Sewer lines to be replaced in Worth Heights area

Fort Worth, Texas - Come hear about the plans to replace sewer lines in the Worth Heights area. The city will meet with residents at 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Victory Forest Community Center, 3427 Hemphill St.

The affected area includes:

• Alley between South Main Street and Bryan Avenue from East Ripy Street to East Dickson Street.
• Alley between Bryan Avenue and Stuart Drive from 200 feet south of East Ripy Street to East Pafford Street.
• Alley between Stuart Drive and South Jones Street from East Butler Street to East Dickson Street.
• Alley between Pafford Street and Fogg Street from May Street to South Jones Street.
• Alley between Fogg Street and East Drew Street from May Street to Bryan Avenue.
• Alley between St. Louis Avenue and Main Street from West Dickson Street to Pafford Street.

Make plans to attend the meeting to hear the schedule and find out about impacts to residents.

To learn more, contact project manager Liam Conlon at 817-392-6824.

Zeno named City of Fort Worth CFO

Fort Worth, Texas - Reginald (Reggie) Zeno has been named director of the Financial Management Services Department and CFO of the City of Fort Worth.

Zeno has been finance director for the City of Cincinnati since June 2010. He was finance director for the City of New Orleans from 2002-2010 and held chief of staff and budget director positions for Transit Management of Southeast Louisiana from 2000-2002. He also worked for the New Orleans Public Schools from 1980-2000 in several positions, including interim chief financial officer for several years.

Zeno is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, where he serves as a reviewer for the Distinguished Budget Award Program.

Zeno holds bachelor of science in business administration and master of business administration degrees from Tulane University.

May 4 election results

Fort Worth, Texas - Mayor Betsy Price was elected to a fifth term on Saturday, defeating three opponents with a total of 55.7% of the vote.

All eight members of the City Council were re-elected, and there will be no need for a runoff election.

View vote totals online.

Mayor Turner's Public Schedule for May 7 - 10, 2019

Tuesday, May 7

11 a.m. Mayor Turner will present the FY 2020 City of Houston budget. Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby, Legacy Room

Noon Mayor Turner will attend the Houston Hispanic Architects & Engineers luncheon. HESS Club, 5430 Westheimer Rd.

1:30 p.m. Mayor Turner will preside over the weekly Houston City Council public session. Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby.

7:30 p.m. Mayor Turner will attend the Holocaust Museum Houston 2019 Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Awards Dinner. Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar St.

Wednesday, May 8

9 a.m. Mayor Turner will preside over the weekly Houston City Council meeting. Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby.

Noon Mayor Turner will attend the SCORE Small Business Awards Luncheon honoring Houston’s Top Entrepreneurs. Westin Galleria Hotel, 5060 West Alabama.

Thursday, May 9

11:30 a.m. Mayor Turner will attend a news conference to discuss the UNESCO Slave Route Project. Emancipation Park Conservancy, 3018 Emancipation Ave.

12:15 p.m. Mayor Turner will attend at the CanCare  25th Survivors Luncheon.  The luncheon celebrates cancer survivors and remembers those who fought courageously. Westin Memorial City Hotel, 45 Gessner Rd.

2:15 p.m. Mayor Turner will sign an MOU for the Dean's Mayoral Internship Program in the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby, Proclamation Room.

6:15 p.m. Mayor Turner will deliver the commencement speech at Sam Houston State University's College of Criminal Justice. Sam Houston State University Coliseum, 1964 Bobby K. Marks Dr.

Friday, May 10

9:30 a.m. Mayor Turner will meet with Amazon employees and tour the new AWS offices. 825 Town & Country Lane, Suite 1000

4:45 p.m. Mayor Turner will speak at the Lone Star College North Harris Graduation Ceremony. M.O. Campbell Educational Center, 1865 Aldine Bender Rd.

6:45 p.m. Mayor Turner will participate in the laying of the wreath procession for the Houston Police Department's annual Police Memorial Service. HPD Police Officers Memorial, 2100 Memorial Dr.

AG Paxton’s Office Files Lawsuit Against Operator of Crowdfunding Scheme

AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that the Consumer Protection Division of his office filed a lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction preventing Douglas W. Monahan and his company, iBackPack of Texas, LLC, from participating in deceptive crowdfunding schemes in violation of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Starting in 2015, Monahan and his company raised more than $800,000 from consumers through four crowdfunding campaigns on Indiegogo.com and Kickstarter.com. Monahan falsely led backers to believe their money would be used to develop several products, including a state-of-the-art backpack called the iBackPack. But Monahan failed to deliver on any of his promises, and instead used much of the funds for himself.

“While Kickstarter and other crowdfunding sites create exciting opportunities for entrepreneurship, they also provide new ways for scam artists to take advantage of consumers’ trust,” Attorney General Paxton said. “I’m pleased that the Consumer Protection Division of my office took action to shut down an unscrupulous individual whose crowdfunding projects produced nothing but self-enrichment.”

Monahan used his company’s campaign web pages to display a laundry list of tech capabilities for the iBackPack, along with graphics of a supposed prototype. The campaign pages also featured the logos of several telecommunication companies, two federal agencies, and Apple and Android mobile operating systems, though there is no evidence that Monahan or his company had any legitimate ties to the entities.

The attorney general’s lawsuit – which was filed in state District Court in Travis County – seeks restitution for aggrieved consumers, civil penalties, and attorneys’ fees. The Federal Trade Commission today also filed suit against Monahan and iBackPack of Texas, LLC.

Crowdfunding typically involves individuals and businesses raising money for a project or venture from numerous individuals, usually via the internet. In many cases, consumers are enticed to make payments in exchange for the promise that they will receive the product once it’s manufactured.

Texans who believe they are victims of a scam can file an online complaint with the attorney general’s office at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint.

View a copy of the lawsuit here.  

Hurricane Preparedness Week

Governor Greg Abbott today issued a proclamation raising awareness about the dangers of hurricanes and the precautions Texans can take as hurricane season approaches.

Each May, Texans set aside a week to raise awareness of the destructive force hurricanes can bring to communities, neighborhoods, and local economies. The Texas coastline and inland communities are at a greater risk of hurricanes during the six month period that runs from June through November. As a result, we as Texans must come together and prepare for these potentially life-threatening forces of nature.

Hurricanes are powerful and destructive forces that can inflict immense damage on our communities

House Fire in South Acres / Crestmont Park Area May 1st

WHAT:
House Fire

WHEN:
May 1, 2019 at 10:05 p.m.

WHERE:
11800 block of Murr Way, 77048

INJURIES:
No reported injuries.

PROPERTY SAVED:
More than $77 thousand in estimated property saved.

DAMAGE:
$3,700 in estimated damage.

CAUSE:
Unintentional  - Electrical

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a resident using a water hose in an attempt to extinguish a mattress fire. Crews finished extinguishing the fire and ventilated the home. After the cause was determined they conducted salvage and overhaul and restored power to the home after ensuring safety. Firefighters from Stations 46 and 55 responded to this incident.