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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, August 20, 2010
Board goes over TEA reports, hears plans to improve results
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board members listened to a report on the TEA Accountability Ratings for 2009-10, accepted a donation from the booster club and approved several items brought up by the tax collector/assessor during their Aug. 12 meeting in the Technology Center.
Director of Special Programs Juanita Davila went through the scores with the board and said that all the schools had done really well.
“All were above recognition rating, but because of completion rate the state is saying that the district is academically acceptable,” said Davila. “Crockett Middle School missed being recognized by two points.”
Board member Gail Box told the group that they want to pass on to the teachers and administration that the board is very proud of them.
“Is there more that is being done to raise the scores even more?” said Box.
“We are identifying the strengths and weaknesses and will be working very closely with all the students,” said Davila. “The teachers will focus on the weaknesses and we have hired part-time teachers to help out,” she said.
“I think we have to look at that as a team project,” said interim superintendent Maxie Watts.
Davila told the group that they (interim superintendent and administration), as a district have filed an appeal, “ecause we don’t agree with the completion rating.” She said that they had found six more students that had met the completion standards.
“One of them graduated from high school during the year and others that got the GED and some that finished the Master’s Program,” said Davila. “We have attached the documentation and hopefully we’ll know in a few weeks, so there is still hope.”
“What if we’re paying for a teacher to stay after school to tutor and only one student shows up?” said board member Paul Deishler.
“Yes, that’s one more student that will make it,” said Box.
“That one person might be the one that holds us in limbo or keeps us from getting a higher rating,” said Watts. “I meet with every principal every six weeks and review benchmark data, so we’ll be focusing on every student.”
Board members accepted a donation of $27,785 from the Pecos Athletic Booster Club.
“That is an outstanding amount, this is a very hard working group that donates a lot of money to athletics,” said Watts. “These people deserve a round of applause.”
“We also give out four $1,000 scholarships to deserving seniors,” said superintendent secretary Tracy Shaw, who also serves as the club’s secretary.
Shaw said that the coaches devise a wish list and that they take it from there.
“They provide the list and depending on how much money we have and which items are more important that is what is purchased,” she said.
In other action, the board listened to a report from tax assessor/collector Lydia Prieto on the upcoming budget and tax rate calendar.
A school district that levies a debt service tax must consider anticipated collections in calculating the debt service component of its rollback tax rate.
Preito told the board the rates she calculated for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD were: 2010 Effective Tax Rate: 1.30552/$100; 2010 Debt Tax Rate: .22708/$100 and the 2010 Rollback Tax Rate: 1.26708/$100.
Prieto told the group that the effective tax rate is a rate that raises about the same total revenue as last year on properties taxed in both years. If property values increase, the effective tax rate will decrease. If property values decrease, the effective tax rate will increase.
“We collect 95 percent of 2010 taxes for the school district,” said Prieto. “We usually collect 96 percent, but this year’s is different.”
“The 92.8 is to break event and anything else is just icing on the cake,” said finance director Cookie Canon.
“We’ll raise about the same rate as last year,” she said.
Prieto told the group that they would not need to have a rollback tax election.
The assessor-collector for such as school district must certify the following two items to the school board: anticipated debt collection rate for 2010, 92.8 percent and excess debt tax collections for 2009, $236,602.
Board OKs teacher plaque, delays action on resignation
A special plaque in honor of a junior high teacher that died last month in an automobile accident will be placed by his room at the school it was decided by Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board members during a special meeting held Monday evening at the Technology Center.
The board also went through two hours of board training and tabled action on board member’s resignation, since the item was not listed on the agenda.
“We met in executive session and discussed some kind of dedication in honor of Gaston Tarango, who died in a traffic accident recently,” said PBT-ISD Interim Superintendent Maxie Watts.
Tarango died on July 23 when the vehicle he was driving went off the road on Lincoln Street and struck a recently installed concrete culvert. Tarango had been a longtime science teacher at Crockett Middle School.
“A plaque in memory of Gaston Tarango has been ordered and we will place it in the hallway next to his classroom,” said Watts. “We’ll leave it up for a couple of years, until that group of students that had the privilege to have him as a teacher have left the campus, then we will give it to the family,” he said.
This will be a tribute to him and all the hard work he dedicated to P-B-T ISD.
“There’s a possibility of dedication of other faculty members, but we’ll review them on an individual basis,” said Watts. “Faculty members when they retire or die, we’ll do something for them as well, but it will be done based on criteria and what they have done for the school district.”
Cerna’s resignation letter was presented to Watts during an item on the agenda to sent out to her, after she failed to attend the board’s meetings since mid-May. Cerna won re-election to a new three-year term in the May 8 election, and was elected as vice president at the board’s May 10 meeting, after serving as the president for the past several years.
But Cerna had sought Watts’ resignation at that May 10 meeting, over actions since the time Watts took over as interim superintendent in March. Board members split 3-3 in open session on terminating Watts, with Cerna and board members John Granado and Luis Juarez voting in favor of termination. Board members Randy Graham, Gal Box and Louis Matta voted against, while board member Paul Deishler was absent from the open session vote.
Juarez, who was elected board president at the May 10 meeting, later that week said he had changed his mind and now supported Watts’ retention in the interim position.
“I just wanted to let that board member know that we need for her to come in and become a part of the board, join us,” said Watts.
Watts said Deishler, who had also missed a number of meetings in June and July, came back and was apologetic about missing those sessions. Deishler attended both last Thursday’s regular meeting and Monday’s special meeting.
“He was very apologetic and said it was because of family health issues and things have been going on well, now that he is back,” the superintendent said.
Watts said that as he was presenting the letter to the board on Monday that would be sent out to Cerna, Juarez pulled out a letter of resignation she was submitting to the district.
“Since it was not on the agenda, we will have to act on it at the next meeting scheduled for Aug. 31,” said Watts.
“At that time we will also adopt the budget and set the tax rate and accept the resignation,” he said.
Watts said that each board member will have the opportunity to suggest a person to fill that position for the rest of the year, until a special elections can be held to fill the final two years of Cerna’s term.
“We’ll try to pick a person that all the board can agree with and that will get along with the rest of the board,” said Watts. “We can then move on to trying to hire a new superintendent,” he said.
Watts said that things are coming along great and that the staff, administrators and teachers are looking forward to the new school year.
Local food drive underway at NRCS officed
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a participant in this year’s USDA Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families food drive running now through Aug. 31.
Announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, this annual event is designed to help food banks across the state of Texas will be collecting non-perishable items, preferably nutritious foods and sources of protein.
“When school lets out for the summer, our nation’s youngsters who receive free and reduced price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are at a higher risk of going hungry,” said Vilsack. “While USDA’s Summer Food Service Program helps fill that gap, these tough economic times mean that needy families throughout America are turning to emergency food assistance agencies such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens to put food on the table. Unfortunately, the summer is also a tough time for these organizations, as they typically see a rise in demand couples with a decrease in donations. The good news, however, is that while the needs of our hungry neighbors are especially great in the summer months, our opportunity to make a difference in their lives is also great,” he said.
A recent study revealed that 49.1 million Americans, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households, lived in food insecure households. This number includes 32.4 million adults and 16.7 million children.
According to the USDA Household Food Security in the United States 2008 report, Texas is ranked #3 (14.8 percent) among the top ten states that exhibited statistically significant higher household food insecurity rates than the national average (12.2 percent).
Help make a difference by contributing non-perishable food items to the local NRCS office prior to Aug. 31. The NRCS office in Reeves County is located at 1415 W. 3rd.
If anyone has any questions or are interested in volunteering in this effort, contact Ebony Benton, with USDA NRCS at 432-445-3196.
Crimestoppers seeking leads into Aug. 12 hit-and-run case
Crimestoppers and the Pecos Police Department are asking for the communities help in solving a hit-and-run accident that occurred last week.
On Aug. 12, at approximately 10:06 p.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of 13th and Oak Streets. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers observed a male subject lying in the roadway. Police were later told the subject had suffered two fractures in his left leg and a broken right ankle.
After conducting an investigation it is the belief of the officers that the male subject had been hit by a vehicle. After hitting the male subject the vehicle departed from the scene leaving the injured male subject lying in the roadway.
There were no witnesses to the hit and run accident and the police department are asking any citizen that could have any information pertaining to the accident to contact the police department or crime stoppers.
Any information that is provided to help the police department solve this crime is greatly appreciated.
Citizens can contact the police department at 445-4911 or crime stoppers at 445-9898 and the caller will remain anonymous.
The victim has been identified as Delfino Jose Lujan, 58, 1401 S. Cypress St.
Lujan was transported by ambulance to Reeves County Hospital, before being airlifted to Medical Center Hospital early Friday morning, where he remained as of Thursday for treatment of his injuries.
Chamber planning event for P-B-T teachers
A school social to welcome all the teachers and the community is planned and rules for adopting a street to clean up will be set up.
Pecos Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors met last Tuesday, to discuss several items including the social and street cleanup.
“Last year, we had a social at the museum courtyard and I strongly suggest that this year we make it for everyone,” said chamber director Linda Gholson
Gholson said that the teachers who have dedicated their lives to the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD feel left out and that they should all be included in the social.
“We need to get with Dorinda (Millan, museum curator) and set up a date with them,” she said.
Gholson said that last year’s social was the best one there ever has been and hopes this one will be well attended as well.
“I talked to Tracy (Shaw, P-B-T ISD superintendent’s secretary) and she said that the teachers preferred to have the social in the evening,” said Gholson. “Anybody who wants to contribute door prizes.”
“Is there a date, we could check the school calendar,” said board member Gail Box.
“We’ll pick a date that isn’t obvious that other things are going on,” said Gholson.
She also told the Chamber that the new bathrooms located at the west entry to the museum courtyard are complete and have been used.
Chamber president Joe Keese said that they will be adopting some rules for the Adopt-a-Street project.
“We’ll have some rules for everybody and maybe run some small ads in the paper and the radio,” said Keese. “We want to get more people to adopt a street.”
He said that they will run everything through the chamber.
Several businesses in Pecos have already adopted street that they clean up periodically including the : 20th Century Club, Reeves County Feed and Supply, and Pecos Gym: Highway 17 from Jefferson Street to Interstate 20; Chesapeake Energy: 3rd Street from city limit to city limit; Colt Chevrolet, Pecos Tire, and Welding Supply of Pecos: Interstate 20 from Municipal Airport entrance to Regan Street; Pecos Downtown Lions Club: Eddy Street from Third Street to Jefferson Street; Pecos Downtown Police Department: Seventh Street from Eddy Street to Highway 285/Cedar Street and TransPecos Bank: Walthall Street from Eddy to Highway 285/Cedar Street.
Belia Florez told the group that the Women’s Division will once again sponsor the Pretty Baby Contest during the Reeves County Fall Fair.
“This is another good money making event,” said Florez.
Night in Old Pecos was a huge success. “We still need everyone to make it bigger and better,” said Gholson.
Lori Bien will be the manager for this year’s Annual Fall Fair.
“Anyone that you see, is still in charge of their own division, but Lori will be supervising and helping out,” said Gholson.
A livestock and horse show is scheduled to take place in the back of the civic center and Art Off the Wall will again be held downtown.
“Art Off the Wall, they are talking about doing a glass show,” said Keese.
“Plenty of help is needed and there will also be western reenactions,” said Gholson.
She said that the city would teeming up with the chamber, but that a paintball tournament and car show would not be held this time.
“City crews will be on hand to help with cleanup and other things,” said Gholson.
Thomas told the group that she heard that individuals wanted the car show at Night in Old Pecos to be held longer, so that more people could enjoy it.
“It was terminated at 2 p.m., so that they could go home, but maybe we could work out something with the hotels and give them a discount so that they can stay longer,” she said. “A lot of visitors were disappointed to have missed it.”
Thomas said that the city and chamber had divided up duties and that the city had taken over the car show.
Board member Venetta Seals told the group that the hospital will be hosting a mini-health fair, from 8 a.m., until noon, in honor of Grandparents Day.
“They are putting up the fence at the health clinic, trying to get started, but they’ve got it all staked out,” said member Al LaRochelle.
He told the group that they have also hired an OB-GYN, who will be coming to Pecos on Oct. 4. “We will be back in the baby business in Pecos, she is a female and will be doing surgical also,” he said.
P-B-T to open more facilities during ’10-11 year
Crockett Middle School students will find a new place to work out during athletic periods, when they return to classes on Monday, while some students at Austin Elementary will likely be going to school for only half a year or less in the classrooms they’ll be assigned to next week, as work progresses on the school’s new Normandy Street addition.
Crockett opened up its new wing last August for sixth grade students, allowing them to relocated from Zavala Middle School. But the campus construction continued during the 2009-10 school year, and the school’s new gymnasium will give the school enough capacity to handle classes for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students.
Crockett’s gym and new wing, along with the new gym and labs at Bessie Haynes, were part of the first phase of the $30 million construction bond issue passed by Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD voters in 2007. The new wing at Austin Elementary, along with additions to the Pecos High School field hose and the P-B-T ISD Technology building, are part of the second half of the construction, which should be completed by the end of the current school year.
Austin Principal Jim Workman said third grade students would be the main occupants of the new wing, which should be done this fall. “They’re telling us they hope to get it done in November,” he said on Thursday. “If it’s finished, we’ll start migrating one class at a time over there, and move everything at night while the kids are away.”
The new wing will have larger computer lab facilities and more audio/video technology built into the classrooms than the current rooms in the two wings of the building built in 1953. He said the building also has an upstairs crawlspace for access to heating and cooling systems, and that the equipment will be placed above the hallways to make the classrooms quieter.
The school’s main entrance and its offices will also be shifted from Veterans Boulevard to Normandy Street, though the offices along Nebraska Street and the school cafeteria will be retained.
“We’ll keep this hallway, and the offices will be used for storage,” he said, while the school’s current library will be converted into a music room when the library in the new wing of the building opens.
Current plans are to tear down the two oldest wings of the school, while keeping the wings closest to Normandy Street, which were built in 1982-83 and house first and second grade classes. However, Workman said, “We may need to keep something if we keep growing. We were hoping to have about 19 students per class, but right now we’re looking at 21-22 in each class, which is more than I would like.”
State’s sales tax holiday item list expanding
Texas’ annual sales tax holiday will begin Friday morning and run through Sunday, and state officials have issued a list of what will and what won’t be tax-free during the 72-hour buying period.
Accoridng to Texas Comptroller Susan Combs’ office, the law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales and use taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. Lay-away plans can be used again this year to take advantage of the sales tax holiday.
Combs’ office said changes approved last year by the 81st Texas Legislature expanded the list of items qualifying for exemption from state and local sales and use taxes during the annual sales tax holiday. In addition to clothes, footwear and some backpacks, Texas families also get a sales tax break on most school supplies priced at less than $100 purchased for use by a student in an elementary or secondary school.
The following is an all-inclusive list of qualifying school supplies (if priced less than $100):
* Binders
* Book bags
* Calculators
* Cellophane tape
* Blackboard chalk
* Compasses
* Composition books
* Crayons
* Erasers
* Folders; expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
* Glue, paste and paste sticks
* Highlighters
* Index cards
* Index card boxes
* Legal pads
* Lunch boxes
* Markers
* Notebooks
* Paper; loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper
* Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
* Pencil sharpeners
* Pencils
* Pens
* Protractors
* Rulers
* Scissors
* Writing tablets
Combs’ office also said backpacks that are priced under $100 and meet certain requirements for use by elementary and secondary students are also exempt, but put limits on what qualifies as a backpack under state law.
A backpack is a pack with straps one wears on the back. The exemption during the sales tax holiday includes backpacks with wheels, provided they can also be worn on the back like a traditional backpack, and messenger bags. The exemption does not include items that are reasonably defined as luggage, briefcases, athletic/duffle/gym bags, computer bags, purses or framed backpacks. Ten or fewer backpacks can be purchased tax-free at one time without providing an exemption certificate to the seller.
Other tax free items this weekend are:
* Baby clothes
* Backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students
* Belts with attached buckles
* Boots - cowboy, hiking
* Caps/hats - baseball, fishing, golf, knitted
* Coats and wraps
* Diapers - adult and baby
* Dresses
* Gloves (generally)
* Gym suits and uniforms
* Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
* Hosiery
* Jackets
* Jeans
* Jerseys - baseball and football
* Jogging apparel
* Neckwear and ties
* Pajamas
* Pants and trousers
* Raincoats and ponchos
* Robes
* Shirts
* Shoes - sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis, walking
* Socks (including athletic)
* Shorts
* Suits, slacks, and jackets
* Sweatshirts
* Sweat suits
* Sweaters
* Swimsuits
* Underclothes
* Work clothes and uniforms
No exemption certificate is required for purchases, with one exception, the comptroller’s office said. If the purchaser is buying the supplies under a business account, the retailer must obtain an exemption certificate from the purchaser certifying that the items are purchased for use by an elementary or secondary school student.
Gordita, enchilada plates for sale
Gordita and enchilada plates will be for sale from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20, at the St. Catherine’s Hall.
Gordita plates will consist of three gorditas (with rice, beans and salad), for $7.00 and enchilada plates will have red/green enchiladas (homemade tortillas, with rice, beans and salad), for $6.00 a plate.
Dine in, take out or have the plates delivered, call 447-0072 on Friday.
Off-campus lunch offered to some students at PHS
Some students at Pecos High School will have the opportunity to enjoy off-campus lunch during the 2010-2011 school year.
Students who are not enrolled in a TAKS class, earned the right to have off-campus lunch and will have the opportunity to go home or eat elsewhere.
Lunch at the high school is from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
If anyone sees students during this time period, off campus, it means that they earned the right to eat outside the campus.
These students are not required to stay on-campus during their lunch break.
Religious formation registration set
West Texas Communities announces that registrations for the next two Sundays, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, will be held at the John Paul Center after each Mass for the religious formation.
Parents meetings at St. Catherine’s Hall will be held Monday, Aug. 30, (3rd and 4th grades), Tuesday, Aug. 31 (kindergarten, first, second, fifth and sixth grades), Wednesday, Sept. 1, (junior high and high school). Meetings will be at 7 p.m.
Fifth and sixth graders will be attending classes at St. Catherine’s Hall from 5:30-6:45 p.m. They will no longer be going to classes at Santa Rosa De Lima classrooms.
New Citizens Police Academy class offered
A new class for the Citizens Police Academy will begin on Oct. 7.
The academy will teach the students traffic law, criminal law, civil law and other aspects pertaining to the duties of a Peace Officer.
The academy will also teach the students the duties of being a Corrections Officer and what the job entails.
Cost for the course is $30.00 and this fee covers the materials that will be used in the class.
The student will also receive a Citizens Police Academy shirt.
Applications are now available for the upcoming class and can be picked up at the Pecos Police Department, 172 Raul Florez Blvd.
For more information contact Lt. Paul Deishler at the police department at 445-1677.
First Annual men’s softball tourney set
The 1st Annual C.T. Gray Memorial Men’s Softball Tournament is set for Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 3-5, in Balmorhea.
Individuals can sign-up by calling Martin Hernandez
(432)349-0720.
First, second and third place T-shirts and Trophies will be awarded.
Entry Fee: $175 and the deadline is Aug. 31.
Clerk’s office to close Friday afternoon
The Reeves County Clerk’s Office will be closed from 1-5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20.
Acknowledgement of paternity meeting with the Attorney General Office from El Paso will be in Pecos on Friday afternoon, regarding the acknowledgement of paternity tests.
Police Report
Ronald Joseph Moore, 48, 623 S. Oleander St., was arrested by police on Aug. 9 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury under the Family Violence Act, a Class A misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made at 7:55 p.m. at Moore’s home following a report of a disturbance, and he was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Steven Ortiz Ornelas, 26, 1016 E. Second St., was arrested by police on Aug. 10 on a warrant out of Ector County for furnishing alcohol to minors, a Class A misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made in the 1100 block of West Third Street, and Ornelas was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Amador Carrasco Salgado, 44, 518 S. Walnut St., was arrested by police on Aug. 11 at the Cotton Club, 2207 W. Third St., on warrant charges for failure to pay fines on previous charges of animal at large and no rabies vaccination, both Class C misdemeanors. Police said the arrest was made at 2:01 a.m. and Salgado was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Maribel Valles Salgado, 36, 623 S. Walnut St., was arrested by police on Aug. 11 at the Pecos Inn, 2207 W. Third St., on a warrant for theft by check, a Class B misdemeanor. Police said the arrest took place on a warrant issued out of Pecos Municipal Court, and Salgado was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Ismael Carrasco, 60, 702 S. Almond St., was arrested by police on Aug. 10 on a charge of terroristic threat, a Class A misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made following an incident at Carrasco’s home at 11:22 a.m., and he was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Ben Dominguez Barrera, 22, 1109 S. Ash St., was arrested by police on Aug. 11 on a charge of public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made at the Cotton Club, 2207 W. Third St., and Barrera was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Nelson Lee McGrew Sr., 46, 811 E. 11th St., was arrested by police on Aug. 11 on a warrant issued out of the Pecos Police Department for criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made at 10:30 p.m. at McGrew’s home, and he was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Manuela Leos Hernandez, 30, 514 s. Cypress St., was arrested by police on Aug. 12 at the Cotton Club, 2207 W. Third St., on a warrant for motion to surrender prinipal on a forgery charge, a felony. Police said the arrest was made at 1:24 a.m. and Hernandez was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Brian Scott Rangel, 21, 1729 Adams St., was arrested by police on Aug. 11 on a warrant for filing a false alarm or report, a Class A misdemeanor, and a warrant for failure to report striking an unattended vehicle, a Class B misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made at the Pecos Criminal Justice Center, 172 Raul Florez Blvd., and Rangel was then turned over to jail staff on duty.
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Angel Apodaca, 19, 1622 Cowan St., was arrested by police on Aug. 12 on warrants out of the Pecos Police Department for failure to pay fines on previous charges of no driver’s license, open container of alcohol, disregarding a stop sign and passenger unrestrained by seat belt. Police said the arrest was made at 8:51 p.m. in the 500 block of West Daggett St., and Apodaca was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
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Ilidia Leaan Juarez, 25, of Odessa, was arrested by police on Aug. 13 on a charge of public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor. Police said the arrest was made at 3:37 a.m. at 1016 E. Second St., and Juarez was then transported to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center.
PEDC at odds with bank over $44,000 scam
A debt card for the account of the Pecos Economic Development Corp. was illegally used to run up $44,000 worth of charges during this spring, leading to a current dispute between the corporation and its bank.
PEDC board members last week approved a resolution to proceed with collection on the debt card, for funds deposited at TransPecos Bank, and to proceed with possible litigation if needed to resolve the matter. The board voted to take the action during a special noontime meeting on Aug. 9 at the PEDC office on South Cypress Street, with board member Barry Naude abstaining due to his position with TransPecos Bank.
The Enterprise originally reported that the charges were made on the card while in possession of PEDC president Rob Tobias, who was fired by the board last month. However, city attorney Scott Johnson, who handles the PEDC’s legal matters, said in an Aug. 12 letter to the Enterprise that the charges involved an unknown person(s) making an undermined number of purchases on the card, and Tobias was not involved.
On Tuesday, Johnson elaborated on what happened, and said the purchases apparently were a case of credit card fraud that occurred during the month of May.
“Somebody got the (card) numbers, and were able to get the PIN number and charge various charges to the card,” Johnson said. He added that the charges were made in the Miami, Fla., area and the bill to the PEDC came to $44,230.
“All were paid by the bank, and took place over a 13-day period,” Johnson said. He said the PEDC did not receive any alerts over the Florida purchases, and the dispute was over who would have to pay for the charges, and that the board will seek legal action if need to regain almost all of the $44,000 in bad charges.
“As I understand it, you’re only liable for $50 in charges,” he said. “A small economic development corporation such as this cannot bear to lose $44,000 out of its annual budget.”
Johnson said as of now, the PEDC does not know how the credit card account and PIN numbers were stolen, and doesn’t know if any other accounts were also affected.
He said some of the purchases were in excess of $1,000. The Enterprise has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the PEDC for the items purchased on the debt card during the month of May
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 432-445-5475, FAX 432-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003-04 by Pecos Enterprise
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