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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
TOP STORIES
Wednesday, April 29, 1998
More layoffs at Freeport mine
By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1998 - Twelve contractual employees of
Freeport McMoRan Sulphur's Culberson mine, supplied by
Pecos Valley Field Service, were laid off in what the
company refers to as an effort to reduce over-all costs of production.
"As the company continues to find ways to remain profitable, they took action on Friday to reduce the amountof contractual labor employed by the company," said company spokesman Bill Collier. "We will continue to review costs in all parts of the operation."
The contract laborers were used by Freeport for specialty jobs, including electrical and welding work. Officials at Pecos Valley Field Service would not comment on the company's action.
The layoff follows a reduction in production at the
Culberson mine enacted in January. Company officials
at that time said that the reduction of 22 percent, or
200,000 long tons of annual product, would not result in
any employee layoffs.
The Frasch sulphur mine, located about 30 miles north of
Pecos in Culberson County, has reduced production by
550 long tons per day.
Freeport McMoRan Sulphur (FSC on the New York Stock
Exchange) began as a new public company on Dec. 23, 1997, in the wake of a massive merger between Freeport- McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FTX) and IMC Global Inc. (NYSE:IGL) with IGL as the surviving entity.
Newly-elected president Robert M. Wohleber said in January that the reductions were being taken in response to a developing near-term imbalance in the U.S. sulphur supply.
Collier estimated the life expectancy of the mine at about 10 years.
Freeport-McMoRan Sulphur Inc. is now the largest producer
of Frasch sulphur in the world. It is involved in mining, purchasing, transporting, terminaling and marketing sulphur and the production of related oil and gas reserves.
GED program gives second chance
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1998 - Twice a week they gather at the
Carver Center, located at the corner of Locust and 12th
streets, taking advantage of a second chance to complete
their high school education.
The students differ in ages, gender, sizes and shapes, but all have one goal in mind, to get a better education. Their reasons for wanting to improve their education levels also vary, but it's like one student put it, "We're thankful for David Reyes who has been an inspiration and has given us a second chance," said Nora Lujan.
Lujan is just one of many students who expressed their
gratitude for their teacher and mentor. "I dropped out of school years ago, and now I am able to go out into the work force and I've never gotten my GED," she said.
"Right now, that's what I'm working towards and I plan to go to college later," said Lujan. "It's never too late to get an education and do something with your life and David is a very good teacher," she said.
Noel Valenzuela is just 20 years old. "I'm trying to get my GED, so that I can go to college in the fall," he said. "I wasn't interested in school while I was attending it, but I missed it after a while," he said.
"You can't get a good job without an education and I plan to continue mine," said Lujan.
Twenty-six year old Leo Ornelas stated that it was really "dumb" of him to drop out of school. "I kind of missed it later and I regretted it," he said.
Ornelas stated that after seeing his brother graduate from college and land a good job, he was inspired to further his education. "He was very successful, he impressed me and I was proud of him," said Ornelas. "I wanted the same thing for myself," he said.
Diana Iniquez is 21-years-old and a ninth-grade drop out.
"I'm sorry now that I dropped out," said Iniquez. "I want to get a better job and I'm doing this for my kids so that they can have a better life, and later on, when I get a chance, I'm going to go to college also," she said.
Elva Rodriguez was close to graduating from high school
when she dropped out in the 11th grade. "I can't believe I did that, I was so close already," she said.
"I was so young and dumb," said Rodriguez. "I just wanted to have fun and party, but now that I know what the world is really like, I'm looking forward to furthering my education and eventually becoming a paralegal," she said.
"I've got David to thank for that, I already have my GED and will continue with my education," she said.
"I dropped out in the ninth grade and now I have a little girl," said Julie Aguilar. "I can't teach her that education is important if I don't have that education myself," said Aguilar. "I need to know how to teach her also and I need to show her a good example," she said.
Maria Gomez, 24, agreed with Aguilar. "I'm doing it for my kids, to give them a better life and a better education," she said.
GED classes sponsored through Odessa College and the
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD are free. For more information or to register for the class call 445-2756.
Sentences handed out in court
PECOS, April 29, 1998 - Federal Judge Lucius D. Bunton
presided over a slew of marijuana cases on Monday, handing out several sentences.
Jose Freddy Arriaga-Cabrera, 25, was found guilty of one
count of possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to 60 months, with substance abuse treatment recommended.
Cabrera is from Odessa.
Alberto Samaguey, a 20-year-old Pecos resident of 825 North Elm Street, was convicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to 12 months and a day, with a $2,000 fine tacked on.
Juan Reynaldo Parada-Jasso, 18, and Pedro Garcia- Quintana, 46, were each found guilty of possession with intent to distribute. Jasso, of 1401 West Fifth Street in Pecos, was sentenced 63 months, with substance abuse treatment recommended, and Quintana, of Lovington, was sentenced to 60 months with an additional $2,000 fine.
Obed Versatigui, 30, was found guilty on three counts,
including conspiracy to import marijuana, importation of
marijuana and possession with intent to distribute. The
Dallas resident was sentenced to 36 months.
Marcelina Gonzalez-de Orona, 53, of Midland, was found
guilty of importation of marijuana and possession with
intent to distribute. She was sentenced to 21 months.
Aida Salazar Dominguez, 31, of Hobbs, N.M., was found
guilty on two counts, the importation of marijuana and
possession with intent to distribute, and sentenced to 42 months.
Raul Bueno-Ortega, 20, also of Hobbs, N.M., was sentenced
to 24 months in jail and given a $1,000 fine for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. It was recommended that Ortega be sent to boot camp in Lewisburg, Pa., if he is eligible.
Sergio Perez-Estrada, 36, and Humberto Hinojosa- Rodriguez, 22, were both found guilty of possession with intent to distribute. Estrada was sentenced to be incarcerated for 72 months. Rodriguez, who was also convicted of importation of marijuana, was sentenced to 60 months. Both are from Ojinaga, Mexico.
Arturo Quezada Saenz, a 27-year-old from 911 East Fourth
Street in Pecos, was sentenced to 115 months for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Juan Jose Granado, of Emporia, Kan., and Angel
Anchondo-Nunez Jr., of Odessa, were sentenced to 37 and
36 months, respectively, for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Horacio Rodriguez Baca, a 26-year-old from Ralls, Tex., was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for the importation of marijuana.
A bench warrant was issued for Guadalupe Coronado Belmares, who failed to appear in court on Monday.
Joseph Justice, 21, of Alpine, was sentenced to 6 months for violating terms of his probation.
A motion to continue was filed in the case of Robert Dale
Holly. His case will continue at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 30.
Early voting ends for Saturday election
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1998 - Early voting ended yesterday with 643 votes cast by personal appearance in the city, school and hospital elections.
"We had a total of 227 ballots sent out by mail," said voting clerk Debbie Thomas.
Out of the 227, 154 have been returned. "I'm sure we'll get the rest back, they still have until Saturday," said Thomas.
All ballots returned by mail by Saturday will be counted.
"We had a total of 212 voters on Tuesday, which was the biggest amount that we had had since early voting began," said Thomas.
Early voting started out slowly with an average of about 40 voters per day, according to Thomas.
"Right now, we're getting everything ready for Saturday," she said.
And if you're wondering where to cast your vote on Saturday, things have been made easy, with consolidated voting. All voters in Pecos will cast their ballots at the Community Center, located on Oak Street, next door to the Pecos Police Department.
Voters in Saragosa will vote at the Multi-Purpose Center;
Balmorhea will cast their votes at the Senior Citizens
Center; Orla, at the Red Bluff Office; Toyah individuals
will vote at the Toyah City Hall and Barstow residents will go to the Community Center to cast their votes.
WEATHER
PECOS, April 29, 1998 - High Tuesday, 76, low this morning, 46. Skies will be clearing across all of Texas tonight and Thursday. It will be clear to partly cloudy tonight and mostly sunny on Thursday in West Texas. Lows tonight will be in the 40s and 50s. Highs Thursday will be in the 70s and 80s.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, 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
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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
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