely caused by genetic factors and not trauma.

A blood clot from the legs that travels to the lungs and suddenly blocks important arteries is a condition called pulmonary embolism, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Statistics show at least 100,000 cases of PE occur each year in the U.S., and is the third most common cause of death in hospitalized patients. Michael CavazosNews-Journal Photo A day in the park Jerrold Killingsworth plays disk golf Friday at Guthrie Park. ristmas Tariies i ookin 9 Make your reservations now. Storewide VAN ZANDT COUNTY Man dies after dog attacks mother-in-law TYLER An East Texas man has died after suffering a heart attack when he tried to help his mother-in-law stave off an attack by her neighbor's pit bulls.

Van Zandt County Sheriff Pat Burnett said the mother-in-law tried to intervene when the pit bulls attacked her two dogs Thursday, but was knocked down and bitten by one of the pit bulls. Burnett said the pit bull that bit the woman was stabbed and killed with a pocket knife by her son-in-law, who later had a heart attack while the woman was being treated. Burnett told the Tyler Morning-Telegraph that paramedics couldn't revive the Van Zandt County man. He said the woman was hospitalized, and the pit bulls were to be tested for rabies. Burnett said no charges were immediately filed.

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