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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, April 21, 1999
Center seeking funds for expansion
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - Plans are "in the works" to expand the Reeves
County Juvenile Facility to better serve the community, Reeves County Chief
Juvenile Probation Officer Alberto Alvarez said today.
"There is something in the works now to get it going again the way it
was," said Alvarez, who explained that there needed to be some remodeling
done to the center to better address the needs of the community.
"Some modifications need to be done to the processing area. It will
mean a tremendous amount of expense," said Alvarez.
Reeves County was one of the first counties in West Texas to open their
own juvenile facility. It held both local youths and earned money for the
county by housing juvenile offenders from other counties. But new state
requirements have limited use of the facility over the past year.
Alvarez said that by remodeling the facility, it can once again be utilized
as either a detention center or long-term facility where the juvenile can
be held from six months to a year.
If used as a detention center, the juvenile is kept only until he goes
to court. Right now the facility is just a hold-over facility, according
to Alvarez.
Juvenile crime rates have been up during the past 18 months in Reeves
County. On Friday, local law enforcement officers arrested several juveniles
and young adults at Pecos High School, Crockett and Zavala Middle Schools
and at their homes in connection with a stabbing last month and other gang-related
activities.
The juveniles that were referred to the detention center after last
Friday's arrests have all been processed, according to Alvarez. "Some are
still being referred and all are being charged with organized criminal
activity," said Alvarez.
All the cases referred to the Reeves County Juvenile Detention Center
have already been turned in for processing, according to Alvarez. Five
more cases were referred to the facility last night and more are pending,
according to Alvarez.
The cases are being referred to the county attorney for review. "The
law requires that all cases involving violence be turned over for review,"
said Alvarez.
He said it's up to County Attorney Walter Holcombe to decide what else
he needs for these particular cases. "He can then decide if they can be
tried as adults or as juveniles," said Alvarez.
The juveniles, as young as 14 years of age, can be tried as adults,
if the county attorney decides the crime merits it, according to Alvarez.
"There's evidence that some of these guys have possession of weapons,"
said Alvarez.
After the high school shootings that left at least 15 people dead in
Littltown, Colo., on Tuesday, more attention should be turned to these
individuals, according to Alvarez.
"I just finished talking to the sheriff (Andy Gomez) and he's in dire
hope that the county attorney will definitely do something with them,"
said Alvarez. "I hope it's not one of these cases where they just forget
about them."
Hospital deal is completed
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - Jim Bullard of Covenant Health Systems reported
to the Reeves County Hospital District board of directors Tuesday that
the merger of St. Mary's and Lubbock Methodist Hospital Systems is complete
and Covenant is the legal entity.
Jeannette Alligood, board president, said that the merger process has
taken three years because of all the legal details that had to be satisfied.
RCH cooperates with Covenant, who provides the chief executive officer.
Bullard reported on the evaluation of CEO Charles Butts.
Butts reported that he is waiting on information from City Attorney
Scott Johnson on the proposed tax abatement for M. Brad Bennett on new
construction to be leased to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
That item was tabled.
The board heard monthly tax collection and financial reports, and approved
payment of bills in the brief meeting.
CCRC's situation improving
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - After years of problems, the Community Council
of Reeves County is "getting on track," the board learned in the regular
monthly meeting Tuesday in Pyote.
Chairman Julian Florez said that a monitoring team is in Pecos this
week, and their initial report was favorable.
"Jesse Mitchell said he felt very positive about the way things were
looking," Florez said. "He said there were a lot of problems in the past,
but he didn't want to dwell on that. The staff is doing a good job now."
Mitchell and a woman team member who began the monitoring process Tuesday
held a workshop for the board to explain the programs, which are supported
by grants.
Staff members Mary Jane Ontiveros, Hilda Mendoza and Bertha Meierhoff,
along with board member Charlene Brooks of Winkler County, attended a training
session in Odessa last week on the elderly meals program to learn how to
make reports electronically.
The program delivers meals on wheels in Pecos, Barstow, Balmorhea and
Saragosa from the Pecos kitchen, located in the former Pecos Day Care building,
and a kitchen in Balmorhea.
Florez said that a board has been organized to request $5,443 in FEMA
grant funds for Ward County, since it could not be distributed by the community
council.
Representatives from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Church
and ministerial fellowship make up the board, who plans to meet Monday
to elect a chairman.
They will then take applications for food and shelter aid and disburse
the grant funds.
The council board discussed vacancies from the Loving County public
sector and the Reeves and Ward counties private sectors, but took no action.
Florez said that Loving County has not nominated a candidate from the
public sector, and if they do not choose to do so, that slot will be awarded
to Winkler or Ward county.
Real estate on city council's agenda
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - Sale or lease of real property and several
matters of old business are among agenda items for the Pecos City Council
in their regular meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Oscar Ortega has offered to purchase two full blocks and part of another
in the West Airport Addition along Texas Highway 17 south of Winkles Trucks
Inc.
Block numbers are S750' of Block 9 and all of Blocks 10 and 11.
The council will also discuss the policy on sale of tax foreclosed property,
then consider lease or sale of a building at 1104 South Cedar St.
An emergency addition to the agenda is to consider disposal of debris
from the fire at the West Pecos gym.
Among the old business items are a request by Mobil Oil for permission
to do seismic exploration in the Ward County water field, and tax abatement
for a new Immigration and Naturalization Service building to be constructed
next door to the Border Patrol office on the south service road of Interstate
20.
M. Brad Bennett, Hayes Properties Inc. and Ernest E. Armstrong plan
to construct a 4,500 square foot building valued at $275,000 for lease
to the INS. Five new jobs would be created, they said.
Other items of old business include an engineering agreement with Frank
X. Spencer on a water well project, a tri-agency agreement with Reeves
County and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD to restore the athletic track, construction
of a Type IV landfilll and discussion of gang awareness.
The council will consider duties of the animal control officer in executive
session, then take action in open session to close the meeting.
County government hosts community
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - "Mock Commissioners Court" meetings were held
at the Reeves County Courthouse today in conjunction with County Government
Week, which is being celebrated today. Doug Meiner's government class from
Balmorhea was presiding at the "mock" demonstration at 9:30 a.m., with
another one planned for 1 p.m. involving Pecos High School students. A
barbecue luncheon, special videos, tours and giveaways were a part of the
festivities being held at the courthouse today. The events are part of
County Government Week which runs through Saturday. "This is something
we want to do for the community to let them know what county government
is all about, what it entails and all the services that the county provides,"
said Reeves County Commissioner for Precinct 3, Herman Tarin.
Texas Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 1-7-12-23-30. Number matching five of five: 2. Prize per winner:
$43,196. Winning tickets sold in: Dallas and Galveston. Matching four of
five: 278. Prize: $466.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 0-1-0 (zero, one, zero)
PHS talent show set for Thursday
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - Fresh faces and young talent will be showcased
at Pecos High School's 1998-99 Talent Show.
The show is scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday in the Pecos High School
Auditorium.
Tickets are $3 and can be purchased in the Pecos High School Office
or at the door. The talent show is open to the public and all are invited
to attend.
Among the acts scheduled to perform are singers, dancers, a band, and
the Pecos High School Mariachi Group.
All proceeds from the Talent Show will go to the Pecos High School Student
Council. This is a fundraising project and the student council would like
to thank everyone for their support.
Girl Scouts set Open House event
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - Hard work and perseverance has paid off for the
Pecos Girl Scouts.
Repairs to the Pecos Girl Scout Hut have been completed and the hut
looks wonderful.
An Open House to show off the newly remodeled facility, at 715 S. Park,
will be held on Thursday from 5-7 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to come and look at the results of all the hard
work and enjoy refreshments with the local Girl Scouts.
Weather
PECOS, April 21, 1999 - High Tuesday 97; low last night 55. Tonight, fair.
Low mid 50s to near 60. South wind 5-15 mph. Thursday, mostly sunny and
windy. High around 90. Southwest wind 20-30 mph and gusty.
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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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