Saturday, May 24, 1997
Area news digest
Brownwood woman critical after wreck
BROWNWOOD - A Brownwood woman injured in a one-vehicle accident
Wednesday remained in critical condition Friday in the intensive
care unit of Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
Danette Steele, wife of attorney Scott Steele, received multiple
injuries about 9:35 p.m. when the Jeep Cherokee she was driving
overturned on Farm-to-Market Road 45 near the Country Club road.
DPS Trooper Jerry Griffin said Steele probably was not wearing
a seat belt. Rescue workers had to cut the roof off the Jeep to
extract the woman. She was treated at Brownwood Regional Medical
Center before being transferred to the Fort Worth hospital.
Student released after surgery
BRECKENRIDGE - A Breckenridge woman who was injured while moving
home for the summer from Tarleton State University has been released
from Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene.
D.J. Asher, daughter of Doris and Alan Asher, underwent surgery
twice - on one arm and on her broken shoulder - following the
May 14 accident near Eastland. She was airlifted to the Abilene
hospital after being stabilized at Eastland Memorial Hospital.
Investigators said Asher's car went out of control and collided
with a tree.
Church arsonist sentenced to 15 years
EASTLAND - A 24-year-old Eastland man was sentenced to 15 years
in prison and fined $5,000 Friday after pleading guilty to setting
fire to a local church.
A five-woman, seven-man jury took about an hour to set the
punishment for Gregory James Howard, who pleaded guilty Thursday
to the Dec. 29, 1996, fire that heavily damaged Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church.
Howard admitted setting the fire with a cigarette lighter.
He gave Eastland police a statement the day of the fire and gave
them the lighter he said was used to start the blaze.
On Friday, Eastland Police Chief Cecil Funderburg said he read
Howard his rights before Howard gave a statement. He also met
with Howard about a week after the fire in the Eastland County
Jail. At that time, Howard read and signed his statement.
After the state rested its case, defense attorney Tom Bevill
of Breckenridge put Howard's brother, John, on the stand and then
the defendant testified.
John Howard said he would like to make a public apology for
his brother's actions. John, who is pastor of a Gorman church,
then exchanged opinions of meanings of several verses of scripture
with assistant District Attorney Bill Dowell.
John Howard admitted there is a penalty for sin, but sin can
be forgiven, he said.
Dowell said punishment should be a deterrent for others. During
closing statements, District Attorney Mike Siebert urged the jury
to "make the punishment fit the crime."
Bevill asked for probation for Howard and reminded the jury
he has no convictions or criminal record.
"Give him a chance instead of locking him up," Bevill
said.
Howard sat quietly during the trial with his hands in his lap.
His eyes were half closed much of the time.
On the witness stand, Howard had said he "had nothing
against the church I burned."
He told jurors he was depressed and had been drinking.
Pecos man killed on I-20
BIG SPRING - A Pecos man walking near a highway entry ramp
on I-20 north of Big Spring was killed late Thursday when a pickup
truck hit him and an 18-wheeler ran over him.
Paz Ontiveros Garcia, 52, was struck about 11:15 p.m. by a
pickup driven by George Ferguson of Big Spring. DPS Corporal Miles
Tollison said Ferguson had stopped and was attempting to help
Garcia; however, before he could get to the man, an 18-wheeler
ran over the fallen pedestrian.
Garcia died from massive external and internal injuries, according
to Howard County Justice of the Peace China Long.
Tollison was aided in his investigation by Howard County sheriff's
deputies and Big Spring police. A one-mile stretch of eastbound
I-20 was closed for more than two hours during the investigation.
At this time, no charges have been filed against Ferguson or
the truck driver, Hubert Turner of Douglasfield, Ga.
Breckenridge man sent to prison
BRECKENRIDGE - A Breckenridge man granted probation in 1993
for the theft of an emu will be going to prison after all.
William Leonard Hall Jr. was ordered to serve a seven-year
prison term and pay a $6,000 fine after his probation was revoked
by 90th District Judge Stephen Crawford.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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