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TOP STORIESFebruary 19, 1998Bomber crash, comment period extendedFrom Staff and Wire Reports PECOS, February 19, 1998 - A B-1B bomber, similar to those that may soon be flying in low-altitude training over much of Reeves County from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Tx., crashed yesterday in western Kentucky. The bomber, not involved in low altitude training at the time, flew unmanned for 12 miles after the four-man crew ejected from the plane, which then crashed in a rural area just northeast of Marion, Kentucky. Realistic Bomber Training Initiative, a recent U.S. Air Force proposal, would involve the low-altitude training of B-1B and B-52 bombers over much of Reeves County. The initiative may involve as many as 40 flights a day at altitudes of 200-300 feet. According to Air Force officials at Dyess, the public comment period on the proposed RBTI has been extended an extra 45 days in response to "public concerns and congressional requests." The new deadline is April 3, 1998. All comments should be mailed to: RBTI EIS c/o 7 CES/CEV, 710 3rd Street, Dyess AFB, TX 79607. The Air Force B-1B bomber that crashed was unarmed but also unmanned after its four-member crew ejected safely. The unmanned jet flew miles over sparsely populated western Kentucky and passed near a small town before crashing into a muddy cow pasture. The plane, based at Dyess Air Force Base at Abilene, Texas, missed a farmhouse owned by local postman Eddie Hendrix by about 200 feet, scattering his cattle in terror, and crashed Wednesday just four miles from this farming community of 3,300 people. The unmanned bomber continued roughly 12 miles after its crew bailed out, passing along the edge of populated Marion, before crashing in a rural area to the northeast. No one was hurt on the ground. "I'm just thankful it didn't get the house or the barn or kill any livestock,'' Hendrix said. The Air Force said it wasn't immediately clear whether the bomber crew tried to steer the ailing plane away from people on the ground. The crew wasn't questioned by investigators late Wednesday night, said Air Force Master Sgt. Sandra Pischner. "We're happy that it landed in a field,'' Air Force Capt. Steven Doub said at the scene. "I'm not sure you can say that's luck, or whether the air crew members did what they could.'' The military said the instructor pilot and instructor weapons officer both were in good condition in a military hospital at Fort Campbell, Ky. The co-pilot and another weapons system officer were reported stable at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. "It's scary to think about a plane flying over town without anybody at the controls, just waiting to fall somewhere,'' Marion Mayor Michael Alexander said. "We've very glad it landed in a rural area, glad it didn't hit anybody.'' "It scared me to death,'' said Mark Williams, who lives one-quarter mile from the crash and saw the blast from his pickup. "You could feel the truck shake. I looked up, and you could see a big mushroom cloud." The bomber plowed a hole nearly 10 feet deep and 40 feet long into the muddy farmland, then exploded violently, scattering debris over a huge area. Fire blackened the wet grass, and almost nothing was recognizable from the aircraft. The Air Force confirmed Wednesday night it was carrying a flight-data recorder, which could help investigators find the cause of the accident. "The biggest piece that was left was part of the landing gear, and it could fit in the back of this pickup," Williams said. The rest of the aircraft - 146 feet long and 137 feet wide - was reduced to pieces of wreckage no larger than dinner plates. The $200 million swing-wing bomber, one of 94 in the Air Force, left Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, about 9 a.m. CST on a routine, cross-country training mission, Pischner said. The flight was to return to Dyess, and its mission did not include low-altitude training, she said. About 1:45 p.m., the crew ejected near the town of Mexico, Ky. Two of the crew were rescued walking along a road, a third was in a nearby field and the fourth was found hanging from a tree by his parachute. "He was conscious but not alert," said Barry Smith, who found him in the tree. "He had a nice wound on the top of his head. Undoubtedly, he took a nice lick on the head somewhere." Bruce Conger, who was in the area and talked with three of the crew after they parachuted safely, said they told him the bomber's cockpit had filled with smoke. The Air Force identified the crew as Lt. Col. Daniel Charchian, the instructor pilot; Capt. Jeffrey Sabella, the co-pilot; Capt. Kevin Schields, the instructor weapons officer; and 1st Lt. Bert Winslow, the weapons system officer, Pischner said. Randy Rushing, a volunteer firefighter who found the co-pilot walking in a field, said Sabella told him they tried to return to Dyess immediately after trouble began. "He said that something went haywire, that the general thing to do was abort mission and return home," Rushing said. "When they started to do that, he said, `There was smoke, and we couldn't control the plane. We bailed."' Pischner said it would have been Charchian's decision to eject. "Safety is always our biggest concern," she said. "Any air crew is going to keep that in mind, the public's safety and their safety. You can imagine how quickly this information goes through their thoughts: where they're at, what the results will be if they eject, anything... without putting anybody on the ground in danger." The bomber was not one of the additional warplanes being dispatched to the Persian Gulf, the Air Force said. Maj. Joe LaMarca, an Air Force spokesman, said the plane was not carrying any munitions. Fully loaded, the B-1B can carry up to 84 500-pound bombs and can carry a range of nuclear weapons. Wednesday's was the sixth crash of a B-1B since the bomber went into service, Boeing aircraft spokesman Mike Mathews said. The planes are based at Dyess; Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.; Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
PBT ISD examines 1998-99 textbooksBy CARA ALLIGOOD Staff Writer PECOS, February 19, 1998 - Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD teachers are currently deciding what textbooks they will recommend to the school board for adoption for the 1998-99 school year, and they are looking for input from parents as well, according to Textbook Committee Chairman Danny Rodriguez. Rodriguez said that the textbook committee has been "meeting every Wednesday until we are through" deciding which books to recommend to the school board, who will vote on which books to adopt for next year at the March board meeting. Rodriguez urges parents to come to the next meeting, which will be held at 4:30 p.m. next Wednesday in the Pecos High School cafeteria. Rodriguez said that he wants parents to have input into the selection of the books that will be used to teach their children, and that it is also important for the teachers to be involved in the process because "they are the ones who have to use the books." At last night's meeting, Rodriguez told the teachers on the committee, "Invite the parents. Tell them come here and let me show you what we've got.' Ask them to come to the next meeting." Textbooks are being considered for the foundation subjects of Spelling, grades one through six, Algebra I-II, Geometry and Biology. Textbooks are also being considered in the enrichment subjects of Art, grades one through five, Business Computer Applications I, Business Computer Programming I, Computer Science I-II, Microcomputer Applications, Exploratory Languages, grades six through eight, French I-VII and Latin I-VII. Last night, Nell Carlson, a representative from Houghton Mifflin, a company that publishes textbooks, presented her company's Spelling and Vocabulary series of spelling books for grades one through six to the committee. Carlson passed out sample soft-cover books, explained their features, and related some of the experiences she had during her 10 years of teaching. Carlson said that her company's books taught phonics in first grade, were designed to be usable in English as a Second Language classrooms as well as regular classes, contain dictionaries and thesauruses in the back with room for children to note new words they learn and want to use in their writing and prepare children to pass Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TASS) tests as well as teaching Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) objectives. She said that the state of Texas didn't budget for sixth-grade spelling books, but teachers can get them free from her company if their Texas Grade 6 Teacher's Resource Package is adopted. In that case, the schools would receive one text book per student in each class where the resource package is adopted. The teachers may make their recommendations next week, or they may ask for a little more time to decide, Rodriguez said, but they do have to make their final decisions soon, so that they can make their recommendations to the school board. Committee members are: grade one -Lori Walker, art; Kristi Swaim, art; Gradene Gerber, spelling and Carol Bailey, spelling. Grade two members are: Anita Zubeldia, art; Evangelina Arriola, art; Becky Patterson, spelling and Eva Garcia, spelling. From third grade, committee members are: Angelica Valenzuela, art; Catherine Allen, art; Earl Sample, art; John Woodall, art; Alfonso Gonzales, art; Elaine McKee, art and spelling; Julia McPherson, spelling; Barbara Armstrong, spelling; Joan Porter, spelling; Heather Schier, spelling; Donna Stacener, spelling; D'Andra Hendricks, spelling and Revis Ward, spelling. Alice Wein from fourth grade and Rita Gilbreath from fifth grade are on the committee to check out proposed art textbooks. From the sixth grade, committee members are: Juanita Perez, ESL and Betty Cook, Language Arts. From Barstow Elementary, Anna Belle Chavez and Gaston Tarango are on the committee. From the eighth grade, the committee member is Sam Martinez, algebra I. From the high school, committee members are: Barbara Scown, biology I; Jeanine Ivy, Latin I-VII; Sandra Overcash, algebra I-II, geometry and computer science I-II and Jackeline Mandujano, business computer programming, applications I, microcomputer applications and business computer. Parents interested in reviewing textbooks that are being considered for adoption may contact the appropriate committee member listed above.
High winds knock out powerPECOS, February 19, 1998 - Pecos residents on the west side of town near Highway 17 and farther south at the Lindsay addition went without power from about 6 p.m. to 7:50 p.m., Monday. Stan Lamb, distribution system engineer with Texas-New Mexico Power, said that high winds had caused a fault between two conductors that "locked-out" a circuit breaker. "It took a while to find and correct," he said. Some residents in the same area of town that did not suffer from a full power outage, did lose their cable for a period. Lamb said that Classic Cable drew power for their amplifier off of the same line. A representative from Classic Cable was unavailable as of press time.
Big money for aqueduct may be on the wayBy GREG HARMAN
Zoning board grants exemptionBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, February 19, 1998 - The Zoning Board of Adjustments decided at a special meeting Tuesday night to grant Lupe Rodriguez, 621 South Alamo Street, an exemption for her fence that proceeds 15 feet into a city right-of-way, complete with five-foot high columns. Fire Chief Jack Brookshire said that his main concern was with the height of the fence and the visual problems it may present to drivers. "As soon as there is a wreck there that is the first thing they are going to see," he said of the columns. When City Attorney Scott Johnson suggested that the column be shortened he was met by the sharp response of Rodriguez's attorney Roddy Harrison. "We're not going to take anything down. You make your judgment and we'll comply . . . Nobody can tell me that cutting down this fence will keep a wreck from happening at this intersection," said Harrison. Board member Rudy Martinez said that several members of the zoning board had driven by to inspect the fence and had no problem with it. "Are we going to have a witch hunt and get everyone?" he asked. "To keep this issue from coming back here again we need to grant this exemption." The board voted to approve exemption for Rodriguez, providing that the iron fence, still to be constructed, did not exceed the slant of the column, or about four feet. Brookshire said that the one who originally filed a complaint over the fence did so because they wanted to build a similar fence of their own and Brookshire had told them it would not be in compliance with city ordinance. This person, Brookshire said, was not present at the meeting.
Top priorities for new PHS vice principalBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, February 19, 1998 - Providing a safe environment, keeping students in school and helping them get the education they need, are just some of the goals of the new vice principal at Pecos High School. "Of course, my number one duty will be to provide discipline," said Victor Tarin. Tarin has been in his new position as vice principal since Feb. 13 and stated that he has been very busy since then. "It helps that I already know all the students, they feel comfortable with me and I've gotten a really good response," he said. Tarin's priorities focus around education, which is obviously very important to him judging from his own educational background. The Balmorhea High School graduate, is also a graduate of Sul Ross State University in Alpine. "I received my master's degree in 1983 and am currently working on my mid-management studies at UTBP," Tarin said. Following college graduation, he taught history for one year in Van Horn, before moving to Pecos. "I taught junior high in Van Horn and also coached at the junior high level," he said. He has taught biology at Pecos High School since 1982. "I have taught and coached here for the past 15 years," he said. Tarin stated that he is very excited about his new position, something that he has been diligently working towards. "I really enjoyed coaching, but felt it was time to move on, to do something I have wanted to do for a long time," he said. "I felt strongly about moving into an administrative position," he said. Tarin will also be acting a principal in Danny Rodriguez' absence. "In this new capacity, basically, I'm trying to provide students a safer environment, but along with that we will do our best to keep all students in school," he said. Tarin along with other school administrators monitor the school before and after hours. "We'll also be attending extra-curricular activities and make sure everything is going smoothly there," he said. "The message that we want to convey is that we want to be firm, but also equal, we want to keep these kids in the classroom, it's a big concern to us," said Tarin. "We want to see all of them graduate, get their diplomas and go on to bigger things," he said. Education is a must and Tarin stated that they (school officials) will be trying their best to get this point across. "We'll do anything we can to keep them in school," he said. In his spare time, what little there is, Tarin enjoys playing golf. "I don't go out there every day, but every once in a while I enjoy that," he said. However, the most important thing in his life is his family, and spending quality time with them is his number one priority, aside from school duties. "I really enjoy spending time with my wife and two children and doing activities with them," he said. Tarin is married to Rachel, a Pecos Kindergarten teacher, and the couple have two children, four-year-old John and eight-year-old Joseph. "We like to go to the mountains and do many things together," he said. Tarin stated that he won't be coaching or involved in those duties, but will support all athletics as he has done in the past.
OBITUARIESFebruary 19, 1998Richard C. White, U.S. CongressmanRichard C. White, who served eight terms as Reeves County's congressman from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, died Tuesday in El Paso. He was 74. White, an El Paso resident, represented the 16th Congressional District, which included Reeves County and Pecos, from 1967-82. Funeral arrangements are being made at Harding, Orr and McDaniel Funeral Home in El Paso.
Roy BaileyRoy A. Bailey, 93, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998, at Pecos Nursing Home. Cremation will be held at Trinity Crematory in Big Spring. Bailey was born Oct. 21, 1903, in Van Alystyne, Tx. He was a graduate of Texas A&M University, a retired shift engineer for a veterans hospital in Houston for 21 years and a U.S. Air Force World War II veteran. Survivors include: his wife, Irma Bailey of Pecos; one brother, Ben Bailey, Jr. of Lago Vista, Tx.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
WEATHERPECOS, February 19, 1998 - High Wednesday, 62, low this morning, 37. Skies will be clearing and temperatures will be climbing across Texas on Friday. But another cold night is in store for most of the state. West Texas will have clear to partly cloudy skies through Friday. Lows tonight will be in the 20s in the Panhandle and in the mountains of Southwest Texas and in the 30s and 40s elsewhere in West Texas, highs Friday will be in the 60s and 70s. An upper-level storm system produced a few showers early this morning in the Panhandle and low rolling plains of West Texas and in northern areas of North Texas. Some strong thunderstorms, including some with small hail, roared across middle sections of the Texas coast during the night and early today.
Pecos Enterprise
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