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TOP STORIESDecember 23, 1997RCDC employees receive big raisesBy RICK L. SMITH Staff Writer PECOS, December 23, 1997 - Reeves County Commissioners revised the county budget last night by approving more than a quarter of a million dollars in additional raises for employees at the Reeves County Detention Center. Commissioners amended the budget they had agreed upon last August by adding more than $287,000 for raises for the RCDC staff. An entry level position at the RCDC was set at an annual salary of $16,000. Commissioners increased that amount to $17,000. Level 2 RCDC staffers would have drawn $17,000 annually according to the budget approved this summer. Now a Level 2 employee can expect $19,000 a year. Level 3 salaries were increased from $20,000 to $21,000; counsellors salaries were increased from $22,000 to $23,000; case managers from $23,000 to $24,000; the Lieutenant Level increased from $25,000 to $27,500; and department head salaries increased from $27,500 to $30,000. "I want to thank the court (for the increases)," said RCDC Warden Rudy Franco. "You've given the (RCDC) staff a nice Christmas present. They'll be much more productive next year." Commissioners granted the raises after determining that RCDC revenues will increase by about $300,000 more than expected next year. According to Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo, the RCDC was expected to bring in about $10.1 million next year. The revised budget calls for RCDC revenues to increase to $10.4 million next year, according to Galindo. Currently the RCDC receives $36.50 per day per inmate from the Bureau of Prisons. The detention center can currently house 650 inmates and an expansion project set to be completed by next April will increase the center's capacity to 910 inmates. Franco expressed optimism to the commissioners that the RCDC would have no problem operating at full capacity for the foreseeable future. In other business commissioners approved a proposal to sell property the county has foreclosed on for delinquent taxes. Under the proposal all taxing entities in the county would have to agree to the sale of the foreclosed property. Commissioners plan to advertise the properties for sale and approve bids by sometimes in March. Bids for the listed properties would be approved or denied by Reeves County Tax Assessor/Collector Elfida Zuniga, with final approval by commissioners. See tomorrow's Pecos Enterprise for other action taken by Reeves County Commissioners Monday evening.
Rain expected to continueFrom Staff and Wire Reports PECOS, December 23, 1997 - Lines of showers moved through Pecos on-and-off throughout the night Monday and early this morning, while the same front brought snow to the mountains south and west of town. The showers, which began Monday afternoon and are expected to continue through tonight, dropped three-tenths of an inch of rain in Pecos, while to the south, one to four inches of snow already had piled up in the Alpine-Marfa-Fort Davis triangle. Between one and two inches of snow was reported by the Department of Public Safety to the west of Pecos at the Interstate 10/20 junction, while up to half a foot of snow fell at Guadalupe Pass to the northwest. "The roads are slushy at the junction, with bridge overpasses icing. Travel is considered risky in the area," said DPS communications officer Elaine Capers. She added that Wild Rose Pass on Highway 17 south of Balmorhea is also icy, and while TxDOT crews have cleared U.S. 62-180 around Guadalupe Peak, FM 652 west of Orla was snow and ice-packed this morning, and travel was not recommended. A heavy snow warning is in effect today for the western two-thirds of the Texas Panhandle, a winter storm warning is in effect for the eastern third of the Panhandle and the extreme southwestern edge of the Panhandle and in the South Plains. A flash flood watch was in effect for all of North Texas and all of Southeast Texas. The bad weather was being triggered by a strong upper level storm that was headed into Texas from the west early today. Western sections of the Panhandle may get as much as 4 to 8 inches of snow. In eastern sections of the Panhandle, forecasters said freezing rain and sleet was expected ahead of the snow. In eastern sections of the Panhandle some areas will get as much as 3 to 6 inches of snow. In addition to the winter storm warning, a winter weather advisory was in effect for the central and southern South Plains and parts of the northern rolling plains. The flash flood watch for North Texas called for as much as 1 to 2 inches of rain in most areas and as much as 4 inches in some areas near thunderstorm tracks. Widespread urban flooding is expected because the area is still saturated from the heavy weekend rains. Shortly after sunrise today, thunderstorms packing hail of up to one inch in diameter and winds of up to 70 mph were reported in Jack County, about 65 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Most areas of Southeast Texas will get as much as 2 inches of rain and some areas will get 4 to 6 inches of rain. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast across South Texas through Wednesday. Lows tonight will be in the 20s in West Texas, the 30s and 40s in North Texas and in the 30s in the Hill Country and in the 40s and 50s elsewhere in South Texas. Highs Wednesday will be in the 30s and 40s in West Texas, the 40s and 50s in North Texas and in the 60s in South Texas. Wild weather prevailed across West Texas before dawn today. Thunderstorms were reported over the South Plains and a mix of snow and rain fell over the western South Plains. Freezing rain fell in the Amarillo area and snow was falling in Dalhart and Borger.
Area businesses, offices closing for holidaysBy CARA ALLIGOOD Staff Writer PECOS, December 23, 1997 - Pecos residents should plan purchases and payments ahead for the next few days, because area stores, utility and government offices will be closed on Christmas Day in observance of the holiday, and will vary on their hours for the days before and after the holiday. All county offices will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as Dec. 26, and will reopen Monday, Dec. 29. City offices will be open during their normal operating hours on Christmas Day, but will be closed both Dec. 25 and 26. Both First National Bank and Security State Bank will close at 1 p.m. Christmas Eve and be closed on Christmas Day. The banks will reopen on Dec. 26, but Security State will not reopen from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday afternoon. Texas Department of Human Services will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26. La Tienda will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m Christmas Eve, be closed all of Christmas Day, and will resume their normal operating hours Dec. 26. Bob's Thriftway will also close at 7 p.m. Christmas Eve, be closed all of Christmas Day, and open during their normal hours De. 26. Southern Union Gas Company will be open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, then will be closed both Dec. 25 and 26. Texas-New Mexico Power Company will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26. The Pecos Enterprise will be published on Christmas Eve, but the office will close early. Circulation will remain open until 4 p.m., all other departments will close at 2 p.m. We will not open or publish a paper on Christmas Day, but will operate as usual on Dec. 26.
All she wants is for mom to get healthierBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, December 23, 1997 - While most children have been making out a list a mile long for Santa Claus, one Pecos first-grade student is asking for only one thing. "I only want that one thing, I didn't ask him for anything else, and I really don't want anything else," said six-year-old Natalie Rodriguez. Natalie wrote, "Dear Santa, This year it's been alright for me and my sisters. I don't want anything for Christmas, all I want Santa is for my mom to get better in her health. She been sick lately. Please Santa make my wish come true. Thank you, Natalie." Natalie's mother, Leticia, is a diabetic, who takes insulin shots. "She just gets very upset, because she has already had to call 911 for me," said the older Rodriguez. About two months ago, Leticia went into a diabetic coma, which left Natalie, the oldest of three children, to decide what to do during this emergency. "I don't know where she learned to dial 911, but she did," said Rodriguez. "I just had to think fast, because my mommy needed me," said Natalie. Natalie's other siblings, five-year-old Sofia and one-year-old Clarissa were at home at the time, which was also frightening for the little girl. "I don't want that to happen again," said Natalie. "She's terrified that something will happen to me," said Leticia. And the families problems don't end there. Leticia is scheduled to undergo a tonsillectomy at the beginning of next year. "She doesn't want me to have the surgery, because she thinks I'll go into a coma again," said Leticia. When Leticia's blood sugar is low, she can't take the shots, which can lead to a diabetic coma. "She makes sure I always take my shots and doesn't want to leave my side," said Leticia. The family had a few gifts under the tree for this year, despite the fact that Natalie had not asked for anything, however, those items were stolen about two weeks ago. "We went to visit family in Mexico and when we came back we found they had broken into our home," said Leticia. A VCR, a television and all the gifts from under the tree were missing. "This hurt her even more, because even though she hadn't requested anything, I still had something for her," said Leticia. Leticia is currently unemployed, because of doctor's orders. "He told me I just couldn't handle a job right now, the way my health is," said Leticia. "And now after this burglary, Natalie doesn't want to go anywhere, because she thinks they might break in again and take everything else," said Leticia. Christmas for the Kids and Toys for Tots helped Leticia replace the missing gifts, but she worries about little Natalie. "She's just such a quiet child, and she worries a lot," said Leticia. "Now everytime I get sick, even from a cold, she wants to call 911," she said. Even though so many things have happened to the family Natalie said that she's "very excited about Christmas and knows that Santa will grant her her wish."
Super highway turns some offBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, December 23, 1997 - The Information Superhighway may feel a little bumpy to new initiates and old hands alike in the Pecos area as complaints of sluggish connections and problems of getting cut-off while surfing the Net appear to be rising. Dick Alligood, owner of Oilfield Phone Service, said that there were so many elements involved that it's near-impossible to point the finger when service problems arise. "We (OPS) have Internet components, SW Bell has components, GTE has components, AT&T, IXC, GST (all have components) . . . but one problem everyone has is the need for more bandwidth," Alligood said. Bandwidth, or the capacity of a network to carry data, is usually expressed in bits per second (bps). Imagine the difference in speed a leaf may attain dropped into a roaring river compared with one loosed into a babbling brook and that is the difference of bandwidth that today's modems provide as compared with those on the market a decade ago. But phone companies can't always provide the speed the modems are capable of. With all the demands for bandwidth, not all poor connections are attributable to too many people on the line - sometimes the lines are "dirty," said Dick Alligood. On digital phone lines all information is sent much like a computer - in various combinations of 0's and 1's - and error messages on these lines (which are also made up of 0's and 1's) take up space and time, slowing other information. Larry Bryer, one of the owners of Ultra-Vision in Pyote, said he often advises Internet users to turn down their modem's speed when they are having problems getting knocked off line. "The phone lines out here are not made for these high speeds," he said. Bryer said that 99 percent of the cut-offs are caused by the user's own settings. Often modems either do not detect the data transfer at all or are set to time-out after a certain period of time and simply turn off. Public affairs manager for GTE, Charles Watkins, said he knew of no problems with the 445 digital switch that serves much of Pecos and that problems of those surfing the Internet may encounter wouldn't be the fault of the phone line but the provider. However, Alligood did say that there have been a few episodes where cards at GTE had gone bad and there had been no one available to change it. "In this part of the country the phone companies are often short on personnel - it's a matter of economics with these larger phone companies - and we have to wait till they get back in the office (to repair the problem)." At his company, Alligood said, they had been fortunate because card problems had been found relatively quickly.
PBT board plans to hire administratorsPECOS, December 23, 1997 - The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1998 in the board room at 1304 S. Park Street. According to the agenda, the meeting will begin with a closed session in which the school board will deliberate on the employment of the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Superintendent and on the employment of the P-B-T ISD Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/Personnel Director. Once open session resumes, the board will consider and take action on the employment of the P-B-T ISD Superintendent, consider and take action on the employment of the P-B-T ISD Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/Personnel Director and then discuss/approve resignations, reappointments and transfers of professional personnel. The meeting will adjourn after these three topics have been discussed in open session.
AREA ROUND-UPDecember 23, 1997 The Fort Stockton PioneerFORT STOCKTON, Dec. 18, 1997 - Nearly a month after Texas A&M geology professor Norman Tilford disappeared on a flight from Bryan to Van Horn, authorities believe they may have located his body, and the wreckage of the aircraft he was piloting. On Saturday, deer hunters discovered the body of the missing professor/pilot in a rural area in northwest Blanco County, according to a report from the Blanco County Sheriff's Department. The Big Bend SentinelMARFA, Dec. 18, 1997 - Marfa and Alpine voters go to the polls on Jan. 18 to determine for themselves the fate of their public gas utility. Voters in each town will cast ballots to approve or disapprove a proposal offered to Southwest Texas Municipal Gas Co. (SWTMGC) by West Texas Gas Co. of Midland. The Alpine AvalancheALPINE, Dec. 18, 1997 - The personal use of city equipment by the mayor of Alpine has caught the eye of the District Attorney. The issue was discussed at a recent city council meeting where City Manager Doug Lively explained Mayor Bill Sohl hired city employees and rented city equipment to work on his ranch in Jeff Davis County. District Attorney Albert Valadez has reviewed the case and has asked Texas Ranger Dave Duncan to investigate the incident. The International, Presidio PaperPRESIDIO, Dec. 18, 1997 - Federal grand jurors heard hours of testimony in the civil rights investigation into the shooting of an 18-year-old Redford student by Marines last spring, but adjourned last Thursday without reaching a conclusion in the case. On May 20, U.S. Marine Cpl. Clemente Banuelos shot and killed Ezequiel Hernandez, Jr., as he tended his goat herd near the family home in Redford. The Sanderson TimesSANDERSON, Dec. 18, 1997 - The original date for the pecan show had to be postponed to the first week in December, because many of the pecan varieties had not ripened. The show was sponsored by the Terrell County 4-H and Mike Barbour, Terrell County Agent, was in charge of the show. The Monahans NewsMONAHANS, Dec. 18, 1997 - State of Texas expenditures in Ward County for fiscal 1997 totaled $16,961,824, according to the Texas 1997 State Expenditures by County report released by the State Comptroller's Office in Austin on Friday, Oct. 12.
WEATHERPECOS, December 23, 1997 - High Monday, 63, low this morning, 36. Precipitation Monday totaled 0.30 of an inch bringing the total rainfall for the month to 0.98 of an inch and the year-to-date total to 10.22 inches. Tonight there will be decreasing clouds and a low around 30 with northwest winds at 5-15 mph. Wednesday will see partly cloudy skies with a high around 55 and northwest winds at 10-20 mph. The forecast for Christmas includes increasing clouds, lows around 30 and highs around 50.
Pecos Enterprise
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