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Blum presented the Annual Report 1996 at the regular meeting of Reeves
County Commissioners this morning.
"The remodeled lobby is safer and provides a more professional
atmosphere," said Blum. "All the employees, everyone is very pleased
with it and feel a lot more comfortable," she said.
Blum also reported that the amount of community service provided by
Reeves County probationers was outstanding.
"There were about 9,791 hours of community service provided here in
Reeves County which equals to about $48,955 in monetary value," said
Blum.
This estimate is a total of monetary value to citizens and institutions
of Reeves County, according to Blum.
She added that the amount of restitution awarded in Reeves County was
also good, saying "This is money that Reeves County can use elsewhere."
The greatest single number community hours - which are fulfilled by
probationers as part of their sentences, and supervised by the Adult
Probation Department - were spent on projects for the Town of Pecos
City. Probationers spent 2,972 hours there, while another 2,779
community hours were given over to the local Meals on Wheels Program,
where meals are delivered to the elderly and those confined to their
homes.
Other community work hours were done for the Adopt-a-Highway program,
Community Council of Reeves County, Head Start, Little League fields,
Pecos Day Care, Reeves County Commissioners, Reeves County Community
Council, Reeves County Courthouse, Reeves County Library, Reeves County
Civic Center, Reeves County CSCD and the West of the Pecos Museum.
About 1,216 hours were utilized elsewhere within the community.
"All the painting for the renovations in the lobby of the probation
office was done through community services," said Blum.
In other action during today's brief meeting, an agreement between
Odessa College and the Reeves County Detention Center was approved.
"We have a contract with OC, in which they provide certain training,
such as GED training and testing and vocational classes," said Warden
Joe Trujillo.
Right now, OC is providing masonry classes, according to Trujillo.
Through this class, inmates are building a wall in segregation so that
other inmates will not be able to view those being housed in segregation
cells.
Other projects are currently underway utilizing the special skills
taught in this class, according to Trujillo.
One of the other projects include working on some of the steel showers
at the facility, and Trujillo said, "We also hope to have leather
classes, we used to have those, and we hope to have those taught again
at the facility."
A lease agreement between RCDC and the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Services was approved, but needed to be clarified.
"They have on this agreement that the Reeves County Detention Center is
the Reeves County Corrections Center, we just need to get that
clarified," said Reeves County Judge Jimmy B. Galindo.
The lease agreement is for $455 per month, plus an initial reimbursement
for the construction of the courtroom of $11,000 from the INS.
"This will enable INS to administer deportation hearings here at the
facility, for people who are currently in custody," said Galindo.
Many of the prisoners at the RCDC are U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmates who
are in the country illegally. In the past, inmates were sent to El Paso
where they had to wait for a judge to become available before having
their deportation hearing case heard.
Teleconference equipment was set up in the courtroom at the RCDC, which
enables them to contact judges from around the country, who are hooked
up to the system.
"This makes it easier to get the inmates' hearings heard a lot faster
and easier," said Galindo. "The BOP can also hook up to the system."
The modification of Bureau of Prisons Statement of Work was tabled until
the next commissioners court meeting.
"We still have some negotiations that we need to work out, and they'll
be ready by the next meeting," said Galindo.
Under personnel and salary changes, new hires at the Reeves County
Detention Center included Correctional Officers I positions. Those slots
were positions that were left vacant when employees within the facility
were promoted.
"There were about eight or nine individuals that left, some others
within the facility promoted, leaving the COI positions open," said
Trujillo.
Israel Campos was hired as Correctional Officer I at a salary of $15,000
per year as was, John V. Deihl, Silvestre Ramirez, Jr., Jesse M. Rayos,
Adam P. Rodriguez, Jorge A. Salgado, Sabrina Wilson and Maria C. Rivera.
Gloria Natividad was chosen by the Selections Committee to fill the
position of Warehouse Clerk at the facility as a Correctional Officer
III at the rate of $19,000 annually.
At the Reeves County Sheriff's Department Betty Herrera was promoted to
Jail Shift Supervisor at an annual salary of $18,400.
Commissioners approved reports from various departments; budget
amendments and line-item transfers; semi-monthly bills and 1996 tax
rolls.
Tabled were the minutes from previous meetings.
Reeves County clerk will provide only a synopsis of the meeting, and
commissioners will utilize the actual tapes as the record of the
meetings.
Warden Trujillo updated the court on the construction of the second
perimeter fence at the RCDC, stating that "things are going very well
out there, we've had several inspections, the BOP has been down here and
approved the construction."
Other visitors have been at the facility, there were also some minor
things that needed to be adjusted and all taken care of, according to
Trujillo.
"Plans are underway now, for the chain-link fence to go up," he said.
Randy Taylor, who markets his bell pepper crops through Pecos
Cantaloupe, said the freeze killed what remained of his crops.
A spokesman at Griffin and Brand said this morning that they packed six
loads of peppers after the freeze. Although they are not picking peppers
this week, they expect to start up again next week - barring further
cold weather.
Some cotton producers report damaged bolls as well, said Bob Bickley,
Trans-Pecos Cotton Association executive director.
"Some cotton was ready for defoliation that it probably didn't hurt,"
Bickley said. "I have reports of some top crop that had large bolls that
might have made if they hadn't frozen."
Temperatures dropped to 29 in Pecos in the early morning of Wednesday,
Oct. 23. Gauges at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research Station showed
the mercury was below freezing for two hours.
"Any time you get an early freeze in this country it is going to hurt
some," Bickley said. "The average freeze date is Nov. 10."
Ginning has picked up since the freeze. Alamo-Kerley Gin at Saragosa has
ginned 860 bales of Upland, while the Coyanosa Co-op ginned 650.
Alamo-Kerley has also ginned some Pima, but no report was available this
morning on the number of bales ginned.
PECOS, October 28, 1996 - Ward County Sheriff Ben Keele and most of his
jail staff came to Pecos federal court for a trial this morning, but
were sent home to wait a few more months.
Maria Gutierrez, who sued the sheriff after her son hanged himself in a
jail cell, became ill before the trial started. Senior Judge Lucius
Bunton told jurors who reported for duty that they would not be needed
this week.
"Mean as I am, we are not going to put someone that's sick to trial," he
said. "We will postpone until Jan. 13."
Another civil case that had been on the docket settled, Judge Bunton
said, and the only criminal cases were 11 sentencings and one plea.
While he was waiting for lawyers and criminal defendants to arrive,
Judge Bunton reviewed the marshals office jail log to ensure that
everyone who has been arrested is timely brought to trial.
PECOS, October 28, 1996 - District Judge Bob Parks on Friday placed
Evigael Juarez Navarette, 38, on deferred adjudication probation for
five years on his plea of guilty to possession of cocaine.
He also assessed a $500 fine, $124.50 court costs and $140 restitution.
If Navarette successfully completes probation, the conviction will not
be final, and the indictment will be dismissed.
Navarette was arrested after a search of his home at 1031 Rancho turned
up a small quantity of cocaine.
In an unrelated case in 143rd District Court, Judge Parks dismissed the
indictment against Alfredo Marquez Garcia for possession of cocaine with
intent to deliver.
Garcia had pleaded guilty to that charge on April 10, 1992 and was
placed on seven years deferred adjudication probation.
His motion for early release was granted.
A paragraph in a story in last Thursday's Enterprise on the Pecos City
Council meeting inferred that Barstow City Secretary Jo Allgood had said
Pecos residents were dumping their dogs in Barstow and a rabies problem
had developed. Allgood did not mention a rabies problem in her
statement, though it in come up during the discussion on helping Barstow
with its animal control problem.
Lupe Mendoza's name was included as a victim on some of the assault
indictments returned Thursday by the 143rd District Court jury, District
Attorney John Stickels said today. Mendoza and her brother, Ruben, were
hospitalized after a July 21 beating on South Eddy Street. Five persons
were indicted by the grand jury, and Friday's story in the Enterprise
indicated that the indictments were only for the assault on Ruben
Mendoza.
Services for Lavinia Bell, 92, were at 2 p.m. Oct. 22 in Weatherford.
She died Oct. 21, 1996 in a Weatherford hospital.
She was born Jan. 22, 1904 and taught school in Pecos from 1947 to 1966.
She was named "Teacher of the Year" in 1965.
Survivors include two stepgrandsons and five nieces.
Yolanda Rodriguez, 56, of Farmers Branch, died Oct. 27, 1996 in Dallas.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Mary Immaculate Catholic Church,
with burial in Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas.
She was born July 6, 1940 in Fort Stockton.
Survivors include her husband, Dulce Rodriguez of Farmers Branch; three
sons, Epifanio Rodriguez, Dulce Rodriguez Jr. and Abel Rodriguez; six
daughters, JoAnn Jones, Jeanie Landers, Cynthia Tortoriello, Rosie
Rodriguez, Joyce Dupee and Rebecca Foster; six grandchildren, and
numerous brothers and sisters.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 2910 Swiss Ave.,
Dallas 75204.
PECOS, October 28, 1996 - High Sunday 76, low last night 45. Tonight, a
40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Becoming partly cloudy
late. Low around 50. South wind 10-20 mph and gusty. Tuesday, mostly
sunny, breezy and warmer. High around 70. West wind 15-25 mph and gusty.
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