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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, October 14, 2002
Commissioners put off budget, tax rate action
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Oct. 14, 2002 -- Reeves County Commissioners voted to table
action on a hearing on, and adoption of, the 2003 Fiscal Year budget, and
also delayed action on the county's 2003 tax rate during this morning's
Reeves County Commissioners Court meeting.
The group met at 9:30 a.m., today, to discuss several issues and the
budget and tax rate were among the first on the commissioners' list. Both
the budget and tax rates normally are approved by the county before the
start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. However, the items were tabled until
the November meeting, while commissioners did go on to approve requests
for payments to the contractors currently working at the site of RCDC-III;
property bids and other miscellaneous items.
Reeves County Detention Center Warden Rudy Franco was on hand to give
the court an update on the construction at the site of the new facility.
"Despite the rain, construction seems to be going on as scheduled," said
Franco. "A lot of the work is being done inside now."
"We believe everything will be completed on schedule or very close to
the schedule," said Franco. "It looks great out there and if anybody has
a chance go over there and take a tour."
Commissioners approved payments to LMD Architects for reimbursement of
expenses in the amount of $4,842; Frank Spencer in the amount of $1,875
and $3,891; payment to Carothers Construction, in the amount of $146,159;
R.W. Jones and Sons, $6,650; Texas Commercial Fence, Inc. payment for $83,909;
SamCorp General Contractors, Inc., $338,608; ABCO Fire Protection request
payment in the amount of $30,637; ISI Detention Contracting Group Inc.,
$64,323; N.C. Sturgeon, $27,788; Howard's Mechanical, Inc., $415,115; Scott
Thane Ditching, $51,407 and Acme Electric Company, $306,280.
The group also discussed and approved property bids for several properties
that were struck off by one of the taxing entities.
Crissy Martinez, with Edward Jones Investments, was again on hand for
a presentation on voluntary payroll deduction retirement plan.
Martinez had made her presentation at an earlier Commissioners Court
meeting and the item had been tabled. The item was approved at this morning's
meeting.
"We authorize the payroll deduction with the stipulation that separation
will be made only twice a year, on Jan. 1 and June 1," said Reeves County
Judge Jimmy B. Galindo.
In other action, an interlocal agreement between Reeves County and County
Information Resource Agency was approved.
"This is run by the Texas Association of Counties and will help the counties
expand on computer networking," said Precinct 1 Commissioner Felipe Arredondo.
"It will help us when the legislator is in session and an issue comes up
that involves us," he said.
The resource agency will provide valuable information to the counties
and offer advise, regarding what is best for the county, according to Arredondo.
"There's no fee associated with this at this time," said Arredondo. "They
are trying to do e-mail addresses for all county officials as well."
"Probably the idea is very worthwhile and you can learn what the other
counties are doing," said county auditor Lynn Owens. "It should be very
beneficial, but once you get an e-mail address, you're going to get bombarded
with a number of letters."
"It's better for us to go into this agreement with them, better for them
to have established this website, instead of us doing it alone," said Galindo.
"Right now it's just being started up by TAC, but later on they probably
will want some type of fee," said Owens.
"I'm sure they're fees will be reasonable and it's a lot cheaper than
us doing it ourselves," said Galindo. "I think it will be very beneficial
to the county."
Personnel and salary changes included new hires at the Reeves County
Detention Center, as Correctional Officers I, at a starting salary of $19,000;
Mary Garcia, Jimmie Bannister, Carlos Campos, Barbara Lambert, Chris Lara,
Theodore Martin, Ronald Mather, Joe Mendoza, Andrew Rodriguez, Jesus Valles
and Amanda Vasquez.
Officers who went from COI's to COII's at a pay raise of $24,000 were,
Saul Mendoza, Julio Torres, Elva Florez, Annette Diehl, Mary Ann Carrillo,
Harlan Rayburn, Eriberto Sotelo and Nolan Blount. Grace Renteria received
a pay raise from $34,000 to $41,000 and Jimmy Leonard was promoted to shift
lieutenant, at $31,500.
At the Reeves County Sheriff's Office, Liandro Castaneda was hired on
a part-time basis as a jailer; Rosalina Alvarado as administrative assistant
at $25,000 and Reno Lewis received a pay raise to $28,000.
Shots available for kids, adults at Pecos sites
PECOS, Mon., Oct. 14, 2002 -- Immunization shots for children and flu
shots for adults are available at two different sites in Pecos.
A free immunization clinic is set for from 3-5 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct.
22, at Bessie Haynes Elementary School library for students who are lacking
some of their shots.
Parents or guardians need to bring their child's shot record. Students
must receive these immunizations to continue in school after a date to be
set after the Oct. 22 clinic.
Meanwhile, Rediger's Pharmacy now has flu shots for anyone interested
in the receiving the injection. For further information, call 445-4916.
Nov. 5 election early voting starts Saturday
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Oct. 14, 2002 -- As election time nears, people willing to vote
in the early elections may do so beginning this Saturday.
According to County Clerk, Dianne Florez, early voting will begin on
Saturday, October 19, at the Reeves County Court House lobby from 8 a.m.
till 5 p.m.
The election will consist of all local and state races, Florez said.
"There will also be one constitutional amendment to be voted on," Florez
said.
Though the Court House lobby is the only voting site as of now Florez
added that she hopes to receive clearance about other sites.
"I am still waiting to hear from (Washington) D.C. for clearance on other
voting sites," Florez said.
Florez added that once clearance is received on the other sites she would
let the people know.
There are no local races in Reeves County that are contested, but several
area and state races that voters will be deciding on. They include the 23rd
Congressional District race, where incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla is
challenged by Democrat Henry Cuellar; the race for U.S. Senate, where Democrat
Ron Kirk and Republican John Cornyn are looking to fill the seat being vacated
by retiring Sen. Phil Gramm; and the race for governor, where Democrat Tony
Sanchez is challenging Gov. Rick Perry, who took over the job following
the election of George W. Bush as president in 2000.
Early voting will end on November 1 and applications will be received
by mail till October 29 by 5 p.m. for those wanting to vote absentee, Florez
said.
Anyone who may have any questions by call the Reeves County Court House
at 445-5467.
Charges filed in Tercero's 1998 slaying
PECOS, Mon., Oct. 14, 2002 -- A man has been indicted for a 1998 murder
of a Pecos resident and is now in the Ward County Jail.
Joel Bravo Rubio, 28, of Pecos has been indicted for the murder of Ruben
Tercero while in custody of the Texas Department of Corrections Tennessee
Colony unit in East Texas. A bench warrant was served to return him from
there to Ward County.
Rubio, a member of the a criminal street gang, was first served a warrant
in June of 1999 after Ward County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Pascual
Olibas had signed a warrant asking for his arrest for the connection of
the death of Tercero, whose body was discovered in May of 1999.
Though Rubio was arrested in Reeves County the case was dismissed because
of the lack of evidence.
However, while in custody of Reeves County Sheriff's deputies, Rubio
showed authorities where the remains of Tercero were located.
Two other people were later charged in connection with Tercero's death,
but in June of 2000, murder charges against Mario Hernandez Rayos, Jr.,
31 and Arturo Ortiz Gallegos, 28, were dismissed because of insufficient
evidence, 143rd District Attorney Randy Reynolds said at the
time the charges were dropped.
The 39-year-old Tercero was reported missing by his mother in April of
1998. As a result of the information provided by Rubio to the Reeves County
Sheriff's Department, Ward County sheriff's deputies and Texas Rangers excavated
a grave site on the Ward County (east) side of the Pecos River on May 20,1999.
The site was three miles north of FM 3398 and south of the Barstow Dam,
where officials discovered Tercero's body in a shallow grave.
According to Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez, the case is still under
investigation.
Weather
PECOS, Mon., Oct. 14, 2002 -- High Sunday 65. Low this morning 45. Rainfall
last 24 hours at Texas A&M Experiment Station .48 inch. Forecast for
tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows 40 to 45. South winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming
north 10 to 15 mph late. Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s.
Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph becoming east 5 to 15 mph. Tuesday night:
Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in
the mid 70s. Thursday: Partly cloudy. Lows 45 to 50. Highs 70 to 75.
Obituary
Evelyn Lorene M. Nunn
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 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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