Canvas Connotation University honors Women’s History Month with art gallery
vol. 100, no. 43
friday, march 9, 2012
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
Arts page 4
leslie lewis staff Photographer
Hollie Derrick, sophomore Ad/PR major from Monahans, enjoys the free candy bar in the McGlothlin Campus Center Wednesday. The booth was sponsored by this year’s In the Red fashion show, an event scheduled for March 31.
accident
Victims file against manufacturer, dealer jozie sands opinion page editor A professor and his wife injured in the Nov. 4 bus accident have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the bus involved in the Nov 4 accident, which carried them and 14 other students and faculty members. Emmett Miller, assistant professor of agriculture and environmental sciences, and his wife, Pat Miller, filed suit against the bus manufacturers, Thor Industries Inc. of Jackson Center, Ohio, and ElDorado National of Salina, Kan., and the dealer, Lasseter Bus Company Inc. of Lewisville. Houstonbased Ammons Law Firm is representing the Millers. The Millers would not discuss the lawsuit, but court documents lay out their claims against the companies.
“Emmett Miller was present at the scene of the accident and directly experienced, witnessed and perceived the injuries and suffering of his wife,” according to the lawsuit. “Witnessing such severe pain and trauma caused Plaintiff Emmett Miller severe mental anguish, trauma, shock and distress, both physical and emotional, past and future.” ACU bought the bus involved in the accident from Lasseter in 2008 for $52,683. It was equipped to carry 24 passengers and a driver. According to the lawsuit, none of Thor, ElDorado or Lasseter warned ACU of the uncrashworthy nature of the bus. The group of 12 students three faculty and one faculty spouse were traveling to Medina Children’s Home on a Friday afternoon when the bus drifted
off the highway and into the right-hand ditch. The bus collided with a concrete culvert, flipped end over end and landed facing south on its wheels with the body nearly removed from the frame, leaving the passenger compartment exposed, said Trooper Shawn Baxter, an officer at the scene of the accident. According to the lawsuit, the bus was defective and dangerous as designed, manufactured, assembled and sold in that it was accompanied by insufficient warnings and notices about its defective nature. “Bus rollovers are survivable and catastrophic injuries avoidable if the bus structure remains intact and the occupants are provided appropriate protection and injury prevention within the vehicle structure,” said the lawsuit. “The subject bus, however,
optimist photo by daniel gomez
The mangled front end of the bus carrying 16 ACU Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science students and faculty members lies on the side of the road after careening into a culvert. did not offer appropriate occupant protection and injury prevention.” Emmett was released from the hospital after the accident with minor injuries, but Pat remained at San Angelo’s Shannon Memorial
Hospital in critical condition. She entered a coma and was moved to Abilene’s Hendrick Medical Center in midNovember for hospice care. The day Pat was scheduled to be removed from life support, Emmett posted on
Facebook that she had woken up from the coma and she was talking and asking questions about people. contact sands at jgs07a@acu.edu
university
Abilene man faces college as sentence for crime
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table by Dunn and his lawyer. “An argument was being made that the individual had undergone a change of attitude and living circumjoe burkett stances since the incident,” Taylor county assistant he said, “and that without a district attorney felony conviction he would have a legitimate opportuis some kind of book,” said nity to attend college.” Unlike normal probaBurkett. “There are a lot of variations to be taken into tion, deferred adjudication probation does not involve account.” Burkett could not re- a conviction unless probalease many details about tion is broken. Dunn has the case but said that this the opportunity to keep the option was brought to the second degree felony con-
viction off of his record. “A felony conviction can have a huge impact on somebody’s path in life,” said Burkett, who realizes the weight of a felony conviction and sees probation as “an opportunity to do better and correct their behavior.” Along with a bachelor’s degree, Dunn is required to perform 240 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine along with court fees. He will also serve eight years of probation that includes drug and
alcohol tests. According to the Abilene Reporter News, Dunn intends to study ministry and then pursue a law degree and a career as a criminal attorney. “It is a very good chance,” said Burkett. “Do all individuals take advantage of these? Not necessarily. But the court is giving him an opportunity that they don’t have to.”
sports
opinion
photos
news
Men’s golf takes fourth in tournament Tuesday
Creative sentencing offers a chance for redemption
Take a look at what went on this week
SA looks forward to upcoming elections
david singer arts editor A routine criminal case at the Taylor Country Courthouse last week ended with a plea agreement that included a fine, community service and one unusual stipulation. As part of the pending agreement, Abilene 21 year-old resident, John Joseph Dunn, 21, is required to graduate college by September 2018. Dunn, who pleaded
guilty to the 2009 burglary charges, must maintain a 2.0 grade point average and earn a bachelor’s degree or he is subject to a maximum of 20 years in prison. Joe Burkett, Taylor County assistant district attorney, said that although this type of sentencing is not customary, probation is not unusual for someone with no prior convictions and plea agreements are often subject to case by case options. “People assume that with a plea agreement there
People assume that with a plea agreement there is some kind of book.”
contact singer at dis08b@acu.edu
inside
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Abilene Christian University
acuoptimist.com
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