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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Commissioners give second job to new member

One of two new members of the Reeves County Commissioners Court and has already been appointed to be a representative for another program.

Reeves County Commissioner Precinct 1 Roy Alvarado was welcomed as the new Precinct 1 commissioner this morning, at the first meeting of the Commissioners Court for 2005, and was then appointed to be a representative of Reeves County to the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission.

Alvarado was nominated for the position by County Judge Jimmy B. Galindo as part of the meeting, held on the third floor of the Reeves County Courthouse.

“It’s the governing body that determines the process for some of the grant opportunities for Reeves County,” said Galindo, who added that Alvarado has some knowledge of the grants and that this would prove vital for the community.

“You have some experience, in your line of work, about these grants and that would help Reeves County tremendously,” said Galindo.

Alvarado, who replaced Felipe Arredondo as Precinct 1 commissioner, said that he was proud to serve and would “give it his best shot.”

“I plan on being staying very involved and keeping in touch with all the department heads,” said Alvarado during a break in Monday’s meeting. “That will help the community.”

Alvarado said that he has not been contacted about any major problems, but has received numerous calls from community members about “little things.”

“There is a need for more support in the unit role administration, but nobody has come up with any major problems,” said Alvarado. “I just have a ‘wish list,’ already begun,” he said.

Alvarado said that he has been visiting all the departments and familiarizing himself with them. “I also plan to visit the prison, all three units and get more acquainted with them,” he said.

Alvarado and Saul Herrera were sworn in last week as the newest members of the commissioner’s court. Herrera represents Precinct 3 on the board and replaced Herman Tarin, who opted not to see a fourth term as commissioner.

In other action, commissioners tabled the procurement of a Xerox Copier for the county clerk’s office, after a brief discussion on the subject.

Xerox representative David Deleon was on hand to discuss the options the new copier would provide.

“She (the county clerk) wanted a computer that would scan the material and have it put into the computer,” he said.

There would still be a ‘hard copy’ of the paperwork, but the records would be in the computer as well, according to Deleon.

“Is there anyone else in your area that is using this type of computer?” asked Galindo. Deleon said that there was nobody in his area, but there were some others that were using this type of filing system.

“I would like for the county clerk and maybe one of the commissioners to visit one of these places to see exactly how this works,” said Galindo.

The group opted to table the item and reinstate the existing lease for the copier until they can find a proper solution for the county clerk’s office.

Commissioners approved a resolution for discretionary exemption of bid requirements under Local Government Code Section 262.024 (a) 7(A) - copyrighted items.

County auditor Lynn Owens said that Ward County had bought new software and that after talking to the district clerk here, they would need to purchase equipment compatible to that one.

“They’ll need to have the same type of software, because they are both with the 143rd Judicial Court,” said Owens.

This resolution would give the court the exemption they need. “This means they won’t have to go out for bids to purchase the same type of equipment,” said Owens.

Official bond and oath for newly elected officials and deputies were read out during the court.

Along with Herrera and Alvarado, the others taking the bond oath were officials and employees of the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office, the district clerk’s office, the treasurer’s office and the tax assessor-collector’s office.

Deputies probe early Saturday double stabbing

Reeves County sheriff’s deputies are trying to unravel conflicting stories from both the victims and witnesses to a stabbing incident early Saturday morning that sent one person to Reeves County Hospital, while another was flown to Medical Center Hospital in Odessa for treatment of his injuries.

Raul Barrera was reportedly improving today after being flown to Odessa for treatment of multiple stab wounds, according to Reeves County Chief Deputy Victor Prieto. He said Barrera and a second man, identified as Adrian Medrano, were stabbed in the incident which occurred about 1:45 a.m. on the east side of Pecos.

Preito said he was called to the 1100 block of South Orange Street, where they met with a resident who said they had heard screams coming from a nearby unit of the Pecos Housing Authority’s east side complex. Prieto, along with deputies Raymond Ortiz and Efren Rodriguez, then went down to Apartment B at 1114 S. Orange St., where they saw a group of people standing outside the apartment in the alley behind Orange Street.

In that group was Medrano, who was bleeding from a wound from the head, and deputies were told that he had been stabbed with a knife. Pecos police and two ambulances also went to the scene, and Emergency Medical Service workers then took Medrano to Reeves County Hospital.

Prieto said Barreno was also taken to the hospital, before being flown from there to Odessa for treatment of his injuries. “He had multiple wounds. Two to the head, one to the chest and one to the abdomen,” Preito said.

Barreno reportedly went to a nearby apartment after he was injured, and from there EMS personnel were called to the scene.

The case is being investigated as an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but Preito said as of now no one has been arrested in connection with the stabbings.

“What we have right now is conflicting stories. We’re waiting for the man (Barreno) to come home from the hospital because we want to get his side of it,” Prieto said.

“We believe there were three people involved in the fight, maybe even more. But we haven’t gotten it down yet,” he added. “We’re still talking to the witnesses, some of whom may have been involved, to determine who is and who isn’t a suspect.”

Preito said he was hoping to be able to interview Barreno sometime this week, since his wounds were not life-threatening.

“I talked to his parents last night and he’s doing good,” Preito said. “He just barely started walking, but he maybe able to come home this evening or maybe tomorrow.”

College financial aid info offered

Financial Aid Night will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday at the Pecos High School Cafeteria.

The program will be presented by Jim Glossbrenner of the Panhandle-Plains Higher Education Authority.

There will be a drawing for a $100 Scholarship during Tuesday’s event. Parents, students and guardians are invited to attend the workshop to gain important information on student financial aid.

The event is sponsored by PHS Counselors Eva Arriola and Pat Cobos. For more information call 447-7229.

Local resident starting Guard duty in Iraq

One Pecos resident will be joining thousands of soldiers fighting the war on terrorism as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

Staff Sergeant Jimmy Leonard and his fellow National Guard members of the Abilene-based 111th Engineer Battalion will be deployed around the first part of the year where they will serve approximately 14 months in that country. It’s Leonard’s third overseas deployment in the past 11 years.

Before their departure, politicians, community and civic members, patriots, and loved ones will gather for a farewell ceremony at Baylor University in Waco.

Leonard’s wife, Stacey, their one and a half-year old son, Caleb, and his parents, Jim and Elidia Leonard joined him at the celebration. They were also accompanied by his brother, Gary Rumbaugh, sisters; Norma Alvarado, Debra Martinez, and Martha Leonard and many nephews and nieces.

Leonard also has a seven-year-old daughter, Samantha, of Watertown, N.Y. Although she was not able to attend the ceremony, her smiling face was there in pictures the family brought with them.

“It will be hard to see my husband leave even more so being five month newlywed, however, I know the responsibilities and duty of being a soldier because I just recently finished serving in the National Guard for six years and went through a deployment myself,” said Stacey Leonard.

On the brighter side of it all, there is a lot of support from the 111th Family Support Group, Leonard’s family in Pecos, and Stacey’s family back in Rockland, Mass. “There are two things that are needed, lots of prayer and a safe return, not only for my husband, for all our heroes serving in distant places around the world,” said Mrs. Leonard.

Members of the 111th will join many National Guardsmen from all over the state who make up the Texas 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, commonly known as the T-Patchers, which has been a combat unit since World War II.

Leonard has been deployed before, to Haiti for Operation Maintain Democracy and Uphold Democracy in 1994, Panama for Jungle Operations Training in 1995, and Bosnia-Herzegovina for Operation Joint Forge SFOR 7 in 2000.

SSG Leonard has been numerously decorated for his dedication, professionalism, technical expertise and motivation during his 11 years of serving in both the United States Army and the Texas Army National Guard.



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