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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Tuesday, March 16, 1999

Bondsman jailed on Tennessee charges

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mar. 16, 1999 -- Local bail bondsman Joey T. Herrera Jr. spent Monday night in Reeves County Jail on an extradition warrant out of Nashville, Tenn., and will now await the results of a bond hearing Thursday in County Court-At-Law Judge Lee Green's chamber.

Herrera is charged by indictment with three counts of fabricating evidence, two counts of conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.

A hearing was held late this morning for Herrera in Judge Green's office, in which Herrera declined to waive his right to fight extradition to Nashville.

"He wants a bond hearing before he does that," Green said. "I'm not sure if he (legally) deserves a bond hearing, but he will have the chance to present it on Thursday."

Green added that 143rd District Attorney Randy Reynolds "wants more time to get ready" for the hearing, which will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Reeves County Courthouse.

According to the charge Herrera presented false death certificates for three defendants in the Davidson County Criminal Court, "with knowledge of its falsity and with intent to affect the course or outcome of the official proceeding," and transferred large sums of money to Paul's Bonding Company.

He is charged with conspiring with others to procure a fictitious death certificate to relieve Paul's Bonding Company of its liability as surety for the appearance bond of Luis S.O. Rodriguez, and for receiving payments from a co-defendant for his services.

In a similar case in June and July 1998, Herrera allegedly solicited Paul's Bonding Company to act as surety for the appearance bond of George T. Wiebe in the amount of $500,000. A co-defendant allegedly traveled to Texas to receive funds for obtaining Wiebe's release.

Herrera allegedly delivered funds in excess of the statutory amount permitted to professional bondsmen for making the bond, and a portion of those funds were delivered to two of Herrera's co-defendants in the alleged conspiracy.

In September, 1998, Herrera allegedly obtained a false death certificate for Wiebe to the Davidson County Criminal Court.

The final count of the seven-count indictment alleges that Herrera obtained a false death certificate for Reyes Castro and presented it to Paul's Bonding Company.

Officers arrested Herrera Monday afternoon as he conducted business in the office of the district clerk in the federal court building. They then searched his office and home.

Scott Johnson represented Herrera at the hearing. Green said Johnson and attorney Brian Chavez would represent Herrera on Thursday.

Local elections attract few candidates

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mar. 16, 1999 -- With only two days remaining before the filing deadline in area city, school and hospital district elections, only two of the seven area races have enough candidates to fill the terms expiring after the May 1 election.

There are currently no contested elections, and only the elections for the Town of Pecos City Council, where two incumbents and one newcomer have filed for the three available seats, and the election for the Barstow City Council, where all three incumbents have filed, have enough candidates to fill all the vacancies.

Deadline is 5 p.m., Wednesday, to file for city council, school board and hospital board elections.

Incumbents, Gerald Tellez and Johnny Terrazas have filed for new two-year terms on the Town of Pecos City Council. Newcomer Larry Levario, maintenance director for the Texas Department of Transportation has also filed for a position on the council.

Along with Tellez and Terrazas, the term of city councilman Randy Graham also expires after the May 1 election.

In Barstow, the positions open are for a full two year terms and the three incumbents Olga Abila, Lucio Florez and Dora Villanueva have filed to retain their positions, so far without any challengers.

Over in Toyah, only one individual has filed for city council election, while two of the three incumbents have filed to retain their positions on the Balmorhea School Board.

Diana Tollett has filed for a new two-year term on the Toyah City Council, where three seats are available this year.

Braulia Natividad and Javier Lozano have both filed to continue to serve on the Balmorhea ISD board. Three positions are currently open in that race.

In the Reeves County Hospital District election, two seats are up and so far, only Marcella Lovett has announced plans to run for a new two-year term.

Lovett is currently serving on the board as Precinct 2 representative. Reeves County Hospital District's board president, Jeannette Alligood's Precinct 4 term also expires in May.

In the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, trustees Daisy Roquemore and Alberto Alvarez have three-year terms expiring, and neither has filed as of yet to remain on the board.

Former school board member Billie Sadler is the only person so far to file as a prospective candidate in the P-B-T elections.

Prospective candidates may pick up forms for the city election from Geneva Martinez, city secretary, at City Hall; from secretary Jo Allgood at the school administration office; and from administrative assistant Nadine Smith at Reeves County Hospital.

Debbie Thomas, elections administrator, will handle early voting for all three entities.

Pecos' March tax rebate holds stable from last year

PECOS, Mar. 16, 1999 -- The larger cities on the edge of the oil patch in West Texas generally showed a slight improvement in sales tax rebate checks for March compared with a year ago, according to figures released Monday by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander's office.

However, those in the middle of the main oil producing areas took another hit this month, as their rebate checks were down sharply from the same period in 1998.

Pecos' sales tax rebate check was up just under 1 percent from a year ago. The city got $58,476 as its 1 1/2 cent share of the state's 8 1/4 cent sales tax, up from $57,991 last year. For the first three months of 1999, the city has shown an increase of 2 percent in its sales tax collections compared with a year ago.

Balmorhea and Toyah didn't fare as well, though their checks tend to fluxuate more than Pecos' total does. Balmorhea's check for $212 was down 85 percent from the $1,421 the city received last year, while Toyah's $293 check was down 29 percent from last year's $415 total, despite a 1/2-cent rise in the city's sales tax in the past year.

Odessa also has increased its sales tax by 1/4 percent since last year, and that allowed the city to report an 11.4 percent rise in its sales tax collections. Meanwhile, Midland had the area's biggest check, but it's $809,597 total was down 11.4 percent from last year, and Andrews reported the largest drop, falling 29.7 percent to $39,020.

Monahans also saw their tax collections drop this month, falling 27.7 percent, to $46,208. Crane went against the trend, as it rose 24.8 percent to $22,874, while cities in the Big Bend area fared the best, with Marfa, Alpine, Fort Stockton and Presidio all reporting increases.

Statewide, Rylander's office reported sending out checks worth $159.4 million to 1,095 cities in counties in Texas this month, a 7.87 percent increase over a year ago. For the first three months of the year, sales tax rebate checks total $603.6 million, an 8-29 percent rise over 1998's total.

RCDC, task force on commissioners' afternoon agenda

PECOS, Mar. 16, 1999 -- Reeves County Commissioners scheduled a special meeting of the commissioner's court for 3 p.m. this afternoon in the Reeves County Courthouse to discuss items relating to the Reeves County Detention Center and the Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force.

Commissioners will discuss/take action on approving a section of the RCDC's planned 1,000 bed expansion. The item involves finishing floor elevations without a floor plan study, based on civil engineer's experience with the site.

Also up for discussion and action is personnel and salary changes involving the Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force, which began operation last month.

The commissioners will meet on the third floor of the Reeves County Courthouse.

Lotto

AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Monday night: Winning numbers drawn: 10-17-19-20-34. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner: $89,809. Winning ticket sold in: Murchison. Matching four of five: 223. Prize: $604.

***

AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Saturday by the Texas Lottery, in order: 8-6-5 (eight, six, five)

Obituaries

Nolberta Holguin

Nolberta Holguin, 81, formerly of Alpine, died Sunday, March 7, at a Pecos hospital.

A rosary will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday at Geeslin Funeral Home Chapel.

Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, at Our Lady of Peace Church with Father Rick Ruiz officiating. Burial will be in Holy Angels Cemetery.

She was born in Terlingua, had lived most of her life in Shafter and moved to Pecos in 1989. She was a homemaker and a member of the Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Brigido Holguin.

Survivors include three sons, Brijido and Jose Holguin of Pecos, Jesus J. Holguin of Alpine; three daughters, Frances Sanchez of Alpine, Maria Zavada of Indiana and Socorro Munoz of Pecos; three brothers, Manuel and Santiago Galindo of Mexico and Pilar Galindo of Midland; two sisters, Gloria Villa, Jesus Nalivida of Odessa; 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Geeslin Funeral Home of Alpine is in charge of arrangements.

Vaughn Morrison

Vaughn "Jim" Morrison, 90, of Pecos, died Monday, March 15, at Reeves County Hospital.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 17, at the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel with Ernest Waggoner officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Evergreen Cemetery.

He was born June 26, 1908, in Paris, Tx., was a veteran who served in World War II, was retired from the Pecos Valley Southern Railroad, had lived in Pecos since 1932 and was a member of the First Christian Church.

Survivors one grandson, M.D. Brown Jr. and his wife, Judge Robin Brown and four great-grandchildren, all of Houston.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Weather

PECOS, Mar. 16, 1999 -- High Monday 84; low last night 48. Tonight, mostly cloudy. Low in the upper 40s. South wind 10-20 mph. Wednesday, mostly cloudy, breezy and cooler. A less than 20 percent chance of showers. High in the mid 60s. Southwest wind 15-25 mph becoming west by afternoon.



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Pecos Enterprise
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