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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Arson fire destroys Third Street building
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- Pecos Volunteer Firemen spent most of the
night and the morning fighting a structure fire that started late last
night and destroyed a two story building on the west side of town.
Fire Marshal Jack Brookshire said that the fire started at approximately
10:30 p.m. Monday, on the corner of Third and Maple Streets, and was deliberately
set.
"It's going to be ruled as an arson," he said.
"When I got here the fire was burning out of both the front and the back
of the building, and a fire usually doesn't spread that fast by itself,"
Brookshire said around midnight on Monday
The fire marshal said that they don't have any specific suspects as of
yet in the case. "We haven't had any (reports) as of now," he said. However,
nearby residents did report seeing some juveniles running from the area shortly
before the fire was first reported, Brookshire said.
He did determine that the fire started on the west end of the abandoned
building, which was located on the northeast corner of Third and Maple streets.
The fire burned for about 35 minutes before the main section of the structure
collapsed, and continued to burn well after midnight.
Firemen spent about 4½ hours at the site, and then were called
out twice more when part of the rubble re-ignited.
Brookshire said that the firemen fought the fire from 10:30 p.m. to 3
a.m., this morning. "Then we got called out again at 3:30," he said. The
second time out firemen remained on scene until just before 6 a.m., and the
third call to the site occurred around 8:30 a.m.
Brookshire said that the building was a woodframed structure with stucco
walls that fell inward covering the fire, which made it harder for the firemen
to reach the main part of the blaze.
"You couldn't get to the fire because the walls covered them," he said.
This morning, the city allowed the firemen to use a front-end loader to
"stir things up" so the firemen could get to the fire.
Brookshire said he would continue to investigate the fire. If anyone has
any information on the fire contact the Pecos Police Department at 445-4911
or Crimestoppers at 445-9898.
Pecos VFD wins race trophies at convention
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- The Pecos Volunteer Fire Department brought
home three trophies after competing in the regional fire convention
held in Midland this past weekend.
PVFD representative Freddy Contreras said that eight local firefighters
competed in the fireman competition held on Sunday, bringing home trophies
and money for the fire department.
Contreras said that the PVFD placed third in the two-man special, third
in the three-man special and first in the six-man pumper competition.
"Along with first place came a $90 check that will go back to the department,"
he said.
Nine teams from this area competed in the competition that followed a
day of training on Saturday, according to Contreras.
Contreras said that this is the first year that the convention has been
a two-day event. In the past the firefighters would meet on Saturday morning
for training with competition in the afternoon.
Approximately 150 firefighters attended the convention including the eight
men from Pecos. Also a group of 20 people also represented Pecos at the
competition to support the local firemen, according to Contreras.
The next area convention is scheduled for sometime next spring in Wink.
School renovation projects to be discussed
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board members
will discuss plans for starting several construction projects for local
campuses, during a special meeting on the board Thursday evening.
The group will meet at 6 p.m., Thursday in the boardroom, 1304 S. Park
and the public is invited to attend.
Along with deciding on the lowest cost construction methods for several
renovation projects, the board will also discuss a resolution authorizing
membership in Energy for Schools, an electric power aggregator, or seek a
contract from a retail energy provider (REP) through a request for proposals.
Construction procurement methods for the following projects will be discussed:
Bessie Haynes Elementary asbestos removal, Bessie Haynes Elementary HVAC
replacement; Crockett Middle School gym HVAC addition, Lamar AEP roof repair;
Pecos Kindergarten carpet replacement; Pecos High School auditorium asbestos
removal, Pecos High School asbestos removal; PHS renovations and tennis court
renovations.
Board members will also discuss and take action on sealed bid for a 1996
Chevrolet crew cab 3500.
TxDOT delaying projects due to shortage in funding
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- AUSTIN (AP) - Texas transportation officials
are reportedly delaying some highway construction projects until next spring
and are putting off merit raises and new buildings for their workers after
their state bank accounts dropped to only $4 million earlier this month.
Flawed budget projections were blamed for the unprecedented low reached
Oct. 4 in the state's highway fund which pays for the Department of Transportation's
budget, including road construction and maintenance.
Department officials have asked their 25 district offices to work with
contractors to suspend road projects that are ready to begin but have not
actually started, according to the Austin American-Statesman's online edition
Tuesday.
Officials said the fund has since received an infusion of gas tax revenues
and now has more than $100 million, but will drop again in the coming weeks
as the department pays for salaries, operating expenses and road repairs
before the next round of gas tax receipts arrives in November.
"Our bank balance is pretty low, and we need to manage it carefully,"
department spokesman Randall Dillard told the newspaper. "We're going to
watch the bank balance over the next couple months, and we think that after
the first of the year and when we get into spring, we'll be in good shape."
With an annual $5 billion budget, the Transportation Department is the
second state agency to cut costs in recent weeks. Last month, the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department announced it is reducing its operating budget by
3 percent. Both agencies receive most of their money directly from dedicated
taxes and fees.
Some state officials have accused the Transportation Department of wasteful
spending in the past. One questioned why the Associated General Contractors
of Texas knew about the cash flow problems before he did.
"Obviously, it's a problem - the severity of the problem, I don't know,"
said House Appropriations Chairman Rob Junell, D-San Angelo. "But it is a
severe problem if the governor, the lieutenant governor and the two budget
chairs in the Legislature have to learn about this after lobbyists know about
this and after the newspaper knows about it."
PHS band scheduled to perform Saturday
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- The Pecos High School marching band will
perform Saturday night at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, in the University Interscholastic
League's area marching contest.
The Eagles have competed the past three years in the UIL area contest
at Socorro Stadium in El Paso, after being moved into the El Paso-area District
2-4A in 1998. However, this year, Pecos opted to compete in the Class 4A
competition at Odessa, which will also feature marching bands from Andrews
and Big Spring in the Class 4A division.
Pecos is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Ratliff Stadium.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 16, 2001 -- High Mon. 82. Low this morning 40. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 40. SE winds 5 to 10 mph. Wed.:
Sunny and warmer. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds 10 to 20 mph.
Wed. night: Mostly clear. Lows 45 to 50. Thurs.: Mostly sunny and warm.
Highs 85 to 90. Fri.: Partly cloudy and cooler. Lows 45 to 50. Highs
75 to 80.
Police Report
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report
is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves
County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those agencies.
The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines of either
traffic citations, animal control violations or other court costs are considered
arrests and will be printed as such unless indicated that the fines were
paid. In such instanced we will indicate payment and release.
***
A male juvenile was arrested at 6:05 p.m., on October 10 in the 2200
block of Cactus Street for simple assault.
***
Robert Mendoza, 37, was arrested at 7:56 p.m., on October 10 in the
2200 block of West Third Street for DWI refusal.
***
Jeb S. Giddens, 39, was arrested at 8:21 p.m., on October 10 in the
900 block of Cedar Street for public intoxication.
***
Rosalinda Munoz, 53, and Osvaldo Garcia, 38, were arrested at 7:45 p.m.,
on October 11 in the 1200 block of Ash Street both for public lewdness.
***
Norman T. Gurule, 33, was arrested at 11:26 p.m., on October 11 in the
100 block of Lincoln Street for driving while intoxicated.
***
Neyma Mendoza, 26, was arrested at 2:10 a.m., on October 14 at Eddy
and Lincoln Streets for deadly conduct.
***
Abel Sanchez, 32, was arrested at 11 a.m., on October 12 in the 400
block of Mulberry Street on a warrant for bond forfeiture.
***
A male juvenile was arrested at 11:21 a.m., on October 12 in the 1600
block of Johnson Street as a runaway from home.
***
Rafael Medina, Jr., 21, was arrested at 9:45 p.m., on October 7 in the
500 block of West Third Street for DWI refusal and possession of marijuana
under two ounces.
***
Joel Hiram Lopez, 25, was arrested at 7:34 p.m., on October 6 at Fourth
and Cedar Streets on a warrant for obstruction or retaliation-third degree
felony.
***
Shirley Ortiz, 40, was arrested at 2:49 a.m., on October 6 in the 1000
block of South Rancho Street for assault under the Family Violence Act.
***
Donovan A. Rodriguez, 31, was arrested at 9:01 p.m., on October 4 at
the intersection of Alamo and Seventh streets on two counts of deadly conduct.
***
Maria Elisa Carrera, 33, was arrested at 2:19 p.m., on October 4 at
the Pecos Police Department on a parole violation warrant.
Obituaries
Jose Chavez, Martha Holcombe and Guadalupe Nabarrette
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 newsdesk@nwol.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 2001 by Pecos Enterprise
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