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Archive 2001

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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Thursday, November 29, 2001

Crashes caused by winter storm reported in area

From Staff and Wire Reports
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 29, 2001 -- A Kermit man was seriously injured and flown by  Aerocare ambulance to Lubbock Wednesday night, following a one-vehicle  rollover on U.S. 285 28 miles north of Pecos.

The accident was one of many reported yesterday due to the icy weather conditions, which were expected to end today as the sun peeked through the clouds and warmed up temperatures across the Permian Basin and other parts of Texas.

Seven deaths have been blamed on the winter storm, which blew into Texas on Tuesday and dumped as much as nine inches of snow in the Midland-Odessa area, closing sections of Interstates 10 and 20 in West Texas.

"We had a lot of accidents reported yesterday, several involving tractor-trailer rigs," said Pecos Department of Public Safety Communications Officer Elda Whitten.

Pecos Emergency Medical Service personnel, along with the Jaws of Life were called out to the accident north of Pecos, which occurred shortly before 8 p.m. near Four Mile Draw on U.S. 285, 11 miles south of Orla. The victim reportedly suffered head injuries in the accident, and was transported to Reeves County Hospital before being airlifted to Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock.

Additional information on the accident was not available at press time.

Most of the accidents which DPS officers were dispatched to occurred in the Fort Stockton and Van Horn areas and a couple that happened East of Monahans, according to Whitten.

The office reported that all highways in the Pecos area were open this morning, however, those wanting to travel to Fort Stockton are advised not to until temperatures warm up later today.

"The roads in that area are really bad and traveling in that direction is not advised at this time," said Whitten. "Don't travel in that direction if you don't have to."

Texas Department of Transportation emergency crews cleared a tractor-trailer accident on eastbound Interstate 20 near Big Spring about 10 a.m., last night, unsnarling a traffic backup as far west as Stanton.

Highway crews cleared a stretch of black ice on eastbound Interstate 10 near Ozona. Traffic had backed up 10 miles during the night and TxDOT had closed the Interstate at Fort Stockton and Sheffield.

Two tractor-trailer rigs jackknifed on icy sections of Interstate 20 near Odessa and Penwell shortly before 10 a.m., today, forcing both westbound and eastbound traffic to detour onto service roads and trapping other motorists in lengthy traffic back-ups.

One accident near the Dixie Boulevard exit in Odessa has blocked both westbound lane Odessa police officers are detouring traffic onto the north service road around the accident scene.

A second accident west of Penwell blocked both eastbound lanes with a jackknifed tractor-trailer unit. Texas Department of Transportation crews at the scene detoured traffic onto the south service road at the FM 1053 exit between Penwell and Monahans.

None of the weather-related fatalities were in the Permian Basin, but three people died in the Abilene area and two others died in accidents in the Texas Panhandle.

A Nevada man was killed about 4 p.m. Tuesday when he lost control on Interstate 20 and struck another motorist, said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger.

Ninety minutes later and six miles south of Abilene, Derwood Thomas, 88, of Abilene died when his vehicle rolled over on an icy stretch of U.S. 83. Mark Allen Garcia of Winters was killed about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday after a collision on Texas 36 in Callahan County.

Patsy Davis, 49, of Silverton died after 5 p.m. Tuesday when her vehicle lost control and veered into oncoming traffic on snowpacked Texas 207 in Briscoe County in the Panhandle. Two others were seriously injured.

In West Texas, Jean English McDaniel, 61, of Muleshoe died Tuesday after being thrown from her truck when it went out of control and overturned on U.S. 84 about 10 miles west of Littlefield in Lamb County.

A Dallas man was injured and his pregnant wife died late Wednesday after their SUV smashed into a guardrail after hitting a patch of ice in State Highway 183. Her 8½-month fetus also died.

Law officers in Roanoke closed both eastbound lanes of Texas 114 for more than an hour after a four-vehicle collision killed 21-year-old Juan Gandara of Irving.

"Absolutely, weather was a factor," said Roanoke police Lt. Bobby Olivas. "The bridges were iced over."

Meteorologists said much of the Dallas area had dodged a bullet as the frigid blast moved into the state. The storm system powered by an upper-level low pressure system left thousands without electrical power before stalling over North Texas.

"This threat that the weather has caused certainly is not over yet," said Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange, warning that the sheen of ice coating roadways was not apparent to many motorists.

The Dallas area received only light amounts of freezing precipitation. But it was enough to close the Dallas North Tollway for a time on Wednesday night after vehicles spun out of control on icy bridges. And north of the city, in Collin and Grayson counties, heavy ice coated trees and power lines.

"The Metroplex itself dodged a pretty big bullet this week," said Larry Nerenberg, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. "Areas to our north and west got more than we did."

At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, more flights were being canceled.

American Airlines on Wednesday canceled 50 percent of its flights at DFW Airport, the carrier's main hub, airport spokesman Ken Capps said.

About 4,000 TXU Electric and Gas customers were without power early Thursday as gusty winds and ice downed power lines north and west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

About 100 employees and contractors were working to restore service, spokesman Ray Granado said.

"We're going to work through the whole night if necessary," he said. "We don't anticipate any long term problems. Mainly it's the high winds and the ice."

TxDOT provides a hotline number 1-800-452-9292 for a road report if you are planning a trip or go to www.dot.state.tx.us on the Internet.

If you have to travel, slow down. Drive to the condition of the road. Watch for icing on bridges and overpasses.

Look down the road. Give yourself plenty of time to stop at traffic signals and stop signs, or if traffic is stopped.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to work. (You might want to leave home 20-30 minutes, even an hour, earlier than usual).

Make sure your care or pickup's windshield and rear window are clear of ice. Take the time to scrape the ice off before you leave home.

Watch out for the other guy. Drive defensively.

State Democratic candidates, spokesmen to attend meeting

By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer

PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 29, 2001 -- Area Democrats will have a chance to "spend an evening with  the candidates" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., this Saturday at the Pecos  Community Center on South Oak Street.

Brewster and Reeves County Democrats are sponsoring a barbeque dinner where area voters have a chance to meet two democratic candidates along with surrogates for two other candidates, all of whom are running for statewide offices.

County Democratic Chairman Bob Dean said that he has been working on the meeting for about two months.

The forum is scheduled to include U.S. Senate candidate Ed Cunningham, Railroad Commissioner candidate Sherry Boyles, a surrogate for gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez and a surrogate for Land Commission candidate David Bernsen.

Dean said that other candidates along with Sanchez and Bernsen would've liked to come to the forum in Pecos this weekend but because of scheduling conflicts, could not.

"A lot more of them would be here if they didn't have conflicts," he said.

Cunningham is originally from Fritch, in the Panhandle of Texas, and a graduate of the University of Texas, where he played football. After a brief career in the NFL, Cunningham went to Law School at Texas Tech. Since then Cunningham has had a successful law career, representing major corporations, labor groups and professional athletes.

Boyles, originally from Quitman, is the current executive director of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA). She has worked with various State Senators and Representatives. Boyles graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a bachelor's degree in communications in 1993 and a law degree in 1996. While at UT, she was elected Student Body President in 1994.

A Laredo oilman and banker, Sanchez said he would focus on education issues, health care, a better environment and more jobs at better pay in his campaign. Sanchez received a business administration and law degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

Bernsan is currently a state senator. He is originally from Beaumont and has been involved in numerous state organizations. Bernsan attended Lamar University in Beaumont where he received a B.B.A., and a law degree from St. Mary's Law School.

Dean said he hopes to see a lot of community members join the candidates on Saturday to enjoy free barbecue and mariachi music.

"The public needs to meet the candidates," he said.

Dean said that even though other candidates were unable to attend this forum, they have expressed interest in coming to Reeves County sometime in the future.

Dean explained that many of the candidates have started their campaigns, even before they officially announce their candidacy on Monday.

"They started campaigning early," he said. "But they all want to come to Reeves County."

Dean is currently working on a local meet the candidates' forum for early next year.

K of C schedules benefit next week at St. Catherine's

PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 29, 2001 -- Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring a Barbecue plate sale, next Saturday, Dec. 8, at St. Catherine's Hall at Plum and Walthall streets.

Barbecue plates, which will include all the trimmings, will be sold beginning at 11 a.m., for $5 per plate.

The event is a fundraiser for the food baskets delivered during the Christmas holidays.

Weather

PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 29, 2001 -- High Wed. 29. Low this morning 22. Forecast for tonight:  Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. SW winds 5 to 10 mph. Fri.: Partly  cloudy and warmer. Highs in the mid 60s. West winds 10 to 20 mph. Fri.  night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. Sat.: Partly cloudy. Highs in the  lower 60s. Sun.: Partly cloudy. Lows in the 30s. Highs in the 60s.

Obituary

Tomasa Contreras



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