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Saturday, January 25, 2020 • Vol. 65 • No. 04
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Photo by Adam Zuvanich I Cycle Bike Shop owner Matt Wurth can view multiple surveillance videos at once in his office.
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com I Cycle Bike Shop was burglarized in October and December but not on Jan. 16, when three of its neighbors in a Shady Acres strip center were victimized at about 4 a.m. by three people wearing masks and gloves. Owner Matt Wurth has a theory about why I Cycle was spared in the most recent attack. He said
he’s “absolutely sure” that the same crew was responsible for each break-in and knew that his business was no longer an easy target. Wurth beefed up security after the Oct. 23 burglary, when he said 10 bikes valued at more than $25,000 were stolen, and then again after the Dec. 5 incident. His shop at 2040 E. T.C. Jester Blvd. is now fortified with an iron gate that stretches across the front
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Contributed photo Members of the step dance class at Wainwright Elementary School perform last Saturday in the MLK Youth Parade.
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Molto bene. Zarah Parker reviews Cavatore, a community staple for Italian cuisine.
Page 7A
The beard is near. A new cookie shop called The Bearded Baker is coming to the Heights.
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THE INDEX. Calendar/Church. ............................. 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons. ................................................. 3B Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries.............................................. 4A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports. ....................................................... 8A
See Burglaries P. 8A
Man charged with sexual assault in H-E-B elevator By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
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windows, and he uses hard-tobreak locks on the gate, the door in front of it and the individual bikes inside. “The second time they broke in, it was a lot harder for them,” Wurth said. “They only had a couple minutes and only got a couple bikes. It took them a lot longer to get in and most of the bikes were cabled up. We’ve hardened up our
Wainwright students step in MLK Youth Parade By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Step dancing was a new concept at Wainwright Elementary School last year, when the campus social worker introduced it to celebrate Black History Month. A year later, it brought a new, unique opportunity to the students who have embraced the African-American tradition. Wainwright’s step club performed while marching in the MLK Youth Parade last Saturday in Midtown, where 14 students from the Northwest Houston school participated in the citywide event to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It was the first time any of the students, who ranged from second to fifth grade, were part of a parade. “Just being there was
fun,” Wainwright fifth-grader Justice Schoen said. “It was nice to have so many people watch us do what we love, and it was my first time being in something like that. I hope I can do it again soon.” Jonathan Davis Jr., the campus social worker at Wainwright, teaches the step dance class and registered the group to participate in the parade. He said cheerleaders from Clifton Middle School also marched in the parade, which according to the event website spanned nearly three-quarters of a mile on San Jacinto Street and Elgin Street. The Wainwright students stepped – a dance style that focuses on footwork and incorporates other body movements along with clapping, See Wainwright P. 8A
Contributed photo From left to right, Aysha Trevino, Abrina Galvan and Mia Arvicu take a break from the MLK Youth Parade.
A registered sex offender who caused alarm at a local high school before allegedly assaulting a woman at a Heights grocery store was arrested last week and remains in jail. H a r r i s County court records show that area resident Florian Kroll, 29, was charged with felony sexual assault on Jan. 17. A few days earlier, a woman wrote on the NextKroll door app that a man fitting Kroll’s description assaulted her in an elevator at the Heights H-E-B on Jan. 12. Kroll had been out on bond after being charged with misdemeanor assault and indecent exposure on Dec. 28, according to court records. He previously was convicted of indecency with a child and theft, both felonies, in 2015. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in 2017. Court records also show that Kroll, whose listed address is an apartment near Durham Elementary School, may have a mental illness or intellectual disability. Kroll was observed talking to girls at a St. Pius X High School basketball game in the days leading up to his arrest, court records show. A statement released by the private school at 811 W. Donovan St. said a man who was escorted out of a home basketball game Jan. 14 was back on campus a day later and again escorted off the property. St. Pius X enacted a shelter in place protocol late that afternoon, the statement said, moving all students into a building and securing its entrances and exits. Students were allowed to leave campus only under adult supervision. “Our students’ safety is our top priority,” St. Pius X spokesperson Jacquelynn See Assault P. 8A
Local animal rescue group celebrating fifth birthday By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Kim Antley, a volunteer and board member with the Animal Justice League (AJL), said she didn’t know how big of a problem animal overpopulation and neglect had become until she moved to the area. But where there is a problem, there is also a solution. The AJL has been working hard to be a part of the latter. Since 2015, the volunteer-run and donor-funded nonprofit has found homes for more than 700
dogs and cats and helped transport almost 400 more to rescue partners in other states. The AJL also has managed more than 1,200 feral and stray cats through the Trap-Neuter-Return process. The group is celebrating its fiveyear anniversary with a fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 25 at Walking Stick Brewing Co., 956 Judiway St. As the cost of care per animal can range from $150 on the low end to $850 for adult dogs who are heartworm positive, Antley said the group hopes to raise $10,000 to continue its work. The Animal Justice League has
roots in another neighborhood rescue group which has since disbanded. One of the members of the earlier group - Amanda van Adrichem - is president of AJL. Other board members include Antley, Molly Parsons, Christy Petter and Cassi Walker. In addition, there are 60 volunteers active in the rescue community who assist as their schedules allow. AJL’s mission is to rescue homeless or abandoned cats and dogs from the streets and city shelters and find them loving, forever See AJL P. 8A
Contributed photo Dr. Catherine Powell, left, volunteers her time at a free AJL microchip event where animals are implanted and the pets get a collar and engraved tag.