Saturday, November 22, 1997
Area news digest
HPU trustees postpone theater building decision
BROWNWOOD -- Howard Payne University trustees have decided
to conduct more research before they decide what to do about the
Coggin Memorial Theatre Building.
The building, erected in 1921 as a chapel for Daniel Baker
College, was vacated last month after an engineering report cited
the need for structural repairs.
The building houses a 275-seat theater and until October also
housed faculty offices for programs in speech, public relations,
telecommunications and drama. The offices were moved elsewhere
on campus, and theater and musical productions were moved to Mims
Auditorium or to local churches.
Trustees said that after more information is gathered, they
will discuss at their April 1998 meeting whether to renovate the
structure or erect a new theater building.
Coleman city manager, municipal judge announce retirement
plans
COLEMAN -- City Manager Dave Sooter and Municipal Judge Al
Chambers both informed the Coleman City Council Thursday of their
plans to retire on Dec. 31.
Sooter has been city manager for four years and was city secretary
for five years before that. He said he intends to do a lot of
fishing and visiting with friends and family before making any
other plans.
Chambers, a former Department of Public Safety trooper for
many years, has been city judge for 15 years. He said his wife's
recent retirement from work at the Coleman County Medical Center
prompted his decision to retire, too.
Council members accepted the resignations with regret and thanked
the two men for their long service.
Dublin City Council votes to pay attorney
DUBLIN -- The Dublin City Council voted to pay Comanche attorney
Ben Sudderth for his investigation into City Hall finances, but
not without a fight during a special Thursday meeting.
A special meeting was required because at a previous meeting,
when the bill was thought to have been paid, a review of the minutes
revealed that Councilman Red Seigers' motion was actually to pay
all the bills except Sudderth's.
Councilwoman Pattie Johnson, whose husband, David, wound up
being fired by the City Council as result of Suddereth's investigation,
kicked off the lively discussion. She questioned the attorney's
charges on Aug. 18, which she maintained was before the council
voted to hire the attorney.
Mayor Katherine Prater and Suddereth acknowledged that the
charges came before the vote to hire him, but said that Prater
said she had been authorized to hire him, and that the charges
were for consultation about the matter in question.
Seigers also questioned a charge that involved time of other
employees in Sudderth's law firm. Suddereth said he was not charging
the city anything for his own time, but if the council did not
want to pay for the August services he would resubmit the bill
and charge the county for 15 hours he said he did not include
in the bill.
Councilman Don Stewart's motion to pay the bill passed, 4-3.
Prater requested that the minutes reflect that the council members
who voted to hire Suddereth voted to pay the bill, and that those
who voted not to hire him voted against payment.
Dublin school board to pay drill team expenses
DUBLIN -- On a split vote, the Dublin school board decided
to pay up to $1,500 for the Dandi-Lion drill team's appearance
at a Dallas Cowboys halftime show on Dec. 21.
The 4-2 vote overruled a decision made last week by Superintendent
Roy Neff, who cited local policy concerning funding of non-competitive
events.
The drill team won the right to perform at halftime at the
Cowboys-New York Giants game through statewide competition recently
in Dallas.
Janie Barnes, president of the booster club, said the trip
will cost about $4,000 and asked the board to pay $1,400, with
the rest to be raised by the drill team members and boosters.
Neff called the team "wonderful ambassadors," but
said he had to deny funding for the trip in order to consistently
implement board policy. He said he considered the halftime performance
an exhibition, not a competitive event.
On a motion to fund the trip, Travis Barnes, John Vines and
Steve Hightower -- all fathers of drill team members -- voted
in favor, while Guy Hall, Joe Mac Riley and board President Mike
Jurney voted against.
A tie vote meant Neff's denial stood, however, on a second
vote, to fund the trip up to $1,500, Jurney joined Barnes, Vines
and Hightower in voting for the funding.
Vines said the board approval represents "an exception
to the rule, not a change in policy."
"Other groups can come before us and ask for exceptions,
too," he added.
Barnes said she "would be knocking on every door in Dublin
and Stephenville to raise the rest of the money."
Trooper makes second drug bust
EASTLAND -- For the second time in as many weeks, a Department
of Public Safety trooper new to Eastland County has made a major
drug bust on Interstate 20.
Trooper Chris McGuairt confiscated 85 pounds of marijuana from
a vehicle he stopped last week, but broke his record after he
and Trooper Steve Tone stopped an eastbound 1985 Volkswagen about
6 p.m. Thursday.
McGuairt said he became suspicious of the occupants after stopping
the car for having defective brake lights. After receiving consent
to search the vehicle, he and Tone found 100 pounds of marijuana
hidden throughout the car.
A 28-year-old male and 27-year-old female, both apparently
citizens of Mexico, were arrested and placed in Eastland County
Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond each. An 11-month-old child traveling
with them was turned over to Child Protective Services.
The investigation is continuing, McGuairt said, adding that
the names given by the suspects are thought to be aliases.
Auditors give hospital board good news
EASTLAND -- Auditors had good news Thursday for directors of
Eastland Memorial Hospital.
"It was a good year," auditor Larry Dotson said,
adding that the hospital has at least $5 million in assets and
very little debt.
Net income in cash was more than $600,000, he said. So, unfortunately,
were bad debts, he added, putting the board into closed, executive
session for several minutes.
Later, hospital administrator John Yeary said several contractors
have expressed interested in bidding on the proposed renovation
and expansion of the hospital's emergency rooms and obstetrics
area. Approximately $800,000 is to be spent on the project.
Constructed by local citizens in the 1950s, the hospital and
its emergency rooms were renovated in 1973. But now the emergency
rooms and obstetrics rooms are outdated and crowded, Yeary said.
Numerous fund raisers have been held over the past several months,
and the goal has almost been reached, he said.
Emergency Medical Service representative Richard Byrd explained
that some of the equipment needed can be purchased with a $9,000
matching grant from the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of
Emergency Management. The equipment includes blood pressure monitors,
heart monitor/defibrillators and personal computers, he said.
Action on the request was put on hold until possible trade-ins
are explored.
A committee was appointed to begin searching for an additional
family physician and general surgeon. Yeary said Dr. Luther Gohlke
of Ranger has given up his hospital privileges and that longtime
Eastland Dr. M.A. Treadwell has scaled back on his patient load.
Erath County jury indicts woman for theft by deception
STEPHENVILLE -- A woman who stretched thin the meaning of "local"
was among 13 people indicted on felony charges Thursday by the
Erath County grand jury.
Debra Lynn Lebouarney, 36, was indicted for theft by deception.
District Attorney John Terrill said the woman rented a U-Haul
truck from a local agency for "local" use, and disappeared.
Terrill said the woman and a male companion were subsequently
arrested in Washington state as they were driving the truck toward
the Canadian border.
Michael Dean Ramsey, 24, was indicted for burglary of a habitation
with intent to commit sexual assault. Terrill said the man is
accused of breaking into a home and sexually assaulting a girl
there.
Other indictments handed down range from possession of methamphetamine
to credit card abuse.
Sweetwater receives loan approval
SWEETWATER -- The city of Sweetwater was notified Thursday
of the approval of a loan to cover half of the projected $8 million
required for construction of a new waste water treatment plant.
The Texas Water Development Board in El Paso announced that
$4 million will be provided through the state's water pollution
control revolving fund.
The 40-year-old water treatment plant was evaluated in August
1996 and found to be "badly outdated and barely operational,"
according to the engineering firm of Hibbs and Todd.
City Manager David Maddox said the city requested that the
loan be divided into two segments to avoid a large increase in
paperwork and related expenses.
ccording to IRS regulations, loans in excess of $5 million
in one year require extensive paperwork, he said.
The city plans to apply for the remaining $3.9 million in January,
and ground breaking is expected to take place in mid 1998.
The new treatment plant will have a capacity of 2.2 million
gallons of water per day.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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