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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Passenger dies as car flies off overpass
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- One woman was killed and two men injured in
a traffic accident eight miles west of Pecos on I-20, just before noon
on Thursday.
According to the Department of Public Safety, the accident occurred
at about 11:53 a.m. as Floyd Harold Jenkins, 70, of Valley View, was driving
a 1996 Buick Century on I-20. The vehicle was eastbound on I-20, when Jenkins
fell asleep at the wheel.
The driver over-corrected, crossed the center median approaching an
overpass. The vehicle was then airborne, falling about 50 feet onto a guardrail
and pavement below, at mile marker 34.
Peggy Hart Jenkins, 72, of Valley View was pronounced dead at 12:45
p.m., at Reeves County Hospital by Dr. Orville Cerna following the accident.
She was a passenger in the car, and was not wearing a seat belt, according
to the DPS report. Her body was taken to Pecos Funeral Home.
Floyd Jenkins was listed in stable condition with contusions and abrasions
at Reeves County Hospital. He was wearing a seatbelt during the accident.
Another passenger in the vehicle, Roberto C. Davila, 41, of Denton,
was listed in stable condition, with a broken arm, contusions and abrasions
at Reeves County Hospital. He was wearing a seatbelt.
DPS Trooper David Chauvin investigated the accident.
Local unemployment shows slight decline
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- Unemployment in Pecos and in Reeves County for
August was virtually unchanged from July, and both remain above 10 percent,
according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
August unemployment figures were released by the TWC on Thursday and
show joblessness in Pecos fell one percent, from 12.9 to 12.8, while Reeves
County's rate went from 11.3 to 11.2 percent.
The total number of jobs in both the city and county were down, with
the height of the summer cantaloupe harvest over. The city had 90 fewer
people employed in August than in July, while the total number of jobs
was down by 110 compared to the previous month.
Reeves County lost 140 jobs in August, while at the same time the labor
force fell by 180, allowing the slight dip in unemployment.
Jobless rates also fell in other area cities and counties. Monahans
saw it's rate fall by over one percent, from 10.6 to 9.3, as a drop in
the labor force outstripped a slight loss of jobs. Fort Stockton reported
a similar result, losing 67 jobs but seeing unemployment drop from 9.9
to 8.8 percent thanks to a 125-person decline in those seeking work.
Statewide, the jobless rate dropped ½ percent, from 4.9 in July
to 4.5 in August. Most Permian Basin counties remain above that figure,
though to the south, Brewster and Jeff Davis counties each are reporting
unemployment rates under 2 ½ percent. Neighboring Presidio County
remains one of the worst counties in Texas in terms of joblessness, with
a 27.6 percent unemployment rate, up nearly two percent from July.
August Permian Basin Unemployment
City/County Labor Force Unemployed Rate
Andrews City 4,239 399 9.4%
Brewster County 5,171 117 2.3%
Crane City 1,828 136 7.4%
Crane County 2,370 167 7.0%
Ector County 63,677 5,950 9.4%
Odessa City 48,779 4,492 9.2%
Jeff Davis County 1,769 24 1.4%
Loving County 70 7 10.0%
Midland County 63,971 4,323 6.8%
Midland City 53,904 3,605 6.7%
Pecos County 6,562 512 7.8%
Fort Stockton City 3,896 342 8.8%
Presidio County 3,613 996 27.6%
Reeves County 7,373 829 11.2%
Pecos City 5,791 739 12.8%
Ward County 4,960 444 9.0%
Monahans City 3,095 287 9.3%
Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Evening showers add to area's rain totals
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- Gentle rain soaked the ground in Pecos overnight,
leaving .62 inch in town and .68 at Texas A&M Research Station six
miles west.
The storm, which moved into Pecos from the southeast about 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, did bring enough lightning with it to force postponement of a
junior varsity football game at Eagle Stadium, and caused some flooding
around intersections after sunset.
Gary Ingram said that Toyah received about the same amount, while the
rainfall tapered off to the north. More than .30 inch fell at Red Bluff
Lake and .10 at the Lindsey Ranch headquarters in Loving County.
Temperatures remained about the same, with a high of 95 of Thursday
and a low this morning of 63.
The Associated Press reported that isolated thunderstorms and rain were
expected to drench the South Plains and Guadalupe Mountains today, with
clear skies prevailing along the Rio Grande and Coastal Bend areas.
Elsewhere, mostly cloudy to cloudy skies were expected to be the norm.
Across the West and the Panhandle, forecasts called for a chance of
showers and thunderstorms over most areas through Saturday.
Highs in the West were expected to be in the 70s and 80s, with lows
dipping down to the 50s and 60s.
By this morning, skies were already looking grey with clouds as showers
and thunderstorms developed over the South Plains and started moving northward.
Light morning rain was falling in the Lubbock area and statewide temperatures
were in the 50s and 60s with the wind generally from the south at 5 to
15 mph.
Lows tonight will be mostly in the mid to upper 60s with a few 70-degree
readings along the coast.
Balmorhea woman indicted for cash theft
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- Reeves County grand jurors on Thursday indicted
Balmorhea resident Braulia Montoya Natividad, 41, for theft, along with
10 other defendants.
Natividad allegedly embezzled more than $1,500 but less than $20,000
from Madera Valley Water Supply Corporation while working as office manager.
Her bail was set at $10,000.
Others indicted are:
Ariel Gonzales Pando, 23, unauthorized use of a vehicle owned by Victor
Samuel Romo Jr., bail $10,000;
David Pando, 18, unauthorized use of a vehicle owned by Victor Samuel
Romo Jr., bail $10,000;
And Mark Madrid Renteria, 21, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle owned
by Victor Samuel Romo Jr, bail $10,000.
Felix Rivera Jr., 42, possession of marijuana, between four ounces and
five pounds, bail $10,000;
Felix Resa Rivera, 66, possession of marijuana, between four ounces
and five pounds, bail $10,000;
Valerie Ann Lozano, 24, delivery of heroin, bail $12,500;
Valerie Ann Lozano, 24, delivery of heroin more than four grams, within
1,000 feet of a school, Bessie Haynes Elementary;
Emilia Garcia Garcia, 42, delivery of heroin more than four grams, within
1,000 feet of Bessie Haynes Elementary School, bail $25,000;
Michael Lynn Williams, 29, aggravated assault by threatening Melissa
Burton with a knife on Aug. 22, bail $15,000; and
Yvette Acosta, 26, forgery of credit card application, bail $2,500.
Alien smuggling case heard after pot verdict
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- Federal court jurors this morning returned
a verdict of guilty in the marijuana possession trial of Jesus Sotomayor-Garcia,
who had more than 500 pounds in his vehicle when arrested.
The fourth trial of the week began this morning, with Jeff Parras prosecuting
Charles E. Kesse on three counts of transporting illegal aliens.
Kesse was arrested at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol checkpoint after
agents found 15 Mexican citizens in the sleeper compartment of his truck
cab.
U.S. District Judge Royal Furgeson sentenced several defendants Thursday
and today on previous convictions.
Pedro Phillips Correa, 27, of Juarez, Mex., will serve 30 months for
transporting illegal aliens;
Eloy Ruiz Jr., 27, of Plainview, was given 18 months for possession
with intent to distribute marijuana;
Augustin Sanchez-Sanchez, 24, of Michoacan, Mex., 46 months for possession
of methamphetamine, more than 100 grams;
Benjamin Soto-Galindo, 53, of Ojinaga, Mex., 30 months for possession
of more than 50 kilograms of marijuana;
Alfonso Aguirre-Rodriguez, 49, of Chihuahua, Mex., six months for importing
marijuana;
Luis Perez, 31, of Camargo, Mex., time served since July 6 for importing
marijuana;
Henry Danexi Acosta-Valle, 23, of Teguicigalpa, Honduras, time served
since April 14 for illegal re-entry after deportation;
Antonio Santiago-Gutierrez, 37, of Mexico City, 24 months for illegal
re-entry after deportation;
Gustavo Cervantes-Vitela, 40, of Durango, Mex., time served since April
13 for false claim to citizenship;
Daniel Torres Jr., 35, of Odessa, 18 months for possession with intent
to distribute marijuana;
Andrew Ruiz, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., 60 months for possession with
intent to distribute marijuana;
Destiny Rios, 20, of Odessa, 12 months plus one day for possession with
intent to distribute marijuana; and
Juanita Doris Shorter, 25, of Davenport, Iowa., 46 months for possession
of cocaine.
PHA board gets CIAP briefing
By ROBERT F. RAMIREZ
Contributing Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- The Pecos Housing Authority discussed their
CIAP 98 project and the opening of a new east side playground for pre-schoolers
during their regular monthly meeting Thursday night.
Landscaping and fencing are included in the CIAP project, said PHA executive
director Nellie Gomez, who added that the tracking has been done on the
landscaping.
Force account contract labor is also included in the project, which
involves footing for the fencing and will be done by an employee, said
PHA chairman Frank Perea.
Perea added that the employee's pay "doesn't have to be a contract,
it can be a set amount."
He said there will be different items on hourly wage.
In other business, the PHA proposed to open the new playground from
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting today, said Gomez. She told the board that the
PHA has planted more trees and plans to build a gate around it.
The board received a High Performer's Certificate for Gomez's efforts
and approved all monthly reports.
Task force busts 10 in Winkler, Ward counties
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Sept. 17, 1999 -- A two-month narcotics investigation has led
to the arrests of several individuals in surrounding cities.
"We've been targeting different cities each month," said Reeves County
Sheriff Andy Gomez, who is project director for the Permian Basin Drug
Task Force headed by Task Commander Gary Richards.
The group has been busy with several narcotics investigations that have
led to arrests in the surrounding cities and counties that are associated
with the task force, which is based in Reeves County.
On Thursday, officers of the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force, Ward County
Sheriff's, Monahans Police Department, Andrews Police Department, Winkler
Sheriff's Office and Kermit Police Department, arrested 10 suspects in
Monahans and two in Kermit on drug charges as a result of the investigation.
Arrested in Monahans were Gustavo G. Torres, on one count of delivery
of a controlled substance; Timothy Valle, two counts of delivery of a controlled
substance; Rudy Altamirano, one count of delivery of a controlled substance;
Otis Eugene Carter, two counts of delivery of marijuana and one count of
delivery of a controlled substance; Oscar G. Vidana, one count of possession
of a controlled substance and one count of possession of marijuana; Julio
G. Vidana, one count of possession of marijuana and Michael Oyerbides Vidana,
one count of possession of marijuana.
Also arrested in Monahans were Mark E. Ontiveros, one count of possession
of marijuana; Efrain Lujan, one count of possession of marijuana and Jose
A. Carrasco, three counts of delivery of a controlled substance.
Carrasco was also charged with possession of a controlled substance
with intent to deliver within 1,000 feet of a drug free zone when Carrasco
was found to be in possession of several grams of alleged cocaine at the
time of his arrest.
Arrested in Kermit were Bobby Luna and Marty Beebe, both for one count
of delivery of a controlled substance.
This operation actually started on or about Sept. 1, with the execution
of a search warrant at 204 E. Ave I Street in Monahans and the Sept. 3,
arrest of Rogelio R. Hernandez, Sr. and Rogelio Hernandez, Jr., for one
count each of delivery of a controlled substance, according to task force
commander Gary Richards. More arrests are expected to be made, he added.
"We've been really busy and everyone has been cooperating just great,"
said Gomez.
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.
***
Rodney Carrasco, 23, was arrested at 2:10 a.m., on September 9, in the
2400 block of West Third Street, for public intoxication.
***
Cindy Snider, 35, was arrested at 9:01 a.m., on September 9, at the
Reeves County Sheriff's Office, on a warrant for forgery.
***
Rolando Hernandez, 22, was arrested at 12:03 p.m., on September 9, in
the 600 block of Willow Street, on a warrant for driving while intoxicated.
***
Ismael Reyes Jr., 23, and Michael Orona, 21, wwere arrested at 10:50
a.m., on September 10, at the corner of Monroe and Eddy streets. Reyes
was charged with DWI (refusal); Orona with public intoxication.
***
Eric Garay, 22, was arrested at 12:07 a.m., on September 11, on a warrant
for criminal trespass.
***
Hal S. Pratt, 58, was arrested at 2:50 p.m., on September 11, near the
Santa Rosa Parish Hall, for public intoxication.
***
Manuel Diaz, 38, was arrested at 8:49 p.m., on September 11, in the
1100 block of Walnut Street, for assault under the Family Violence Act.
***
Larry W. Dodds, 41, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., on September 12, at the
corner of Pinehurst and Highway 17, for public intoxication.
***
Felipe Martel, 50, was arrested at 11:45 a.m., on September 13, at the
Adult Probation Office, on a warrant for a motion to adjudicate.
***
Edwardo Garcia, 59, was arrested at 12:56 a.m., on September 15, at
Sauvecito Club, for assault under the Family Violence Act.
***
Antonio Rodriguez, 19, was arrested at 6:42 p.m., on September 15, at
Del Rio Bar, for possession of drug paraphernalia.
***
Arvil Talamentez, 40, was arrested at 9:24 p.m., on September 15, in
the 600 block of Willow Street, on a parole warrant.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Thursday night: Winning
numbers drawn: 1-3-15-17-27. Number matching five of five: 2. Prize per
winner: $40,480. Winning tickets sold in: Houston, Waco. Matching four
of five: 227. Prize: $535.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Thursday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 8-5-0 (eight, five, zero)
Weather
High Thursday 95. Low tihs morning 62. Total rainfall last 24 hours, .68
inch. Forcast for tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 60 65. Southeast wind 5-15
mph. Saturday, partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms.
High mid 80s. South wind 10-20 mph. Extended forecast, Saturday night,
partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms. Lows 60
65. Sunday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms.
Highs 85 90.
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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