No one was injured in an accident involving a Deer Park ISD school bus on the Sam Houston Parkway this morning.

According to Sgt. John Isom of Pct. 8 Constables Office, the bus rear ended a private vehicle on the southbound Red Bluff exit ramp of the toll road just before 8 a.m.

Deer Park ISD reported there were about 20 students on the bus which was on its way to Bonnette Junior High. The bus was delivering students from the Piedmont Apartments in the Lynchburg area.

Isom said because there were conflicting reports from the bus driver and the driver of the vehicle, no citations were issued and he did not expect any to be given.

According to DPISD, the students were placed on a different bus and sent to school.

Surrounded by his family and coaches, Ryan Martinez of the Deer Park High School football team signed with Texas Lutheran University Thursday morning. Martinez was a starting cornerback for the Deer and was a unanimous pick for all-district in 22-5A and was academic all-district. Martinez, who is also a member of the National Honor Society, was named the most valuable defensive back for the 2011-12 season. He is the son of Jose and Becky Martinez. His brother and sister are Andy and Lexi Martinez. Photo by Bobby Vasquez.

On Tuesday, City Manager Jay Stokes announced the closing of alleged theft case against a Deer Park police officer that garnered national attention.

In a one-page press release, Stokes said last Thursday, the city agreed to drop the Class C Misdemeanor theft charge against Officer Kevin Yang. In return, Yang would not pursue any type of civil action against the city "or its agents," the release said.

"The case brought an atypical amount of attention from both local and national media venues for a Class C charge. Officer Yang was subjected to countless internet blogs and postings, many of which were racial and cruel in nature," the release said.

Both the city and Yang are ready to put the matter behind them, the release said.

When the final buzzer sounded, two basketball teams met at center court to shake hands. Even though the final score read 55-25, everyone walked off Carlisle Court at Deer Park High School a winner.

Deer Park's Special Olympic basketball team defeated the men's varsity team in that game. It wasn't on varsity's regular season schedule, but for Special Olympics, it was their biggest game, said Jeff Greene, assistant principal at Fairmont Junior High and coach for the team.

Bill PattersonBill Patterson's beginnings as a player in Deer Park's political game came from being a homeowner who wanted to give back to his community. The incumbent for Pos. 4 said he seeks to continue helping citizens provide the amenities and services they expect.

"This is a servant's role," Patterson said. "My background at Shell in finance, accounting and information technology allowed me to bring a certain amount of talent to the city and serve citizens of Deer Park."

Now seeking a third term as a council member, Patterson said he is not much different than other residents. He worked for Shell and has since retired. He and his wife Peggy, a former teacher in Deer Park ISD, raised their family in Deer Park.

Patterson said the city enjoys high property values and that the city should do everything to maintain those values.

"By maintaining those property values and keeping our industrial districts strong, we are going to ensure we can provide all the basics: police protection, fire protection, water, sewer as well as the amenities that make Deer Park such a neat place to live."

Patterson, who attained the rank of sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, said he appreciates the strong sense of community and safety emanating from the city.

"When I travel, I'm always glad to come back to Deer Park. Are there prettier places? Sure there are. But none of them have the same strong community spirit or sense of safety that we have," he said.