|
Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
February 27, 2001
Six stores caught in TABC weekend sting
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, February 27, 2001 - Six stores out of over two dozen targeted
in a sting conducted by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission face fines,
citations and possible jail time for their employees after they were allegedly
caught selling alcohol and/or tobacco to minors.
Sgt. Terry Parsons of the TABC office in Odessa said a total of 27 businesses
were targeted in the sting, which took place during the late afternoon
and evening hours on Saturday. Of those stores, 25 were in Reeves County.
"We went to one place in Winkler County we had received a complaint
about while we were on the way over there," he said. "We went up to Orla
and Mentone, but those places were closed, and we went to Balmorhea, but
only one place was open, so we did not make buys in all the places we went
to."
Of those stores that were open, Parsons said four sold alcoholic beverages
to a minor and three sold cigarettes. "The minors were a 15-year-old and
a 16-year-old, so it was not like we used someone close to 21. They were
both juveniles," he said.
"Investigator John Deering is over there today serving administrative
complaint notices to the stores," Parsons said. "We didn't tell them at
the time what we were doing to avoid jeopardizing the case. Once you tell
someone what you're doing word gets out pretty fast."
The businesses cited by Parsons were the I-10 Truck Stop in Balmorhea
for selling alcohol to a minor, the Town and Country Convenience Store
at 13th and Cedar streets for selling alcohol and tobacco to
minors, the Flying J Truck Stop on I-20 for selling alcohol and tobacco
to minors; Herrera's Grocery at 303 N. Cedar St. for selling alcohol to
a minor; Raul's E-Z Stop and Third and Locust streets for selling alcohol
to a minor and the Quick Stop at Third and Eddy streets, for selling tobacco
to a minor.
Parsons said the other Town and Country in Pecos, on I-20 at Country
Club Drive, refused to sell alcohol or tobacco to the juveniles sent into
the store by the TABC, as did the other carry-out locations in Pecos checked
out by the agency.
Parsons said the four stores that sold alcohol to the juveniles face
administrative action, including a possible suspension of their alcohol
sales permit. "Those cases will probably be presented the first part of
next week to the county attorney's office," he said. "They'll have a hearing
and they can take a chance on beating it, if they want.
"The clerks who sold the alcohol face a Class A misdemeanor, which carries
a fine of under $4,000 and up to one year in jail," Parsons added. The
clerks in stores who sold tobacco face a Class C misdemeanor, which should
be filed in Justice of the Peace Court this week, and carries with it a
fine of up to $500.
Action against the stores for the tobacco sales to minors will be forwarded
by TABC to Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander's office, which handles
tobacco-related sales violations, Parsons said.
Borger man jailed in I-20 pot seizure
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, February 27, 2001 - One man was arrested this morning and a total
of 263 pounds of marijuana was confiscated after a routine traffic stop
early this morning on the southwest side of Pecos.
Antonio Nabarro, 29, of Borger, was arrested at 3:30 a.m., today after
Trans Pecos Drug Task Force Officer Arnulfo Rivas discovered 21 bricks
of marijuana in his 1994 white Jeep Cherokee.
Commander Gary Richards said while conducting the traffic stop at mile
marker 39 of the east bound lane of I-20 Rivas discovered the drugs inside
the vehicle.
"While talking to the driver, Officer Rivas was overwhelmed by the smell
of marijuana," he said.
Upon searching the vehicle, Rivas found three duffel bags and two burlap
bags full of marijuana packages worth an estimated street value of over
$130,000.
Richards said the discovery was a rare case for the Task Force because
the drugs were "right out in the open."
"Basically the officer was just overpowered by the odor," he said.
It is believed that Nabarro was coming through this area from Mexico
and heading toward the Texas Panhandle.
Nabarro has been referred over for federal charges.
The Reeves County Sheriff's Department and the Pecos Police Department
assisted in the arrest.
This morning's drug arrest comes following Friday's round-up of 15 people
by local law enforcement officials in Pecos, 13 of those on drug-related
charges and two others for probation violations. Local law enforcement
officials were also involved in the arrest of three other people on Thursday
in Ward County on cocaine possession charges.
The three were arrested in Monahans as a result of a joint investigation
between the Ward County Sheriff's Department, the Monahans Police Department
and the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force.
Jorge Martinez, 25, John Wells, 40, and Julie Derrick, 20 were arrested
on February 22 in the 800 block of Gary Street in Monahans following a
traffic stop.
All three were charged with delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine,
over four grams while Martinez was also charged with possession of a controlled
substance, one-gram of cocaine.
The three were arrested following a two-month investigation.
Martinez was released Friday on a $10,000 bond for possession of a controlled
substance (cocaine) under one gram-felony and a $25,000 bond for delivery
of a controlled substance (cocaine) over four grams-felony two.
Wells was released on Friday on a $5,000 bond for delivery of a controlled
substance (cocaine)-felony two, and Derrick also was released Friday on
a $25,000 bond for delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine) over four
grams-felony two.
Council to discuss water field, annexation lawsuit at meeting
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, February 27, 2001 - The Town of Pecos City Council is scheduled
to discuss a pending litigation between the city and local resident Hugh
Box during executive session of a special council meeting at 8 a.m., tomorrow
morning in Council Chambers at City Hall.
City Manager Carlos Yerena said that the litigation involves the proposed
annexation sites the city has been considering.
Council members discussed annexation of lands within the current city
limits during two workshops held March 13 and 14 at City Hall. During the
second workshop, the council heard from attorney Walter Holcomb, representing
several community members, who said they should consider dropping the annexation
after hearing the public comments. He added that if they vote to continue
the annexation plan, they should prepare for a lawsuit.
City Attorney Scott Johnson said that the city would not respond to
threats and told Holcomb to begin the paperwork for the lawsuit.
In other action on Wednesday, the council will discuss approving the
groundwater exploration report of the construction of seven test holes
and one test production well in the South Worsham Water Field area as well
as considering authorization to initiate negotiation with landowners for
the acquisition of addition land as recommended by hydrologists. The city
is currently trying to develop replacement water fields for the current
Worsham and Ward County fields that supply Pecos with its drinking water.
The council was told in 1994 the two fields could only supply enough
water to the city through the year 2008, and has been working towards development
of a new water field since then.
RCH board to study policies on substance use, harassment
PECOS, February 27, 2001 - Reeves County Hospital District board
members will discuss/adopt a resolution for a flexible benefits plan for
hospital employees and discuss substance abuse and harassment policies
for the hospital during their regular monthly meeting, scheduled for 6
p.m. in the classroom at Reeves County Hospital.
Board members will also officially order an election for May 5 and name
judges and clerks for the election during this evening's meeting. The positions
in Precincts 2 and 4 held by Marcella Lovett and Holly Key will be up for
election on May 5.
In other business, the board will:
· Discuss a transfer agreement with Pecos Nursing Home;
· Discuss conducting a feasibility study for providing dialysis
services at RCH;
· Discuss TexPool Resolution amending authorized representatives;
· Discuss banking resolution;
· Advertise for bids on oil and gas lease for Sections 65 and
66, Block 112, W.N. Holder Survey;
· Discuss sale of properties at 605 N. Palm St., 1101 S. Locust,
2025 S. Eddy, 616 Ross Blvd. And Abstract 1831, Block 49-8, Section 10,
T&P (495 acres farm land).
Also on the agenda are public comments, a report from the RCH auxiliary,
the Joint Conference Committee Report, the monthly tax report and payment
of bills, along with financial statements and budget amendments, the medical
staff and administrator's reports.
Fed court to hear P-B-T student's suspension case
PECOS, February 27, 2001 - A scheduled 10:30 a.m. hearing this morning
on the status of a temporary injunction against the suspension of Pecos
High School student Cortney Freeman from extracurricular activities in
Reeves County Court-At-Law was canceled and the case has been transferred
to U.S. District Court in Pecos.
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Athletic Director Lawrence Williams suspended Freeman
on Feb. 19 over his involvement in a Jan. 28 drug-related incident that
occurred off-campus. The injunction blocking the suspension was issued
last Wednesday by County Court-At-Law Judge Lee Green, and allowed Freeman
to participate in this past weekend's Class 4A State Swimming and Diving
Championships in Austin, where he earned a bronze medal as a member of
Pecos' 200 medley relay team.
No date for the federal court hearing on the case had been scheduled
as of late this morning, according to the U.S. District Clerk's office.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
|
