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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ex-RCDC guard sentenced on bribery charge
Several individuals were sentenced in federal court this past week, including a former Reeves County Detention Center correctional officer from Pecos, while indictments were also handed up by federal grand jurors in a major area drug case.
United States Attorney John E. Murphy announced that 28-year old Katherin Elizabeth Terry of Pecos, a former corrections officer at the Reeves County Detention Center, pleaded guilty on Monday afternoon in Midland to accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling iPods to an inmate at that facility.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge David Counts, Terry admitted that on three dates in April and May 2008, she received a total of approximately $500 from the mother of an RCDC inmate in exchange for her agreement to smuggle contraband iPods to the inmate.
Terry will face up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in March 2010.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with Reeves County Detention Center Internal Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney John S. Klassen is prosecuting the matter for the Government.
The other federal court cases included three persons from the Midland-Odessa area sentenced to prison for an attempted armored car robbery this past June.
Murphy announced that 20-year-old Christopher Simmons, 20-year old Joshua Bell and 19-year-old Preston Savell were sentenced to 311 months (25 years) in federal prison for the attempted robbery of an armored car at a Western National Bank in Odessa on June 4, 2009.
Each defendant received 240 months imprisonment for use of a firearm during a crime of violence, 71 months imprisonment for attempted bank robbery and 60 months imprisonment for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. United States District Judge Robert A. Junell ordered that the prison term for the attempted bank robbery charge run concurrent with the prison term for the conspiracy charge and consecutive to the prison term for the firearm charge. Judge Junell also ordered that the three defendants pay $30,000 restitution to the bank and the H & K Armored Service, Inc., and that each defendant be placed under supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term.
In August, all three pleaded guilty to attempted bank robbery, conspiracy to commit bank robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. By pleading guilty, Bell and Savell admitted that while carrying a .45 caliber hand gun and 9mm carbine rifle, respectively, they attempted to steal money from the armored car. During an exchange of gunfire, one armored car guard suffered a total of four gunshot wounds to his chest, thigh and feet. Bell and Savell fled the scene in a vehicle driven by Simmons, but the defendants were captured by authorities later that day.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Odessa Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry Fleck and Brandi Young prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Along with the sentencings, indictments were also returned against a gunshot victim and 18 others for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Murphy and Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit of the Drug Enforcement Administration--El Paso Field Division today announced that 19 people, including 27-year-old Robert Yorkman and 23-year-old Isaac Morris Yorkman, both of Midland, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Robert Yorkman is also indicted alone in a second count for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The indictment also includes a request for forfeiture of drug distribution proceeds from Robert Yorkman in the amount of $350,000.
Both Robert and Isaac Yorkman are being detained pending the resolution of this case.
Also charged in the indictment are:
Gilbert Yorkman, 29, of Midland, Jesus Refugio Avila, a/k/a, "Zeus," 28, of Odessa, Antonio Villareal Suchil, a/k/a, "Tony," 34, of Midland, Martin Villareal Suchil, 38, of Midland, Elbert Gene Giddings, a/k/a, "Geno," 26, of Midland, Abel Serrano, 23, of Midland, Ricardo Ventura, 21, of Midland, Andre Tryon, a/k/a, "Train," 19, of Midland, Junior Spencer Morris, a/k/a, "Texas Black," 26, of Midland, Melissa Ann Sosa, 35, of Midland, Carlos Buenrrostro, 24, of Midland, Carlos Sermeno, a/k/a, "Lil Man," 43, of Midland, Ermandina Gonzales, a/k/a, "Mandy," 27, of Midland, Lionel Alexander Garcia, 29, of Midland, Ananius Williams, a/k/a, "Jeezy," 26, of Midland, Steve H. Garcia, 45, of Midland, and Charles Elbert Young, a/k/a, "Lil C,"29, of Midland.
As of today, 14 of the defendants are in custody. Robert Yorkman and Isaac Yorkman were arrested on October 28, 2009, a day after Robert Yorkman was released from the hospital for a gunshot wound received at his business in mid-October. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Midland Police Department are still searching for Giddings, Tryon, Morris, Young and Sermeno.
The indictment, unsealed this afternoon, alleges that since the beginning of 2006, the defendants have conspired together to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, along with the second count that alleges that Robert Yorkman conspired with others to distribute marijuana during the same time frame.
Upon conviction each defendant face between ten years and life in federal prison.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Midland Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Parras.
Committee briefed on city plan, revenue options
Members of the Pecos Chamber of Commerce's Community Action Committee were given a presentation on the city's pending comprehensive planning and zoning project, including on how city zoning rules and sales tax collections can be extended outside of the city limits, during a meeting on Monday night at the Reeves County Civic Center.
Roger Carlisle of Carlisle & Associates of The Woodlands made an hour-long presentation to those in attendance on the comprehensive plan he has just completed for the city of Fort Stockton, which is similar to the one he said would be prepared for the city of Pecos. Council members voted to pay $5,000 towards the project's $60,000 fee as a retainer, with the work scheduled to begin on March 1, provided the city's budget can handle the remaining payment schedule.
Carlisle said he had served as a city manager for 25 years and had drawn up three home-rule charters during that time. “I physically did these things. I didn't farm these things out,” he said, adding that the work helped him prepare for his current consulting job, which he has been involved with since 2006.
Among the things he said his past work helped him with was knowing state laws on how cities can control their planning and raise funds to attract new businesses and builders. That includes the use of Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) laws, which allow a city of Pecos' size to control development up to one-mile outside the city limits, as well as a new law that allows 4A and 4B economic development corporations to become Municipal Development Districts to encompass the entire ETJ.
“If you extend out a mile and are then able to collect sales tax a mile out,” Carlisle said of the Municipal Development District option. He also told committee members the ETJ rules also allow a city to control zoning rules on subdivisions within that mile radius of the city limits.
“Your county, in the extraterritorial jurisdiction is governed by the city's subdivision ordinance,” he said, adding that the ETJ would also cover areas of Ward County within one mile of the Pecos City Limits.
He also said the state has a Chapter 41 rule involving annexation, where if a business or residential site outside the city has been receiving city services for 20 or more years, the mayor and city council can annex the area immediately by ordinance.
Carlisle presented a slide show of the work he's wrapping up on the comprehensive plan for Fort Stockton, and said as part of it, 3,000 surveys were sent out to local households, of which 654 were returned, while two forums were held to find out what changes local residents wanted to see.
Those goals were then included in the plan, along with information about the city's existing businesses and resources, including transportation and economic development infrastructure. Carlisle said the planning book can then be used by businesses or individuals looking to move to or start up operations in the city.
“It tells the tale from A to Z, or if it doesn't tell you, it tells you where to go,” he said of the brochure that will be created as a result of the effort. “We got a great response from the citizens. We take everything they said and that's the way we molded it.”
In Fort Stockton, Carlisle said one of the changes the study showed is needed was in the 'setbacks' for the lot sizes. “You have a lot of really small lots, and can't sell them,” he said, while in contrast some of the city's side streets are too big. “You've got 80-foot wide roads and can't pave them, and can't keep them up.”
Small lot sizes and lack of funds for street paving also are problems Pecos has faced, while cleaning up the community – a long-standing problem in Pecos – was also listed by Fort Stockton residents as a major concern. “Of the 654 surveys I got back, they want the community to look good,” Carlisle said.
Other items Carlisle discussed were impact fees on new builders, to cover the cost of any future improvements needed to the city's infrastructure. He said Fort Stockton made a mistake on the now-aborted Sandridge Energy project to build 300 new homes in that city, agreeing to pay for the street, water and sewer improvements.
“The developers do that stuff through impact fees,” he said. “They need to carry the load, and they know that when they walk through the door.” Carlisle added those fees usually are about $1,200 for water connections and $1,800 for sewer connections.
“You've got to get your infrastructure in place,” Carlisle said. “Without infrastructure no commercial, no industrial, no residential developers are going to come into the area.”
The zoning plan has been sought by the city for several years, though Carlisle said the plan does no good if the city doesn't take action on the recommendations. “Don't even do it, if you're not going to use it,” he said.
Following the presentation, committee members discussed the ongoing plans to clean-up the city's main thoroughfares through town, and on getting the city's code enforcement officers to help push property owners on those streets to clean up their lots. The members noted that forcing people to clean-up their property leads to conflicts between owners and the enforcement officers.
“In order to get code enforcement to enforce the code, we may need to get someone from outside the city to enforce the code,” Ron Garcia said.
On broken-down cars kept in front yards, Joe Keese said the city can work with local towing companies and junkyards to pay people $25-$50 for the vehicles, which can then be removed and resold for scrap for about $500. “That's one thing they can do from a positive standpoint, if people say 'I don't know how to get rid of the car'.” he said.
Commissioners updated on D.A.R.E., rec projects
Reeves County Commissioners received an update on the D.A.R.E. In Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD schools, along with plans at the Reeves County Golf Course and the county's recreation department, during their regular meeting on Monday at the Reeves County Courthouse.
Olga Keese, officer in charge of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) program, told the group that the they will be having a D.A.R.E. graduation for all the fifth graders that have completed her class at 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Pecos High School Auditorium.
Keese told the group that the class is very enthusiastic and that they are excited about their upcoming “graduation.”
“After this, I will be working with the sixth graders and take it from there,” said Keese, who works with kindergarten through 12th grade levels in the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.
Keese began her law enforcement career by joining the Citizen’s Police Academy in Pecos. Now she is a certified police officer and has been working as a reserve since March of 2004.
She teaches students about peer pressure, getting involved in gangs and drugs and ways to implement and work on things for these kids that will deter them from taking the wrong path.
“I want to invite everyone to our graduation, so that they can see these students and show them how proud we are of them,” said Keese.
Keese thanked everyone for their support and the donation of the vehicle from the Reeves County Sheriff’s Department.
“All the kids and the teachers and staff love that car,” said Keese.
Keese said that what they are doing is for the kids and that the students look forward to attending the class.
“It takes the whole community to make it successful,” she said. “I’ll continue to do my best,” she said.
The discussion on the golf course and pro shop was done during a presentation by Reeves County Golf Course Pro Instructor Jeff Gibson.
“Things are going well, we feel that the changes we made are very positive,” said Gibson.
Gibson said that the beer sales were down versus the sales in 2008. “But we probably made just as much money,.
“We raised the beer $2.50 a six pack, but it increased our profit margin,” said Gibson.
The percentage of sales was up, things that go through the register, according to Gibson, but not a lot of green fee sales.
“The $10 a six-pack for beer is still well below normal,” Gibson said, compared to what golf courses normally charge, and added that even though beer sales were down $700, they had still made more money in profit.
Another change involved usage of golf carts on the course and new course rules.
“Additional risk management, they have to have a driver’s license to drive a cart,” Gibson said.
Gibson said that they have been handing out copies of the rules to all the players and will hand them out in January when they renew their dues.
“When they go play, we tell them the new rules,” said Gibson.
Gibson said that they have put together a web site and have been collecting e-mails from the different players, so that they can be notified of events and changes.
“For instance, a lot of people don’t know that you don’t need to be a golfer to come to the pro shop to buy things,” said Gibson.
Gibson showed off a collection of shirts that are offered at the pro shop, all which include the Reeves County Golf Course logo.
“We also carry shoes, or we can order them, shirts and we’ll be offering discounts,” said Gibson.
Gibson said that they will be promoting couples events, along with other golf activities.
“We want to put out the message that we need to be as profitable as we can, without losing the local flavor,” said Gibson.
Reeves County Recreation Department Offseason Program Coordinator Danny Rodriguez updated the court on the many events happening through the rec center.
“We just finished with pee-wee football and we’ll be doing basketball soon,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez thanked everyone for the programs that are being offered through the rec department, the off-season programs.
“These things keep everyone busy and entertained,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez told the group that all coaches go through a background check.
“We want to protect our children,” said Rodriguez.
He Rodriguez told the group that he wants to go to Fort Stockton where there will be an all-day football tournament this weekend.
“I want to attend and bring back with me so much information on how we can host one as well,” said Rodriguez.
“It takes a lot of time to get all these things together and I want to thank the coaches and staff for helping out,” he said. “The coaches are all volunteers.”
Rodriguez said that it helps that Reeves County keeps costs low and that there is more participation that way.
Rodriguez presented a poster of all the pee-wee football teams to the commissioners, the pictures taken by Nancy Lujan of Pecos.
He also told commissioners that they had been given about 20 soccer balls from Walmart, while commissioners discussed what to do with old helmets and pants owned by the rec department.
“I think we can discuss what to do with these items and bring back ideas at our next meeting,” said Contreras.
Under the new hires and salary title/changes:
Ashley Machuca, in the Reeves County Tax Appraiser/collector’s office was promoted from $19,950 to $21,950. Machuca has been cross-trained to work in the tax office and the vehicle registration and the voter registration. Also hired in that office, Rebecca Villareal at $19,950.
New hire for the transportation department was Joe Carrasco at $34,375.07 and at the RCDC III, Alexander Ramirez, as a correctional officer at $16.49 an hour and Pablo Rodriguez, senior substance abuse counselor; at RCDC I/II, Jonathan Dominguez, as correctional officer at $16.49 an hour.
Valentin Almarez will be working at the rec department, part-time to assist with off-season program at $8 an hour.
Parras’ announce birth of son
Alex Parra and Myra Gomez are proud to announce the birth of their son, Fabion Je.
Fabion was born Oct. 19, 2009, at 10:37 p.m., at University Medical Center Hospital in Lubbock. He weighed three pounds, five ounces and was 15.5 inches long at birth.
Maternal grandparents are Martin and Mary Gomez of Lubbock.
Paternal grandparents are Jesse and Marcia Parra of Lubbock.
Fabion was welcomed home by his parents, grandparents, Uncle Michael Gomez and Mateo Parra and his aunt, Elida Parra.
Unemployment for county holds near 14 percent
A drop in both the workforce and the total number of jobs in Reeves County for October caused a slight dip in the county's unemployment numbers, according to figures released last week by the Texas Workforce Commission. But the county's jobless rate remains close to 14 percent, and almost 8 percent above the rate reported a year ago.
Reeves County had 4,552 people in the workforce last month, and 3,924 with jobs, for a 13.8 percent unemployment rate. That's down from 13.9 percent in September, when there were 4,572 workers and 3,936 employed, but up from the 5.8 percent jobless rate reported in October of 2008, just before the start of layoffs in the drilling industry due to lower oil and natural gas prices.
Because many of those jobs a year ago were not credited to Reeves County, but to counties where the companies' main office or payroll sites were located, the TWC numbers show the county actually has gained 21 jobs from the same time a year ago, despite the economic downturn, while the number of workers listed in the county is up by 404 from October of 2008, as laid-off workers who were credited to other counties a year ago are listed as being unemployed within Reeves County.
Most other Permian Basin counties reported minor drops in unemployment, due to declines in workforce levels exceeding October job decrease, while unemployment in the Big Bend area also declined slightly overall, but with increases in both jobs and the local labor force.
Midland County’s unemployment rate declined to 5.8 percent last month, after sitting at 6.1 percent in September. Midland lost 694 workers from its labor force along with 425 jobs. Ector County’s unemployment dropped from 9.2 to 8.0 percent. The county lost 115 workers while the number of jobs was down by 30.
Andrews County’s rate dropped from 7.6 percent in September to 7.1 percent in October. The number of workers was down 64 and the job total was fell by 22 for the month. Brewster County’s rate declined from 5.0 to 4.7 percent. The county’s workforce was up by 127 while the number of persons employed increased 138 from the previous month.
Crane County’s rate rose from 9.5 to 9.6 percent. The county lost 37 workers and 36 jobs. Culberson County saw its rate fall from 4.4 to 4.0 percent with a increase of 20 workers and 26 jobs. Dawson County’s jobless rate fell from 8.7 percent to 8.0 percent, with the number of workers down by 152 and the number of jobs 104 below September's total.
Howard County’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.1 percent in October, from 7.5 percent the previous month. The county added 52 workers and 109 jobs. Pecos County’s rate was down from 11.6 to 11.1 percent last month, as the county’s workforce fell by 103 while the job total was down by 56. Presidio County saw its jobless rate go from 17.9 to 18 percent, as the county added nine workers while the number of jobs was up four from September.
In Ward County, unemployment was down from 8.6 to 8.5 percent in October. The number of workers fell by 73 while the job total declined by 60. Winkler County’s unemployment rate held at 9 percent, as the county lost 99 workers and 90 jobs last month.
Loving County added one job, which caused its unemployment rate to fall from 11.5 to 9.6 percent in October. The nation’s least-populated county had 52 workers and 47 with jobs last month. Loving is one of the only counties with a lower joblessness rate than a year ago, when the county had a 10.2 percent rate, due to three fewer workers and three less jobs.
FSA county election deadline nearing
Reeves County farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers are urged to vote over the next two weeks in the FSA county committee elections, with Dec. 7, 2009, as the deadline for casting ballots.
“FSA county committees provide producers with the opportunity to help implement federal farm programs in their communities,” said Tanya Kiehne, Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Reeves County. “It is vital that all farmers and ranchers, especially women and minorities, participate in the elections process to ensure the opinions expressed in committee meetings reflect an area’s agricultural sector.”
Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by the close of business on
Dec. 7, 2009. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office Jan. 1, 2010.
FSA county committees help administer federal farm programs at the local level. Committee members make decisions on conservation programs; commodity price support loans and payments; disaster assistance payments; and other agricultural issues.
County committees consist of three to five elected members who serve three-year terms. Committees may also have one or more female or minority advisors to further represent the local interests of women and minority farmers and ranchers. Each year, one-third of all committee members are elected across the country. More than 8,000 county committee members serve in more than 2,300 local FSA offices nationwide.
For more information about FSA county committee elections, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/
Annual Pecan Show's schedule entry deadlines are announced
Reeves County Extension Service will be sponsoring the Annual Pecan Show and Pecan Food Show in early December, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service Agent Logan Lair has announced the times and deadlines for the event.
Lair said the pecan show entries must be delivered to the Reeves County Extension Office by 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7, and the Pecan Show judging begins at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8.
The Pecan Food Show entries are due at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, at West Texas National Bank and judging begins at 1:30 p.m.
For the Pecan Show, pecans exhibited must be from the 2009 crop; the exhibitor must be the grower; participants are limited to one entry of each variety they grow; nuts should be without insect and disease damage, dust, dirt and shuck remnants, pecans will be exhibited in their natural state; do not submit cracked nuts, submit 45 pecans in a brown paper sack with name and address, print the name of variety on the sack and if variety is unknown the judge will place in variety and class.
Pecan Food Show entries will be divided in to adult (19 and above) and youth (18 and under); the categories are breads, candy, traditional pecan pies, creative pie using pecans, cookies, cakes from scratch, cakes which use a mix and misc.
Pecans must be an ingredient in the recipe and printed or typed recipe must accompany the entry.
Enter food on disposable dishes, with name, recipe name and category; there is no limit to the number of entries per person; bring a complete batch of the recipe; judges will select an entry to receive the creativity award for an unusual entry and judges will select a Best of Show.
For more information contact the county extension office at 447-9041.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 432-445-5475, FAX 432-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003-04 by Pecos Enterprise
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