Leading Off (12/16/09)

1. Something doesn’t add up right in this story about a principal and assistant principal at DISD’s Kimball High allegedly and theoretically beating up a student. The reporter did not talk to a single person who witnessed the attack who would go on the record — though apparently several people saw it happen. My thinking: if a principal and assistant principal beat a student (with walkie talkies, breaking his nose — supposedly), they aren’t doing to do it in front of multiple witnesses. But we’ll see.

2. But not all the news out of the district this morning is bad, because the TEA has released its list of the worst public schools in the state, and DISD has only 48 campuses on the list. Last year, it had 52. (I know, I know. Reaching hard for that ray of sunshine.)

3. Looks like Nolan Ryan will wind up as a minority owner of the Rangers. But for the sale to go through, it must win the support of baseball’s eight-man ownership committee, the 40 lenders that hold about $500 million in Hicks Sports Group debt, and 23 of the 30 MLB team owners. The deal might — might — get done by opening day. Which means that while Seattle and Boston make moves to improve their team, the Rangers will either do nothing or, instead, look only to trim payroll. So sad.

BONUS. Authorities took possession yesterday of some 20,000 exotic animals from an Arlington seller called U.S. Global Exotics. The DMN has this quote from Jay Sabatucci of Arlington Animal Services: “We’re finding huge amounts of dead animals in with the living ones. We’re finding turtles who are basically in a toxic soup of water and other dead turtles.” Prediction: those people responsible who are responsible will not enjoy the afterlife.