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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, February 22, 1999
New drug task force formally announced
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 22, 1999 - Visiting sheriffs, the interim commander and
several other individuals were on hand this morning at the regular Reeves
County Commissioners Court meeting, to listen to the announcement of the
new Permian Basin Drug Task Force.
District Attorney Randy Reynolds gave a summary of the $465,000 task
force grant which will be used to the fund the newly developed Permian
Basin Drug Task Force, which has been an on-going combined effort by different
agencies and entities.
The PBDTF will soon be back in operation thanks to the concentrated
efforts of several individuals and entities. Reynolds said a number of
counties and cities which will be joining the task force, and Reeves County
will be the host county.
Reynolds introduced the assistant district attorney, Lisa Leplant; the
secretary for the task force, James Lee Cowell; administrative assistant,
Virginia Palomino; the interim commander, Antonio Garcia, Jr. and a part-time
bookkeeper/auditor, Bruce Salcido. Jeff Baeza will join in as an officer,
as soon as a replacement for him in the Reeves County Sheriff's Department
is found, according to Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez.
The grant received for the project is in the amount of $465,593 and
this go-round no matching in-kind services are required. "We'll have to
do that in May, but Judge (Jimmy) Galindo has come up with an excellent
idea in which to fund the 25 percent we will have to come up with," said
Reynolds.
Seizure and confiscation won't be the primary method of meeting the
local match, according to Galindo.
Entities will put 25 percent of the total cost of the project from local
sources. The group will establish an agreement to use county based bed
space, 15-20 bed and jail beds in Reeves County to fund the local match
portion of the grant, according to Galindo.
"It also means participating counties will provide us with bed space
in the counties involved," said Galindo.
Parole violators or local inmates will be moved to those beds, people
wanting to serve their state sentences, according to Galindo.
"In essence the other counties will provide in-kind services by opening
up those bed spaces," said Galindo.
That money will be dedicated to local match of local task force.
According to Galindo, 15-20 beds locally, for use by Immigration and
Naturalization Service or U.S. Marshal inmates, will be allocated by Reeves
County to those two groups, at $35 per day.
Another key element is that the PBDTF has made a commitment to offer
drug trafficking interdiction training for all officers in the counties
participating with the group.
"This training is for all the officers, not just those on the drug task
force," said Galindo. "We're really investing in local police officers
and deputies, if someday the money is not available, the officers will
be trained to fight the war on drugs."
"The ability to work with several counties shows local commitment of
the sheriff to address this problem," he added.
Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez expressed his appreciation of
the force. "I'm really glad we have this, because we need all the help
we can get," he said.
Town of Pecos City Mayor Dot Stafford thanked everyone who helped with
getting the force up and going. "This just proves that if we all work together
we can get more done," said Stafford. "We're really anxious and excited
about this."
Judge Galindo also stated that the group is thinking of renaming the
force to Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force. Both Gomez and Reynolds assured Galindo
that this was something that could be done.
"They told me that the governor's office stated that they can do this
adjustment," said Galindo.
As interim commander, Antonio Garcia Jr. will receive a starting salary
of $40,590 per year. Cowell will get $17,200; Laplante, $40,000 as assistant
DA; Jeffrey Baeza, investigator, $26,000; Bruce Salcido, accountant, $20,000
and Virginia Palomino, $19,500 as administrative assistant.
The office will be housed at the old Western Insurance building, according
to Reynolds.
He said they will still have seizures and interdiction and that the
group plans to work with local officials in the war on drugs.
"We'll have forfeiture money, but we'll also have these other funds
to fall back on," said Reynolds, who explained that the funds he was talking
about were the ones that will come from the bed space funding.
BPA, swim team members recognized
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 22, 1999-A round of applause greeted several students from
Pecos High School in recognition of their outstanding efforts in extracurricular
activities, at the regular school board meeting.
Business and Professionals of America students along with Pecos Eagle
Swim team members were greeted joyfully by members of the audience and
school board personnel.
BPA had a successful weekend at Area-Competition in Lamesa, according
to their sponsor Judy Holland.
"The efforts put forth by these students is just great and every year
we send some to state," said Holland.
"We're always very proud of these students, who are just great 99.97
percent of the time," said Holland. "If all the students were like this,
it would be just great," she said.
Thirty-six students attend area competition and the Pecos group brought
home 27 awards.
State bound students include Elvira Dominguez, administrative assistant;
Nathan Lujan, C++ programmer; Michelle Gabaldon, financial specialist;
Orlando Orona, banking concepts; Annabel Carrasco, payroll accounting;
Noel Ybarra, desktop publishing; Jonathan Fuentes, computerized accounting;
Oscar Medrano, management concepts; Jennifer Fuentes, database applications
and Desiree Sanchez, verbal communictions prepared II.
The team consisting of Grant Holland, Desiree Sanchez, Michelle Gabaldon
and Efrain Rodriguez will be competing at state in presentation management
team.
The group also had stated alternates including Veronica Valenzuela,
office specialist; Carolina Salcido, information processing specialist;
Jessica Carreron, administration specialist; Claudia Garcia, information
processing specialist; Cynthia Garcia, financial assistant; Juan Angel
Ramirez, legal concepts; Kristen Evans, payroll accounting; Noemi Salgado,
international business; Stacy Rivas, international business; Grant Holland,
verbal communications extemp. I; Heydy Gomez, verbal communications extemp.
II, the group consisting of Jonathan Fuentes, Jennifer Fuentes, Jessica
Carreon, Selena Gonzales and Raquel Gaitos, parliamentary procedure team;
Nathan Lujan and Orland Orona, website development team; Grant Holland,
business math; Orlando Orona, business knowledge skills and Nathan Lujan,
business law.
Nathan Lujan and Orlando Orona showed off their website during the meeting
and spoke about the many items it contained. The website can be located
at: pecosisd.usaonline.net/bpa. The site also has a link to the Pecos Enterprise.
DECA students who competed include and placed first, Darlene Barreno,
Debra Quiroz, Eric Mendoza and Melissa Sotelo, in the DECA Quiz Bowl; second
alternate, Noemi Perez, Quick Service Restaurant Management; third alternate,
Fernando Rodriguez, Retail Marketing and fifth alternate, Griselda Zapata,
Retail Marketing.
"We're just very proud of all these students and everyone in the community
should be also," said Holland.
In conjunction Holland was named Business Teacher of the Year.
Swim team members were praised for their outstanding efforts, making
swimming team coach Terri Morse teary-eyed. Pecos' boys won their eighth
District 4 title in past 10 years, while the girls finished second, after
winning seven titles in the previous eight years.
Morse told the board she was very proud of all the students and assured
them that next year, they would be doing a lot better.
"The boys really did an outstanding job, this year we didn't have as
many girls, but we're working on that," said Morse. "I'm just really very
proud of all these kids."
Morse was also named District 4 boys swimming Coach of the Year.
Domestic disputes blamed for injuries
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 22, 1999 - Weekend domestic disputes involving vehicles
resulted in minor injuries to two spouses, although no charges were filed.
Pecos Police were summoned to the 900 block of Elm Street at 5:10 a.m.
Saturday when a woman reported she had run over her husband. An ambulance
was also summoned, but no transport was made.
Police officers said that no charges were filed because the family matter
was settled by separation.
Then on Saturday night at 11:43, a 9-1-1 call again summoned police
and an ambulance, this time to 2300 Missouri St., where a woman was lying
in the middle of the street.
Dnan Ramirez, 21, told police that she jumped on the hood of the car
that her husband, Jadson Earl Ephriam, 24, was driving because she didn't
want him to leave their home.
When Ephriam hit the brakes, Ramirez fell off the car, but Ephriam said
he didn't run over her. She was transported to Reeves County Hospital,
where she was treated and released.
Police said that Ramirez claimed they were "only playing," and she didn't
want to file charges.
Fireworks demo for rodeo show scheduled tonight
Fireworks is the menu for a community meeting on the Reeves County Civic
Center parking lot at 7 p.m. today.
The display is just a sample of what local citizens and their holiday
visitors can expect on July 4 when a giant fireworks display is planned,
said a spokesman for the Pecos Chamber of Commerce.
Civic organizations and businesses are invited to send a representative
to tonight's display and join in support of the Independence Day celebration.
Obituaries
Callie Holloway
Callie Holloway, 94, died Friday, Feb. 19, 1999, at Reeves County Hospital.
Services are scheduled for 2 p.m., today, at West Park Baptist Church,
with Rev. James Sain and Rev. J.E. McCormick officiating. Burial will be
in Evergreen Cemetery.
She was born Oct. 16, 1904, in Pecos, was a lifelong Pecos resident,
a retired seamstress and a Baptist.
Survivors include one son, Dick Holloway of Dallas; four daughters,
Nancy McAnally of Pecos, Francis Hamilton of Pecos, Jean Durnal of Dallas
and Joe Anne Long of El Cajon, Calif.; 14 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren
and four great-great-grandchildren.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Florencia Lara
A funeral mass for Florencia (Lencha) Lara, 94, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday
in Santa Rosa Catholic Church, with burial in Santa Rosa Cemetery.
Lara died Saturday, Feb. 20, 1999 in Memorial Hospital Center in Midland.
A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m. today in Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.
She was born on Nov. 7, 1904 and was a homemaker and a lifelong resident
of Pecos. She was a Catholic.
She was preceeded in death by her husband, Antonio Lara, Sr., and one
son, Merce R. Lara. Survivors include three sons, Jesus R. Lara of Pecos
and Antonio R. Lara and Manuel R. Lara, both of Midland; five daughters,
Blasa Lara of Pecos and Alice Carrasco, Mary Alice Gutierrez, Romona Ybarra
and Mary Olguin, all of Midland; 29 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren,
23 great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
PECOS, Feb. 22, 1999 - High Sunday 65; low last night 36. Tonight, clear.
Lows around 30. Northwest to north 10-20 mph. Tuesday, sunny. Highs in
the mid 60s. West winds 5-15 mph.
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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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