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By MARI MALDONADO
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 19, 1996 - what was regarded as a surprise by local law
enforcement officials, the number of concealed handgun permits issued in
Reeves County since the state's new law took effect last year is among
the lowest in Texas.
A total of just 21 permits to carry a concealed handgun have been
obtained by county residents since the law took effect in September,
1995, according to figures recently released by the Texas Department of
Public Safety in Austin.
The number within Reeves County could be even lower, since the DPS
report received by the Associated Press said concealed gun permits in
Loving County were included in the figures of "an unidentified
neighboring county."
Pecos Police Chief Troy Moore said that he figured the number would be a
lot higher, as so many West Texans are accustomed to carrying a gun,
which he sees as a tool.
Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez said he was also surprised by the low
issuance rate. He added that he believes that more will be obtained in
the near future, once the confusion with the procedural process to
receive a permit is cleared.
Reeves County's 21 permits was 30 below the figure reported by the DPS
for Ward County, where 51 permits have been issued to residents wanting
to carry a concealed handgun.
Ward County Sheriff Ben Keele said he felt the number is about, "what I
expected."
Crime rate figures in both counties indicated that Reeves County had a
slightly lower rate than Ward County in 1995, though the total number of
index crimes - murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary,
theft or motor vehicle theft - were higher here due to the greater
population.
Numbers were calculated per 100,000 people and showed that Reeves
County, whose population totals some 15,373 people, tabulated some 428
reported index crimes (a rate of 2,797 crimes per 100,000) and Ward
County, population, 12,152, had 371 index crimes (3,044 per 100,000).
Both fell below Andrews and Pecos counties. Andrews, where 69 people
have received concealed gun permits, had 513 index crimes occurring
within its borders in 1995, with a population of 14,228. That averaged
out to 3,612 crimes per 100,000 population.
Pecos County, with a population of 15,427 had a crime rate of 3,701 per
100,000 population, according to DPS figures, while 31 people within the
county have received permits for concealed handguns.
Statewide, both Reeves and Ward County's figures come in near the middle
of the 254 counties ranked. Potter County (Amarillo) had the highest
rate, of 13,070 crimes per 100,000 population, though DPS said that
number was inflated because crimes in the southern part of that city
actually took place in Randall County.
Kent County had the lowest crime rate of 110 per 100,000 population.
Jeff Davis County had the sixth lowest rate, at 308 crimes per 100,000
while Loving County, the least-populated county in the U.S., had a rate
of 714 index crimes per 100,000 population. Based on its 140 residents,
that translated into one index crime in 1995.
Both Gomez and Keele attribute the low numbers to the extensive emphasis
law county and city law enforcement agencies have put on, "the war
against drugs," Gomez said.
Keele stated that 85 to 90 percent of crimes committed within his
jurisdiction can be connected to drugs in some way.
"The work on the narcotics trafficking," said Gomez, has helped bring
down the amount of crimes he sees here in Reeves County. "The patrol
helps," also he said, but also added that citizen participation has
really aided law enforcement agencies in their crime fighting endeavors.
"People are not afraid as they used to be," he said, and are calling in
tips and information vital to investigations.
"Everybody is backing us up," said Gomez.
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, June 19, 1996 - Reeves County Hospital District directors feel
that their contribution of 14 percent of the appraisal district budget
entitles them to a voice on its board of directors.
But that is not possible under the present state law creating appraisal
districts and special hospital districts, the board learned Tuesday in
their regular meeting.
RCH follows Reeves County's 23.11 percent contribution and the
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD's 59.91 percent share of the appraisal district
budget. P-B-T appoints six members to the appraisal district board.
Entities appointing one member each and their budget share are Pecos
City, 8.47 percent; Balmorhea ISD, 3.05 percent; Toyah City, .16
percent; and Balmorhea City, .12 percent.
Reeves County Water Improvement District #2 pays .29 percent of the
budget but does not have representation on the board, because it, too,
is a special district.
"It makes sense that we would have representation on that board and have
some oversight of it," said RCH board president Jeannette Alligood.
She said that hospital board members are welcome to attend appraisal
district meetings to make their desires known.
In the meantime, to correct the situation and amend the law, she urged
each director to contact State Rep. Gary Walker and State Sen. Frank
Madla, the main two legislators who represent the RCH district in the
state legislature.
The board also discussed Marcella Lovett's suggestion that the hospital
purchase a satellite dish for TV sets in patients rooms, which are now
hooked to cable.
Alligood asked chief financial officer John Lowrey to research the
matter and report back to the board.
Lowrey said that finances have improved over the past few months, due in
part to increased admissions by Drs. Kai-wood Ma and Joseph Darpolor, a
reduction in expenses and elimination of Quorum Health Resources'
management fee.
Reaffirming policies and procedures as part of their self-evaluation,
the board agreed that employees who have job performance issues should
be appropriately counseled. Employees shall resolve differences with
their supervisors.
If the differences cannot be resolved, the appropriate policies and
procedures to resolve the differences should be followed.
The board requests that work-related problems be handled through
hospital policies and not addressed to board members.
Each director is completing a self-evaluation form, which will be
compiled into a master evaluation for a special executive session in
July.
PECOS, June 19, 1996 - Jury selection got underway this morning in the
143rd District Court trial of James Keith Halliday on a charge of
aggravated assault stemming from an incident during the final week of
1995.
Halliday, 55, of Temple City, Calif., is charged with shooting Lance
Warnacut on Dec. 28, 1995 at the Flying J Travel Plaza.
Scott Johnson is Halliday's attorney.
PECOS, June 19, 1996 - Fiesta Night in Old Pecos has been scheduled for
Saturday, June 29 in downtown Pecos.
The annual event will commence at 5 p.m. and conclude at 1 a.m. Fiesta
Night in Old Pecos is being sponsored by the Pecos Chamber of Commerce.
Activities during this event will include, a dunking booth, a car bash,
a photo featuring Pecos Bill and Slue Foot Sue, Sarsaparilla in the Old
#1 Saloon, a Talent Show, arts and crafts booths, great food, sodas and
ice cold beer.
Anyone interested in participating in the Talent Show for a chance at
the $50 first price can contact the Pecos Chamber of Commerce, according
to chamber secretary Karen Capers.
Entertainment scheduled throughout the evening will include, Tommy D.
Clown performing a clown and magic show, a 40' Kiddie Train providing
rides, a Tae-Kwon-Do exhibition, the Golden Girl of the Old West
production number, and a $500 raffle drawing.
Music will be provided throughout the Fiesta by Robert Clinton and D.J.
Extremes.
"That evening, two separate street dances will be hosted by Eddie Rivera
and the Breeze performing the latest in country-western on Windmill
Square," said Capers.
Mariachis and D.J. Extremes will be providing the best in Tejano music
on the Oak Street Stage, according to Capers.
For times and further information individuals can contact the Pecos
Chamber of Commerce office at 445-2406.
"There is no admission to any of the events and the public is encouraged
to help Pecos kick off the 1996 rodeo festivities," said Chamber of
Commerce Director Tom Rivera.
Booth spaces are still available, and non-profit organizations are
eligible to reserve a space free of charge.
PECOS, June 19, 1996 - June sales tax rebates show an increase in April
sales for almost every city in Texas, said John Sharp, state comptroller
of public accounts.
Sharp delivered $154.5 million in sales tax rebates to 1,081 cities and
115 counties, a 23 percent increase over the allocations for June 1995.
A procedural change in the way the rebates are processed by the
comptroller's office accounts in part for the unusually high rebates in
June, Sharp said.
Cities in Reeves County averaged 16.15 percent more for the period, but
the Reeves County Hospital District received 33.03 percent less than
last year. That probably is due to a bookkeeping foul-up discovered last
year in the state comptroller's office.
Pecos' tax rebate of $54,925 was up nearly 15 percent from a year ago.
Toyah's $789 check was almost double that of June, 1995, while
Balmorhea's $437 check was more than triple their total from a year ago.
"Total sales tax rebates thus far in 1996 are a very respectable 8.9
percent higher than those through June of last year," Sharp said.
Other increases in the area range from 2 percent in Big Spring to 52
percent in Crane. Van Horn was up 82_ percent, due in part to a 50
percent rise in the city's sales tax since last June.
The 1996 West of the Pecos Rodeo Parade has been set for July 3 and
entries are still being sought, according to the Pecos Chamber of
Commerce.
The annual event which will kick of the 114th West of the Pecos Rodeo
has been set to begin at 10 a.m.
"All persons or groups wishing to participate should contact the Chamber
of Commerce as soon as possible," said chamber secretary Karen Capers.
There is no entry fee, and each category will be judged by an
independent panel of judges from the surrounding area, according to
Capers.
Line-up times and all other pertinent information will be given at the
time of entry and award winners will be announced following the parade.
"Although we would appreciate the entries as soon as possible, we will
accept late entries the day of the parade at the junction of Highway 80
(Business Loop 20) and Highway 17," said Capers.
Categories in the parade include, antique cars, bicycles, civic
organizations, commercial organizations, horseback groups and animal
drawn.
For more information contact the Pecos Chamber of Commerce at
915-445-2406.
Memorial services for Jay Charles Dannelley Jr. were at 10 a.m. today in
First Baptist Church. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in
Andrews North Cemetery in Andrews, directed by McNett Funeral Home Inc.
He died June 12, 1996 in Nairobi, Kenya at the age of 49.
Mr. Dannelley was born Nov. 23, 1946 in Gorman and lived in Kenya for 13
years as a missionary. After four years in Lancaster, Pa., he and his
family moved to Pecos three years ago. He was a school teacher, a
photographer and a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Sylvia Dannelley of Pecos; two sons, T.K.
Dannelley of Arlington and Jay Allen Dannelley of Pecos; one daughter,
Nichi Dannelley of Pecos; his mother, Fern Dannelley of Midland; his
grandmother, Cora Heath Echols of Midland; three sisters, Deborah
Dannelley of Horizon City, Bekah Dannelley of Los Angeles, Calif. and
Ellen Shaler of Calmazoo, Mich.
Service arrangements for James Earl Wafer, 48, who died suddenly Tuesday
at his Balmorhea home of heart failure, are incomplete.
Pecos Funeral Home will be handling all arrangments.
A former Pecos resident, Wafer was employed as a science teacher by the
Balmorhea ISD.
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_
Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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