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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Friday, March 24, 2000
Vote recount fails to change results of Precinct 1 race
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
One more vote accounted for Thursday in the contested Reeves County
Precinct 1 commissioner's race, and that wasn't enough to change the candidates
for the April 11 runoff elections.
A recount of the Precinct 1 commissioner's election from the March 14
Democratic primary was held Thursday morning at the request of Anita Baeza,
who finished third in the balloting, just behind Jesse Baeza. They were
among four people vying for the Democratic nomination for commissioner,
along with incumbent Felipe Arredondo and Roy Pena.
Arredondo won the election 385 votes, but didn't not receive enough
to avoid a runoff election on April 11. Jesse Baeza was next with 226,
earning him a spot in the runoff over Anita Baeza who had 222 votes in
the Election Day counting. Pena finished with 202 votes.
Anita Baeza asked county Democratic Party chairman Bobby Dean for a
recount on Monday, but he new results indicated she netted just one more
vote, while Jesse Baeza held at 226 votes.
"There was a ballot that showed that someone had attempted to vote for
her, but it didn't go all the way through, so it gave her one more vote,"
said Reeves County Clerk Dianne Florez.
Florez stated that this however, would not change the outcome for the
runoff elections.
"It will still be between Felipe Arredondo and Jesse Baeza," said Florez.
The recount began at 10 a.m. and the group was done with recounting
by noon, according to Florez.
The race will be one of two runoff elections that will be held in Reeves
County on April 11. The other will be for Precinct 3 commissioner, where
challenger David Pattillo finished first and incumbent Herman Tarin second
in the four-man race to qualify for the runoff.
Commishes eye naming RCDC after Florez
Reeves County Commissioners will discuss naming the new 1,000 bed addition
at the Reeves County Detention Center after former Sheriff Raul Florez
during their Commissioners Court meeting, scheduled for 9:45 a.m., Monday
on the third floor of the courthouse.
The public is invited to attend.
Florez was sheriff in 1985 when he worked with commissioners on the
construction of the original Reeves County Law Enforcement Center (now
RCDC), which was one of the first facilities to contract out to house U.S.
Bureau of Prison inmates. The center housed just over 300 prisoners when
it first opened in 1986, and was expanded during the 1990s to hold 1,000
BOP inmates.
Construction is past the halfway point on the new 1,000-bed addition
on the north and east sides of the RCDC, and it is expected to be completed
late this summer.
Florez served four terms as Reeves County Sheriff, from 1977-92. He
was defeated by current Sheriff Andy Gomez in the 1992 Democratic primary
election, and worked for Brown and Root Construction on the Kiel Arena
project in St. Louis after leaving office. He died in January 1995.
In other business on Monday, Commissioners will discuss and take action
on Reeves County and Town of Pecos City Water Distribution Agreement; county
government week and the Texas Community Development Program Septic Tank
Grant Application.
The group will discuss and take action on the Tobacco Initiative Community
Grant Application; Linebarger Heard Goggans Blair Graham Pena and Sampson,
contract for the collection of delinquent taxes and Frank X. Spencer and
Associates Invoice Number 7.
Also on the agenda for discussion and action are Leonard Lopez contract
renewal; golf course ad for TraPark RV Park; juvenile accountability grant;
community recreation department membership for the 143rd Judicial
District staff; addendum to application for coverage forms for automobile
liability, general liability, automobile physical damage and property and
golf tournament for Little League fund raiser.
An agreement between Reeves County and Bank of America for the state
travel management program; FY2000 grievance committee and a resolution
for central counting for runoff election will also be discussed.
In regular business commissioners will discuss and take action on:
· Reports from various departments.
· Budget amendments and line-item transfers.
· Personnel and salary changes (RCDC, District Clerk, tax office,
election workers for run off election).
· Minutes from previous meetings.
· Semi-monthly bills.
Officials ask for more help with clean-up
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Texans will be given another chance to show how much they care about
their highways and to help clean them up.
It's time to get back up to speed when it comes to our Adopt-a-Highway
program and get back in the race, according to Larry Levario, the Texas
Department of Transportation's roadway supervisor in Reeves County.
Pennsylvania has overtaken Texas in the number of volunteer groups who
pick up roadside litter, but Texans will have the chance to put their state
back on top as the nation's leading Adopt-a-Highway state by taking part
in the 15th Annual Don't Mess With Texas Trash-Off on Saturday,
April 1.
The statewide effort will follow the locally planned Great Pecos Clean-Up,
set for 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday. Pecos Lions and Rotary club members
are sponsoring Saturday's project, with workers asked to meet at 8 a.m.
at Maxey Park, where a cook out lunch will also be held for volunteers
Saturday afternoon.
Though Texas is the home of the first adopted highway and has 4,100
groups picking up litter along 8,200 miles of highway, Pennsylvania now
leads in the number of Adopt-a-Highway volunteer groups. The Quaker State
has more than 8,000 groups and 18,505 miles of highway.
"Every year, thousands of volunteers do a lot of hard work on this one
day to clean up after the people who keep trashing our landscapes and communities,"
said Levario. "This year, we hope more people will volunteer to adopt a
highway and make a commitment to keep a two-mile stretch clean all year
long," he said.
"There's a misconception that the people wearing orange vests and cleaning
highways are convicts," said Levario. "The truth is, most of the cleanup
is done by either Adopt-a-Highway volunteers or by hired crews," he said.
Currently in Reeves County, there are 10 Adopt-a-Highway groups who
keep 20 miles clean. They include, Reeves County Sheriff's Posse, whose
area is U.S. 285; Texas-New Mexico Power Company, U.S. 285; 143rd
Judicial District Adult Probation, U.S. 285 and Reeves County Sheriff's
Office, SH 17.
TxDOT's Don't Mess With Texas litter prevention programs have resulted
in a 72 percent reduction in litter and are saving taxpayers nearly $4
million per year in litter pickup costs. TxDOT's grassroots partner, Keep
Texas Beautiful, is a nonprofit organization including private citizens,
cities, industries, civic groups, schools and government agencies.
Anyone interested in participating in the Don't Mess With Texas Trash-Off
can call 1-800-CLEAN-TX for more information.
Groups interested in adopting a two-mile section of highway can call
915-498-4746, or their local TxDOT office.
Federal probation revoked on Pecos man due to DWI
Probation was revoked on a Pecos man in U.S. District Court this week,
while Magistrate Stuart Platt accepted guilty pleas from five other people
and held arraignments and set trial dates on other defendants on Thursday.
The probation of Tony Earl McGrew was revoked following a hearing that
he had violated the terms of his probation for importation and possession
of marijuana with intent to distribute charges on Feb. 8, 1999.
McGrew was arrested in Monahans for driving while intoxicated on Dec.
23, 1999 and failed to notify his probation officer, according to court
records. He was ordered to serve out his 23-month term at the federal correctional
institute in Big Spring.
Judge Platt accepted pleas of guilty Thursday from Ramiro Ramirez-Contreras
on a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute on Jan.
23, 2000; from Trinidad Rios Carrillo for transporting illegal aliens on
Jan. 19, 2000; from Humberto Montoya-Rios for illegal entry on Jan. 18,
2000; from Alberto Arevalo Jimenez for illegal re-entry on Jan. 13, 2000,
and from Rito Ceballos DelaGarza, for possession of marijuana over 100
kilograms and under 1000 kg on Feb. 9, 2000.
Platt set docket calls on 59 defendants during Thursday's court session,
and five other defendants were arraigned in magistrate court.
Federal Judge Royal Furgeson's court has been busy all week with a civil
trial in which a Monahans man, Jess Anthony, and others are seeking damages
against Chevron U.S.A., Inc. Andrew Sher, Craig Lewis and Michael Fostel
are representing the plaintiffs, while Peggy Perser and Clay Gaston are
the attorneys representing Chevron in the jury trial.
District court grand jury hands up 15 indictments
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Reeves County grand jurors returned indictments against 15 people on
Thursday, including charges of possession and delivery of heroin, money
laundering and other drug and burglary offenses.
Those indicted included Mike Rayos, 42, on charges of delivery of a
controlled substance (heroin) under one gram and possession with intent
to deliver heroin over one game and under four grams. The arrest was for
an incident that allegedly occurred on Feb. 8, 2000. Bond was set at $15,000
on the first charge and $10,000 on the second charge.
Also indicted for incidents that occurred on Feb. 8 were Tillie Maldonado
Rayos and Armando Luis Armendariz, 41, both on a charges of delivery of
heroin under one gram, Bond on each was set at $15,000.
Grand jurors incident Gregorio Bustamante Salazar, 20, and Peter Edgar
Salgado, 21, of charges of money laundering, for concealing proceeds of
criminal activity in an amount over $3,000 but under $20,000 on Feb. 7,
2000. Bond on both men was set at $20,000.
Other indictments included:
- Eric Elijah Armendariz, 19, on two charges of possession of cocaine
over one gram and under four grams, with intent to distribute, for an incident
on Aug. 20, 1999. The first charge was for an alleged possession within
1000 feet of Pecos High School, and carried a $25,000 bond, while bond
on the second charge was set at $15,000.
- Billy George Barrett, 34, possession of a controlled substance (cocaine)
on Jan. 24, 2000. Bond was set at $5,000.
- Cano Noe Ruiz, 55, possession of a controlled substance (cocaine)
on Feb. 9, 2000. Bond was set at $10,000.
- Raul Jose Salgado, Jr., 19, and Jeannie Corralez Salgado, 17, possession
of marijuana over four ounces and under 5 pounds within 1000 feet of Pecos
Kindergarten on Jan. 12, 2000. Bond on both was set at $15,000.
- Anival Pando, 26, possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) under
one gram. Bond was set at $15,000.
- Armando Madrid, Jr., 27, DWI (third offense) on Jan. 14, 2000. Bond
was set at $5,000 and Madrid was ordered only to operate his vehicle after
it was equipped with a breathalyzer control on the ignition.
- Thomas Hinojos Marquez, 32, burglary of a building involving an alleged
break-in of a Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD building on Jan. 27, 2000. Bond was
set at $10,000.
- Jeremy Renteria, 19, three counts of burglary of a habitation, for
alleged break-ins to homes on Sept. 17, 1999, Jan. 2, 2000 and Jan. 8,
2000. Bond was set at $25,000 on each of the three counts.
- Enrique Lara Sais, 48, burglary of a building for an incident that
allegedly occurred on Sept. 9, 1999 at the Suavacito Club in the 900 block
of South Cedar Street. Bond was set at $10,000.
Annual Eagle band auction Saturday at Saragosa Hall
Food and merchandise will be up for grabs tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m.,
at Saragosa Hall, and the funds will go towards a worthy cause.
The Annual Pecos Eagle Band Auction, barbecue plate sale and bake sale
is scheduled for all day Saturday at Saragosa Hall, Sixth and Peach Streets,
and donations are still being accepted.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can call the Pecos High School band
hall at 447-7218.
The event will be broadcast live on Channel 6 and on KIUN radio.
"We'll be delivering the barbecue plates to those who want us to and
there will be lots of goodies for sale," said Pecos Eagle Band Director
Bill Goff.
Goff added that there will also be a lot of nice items up for auction.
The funds go towards the Pecos Eagle Band.
TxDOT reopens some highways closed by floods
The Texas Department of Transportation has re-opened some roads south of
the Midland-Odessa area, but others remain closed today following Wednesday's
storms that caused flooding between Interstates 10 and 20 east of Monahans
and Fort Stockton.
U.S. 385 between Odessa and Crane and State Highway 329 between Grandfalls
and Rankin have been reopened, but the main highway from Midland to San
Angelo, State High 158, is still closed due to water over the road at the
intersection with State Highway 137.
Drivers headed to San Angelo are urged to either take the southern route
on State Highway 329 and U.S. 67 through Rankin and Big Lake, or continue
east on I-20 to Big Spring, and take U.S. 87 south to San Angelo.
Obituary
Wanda Stanley
Wanda Stanley, 67, of Odessa, died Thursday, March 23, at New Horizons
Nursing Home.
Services are scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, March 25, at Northside
Baptist Church, in Odessa, with Rev. Clydel Chapman officiating. Burial
will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens, in Odessa.
She was born Feb. 19, 1933, in Gail, moved to Odessa in 1955 from Balmorhea,
had been a resident of New Horizon Nursing Home for the past five years
and had been active in various community work such as Meals on Wheels,
Door of Hope Mission, Salvation Army and Christian Women's Club. She attended
First Baptist Church in Blackwell, where she started the bereavement program
at the church. She was a member of Northside Baptist while at the lake.
Survivors include two sons, Marvin and Raymond Stanley of Odessa; two
daughters, Towana Jo Bell and Tyann Niemann of Odessa; her mother, Edna
Belle Haney Cook of Big Spring; two brothers, Pecos Cook of Balmorhea,
Jack Cook of Odessa; four sisters, Juanita Rogers of Lubbock, Dolly Bryant
of Big Spring, Vera "Sissy" Martin of Big Spring, Linda Armstead of Levelland
and 10 grandchildren.
Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home of Odessa is in charge of arrangements.
Lotto Results
AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Thursday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 3-6-10-12-37. Number matching five of five: 0. Matching four of
five: 287. Prize: $668.
***
AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Thursday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 3-8-8 (three, eight, eight)
Weather
High Thursday 75. Low this morning 46. Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy.
Low 45-50. East wind 5-10 mph. Saturday: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent
chance of thunderstorms. High in the mid 70s. East to southeast wind 10-15
mph. Saturday night: Partly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low
in the upper 40s. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the lower and mid 80s.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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