Thursday, June 26, 1997
Area news roundup
Helicopter vandalized in Big Spring
BIG SPRING - Less than one month after its Memorial Day dedication,
a UH-1 Huey helicopter mounted to honor Vietnam War veterans has
been vandalized.
Sometime over the weekend vandals stood under the helicopter,
which is mounted 30 feet above the ground, and threw rocks until
they broke the two bubble windows on the front.
The helicopter is mounted at the Vietnam Memorial, built in
1991 at the western base of Scenic Mountain State Park. Numerous
flags have been stolen from the isolated memorial site.
A $500 reward is being offered for information leading to an
arrest and conviction. Call the Big Spring Police Department at
264-2550 with information.
Man convicted of murder, sentenced to 40 years in prison
BIG SPRING - A Howard County jury Wednesday found a 30-year-old
man guilty of murder in a drive-by shooting death and assessed
his punishment at 40 years in prison.
Rosendo Montana Jr. was found guilty in the killing of Kenny
Guzman, who was one of four men standing in the yard at 401 NE
10th St. on Sept. 5, 1996, about 9:30 p.m.
According to testimony, Montana, Luis Hernandez Jr. and Michael
Viera opened fire from their vehicle at Guzman, Roland Garcia,
Alex Valancia and Vaudelio Garcia, as the four men stood in the
yard outside Roland Garcia's residence. The shooting was prompted
by a long-standing feud between Hernandez and Roland Garcia. Gueman,
who was unarmed, died about an hour after the shooting.
At least two of the men in the yard were armed and shot back
at the three in the car. Hernandez, the driver, was shot in the
head and later died in a Lubbock hospital. Viera was wounded in
the arm.
Forensics testimony on Tuesday indicated that three weapons
- a .25 caliber automatic, a 9 milimeter Lugar and a .32 caliber
pistol - were fired from the car. Empty casings were recovered
from two other guns, both .38 caliberm fired during the shootout.
The weapons were never found, but a Lubbock pathologist testified
Guzman died from a .32 caliber gunshot wound that lacerated his
aorta.
District Judge Robert Moore III immediately sentenced Montana
after the trial. He was shackled and returned to the Howard County
Jail to await transfer to the Texas prison system. Montana will
receive credit for the 257 days he has spent in jail awaiting
trial.
During the punishment phase of the trial, District Attorney
Hardy Wilkerson told the jury that Montana pleaded guilty in 1993
to two counts of delivery of controlled substance and received
two 10-year probated sentences. While out of jail briefly in April,
Montana was again arrested, charged with aggravated assault.
The 40-year sentence means Montana must serve 20 years before
he is eligible for parole, said Wilkerson.
Warning signs to be posted at Lake Cisco
CISCO - Buoys and warning signs will be placed at a popular
swimming spot in Lake Cisco following a drowning and two near-drownings.
City Manager Mike Moore said people swim at their own risk
in an area called The Point. The area is especially dangerous
now that the lake is full, he said, because the bottom is uneven
and there is no way to gauge the depth.
Council members also authorized Moore to draw up a resolution
requiring large trucks and trucks carrying hazardous cargo to
park in designated places only.
Hamlin girl injured in wreck
HAMLIN - A 16-year-old Hamlin girl was flown to Hendrick Medical
Center Wednesday after colliding with a diesel tanker she was
trying to pass.
Department of Public Safety trooper Chuck Wheeler said Courtney
Collins tried to pass a truck driven by Thomas Martinez as Martinez
was attempting to turn left on Farm Road 126 about five miles
southwest of Hamlin at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Collins' 1989 Ford Probe smashed into the side of the truck,
causing it to flip onto its top, spilling half of the 600 gallons
of diesel, Wheeler said.
Collins was transported to Hamlin Memorial Hospital and then
flown by helicopter to Hendrick, Wheeler said. Her condition was
not immediately known.
Martinez was taken to the Hamlin hospital because he was covered
in diesel fuel, Wheeler said. He was driving a truck owned by
Cooper Oil Co. of Hamlin.
Knox County treasurer resigns
BENJAMIN - Knox County Treasurer Judie Whitten has resigned,
after a three-month medical leave of absence and an unfavorable
audit report of her office.
County Judge David Perdue said several reportable conditions
were revealed in the annual audit, which was received June 10,
the day Whitten was due back from her leave.
"Some of those changes have already been corrected,"
he said, "but others are more complicated. Frankly, we have
a big mess to straighten out."
Evelyn Balis, former county treasurer who retired at the end
of her term in 1994, will fill in for Whitten. The position will
be up for election in 1998.
Condley and Company of Abilene audited the office. The auditors
and Balis "are working with us to help resolve the problem,
because it is now time to begin work on next year's budget,"
Perdue said.
He added that the audit revealed that the county's financial
condition is "pretty much on line as projected. Now we just
need to see where we stand with each department and clean up the
mess we have."
The Department of Transportation was called in to dump sand
on the spilled fuel. The Hamlin Fire Department had a crew on
the scene in case the fuel ignited.
City offers to settle with land owner
STEPHENVILLE - A Stephenville man was offered a total of $80,716
for two parcels of land and damage to another as a condemnation
settlement by the city during a hearing Wednesday.
The property owner, Cecil Ford, did not announce whether he
will accept. The city wants the property to be used for the extension
of Harbin Street.
The condemnation commission for the city also heard testimony
concerning property owned by Clovis Russell.
Following the hearing, the commission issued a statement that
since no evidence was introduced showing the amount of injury
or benefit gained or lost by Russell, the commission had no basis
for making a decision.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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