The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 122, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 28, 2001 Page: 1 of 16
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" PAGE 2A
BUSINESS
Job Cuts
Disney, American Greetings
announce layoffs
PAGE 2B
COMMUNITY
Lee College
Getting ready to break
ground on new facilities
PAGE6A
SPORTS
Baseball
Hillin takes first
season in stride
PAGE IB
Wfje JBaptoton Bun
SINCE 1922
WEDNESDAY
March 28, 2001
Volume 79 No. 122
Baytown, Texas www.baytownsun.com 50 cents
State revokes license of daycare operator charged in baby’s death
Henderson died from head revoke Rossino’s license,
injuries suffered Feb. 18 while he
was at Rossino’s home daycare
By JONATHAN COOPER
Staff writer
The state has revoked the
license of La Porte daycare opera-
tor Rhonda Rossino, who is
charged in connection with the
February death of a BaytoWn
infant.
Rossino, 41, was charged
Monday with, felony injury to a
child. Five-month-old Jeremy
facility at 1221 Robinson Road,
authorities said.
Estella Olguin of the Texas
Department of Protective and
Regulatory Services and Child
Care Licensing said Tuesday that
the felony charge is one of several
reasons the agency decided to
Olguin said Rossino failed to
meet the minimum state standards
required to operate a daycare
facility. Investigations showed she
was caring for 16 children, includ-
ing three infants. A licensed oper-
ator is permitted to care for a max-
imum of seven children at one
time, Olguin said.
“That is way too many kids for
one person to be taking care of"
Olguin said.
When Rossino did have assis-
tance, Olguin said, she did not
submit a background check on the
people helping her. That included
Rossino’s mother, whom Olguin
said was at the house frequently.
“We have to run background
checks on every person who deals
with children,” Olguin said. “The
names were not properly submit-
ted so we could assure none of the
people had any histories of
abuse.”
The revocation letter said
Rossino did not cooperate in the
investigation. She was asked to
submit a list of the children who
were at the facility on the day of
Henderson’s injuries. Rossino
submitted 10 names, but Olguin
said an investigation showed there
were 16 children at the facility on
Feb. 16.
The infant had been going to
Rossino’s house since- he was 6
weeks old. His mother, Loraine
Henderson, took him to the facility
at 7:40 am. Feb. 16. Henderson
said her son was “alert, awake and
See DAYCARE on Page 3A
New Barbers
Hill campus
about ready
for move-in
By MELISSA RENTERIA
Staff writer
MONT BELVIEU—The new
Barbers Hill High School cam-
pus should be ready for a May
move-in, school officials learned
this week.
School trustees and adminis-
trators toured the district’s $28
million high school campus.
Monday night with representa-
tives from PBK Architects and
Satterfield and Pontikes, archi-
tects and construction managers
of the project.
The high school campus,
which measures 309,000 square
feet, was approved by voters in a
May 1998 bond election. The
total bond package was for $45
million.
The campus is located about
100 yards north of the existing
highschool.
The high school building is
more than 90 percent complete
and is scheduled for completion
in late April, architects said.
School officials expect to
move into the building the sec-
ond week of May,
Superintendent Tim Sonnenberg
, said,
... . .
Barbers Hill school district,
completes its spring semester on
V May 10.
Sonnenberg shid much of me
remaining work includes the
’ installation of cabinets and floor-
ing-
The main high school building
will have about 285,000 square
feet of floor space with enough
classrooms; for 'approximately
1,000 students. It is comprised of
three sections: athletics, acade-
mics and arts.
Sonnenberg said furniture for
the new high school should
arrive in April.
Trustees in December
approved bids for furniture and
other classroom equipment as
part.of the final steps in comple-
tion of the building. Bids totaled
$630,528. about $269,000 less
than what was budgeted from
bond funds.
A public tour of the new high
See BARBERS HILL on Page 3A
The sky’s the limit
Democrats
want to give
taxpayers a
quick rebate
See REBATE on Page 3A
Republican senators want to couple
returns with long-term tax relief
By CURT ANDERSON Revenue Service. There also
would be a provision for people
who don’t get checks to file
claims for the money, but depen-
dents would not be eligible.
Senior Republicans, echoing
Bush and administration officials,
generally agree on the use of $60
billion of 2001 surplus as a tax
stimulus. But they said no retroac-
tive tax cut would move without at
least Bush’s $958 billion in
across-the-board income tax cuts
over 10 years, which already have
passed the House but which
Democrats say are too large and
tilted too much toward the
wealthy.
“The most important thing is to
make sure vfe get long-term rate
redaction,” said Senate Finance
Committee Chairman Charles
But O’Neill said rebates
haven’t wotked well in .the past,
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Each
American taxpayer would get a
$300 tax rebate check this year
under a proposal offered Tuesday
by Senate Democrats to give the
economy an immediate $60 bil-
lionjolt. Republicans insisted any
2001 stimulus plan accompany
President Bush’s entire 10-year,
$1.6 trillion tax cut.
Trying to seize the initiative on
an idea gaining momentum on
both sides of the Capitol, Senate
Minority Leader Tom Daschle
outlined a plan that would perma-
nently lower the" current 15 per-
cent income tax rate to 10 percent,
beginning this year. „
Bi? proposal, costing $460 bil-
, hornover 11 years, would mean a R.Io^
$300 rebate check this year for jr lt)g We do the two together.” •
single person, $600 fora married Tre Secretary Paul
couple. Besides the one-time O’.NeinSd in a speSi to busi-
eheck. reducing the bottom tax ness economists that the adminis-
rate for the first $6,000 of a single tetion is working to
more
persons taxable income, $12,000 of Bush.s plan retroactive. Less
for married couples, would create than $6 biUion of the current plan
additional tax savings by years ^d take effect in 2001.
end and tn the years ahead.
Democrate said the 2001 tax ( wonteu M)1 ra me
cut, which has broad bipartisan eco.
support should not be ‘held nomic health d epends on
hostage to Republican determi-
nation to attach it to Bush’s over-
all tax package.
“We’re saying if we’ve got that,
let’s go to work, let’s pass it,”
Daschle, D-S.D., told reporters.
“Let’s put if on the president’s
desk.”
Checks would be sent to
addresses of those who paid
income taxes or payroll taxes
based on the 2000 income tax
returns and W-2 information
received this year by the Internal
tions in all income tax rates,
including Bush’s proposal to
reduce the top 39.6 percent
income tax rate to 33 percent.
“Far and away, cutting margin-
al tex rates is the cleanest and sim-
plest instrument we have available
to have an impact quickly,”
O’Neill said. “And we must cut
every rate.”
Until Tuesday, most tax rebate
debate was in the Senate. But in a
Work on new ExxonMobil unit passes
halfway point; structure 310 feet tall
By MA BENGTSON
Staff writer . ■
Construction is 65 percent complete on
ExxonMobil’s delayed coker unit, the tallest
structure at the Baytown Refinery complex,
according to Steve Hart, refinery manager.
The 310-foot unit and related facilities will
enable ExxonMobil to better process heavy
crude oil feed stocks, including Maya crude,
which will be delivered to'the refinery by
Petroleos Mexicanos, Hart said.
Ground was broken for the project on Feb.
29,2000. Since then, more than 3 million man
hours have been spent on construction.
The unit is now the tallest manufacturing
structure in the Baytown complex, with twin
See EXXONMOBIL on Page 2A
■ - >. i ' - ..Contributed photo
ExxonMobil’s delayed coker unit structure has reached its full height of 310 feet, making it the tallest
manufacturing unit in the Baytown complex. The structure features an American flag on top and flash-
ing white lights’ to warn aircraft.
Fight leaves Sterling students concerned about campus security
By JONATHAN COOPER
may pose a threat,” he said, “but
Staff writer
Baytown police.
Students serving suspensions
parking lot around 3:30 pan.
for our identification badges if
concerns but said it is almost
“There are 2,500 students leav-
According to police reports,
See STERLING on Page 3A
a Sterling student, was cited for
fighting and criminal trespass by
days, respectively.
Cassie Gonzalez, 19, who is not
catch every person that is not sup-
posed to be here.”
ing school at once,” he said.
“There are signs on the doors and
with the recent cases of school vio-
lence, itk something we take seri-
ously.”
The fight occurred in the student
Gonzalez claimed to be picking up
a friend. But Murray said she
believes Gonzalez went to the
campus “to start something”
because of a recent off-campus
incident
Principal Frank Hutchins stud
he understand the students’ safety
concerns but said it is almost
impossible to stop every unwanted
person from entering campus
when school is released.
Monday. Murray said she and
Gonzalez “started bad mouthing
each othef’ and a fight ensured.
Murray said the larger Gonzalez
allegedly was “slamming” Murrayk
head into the concrete before
Murray said she understands
her penalty but does not under-
stand how Gonzalez made it onto
campus.
“What is the point of us paying
anyone can walk on campus'?”
Murray said. “This should have
never happened to me because
(Gonzalez) has no business being
here.”
Officer Roger Park agreed, say-
ing Gonzalez “was 18 and didn’t
look any different than any other
student.”
Park said students have been
suspended in recent weeks for
talking about violence, making
threats or bringing plastic guns to
school.
“Most of the time, itk after the
feet when we can find people who
from Sterling High School for a
Monday afternoon fight said
they are concerned about cam-
pus security.
Juniors Jessica Murray and
Marcia Rodriguez, both 17, were
suspended and assigned to the
school’s Alternative Learning
Center program for 10 and 15
we have four security officers and
a police officer, but itk difficult to
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 122, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 28, 2001, newspaper, March 28, 2001; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1176463/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.