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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Cocaine seized by officers during drug raid
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., March 11, 2003 -- The Pecos Police Department/Reeves County
Sheriff Department Swat Team and the 143rd District
Attorney's Office executed a search warrant last night on the south side
of Pecos and arrested one man on drug charges.
Sgt. Paul Deishler, Narcotics Investigator for the Pecos PD, said that
he received information that Francisco Tomas Ortiz, 25, was selling cocaine
from his residence, located at 2401 Teague St.
"With the information that was provided we were able to ask for a search
warrant issued by Judge Jim Riley," Deishler said.
The warrant was executed yesterday at approximately 7:53 p.m., with 13
Swat Team members and one Emergency Medical Technician.
Deishler said they found paraphernalia, along with a cocaine scale and
baggies used for the distribution of the cocaine.
"Upon entering the master bedroom we found 29.3 grams of cocaine," Deishler
said.
The street value of the cocaine would be about $2,900, Deishler said.
"Criminal charges are pending with others residing at the home," Deishler
added.
Ortiz is currently in jail as of this morning and will remain in custody
until he is arraigned. He has been charged with possession of a controlled
substance within 1,000 feet of a playground, which is a first-degree felony,
Deishler said.
Ortiz is also a member of the local band `Maravilla'.
"We appreciate the EMTs for coming out with us. Last night it was John
Cravey," Deishler said. "Without them we would not be able to execute the
warrants and they do it on their own time."
Red Bluff remains unsure of water release
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., March 11, 2003 -- Red Bluff Water District board members will
decide in April on any possible water release for farmers along the
Pecos River in 2003.
Meeting this morning in Pecos, the board discussed whether or not there
was enough water in Red Bluff Lake to allow for water releases this year.
A lack of water in 2002 prevented farmers along the Pecos River from receiving
any lake water last year, and the level of the lake remained below 60,000
acre/feet at the beginning of this month.
Managing Director Randal Hartman said because of the lack of rain over
the past few years and the low level of the Pecos River, water losses from
any release downstream would be higher than in normal years.
"We're going to lose about 60 percent at this point because everything's
so dry" he said. The district normally calculates a 50 percent water loss
from releases downstream.
"At some point in time we might be able to do a release. We might get
a big rain in the next month," Hartman said, while board member Lloyd Goodrich
said the district should move ahead with plans for a 2003 water release.
"You've got some people out there who have some permanent crops. Unless
they get some rain they're going to really hurt," he said. Alfalfa farmers
were mentioned as the ones who would be hurt the most by a second straight
year without a water release.
In pushing for a release this year, Goodrich added that due to water release
averaging and New Mexico's drought problems, "We may not get any water from
New Mexico next year."
Hartman said that engineers with HDR, which was in charge of the replacement
of the dam's gates and tunnels two years ago, said the new construction needed
to remain underwater, which would limit water releases.
"We need to hold at around 35,000 (acre/feet). We can't pull it down to
the head gates. That's what HDR told us, they don't need sunlight and wave
action," he said.
As a result, the district could only afford to allocate about 20,000 acre/feet
for any water releases this year. With a 60 percent loss rate, Hartman said
that would mean farmers would get about 8,000 acre/feet by the time it came
down the Pecos River.
"Eight-thousand divided up into little sections is not going to make anybody
a crop," said board member Jay Lee.
"We need to do something with the water," Hartman said. "Let's wait and
put it on the books for next month's meeting."
In other action, the board approved a new policy for full-time employees,
based on rules set up by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (formerly
the TNRCC), with board members Manuel Lujan and Dick Slack absent and Goodrich
abstaining; they also approved cash disbursements, receipts and accounts
payable for March, and were told that pumping of salt water out of Malaga
Bend by Sun West Salt Co. should begin within the next few days.
"They didn't put the monitors in until (last) Tuesday, and they're going
to pump that well to clean it out before they put the meter in," Hartman
said.
Two ponds between one and two acres in size have been built to hold the
water, which will then be evaporated and the salt mined by Sun West. Hartman
said it would take about a year between the first pumping into the pond and
the time when it would be ready for mining.
Red Bluff members are hoping the pumping will provide both additional
funds from salt payments, and cut salt levels in the Pecos River and Red
Bluff Lake by about 50 percent.
Trip, 5-year technology plan given board approval
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., March 11, 2003 -- Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board members approved
a trip to Sul Ross for the National Hispanic Institute, a long-range
technology plan and other items during their regular meeting held last
Thursday.
Board members approved the 2003 National Hispanic Institute trip to Sul
Ross at Alpine, and to provide transportation to the event.
"It costs about $75 or less for 15 students," said superintendent Don
Love.
He said that about 15 students would attend the event and total cost would
be about $600. "We'll just drop them off and three days later pick them back
up," said Love. "It's a great program and allows a student to also see how
campus life is like."
Board members also approved a five-year technology plan outlined by Technology
Director Jodi Exum.
"We always have a long-range plan and will always have to be doing updates,"
said Exum. "We want to always have something to look forward to."
The long-range plan is from 2003-2008. "Just because it's here in this
plan doesn't mean it has to happen and things change constantly in technology,
there may be some things we need to add," she said, adding that the long-range
technology plans are usually approved three years at a time.
Exum said that they had been looking at going with wireless connections.
"This would save us money, but it's not very reliable yet," she said.
Some of the teachers had requested laptops, but Exum said that those were
sometimes more expensive than desktop computers. "They want them to take
them home and do work there, but that's just not possible at this time,"
she said.
The group approved the purchase of foreclosed property located at 611
S. Elm, for $500 a bid by Maria Martinez.
Board members approved resignations including: Kittie Gibson, history/career
connections teacher/Crockett Middle School, effective May 31;
Rosa Granado, second grade teacher/Austin Elementary, effective May 31;
George Patlan, District ESL/Migrant Teacher, effective May 30;
Bill Riggs, journalism teacher/Pecos High School, effective May 30;
Nora Toscano, history teacher/Pecos High School, effective May 30.
The group approved several teacher renewals, but declined to renew the
contract for Mary Ann Box, a subject that was discussed in closed session.
The motion made by the board directed the superintendent to give written
notice to Box that the board proposes to non-renew her term contract for
2003-2004.
Rec department soccer sign-up deadline nears
PECOS, Tues., March 11, 2003 -- The deadline is this Saturday to sign
up children for the Reeves County Community Sports and Recreation Department
spring youth soccer leagues.
The league is open to boys and girls ages 4½ through 13. Parents
can pick up their forms at the recreation department officer during regular
business hours between now and Saturday. Returned forms must have both parents'
signatures and a birth certificate must be provided when the form is returned.
Sign-up fee is $10 per player. For further information, call the recreation
department at 447-9776.
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 instances we will indicate payment and release.
***
Jacob Perez, 32, was arrested at 2:06 a.m. on March 10 at the Criminal
Justice Center on an outstanding DPS warrant for tires less than 2/23 inches
and failure to appear.
***
Luis Orona, 32, was arrested 6:04 p.m. on March 8 at Madison and Missouri
streets for warrants for possession of alcoholic beverage/open container,
two warrants for violation failure to appear, warrant for theft under $50,
and a Reeves County warrant for hours of sale of beer prohibited.
***
Jesus Armendarez, was arrested at 11:12 p.m. on March 8 at the Texaco
on U.S. 285 at I-20 on a capias warrant for assault under the family violence
act.
***
Kenneth Schweich, 39, was arrested at 12:58 a.m. on March 8, at the
Criminal Justice Center for outstanding DPS warrants no license for type
of vehicle, outstanding warrant for operating an unregistered vehicle and
warrant for failure to appear.
***
Two male juveniles were arrested at 1:34 p.m. on March 8 in the 1100
block of Locust Street for evading arrest and possession of marijuana.
***
Melissa Lopez, 36 was arrested at 3:52 p.m. on March 4 in the 500 block
of Oak Street on warrants for failure to require juvenile to attend school,
driving at an unsafe speed, no liability insurance and no drivers license.
***
Edel Acosta, 21, was arrested at 10:37 p.m. on March 3, in the 700 block
of Daggett Street for a warrant for making a false statement to a police
officer.
***
Thomas Marquez, 35, was arrested at 9:38 p.m. on March 3 at La Cantina
for public intoxication.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., March 11, 2003 -- High Tuesday 80. Low this morning 48.
Forecast for tonight...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog late. Lows near 50.
South winds 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday...Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid
80s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday night...Partly cloudy.
Lows in the upper 40s. Thursday...Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s.
Friday...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows near 50.
Highs near 80.
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
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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