Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 15

FORT WORTH Star-Telegram Thursday, December 9, 2010 Range denies that it contaminated water wells Natural gas The Texas Railroad Commission will have a hearing on the issue Jan. 10. By Jack Z. Smith and Bill Hanna Fort Worth -based Range Resources blamed by the Environmental Protection Agency for methane contamination of two water wells in southwest Texas 114 set for new lanes near speedway The two-lane stretch will be widened to as many as six lanes. By Gordon Dickson Auto racing fans go to Texas Motor Speedway to watch drivers swerve and avoid pileups.

But when they're trying to get home, dangerous driving is the last thing they want to see on Texas 114. On Wednesday, Denton County officials announced that they've given the green flag to a plan that aims to make the highway a dangerous two-lane choke point safer by expanding most of it to four lanes and to six lanes near the speedway. "This stretch of road has a rather high level of truck traffic, lots of gravel trucks, and we need to separate that traffic and have more lanes," Denton County Commissioner Andy Eads said. The two-lane stretch of Texas 114 from Interstate 35W to Farm Road 156 will be expanded during the next 27 months, Eads and other political and business leaders said. The $15.4 million project is being paid for mostly with Denton County bond funds and the county's portion of regional toll revenue from the Sam Rayburn Tollway project in the LewisvilleCarrollton area.

Those improvements are the first of three phases More on LANES, 3B Map of the project. 3B Honkin' Mad For more transportation coverage, check out Police looking into 'heinous' burglary 2B Texas Lottery Numbers drawn Wednesday, Dec. 8: Lotto Texas 3, 12, 16, 17, 28, 40 Estimated prize was $4 million. No winners. Texas Powerball 8, 11, 25, 41, 58 Powerball 16 Power Play 4 Pick 3 Day 3, 5, 0 8 Night 0, 8, 8 16 Cash 5 7, 19, 21, 30, 31 Daily 4 Day 6, 7, 9, 5 27 Night 8, 4, 6, 6 24 Complete results, 2B Confirm winning numbers with lottery vendor.

The Star-Telegram is not responsible for incorrect numbed. Online: www.txlottery.d. A map of wells' location. 4B XTO request is tabled. 4B Parker County, strongly disputed those contentions Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state oil and gas industry, announced late Wednesday afternoon that it has scheduled a Online extra Keep up with developments in the Barnett Shale at Jan. 10 hearing on the issue. Based on its own investigation, Range, an oil and gas exploration and production company, said its activities have had no impact on the water aquifer in Parker County or the subject water wells. "The investigation has revealed that methane in the water aquifer existed long before our activity and likely is naturally occurring migration from several shallow zones immediately below the water aquifer," the company said. Two producing Range "I'm glad I was there.

All I did was what I've watched other people do on the news." Ryan Reed on taking control of the situation when his grandfather suffered a heart attack while driving in Arlington Joe Posavitz, 66, describes how he felt when he had a heart attack and lost consciousness while driving. His grandson, Ryan Reed, left, stopped the vehicle and called 911. He was given the 911 Teen Hero Award on Wednesday. Moseley With granddad in need, 16-year-old saved the day Weatherford teen earns award for acting cool under pressure when man had heart attack By Susan Schrock ARLINGTON Ryan Reed knew it wasn't time to panic. His grandfather Joe Posavitz, 66, had just suffered a heart attack and lost consciousness while driving along an Online exclusives Interstate 30 service Listen to the 911 call road in Arlington.

and see photos from Reed, a 16-year-old the award ceremony from Weatherford at with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, calmly grabbed the wheel, steered the slowly moving vehicle to a stop, turned on the hazard lights and called 911 on his cellphone. "He was gasping for air," said Reed, recalling the Reed had a hug for 911 -taker Angie Phillips, who guided situation last October. "This was really scary." him during the emergency. Phillips, who joined Arlington 911 More on 911 CALL, 4B just six months ago, commended Reed on his courage. natural gas wells in the area "are completed in the Barnett Shale formation, which is over a mile below the water zone." Methane is the primary component of natural gas.

The EPA said Tuesday that two Parker County homes have water contaminated by natural gas drilling activities and face the risk of fire and explosion. More on RANGE, 4B Keller gets high marks in report on schools Fort Worth ranks near the bottom on cost-effective results. By Eva-Marie Ayala RICHARDSON The Keller school district is one of the best in the state at achieving cost -effective academic success, according to a report released Wednesday. Keller, the Arlington Classics Academy and the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts were among 43 of 1,235 school districts and charter schools examined that earned a five- -star rating in the Financial Allocation Study for Texas. It looks at which schools are doing the best at making student gains while spending the least.

The Fort Worth school More on STUDY, 3B Extra Credit See what else is going on in the classroom, from preschool to college, at UTA builds for future with facility The engineering center is expected to help foster collaborations among different fields of study. By Diane Smith ARLINGTON At the University of Texas at Arlington's new Engineering Research Building, students will work on projects that could cure disease, attract business, and inspire up- and- -coming scientists and engineers. Inside the $126 million, building, computer science and biomedical engineers will be able to work alongside students of chemistry, biology, physics, math and genomics. More on UTA, 3B Big bucks for the Goodfellow Fund at Longhorn alumni's expense In my opinion Football follies produce a $103,000 Goodfellows gift from the Exchange Club of Fort Worth. FORT WORTH Over a coffin draped in black, the city's leading businessmen gathered Wednesday to remember the dearly departed.

For the Exchange Club of Fort Worth, the members' holiday party was also a time to grieve their recent "losses" to be precise, all seven football defeats and the lost bowl- game bid by the University of Texas Longhorns. At the club's annual benefit party for the Star- -Telegram Goodfellow Fund, emcee Edward "Buzz" Kemble pointed to the coffin and commanded the crowd to be "reverent" because "something really bad has happened." More on KENNEDY, 3B Bud Kennedy How you can be a Goodfellow, too To learn more or to make a credit card donation, go to goodfellowfund.com. Or send a check to Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Contributors' names will be published unless anonymity is requested. Edward "Buzz" Kemble demanded reverence for Bevo (1916- 2010), helping lay to rest a tragic season for UT.

The "pallbearers" were 40 Longhorn alumni in the Exchange Club. Star Jenkins.