|
Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Monday, April 21, 2003
Woman killed, 3 children hurt in crash
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., April 21, 2003 -- A one-vehicle accident Easter Sunday claimed
the life of a Midland woman and injured three children, while two other
people survived a plunge off Balmorhea Dam in their vehicle with only minor
injuries early Saturday morning.
The fatality accident occurred at 6:45 p.m. Sunday just south of Pecos
and left three children inside the vehicle injured.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety report, the victim
was the driver, Graciela V. Rayos, 61, of Midland. Precinct 2 Justice of
the Peace Jim Riley pronounced her dead at the scene at 7:25 p.m.
The other occupants of the Jeep Grand Cherokee were identified as Debra
Bernal, Christy Rayos, and Belicia Rayos, all students. Bernal suffered
from a left broken leg and was transported to Reeves County Hospital; Christy
Rayos suffered from minor cuts and bruises while Belicia Rayos sustained
lacerations to the head and body injuries.
The report stated that the vehicle was traveling north on Highway 17
when it drove onto the south side barrow.
The driver then overcorrected the vehicle to the right and applied the
brakes, causing the Cherokee to roll over on the south side of the highway
before coming to rest in an upright position facing west on the highway's
southbound shoulder.
The Jeep was part of a caravan of vehicles containing family members
who were returning to Midland, according to officials at the scene. Rayos'
husband was in another vehicle in the caravan when the rollover took place.
Troopers Terry Gilchrest and Gordon Schneider investigated the incident.
The Balmorhea Lake Dam accident was investigated by DPS troopers Jason
Anzaldua and Alonzo Urquidi out of Monahans, and occurred about 4:30 a.m.
on Saturday.
The report stated that the driver, Jason Muniz Bordayo, 25, was extremely
intoxicated and ran his pickup off the right side of the dam while heading
north and landed in the brush at the foot of the dam. The side of the dam
the pickup rolled off of is away from the lake and has no raised barrier.
A male juvenile, who the troopers said was also intoxicated, said that
the driver fell asleep, at which point the vehicle began to go off the dam.
The juvenile said he was able to jump out of the vehicle as the vehicle rolled
off the dam with the driver still inside.
The report stated that neither occupant was wearing their seat belts.
Bordayo was arrested for driving while intoxicated while the male juvenile
was issued several citations.
Both Bordayo and the male juvenile are from Balmorhea.
State Theatre again closed following three year run
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., April 21, 2003 -- After nearly three years of continuous operation
the State Theatre is closed again due to its owners' problems running the
facility after relocation to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Owners Richard and Lillian Creasy announced the closing of the historical
theater this morning.
"Last night was our last show," Richard Creasy said. "And the business
is for sale."
Creasy said that a combination of circumstances had influenced their
decision.
"We moved to the D-FW area more than a year ago to be closer to our grandchildren
and closer to medical services," he said. "Running the theater from a distance
just has not worked."
Creasy said that he hoped to find someone interested in buying the business.
"I think Pecos has a future. I think the State can be a profitable business.
It has been for us and still is. It's just too much to run it from 300 miles
away," he said.
"I'm open to any and all possibilities including an outright purchase
or even some type of lease to own situation," he said.
The Creasys opened the State on June 30, 2000, the anniversary of the
State's first opening in 1954, and have been showing first-run movies each
week during the run.
Last week's picture was, "Cradle 2 the Grave." The first picture shown
at the State was "Red Garter," starring Jane Mansfield. The theater closed
originally on Dec. 31, 1989 when then-owner United Artists Theaters shut
down all of their single screen movie houses in Texas.
Creasy said that anyone interested in the theater could contact him by
going to the theater's web site at www.statetheatreofpecos.com.
"This will work for someone who is committed and I would be happy to
work with them - to train them in the business and help them through the
beginning," Creasy said.
Election ballot mail requests due by Friday
PECOS, Mon., April 21, 2003 -- Friday is the final day to obtain a mail
ballot for voting in the May 3 area elections.
Early voting for the May election began last Wednesday and will continue
through April 29, but local election officials must receive requests for
mail ballots by this Friday, April 25.
Contested elections locally this year are for the Town of Pecos City Council,
the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD and the Balmorhea ISD board. In addition, Barstow
residents and others in Ward County will be voting in the special election
to fill the vacant seat for the 19th Congressional District.
Early voting by personal appearance for Pecos voters is being held at
the Pecos Community Center, 508 S. Oak St.
Weather
PECOS, Mon., April 21, 2003 -- High Sun. 84. Low this morning 56. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Lows in the lower
50s. SE winds 10 to 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Tues.:
Partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Some storms may be severe with
large hail and damaging winds in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s.
South winds 10 to 15 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Tues.
night: Partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Some storms may be severe
with large hail and damaging winds. Lows in the mid 50s. The chance of precipitation
is 40 percent.
Obituary
Guadalupe 'Lupe' Juarez
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
|