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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, April 29, 1999
Major arrests planned in pot bust
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - The first of what narcotics officers expect
to be a large group of suspects has been arrested, and marijuana, weapons
and a pickup seized.
Thomas Herrera, 55, is charged with possession of marijuana over 50
pounds but less than 2,000 pounds, said Reeves County Sheriff's Deputy
Ernest Lazcano. He was released on $100,000 bail set by Municipal Judge
Phyllis Salyer.
Herrera's pickup was also seized.
Lazcano said the arrest came as a result of numerous search warrants
issued by Salyer. One search Sunday turned up 17 pinto bean tow sacks of
marijuana in an underground bunker located at a vacant house three miles
north of Pecos on U.S. Highway 285.
Lazcano said the street value of the marijuana is $1 million at its
intended destination. Similar shipments have gone to Dallas and to Chicago,
he said.
Subsequent searches at other addresses yielded an assault rifle, semi-automatic
carbine, shotguns and one handgun with clips.
Police narcotics investigator Paul Deishler said the weapons and marijuana
packaging were found in ostrich pens on Rancho Road.
"We have had a lot of complaints on the ostrich pens - of drug activity
in the pens - and finally were able to obtain a search warrant and go in
there," he said.
Packaging included cellophane, duffel bags and black trash bags similar
to that found with the marijuana cache, Deishler said.
Although no one was arrested at the ostrich pens, Deishler said, "The
investigation has only just begun and there will be many more arrests."
Midland County Sheriff's deputies are cooperating with local officers
in the ongoing investigation, Lazcano said.
Second Andrews suspect arrested
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - One day after the arrest of two men in Kermit
on drug charges, the son of one of the suspects was arrested in Andrews,
for the same offense by the Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force.
The two men were arrested following a drug "sting" operation in which
a kilo of cocaine reportedly was seized. The individuals taken into custody
at that time were Juan Contreras Bejarano, 34, of Levelland and Antonio
Contreras Olivas, 41, of Andrews. Both were charged with possession of
a controlled substance, over 400 grams.
"And now we have arrested the son of one of the suspects," said Trans-Pecos
Drug Force Interim Commander Tony Garcia.
Garcia said Jose Antonio Olivas, Jr., 21, was arrested at the Town and
Country, parking lot, located on South Main (U.S. 385) in Andrews, on Wednesday.
Olivas was charged with possession of a controlled substance. He was
in possession of three ounces of cocaine, at 3:25 p.m. and was transported
to the Andrews County Sheriff's Department.
The cocaine seized in the Kermit drug sting has an estimated street
value of $5,000.
Trial underway in fatal accident
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - A 61-year-old Monahans truck driver is the defendant
in a manslaughter trial that began Wednesday in 143rd District Court.
Daniel T. Arrieta is charged in the death of Lisa Dawn Morales, 38,
a Houston programmer, who died when her 1994 Toyota plowed into the side
of Arrieta's truck on U.S. Highway 285 north of Pecos on Jan. 4, 1998.
Arrieta was southbound on County Road 402 in a 1994 Mack truck towing
a water tanker. Heavy fog reduced visibility to about one-half mile, DPS
investigators reported.
When Arrieta saw the stop sign at the intersection of 402 and 285, he
applied the brakes but the truck slid onto the highway in the path of the
Toyota. Morales was pronounced dead at the scene. Four members of her family
were taken to Reeves County Hospital with injuries.
District Attorney Randy Reynolds and his assistant, Lisa LaPlante, are
prosecuting for the state before District Judge Bob Parks. Roddy Harrison
represents Arrieta.
Harrison rides in rodeo, runs at regional
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - A Pecos High School student who has made rodeo
one of her numerous activities will be competing in the Texas High School
Rodeo Finals in June, and will try to make it to the state track and field
finals on Friday night.
Brandi Harrison, a 16-year-old junior at Pecos High School, has advanced
to state competition in high school rodeo and hopes to someday make it
to the national competition.
"I think I'll do good, if I work hard, practice and stay positive and
do the best that I can," said Harrison.
Harrison said that if she doesn't make it to national competition this
year, she hopes she can do it next year. "That's my dream and my goal right
now, that if I don't make it to nationals this year, I hope I can do it
next year," she said.
"Right now I'm just very excited to be attending state competition,"
she said.
Harrison will be competing in a high school rodeo on Saturday in Amarillo,
which will require Brandi and her parents, Roger and Angela Harrison, to
make a 300-mile drive overnight from San Angelo, after she competes in
the finals of the 3200 meter run at the Region I-4A track meet Friday night.
The top two finishers will advance to the state finals in Austin on May
14-15.
Harrison, along with Pecos High School Rodeo Team members Clay McKinney
and Courtney Clark, competed for state berths at the Region II High School
Rodeo Finals held in San Angelo on April 10.
The team competed in 15 rodeos during the fall and spring semesters.
The top 10 qualifiers in each event will advance to the state finals in
Abilene in June. The top four in each event after state then advance to
nationals in Gillette, Wyo., in July.
In the team roping, McKinney finished one place out of the top 10 for
11th place for the year. Clark finished the year with a second in the girls
cutting.
Harrison advanced to state in four events.
She placed fourth in pole bending, ninth in barrels, seventh in goat
tying and 10th in breakaway roping. She finished fifth in the All-Around
standings, enabling her to win Rookie of the Year honors for region II.
"It's a great honor to receive this award," she said.
Harrison was elected to serve as junior barrel racing director for the
coming rodeo season.
Region II includes the Permian Basin, South Plains, Concho Valley along
with contestants from southeastern New Mexico.
This is Harrison's first year to compete in High School Rodeo. She has
been a member of 4-H and FFA for the past three years.
Living on a ranch has its advantages, if you're going to compete in
rodeo events, according to Harrison. "I also show steer at the stock shows,"
she said.
Being around animals has rubbed off on the teen, who has been rodeoing
since she was eight years old. "I've been riding since I can remember,"
she said.
Spending time rodeoing, taking care of her animals doesn't take away
from her school activities. "I like all sports, competing in anything,"
said Harrison.
"I enjoy anything that requires physical exertion," she said.
The active teen is currently ranked first in her junior class and has
a 4.0 average. Among her many extracurricular activities and organizations,
include being a member of the National Honor Society, Pecos High School
Student Council, Pecos Youth Advisory Commission, High Plains Junior Rodeo
Association, school newspaper, Drug Awareness Safety and Health (DASH)
co-chairperson, Latin Club, Junior Engineering Technology Society (JETS),
Journalism UIL, First Baptist Church Youth Group, Mu Alpha Theta, Extension
Program Council 4-H and Youth Committee, Duke University Talent Identification
Program (TIP), Gifted and Talented Program, Texas Communities Futures Forum
and American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA).
Along with running track she is also a member of the Pecos Eagles' junior
varisty basketball team.
Harrison has received the Outstanding Pre-AP English I student, Outstanding
Pre-AP English II student, FFA Star Chapter Farmer Award, Outstanding Student
of the six weeks, Who's Who Among American High School Students and JETS
District Winning Team and State qualifier.
She plans to attend Texas A&M University following graduation from
high school and major in veterinary medicine.
Harrison also plans to keep up with her rodeo activities while in college.
Her younger sisters is also a member of 4-H and FFA and competes in High
Plains Rodeo.
Envirocare's drilling angers ranchers
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - Envirocare is not welcome in ranching country,
where low-level nuclear waste storage could threaten the already-hurting
cattle industry.
Mike Harrison, who operates Anderson Ranches with headquarters north
of Pyote, backed up Ward County rancher John Wilson Wednesday in stopping
Envirocare's drilling on a proposed waste storage site.
Wilson owns all the land surrounding a section owned by John J. Forrester
of Barstow, where Envirocare of Texas is hoping to store nuclear waste
above ground.
Harrison said he believes the company is drilling the 300-ft. wells
to determine whether the waste could contaminate water underneath the surface.
Wilson forced the driller to shut down the rig and leave because they
had trespassed on his land to get to the site, Harrison said.
"You can't cross another man's property without an implied easement,"
Harrison said. "They had no right to be in there."
Harrison, whose ranch adjoins the Wilson property, said that a county
road running from Interstate 20 through the Wilson ranch provides access
to the Anderson Ranch headquarters.
"A sign on the county road says `Authorized Personnel Only,'" Harrison
said. "You can go up that road, but you can't leave it. You can lock a
county road if you furnish a key for those that have need to be in there."
Harrison said his ranch hands don't use the county road anymore because
they have a paved road from Barstow now.
"We ought to get it closed, I guess. But the county will maintain the
road and oil companies don't," he said.
Harrison said he is concerned about the definition of low-level nuclear
waste, which he said includes not only hospital waste, but debris from
nuclear power plants.
House Bill 1910 sets up the mechanics to store such waste, said Carolyn
Knipp, aide to Rep. Gary Walker.
Walker has introduced an amendment to that bill that allows the state
to let a private business store low-level waste.
"My source said they have 90 votes for the amendment in the House today,"
Harrison said.
Knipp said the vote had not been taken at mid-morning, and "there is
no way to tell what the outcome will be."
Envirocare vice president Rick Jacobi said last week that the company
was seeking land in Ward County, after a University of Texas study showed
it's land in Andrews County was above the southern edge of the Ogalalla
Aquifer, making it unsuitable to store nuclear waste.
Jacobi said Texas Utilities declined to sell Envirocare land near Pyote,
and the company would not look at land south of the city, where the Ward
County water field serving Pecos is located. He also said the company had
not looked at any areas to the west of Pecos.
Mark and Kandy Dean won third place in the Championship Flight of the
Sadie Hawkins Golf Tournament on Sunday, not first place in the Third Flight
as was listed in Tuesday's Enterprise. Betsy Sikes and Lance Evans, Jill
Wright and Jim Brown and Steve and Cheryl Bobbitt were the first through
third place winners in the Third Flight.
***
Correction
Pecos Eagles' golfer Lee Lyles shot a 84 in the final round of the Region
I-4A golf tournament in San Angelo, not an 88 as listed in Wednesday's
Enterprise.
Council plans task force vote
Pecos City Council will consider joining the Trans-Pecos Drug Task Force
for 1999-2000 when they meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday.
The decision must be made this week so the task force can file an application
for a $1 million grant, said Pecos Police Chief Clay McKinney.
City Attorney Scott Johnson said that the council may want to change
wording of a resolution accompanying the application that makes them liable
for the amount of the grant if something goes awry.
Texas Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Lotto Texas drawing Wednesday night:
Winning numbers drawn: 01-05-11-29-31-50. Number matching six of six: none
Matching five of six: 140. Prize: $955. Matching four of six: 6,675. Prize:
$72.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Wednesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 5-9-6 (five, nine, six)
Weather
PECOS, April 29, 1999 - High Wednesday 94; low last night 53. Tonight,
mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. low around 60.
East to southeast wind 10-20 mph and gusty. Friday, mostly cloudy with
a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. high 80 85. Southeast wind 10-20
mph and gusty.
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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