News Archives - August 2007

Commissioners Close Precinct 4B Voting Box
8/31/2007
Coleman County Commissioners voted Friday morning to close polling place 4B, the Novice election box. According to JoAnn Hale, County Clerk, the number of registered voters in that precinct totals 323 but the number of people who actually vote has never exceeded 92. The County has also had trouble recently finding poll workers for the voting box. It will be combined with another precinct four voting box.

Commissioners also set September 12 as the date the County will adopt the tax rate of .72 per $100 valuation for the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

Commissioners also approved an inter-local agreement with Concho County on law enforcement at Lake Ivie. Concho County, from time to time, will patrol a portion of Lake Ivie that is in Coleman County. They requested that any tickets or citations written on the Coleman County side of the lake be honored by the Coleman County Judge and Justice of the Peace courts. Coleman County will have no financial obligations under the agreement nor will they be responsible for transporting or jailing anyone arrested by Concho County authorities.

Wanted Man Arrested by Coleman County Sheriff's Department
8/31/2007
On Wednesday, August 29, at approximately 11:45 am, Coleman County Deputy Vickie Plummer, while on patrol on Hwy 84 near Silver Valley, noticed a white Ford Probe traveling at a slow rate of speed heading south on Hwy 84.

As Deputy Plummer approached the vehicle, it began to speed away at a high rate. Deputy Plummer’s radar clocked the vehicle's speed at 103 MPH. Deputy Plummer advised the Coleman Dispatch of the pursuit heading into Coleman on Hwy 84.

According to the Coleman County Sheriff's Department, the vehicle finally came to a stop approximately 3 to 4 miles north of Coleman, the driver being a white male. When the vehicle’s license plate was run by Dispatcher Doug Burks it was discovered the 41 year-old male driver, Michael Albert Story, had Felony Theft Warrants out of Brown County and Lampasas (San Saba Co) for theft of copper wire from BSNF Railway Company. Bond amounts totaled $65,000.00. DPS Trooper Chris Delgado assisted with the stop.

Story was arrested without incident and transported to the Coleman County Sheriff’s office and released to Special Agents, Leon Puckett and Susan Jaroch, who had been attempting to locate Story for approximately three weeks. Story was transported to the Brown County Detention Center in Brownwood later in the afternoon.

DA's Office Presents Court Cases
8/31/2007 (from the District Attorney's Office)
The following cases were presented by District Attorney Joe Lee Rose to the Honorable John Weeks, 42nd District Judge, on Thursday, April 5, 2007, at 2:00pm:

* Gary Wayne Morris, Possession of Controlled Substance. Morris pled guilty and was sentenced to eighteen months confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for three years, and was ordered to pay a $500.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees, lab fees, community supervision fees, and was ordered to serve 120 hours community service.

* Alberto Guerrero Olguin, Felony D.W.I. Testimony was heard and sentencing was rescheduled for April 19, 2007, at 2:00 P.M.

The following cases were presented by District Attorney Joe Lee Rose to the Honorable John Weeks, 42nd District Judge, on Thursday, April 19, 2007, at 2:00 P.M.:

* Shane Eugene Monroe, Manufacture of Controlled Substance. Monroe pled guilty and was sentenced to ten years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

* Jerold Lee Watts, Felony D.W.I. Watts pled guilty and was sentenced to three years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for three years, and was ordered to pay a $1,000.00 fine, court costs, community supervision fees and serve 160 hours community service. As a condition of his probation, Watts was also ordered to serve 15 days confinement in the Coleman County Jail.

* Robert Brett Farley, Possession of Controlled Substance. Farley pled guilty and was sentenced to two years confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for five years, and was ordered to pay a $500.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees, community supervision fees, lab fees, and was ordered to serve 120 hours community service.

* Robert Brett Farley, Burglary of a Building. Farley pled guilty and was sentenced to two (2) years confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for five years, and was ordered to pay a $500.00 fine, court costs, and court-appointed attorney fees.

* Alberto Guerrero Olguin, Felony D.W.I. An open plea was entered in this case on January 11, 2007. The Court sentenced Olguin to eight years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for eight years, and ordered him to pay a $2,500.00 fine, court costs, community supervision fees and 160 hours community service. As a condition of his probation, he is also ordered to serve 60 days confinement in the Coleman County Jail and is not to operate a motor vehicle for one year.

* Susan Sherrise Deleon, Forgeries. Cade Browning was appointed as defense counsel for Deleon, and arraignment was waived.

* John Todd Bolds, Assault. Todd Steele was retained as defense counsel, and arraignment was waived.

* John Todd Bolds, Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon. Todd Steele was retained as defense counsel, and arraignment was waived.

* Andrew David Dixon, Possession of Controlled Substance. Dixon failed to appear, and his bond was forfeited.

* Ynasio Guerrero, Jr., Endangering a Child. Arraignment was rescheduled for May 3, 2007, at 2:00 P.M.

Gouldbusk Woman Dies in County Wreck
8/29/2007
A one car accident Tuesday evening in southern Coleman County took the life of a Gouldbusk woman.

Patsy Milner Sparks, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:30pm Tuesday by Nance Campbell, Coleman County Justice of the Peace. He also ordered an autopsy.

Chris Delgado, Coleman County DPS Trooper, is still investigating the wreck which happened roughly 18 miles southeast of Coleman on FM 1026, about one mile east of FM 2131, near the Shields community. The Coleman County Sheriff's Department, Coleman County EMS and the Coleman Fire Department responded to the emergency shortly after 8:00pm. 

Sparks was the lone occupant and was going east when the Toyota Camry left FM 1026 on the south side of the road, went through a tall game fence and came to rest in a pasture. A passerby discovered the wreck and called authorities.

Coleman ISD Board Adopts Budget / Sets Tax Rate
8/29/2007
The Coleman ISD board met Monday night first having a budget hearing and then adopting a budget and setting a tax rate for the 2007-2008 school year.

The board adopted a budget of $8,972,344. Royce Young, Superintendent, reported that the 07-08 budget is roughly $120,000 less than the 06-07 budget. After adopting the budget, the board set the tax rate at $1.04/100 valuation for M&O (maintenance and operation) and $0.20/100 valuation for I&S (bonded indebtedness) for a combined total tax rate of $1.24. This rate is 29 cents lower than the 06-07 rate. Young pointed out that while the budget is tight; he was pleased that the district could propose a budget close to being balanced. He continued by saying that “the funding fix from the legislature two years ago is putting a squeeze on all school districts and forcing many area districts to propose tax roll backs to meet financial needs. At some point, the legislature is going to have to address the proper funding of school districts to meet all the mandates that are continually added and unfunded.”

In other good news, final budget amendments were presented to close out the 06-07 year. Young reminded the board that one year ago the district proposed a budget that was $350,000 over on expenditures relative to revenues. Due to fiscal restraint by staff, good oversight by principals, a weeks difference in pay accruals because of a later school start, and a little more in revenue received than predicted, the 06-07 budget will close out only $36,000 over. This will leave roughly $2,236,217 in reserves to operate the district in case of financial emergency.

In other board action, a Fleet Insurance bid in the amount of $11,440 was accepted from State Farm Insurance. The lone fuel bid from Berry Marketing was accepted with Young noting that fuel prices could change on a weekly basis. A resolution was passed to name David Dunlap and Debbie Hailey as adjunct faculty members of Coleman ISD for the purpose of working with Coleman ISD students in the 4-H Organization.

Considerable time was spent discussing the Students’ Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act that was recently passed by the Texas Legislature. Young noted that this act had confused most districts on how to deal with the issue of freedom of expression in public schools because it seemed to put Federal Law and State Law in conflict with each other. There are several ways we can go with this in policy but it is going to be a moving target for a while until some clarity of legislative intent can come form the bill. Young recommended that the board adopt a policy from school attorneys Schwartz and Eichelbaum because it was more general and gave more latitude to administrators for enforcement and implementation. As more clarity is given on the new bill the board can come back in subsequent meetings and adjust wording to comply with intent.

All action items were completed and the board discussed the TASB/TASA Joint Annual convention to be held in Dallas on September 28-30. Most all board members and the superintendent will be attending this conference.

The Old (er) Guys Win Annual Softball Game
8/29/2007 (by Debbie Jameson)
Sunday, August 26th, Central Baptist Church began their Sunday morning worship with the "Annual Old Fashioned Day" services. Beginning the morning services, was special music by numerous church members. Following the music, were inspirational messages from Rev. Bill Schoneman, Pastor, and Rev. Alec Rivera, Associate Pastor. The services were followed by a meal on the grounds and fellowship.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, the Central Baptist Church Youth Softball team and the Central Baptist Church Adult Softball team met, once again, to challenge each other in the annual softball game. The CBC Youth Softball team was there mainly to regain the winning title that they lost last year to the CBC Adult Softball team. Last year, the "not so young" adults outplayed and out-witted the hard-hitting CBC Youth with a winning score of 17 – 8. This year, the CBC Adults were back and ready to hold onto their winning title! Through much determination, many unexpected falls (mainly by the adults) and numerous "over the fence" hits (mainly by the adults) and fun and enjoyment, the CBC Adults won the game with the final score of 19 – 6!!

Of course, all was in fun, and the day was enjoyed by many players and spectators. Immediately following the softball game, Barbara and Drew Hubbard were generous enough to open their home so that everyone could enjoy a nice, cool dip in the pool. A nice and relaxing time of fellowship was enjoyed by all!

So, CBC Youth Softball team, when you are ready for some more "bat cracking" just let us know. We, the CBC Adult Softball team, are ready!! We can’t until next year!

Coleman County Shotgun Club Competes
8/28/2007
Members of the Coleman County 4H Shotgun Club traveled to Post, Texas, to compete in the Garza County 4H Shotgun Shoot. Pictured are members Brent Ogden - 2nd place Trap, Subjunior division, and Kelby McCorkle - 8th place Trap, Junior Division.

Panther Creek Adopts Budget and Tax Rate
8/28/2007
The Panther Creek School Board met Monday night and adopted a budget and tax rate for the 2007-2008 school year.The budget adopted was $1.9 million while the tax rate was set at $1.17 per $100 valuation.  Dwin Nanny, superintendent, reported a great first day of school Monday.

Coleman School Enrollment Numbers Drop Slightly
8/27/2007
The total number of students enrolled on day one in Coleman ISD was 963.

By campus, Coleman Elementary had 458 enrolled, Coleman Junior High had 196 while Coleman High had 309.

That compares to 988 on the first day of school last year and 982 on the last day of school earlier this spring.

County Schools Release Enrollment Numbers
8/27/2007
School resumed Monday morning at Novice, Panther Creek and Santa Anna. The following enrollment numbers were reported by each school:

Novice - A total of 101 students from grades Pre-K through 12 - said to be higher than last year on opening day.

Panther Creek - A total of 153 students from grades Pre-K through 12, compared to 154 on opening day last year.

Santa Anna - A total of 155 students from grades Pre-K through 6, a total of 131 students in grades 7 through 12, seven students in the Early Special Program for a grand total of 293 on opening day, up 10 kids over day one last year.

Talpa School Reunion Enjoyed by Many
8/27/2007 (contributed)
Over 100 ex-students and family members from El Paso, New Mexico, St. Louis, Mo., Houston and many points in between gathered Saturday at Joyce Smith's Lil Ranch for a reunion of the Talpa School. Graduating classes from as far back as 1939 were represented.

After registration and a lot of "My gosh, is that really you" remarks and an appropriate reading of "I enjoy being old" by Joyce Smith, a beautiful rendition of the song "Friends" was presented by Clinton Laws. A moment of silence honored all those who are no longer with us before everyone enjoyed a feast of great food. After several hours of reminiscing about the "good old days", everyone left for home carrying with them a warm heart and hopes this can happen again in the not too distant future.

Thanks to Joyce for her generosity in opening her beautiful home setting for this event.

Two Arrested in Connection with Coleman Business Break-In
8/24/2007 (courtesy Coleman Police Department)
On Tuesday August 21, at 6:39am, the Coleman Police Department received a call in reference to Williams Tire Store, located at 2003 South Commercial Avenue, being broken into. The caller also stated that a vehicle was also missing from this location.

At 8:38 AM, Coleman Police Department received a call from the Ranger Police Department stating that the vehicle stolen from Coleman had been located in Ranger, Texas. Ranger Police Department also stated that they had two subjects in custody. Ranger Police Department later obtained confessions from both subjects. One of the suspects in this case was a 16 year old male subject from Coleman. The other suspect in this case was a male subject who is identified as Jack Robert Daniels, 17, from Coleman.

Both subjects were detained on a directive to apprehend out of the Texas Youth Commission. Both subjects were picked up in Ranger, Texas and transported back to Coleman. The juvenile male was later transported to Taylor County Juvenile Justice Center in Abilene, Texas.

Jack Robert Daniels is currently being held in the Coleman City Jail on the following charges Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Burglary of a building.

Coleman Native Graduates From Tech
8/24/2007
Lindsey McDonald graduated from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing on May 19, 2007. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) and has taken and passed her NCLEX (state boards), which makes her a Registered Nurse, BSN. Lindsey is working at University Medical Center in Lubbock in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. She is also continuing her studies to obtain specialty certification in Forensic Nursing.

While at Texas Tech, Lindsey was active in community service, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief. She also taught classes at the Lubbock Juvenile Justice Center, helping inmates with important issues such as hygiene, smoking, alcohol, drugs, and other such topics. Lindsey volunteered with Relay for Life, at a local retirement community (Grace House), with the Boys and Girls Clubs, and participated in many educational health fairs throughout the community.

During her time at TTU, Lindsey was a member of the Student Government Association/Student Senate both her junior and senior year, serving as Social Committee chairperson her senior year. Lindsey was honored to receive the Senator of the Year and Committee Head of the Year at the annual awards banquet. She planned the annual Holiday Extravaganza where the group worked to raise money and get gifts for the Children’s Miracle Network and organized visits from Santa and Mrs. Clause to the Children’s Hospital. Lindsey also went on a medical mission trip to Juarez, Mexico in February 2005. She was a member of Texas Nursing Students Association, worked as a nurse tech at University Medical Center, was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll in the spring of 2007, and had an overall GPA in nursing school of 3.34.

Lindsey is a 2003 graduate of Coleman High School and her parents are Jerry and Denise McDonald. Her grandparents are John and Nell Walthall and Ann and the late Jacky McDonald. Her graduation was attended by her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and several friends.

Laptops arrive at Coleman Junior High
8/24/2007
80 new Dell laptop computers have been delivered to Coleman Junior High.  Gabriel Ohayan from the Dell Install Team arrived on campus Monday morning to image or load the computers with the necessary software applications that will be used by the 8th graders this year at CJH. A celebration night is being planned in the upcoming weeks for laptop disbursement to students. More details and information to follow!

Teachers Attend Training in Memphis
8/24/2007
This summer to prepare for the 8th grade laptop immersion all 8th grade teachers and Principal Paula Ringo attended the Laptop Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. This educational opportunity was made possible through funding from the Technology Immersion Project (TIP) grant. The Laptop Institute focused on the 1:1 initiative which is one computer for every student. This conference was held July 15-17, 2007, and was attended by teachers from public and private schools around the world. Out of the over 500 participants, Coleman Junior High was represented by 6 attendees who were able to meet teachers as far away as Warsaw, Poland.
Coleman Junior High’s goal in sending the teachers was to prepare them for the upcoming year’s computer immersion in the 8th grade. There were many workshops and keynote addresses by noted technology visionaries. Teachers gained new information on emerging technology and were pleased to find that previous preparation had given them the necessary tools to be leaders in technology innovation.

Local 4-Hers Attend Photography Workshop
8/23/2007 (by Jennifer Short)
The Coleman County 4-H Photography Club members attended a photography workshop in San Angelo August 8. The day-long workshop was sponsored by the Runnels County 4-H Photography Club.

The first stop was at the showing of Bob Zeller's Outdoor and Nature Photography at the Tom Green County Library. Mr. Zeller gave the 4-H'ers tips and techniques for taking photos like his. You may visit his web site at http://www.zellertexasphotos.com/  to see his award winning work.

The group then went to Fort Concho to take pictures of many things pertaining to fort life in the 1800's. Next, they were able to visit the International Water Lily Collection at the Civic League Park to take pictures. 4-H'ers were able to photograph multiple lilies and wildflowers, as well as landscape scenes.

HEB Photo Lab was the next stop for all 4-H'ers to get their pictures developed from the morning shoot. They ate lunch in the food court while waiting.

The group then went to Hobby Lobby for lessons on framing and matting their pictures. They learned how to prepare their photos for competition.

The day ended at the new Tom Green County 4-H Center on Highway 67. The 4-H'ers were taught many more valuable photography techniques to take award winning pictures. Adult leaders attending were Ruth Shirk, Jennifer Short and Meredith Taylor.

Anyone interesting in joining the photography club needs to call the Coleman County Extension Office at 625-4519.

CCMC Board Proposes Tax Rate
Same as Last Year (by Sue Titsworth)
8/22/2007
The Coleman County Medical Center met in their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 5 o’clock, and took care of their agenda in short order.

CEO/Administrator Douglas Langley presented the financial report for July to the board, stating that there is a low patient census, which is normal for this time of year, and that the financials reflect that condition.

Langley also provided the board with information so that the board could propose a new tax rate. Langley explained that the amount budgeted for the fiscal year that begins October 1st, for a tax rate shows 35 cents for Maintenance and operations, 0 in Debt service, and 35 cents in Total Expenditures. The 35 cent tax rate will raise a few dollars more in tax revenue due to the increase in the appraised property value in the County. After some discussion, the board members unanimously voted to propose a tax rate of $.35, which is the same rate as last year.

There will be two Public Hearings on the tax rate – one at 12 Noon on August 31, 2007, and the other at 12 Noon on September 5, 2007. Both of these meetings will be held in the Board Conference Room of the hospital.

A meeting will be held to vote on the tax rate at Noon on September 12, 2007 in the Board Conference Room of the hospital.

In other business, the board approved the Quality Assurance report, after which the meeting was adjourned at 5:55 P.M.

Extension 4-H Volunteers Honored At Silver Clover Banquet
8/21/2007 (by Steve Byrns, s-byrns@tamu.edu )
Texas Cooperative Extension’s annual Silver Clover Recognition Banquet celebrated its 40th year Aug. 9 with a banquet at the Original Zentner’s Steak House in San Angelo. This year’s event recognized 30 individuals and institutions who are instrumental to the success of District 7's 4-H youth program.

The Coleman County honorees were Synda Smith and Todd and Sherry McMillan. The banquet is sponsored by the rural electric cooperatives serving the area covered by the 23 counties in Extension’s District 7, West Central Texas.

Grace Baptist Church has New Pastor
8/21/2007
A man who has been a missionary in Germany for 28 years is the new pastor of Grace Baptist Church, 115 Santa Anna Avenue in Coleman.

Audey Shepard and family moved to Coleman a couple weeks ago. Audey and wife, Cornelia, have two grown children. Their son, who was married last Saturday, plans to move to Coleman while their daughter will remain in Germany.

Service times are:  Sunday school - 10:00am; Sunday Worship - 11:00am; Sunday evening - 6:00pm.

Coleman Teacher Attends Real Tech II
8/21/2007
This summer, West Texas State Technical College hosted several teachers and counselors from West Texas to a five day Real Tech II Summit in Sweetwater. The Real Tech Summit was designed to create an immersive experience in technology education for High school educators who can guide high students in career planning. The expected outcome of the Tech Summit was to increase the educator’s awareness of opportunities for TSTC graduates in rewarding technology careers.

Sherrell Hazlewood, Coleman High School Technology Applications teacher, was one of the ten educators selected to attend the Summit. For five days Sherrell and the other educators visited technology classes on the TSTC campuses of Sweetwater, Abilene, Breckenridge, and Brownwood.   He is shown, left, trying out a Segway Personal Transport.
 

At each of the four campuses, the educators visited classes in Vocational Nursing. Environmental Science, Culinary Arts, Emergency Medical Service, Machining and Industrial Maintaince, Drafting and Welding, Air conditioning, Digital Image and Design, Auto Collision and Repair, and Web Design Technology. TSTC instructors are experienced in their field of instruction, and course offerings prepare students for skilled jobs available in Texas institutions and industries.

Included in the Real Tech Summit II schedule were visits to some of the many industries and institutions that hire TSTC graduates. During the week, the Summit group toured Nolan Wind Park and Ludlum Measurements of Sweetwater, Stephens Memorial Hospital of Breckenridge, Barr Fabrication and Superior Essex of Brownwood. These are some of the many companies and institutions that hire employees who have tech skills and good work habits earned at TSTC.

Directors Elected at Annual Meeting of
Coleman County Telephone Coop
8/20/2007
The 54th annual meeting of Coleman County Telephone Cooperative, Inc. was held on Friday, August 17, at the Santa Anna Civic Center. The event was attended by approximately 500 people, of which 287 were registered members and eligible to vote in the election.

Jerry Allen, president of the Cooperative’s board of Directors, called the meeting to order and the invocation was delivered by director, Roddy Dean. Mr. Allen presented the welcome address and expressed his appreciation to those in attendance.

Other items on the agenda included a financial report by accountant, Janice Fellers and a report by general manager, Michael Walton. Among the guests in attendance was State Representative, Harvey Hilderbran, who briefly addressed the crowd.

Mr. Allen introduced Barbara Kingsbery Jones who presented certificates to this year’s three recipients of the Tom Kingsbery memorial scholarship. The students, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship, are Codi Perdue, a student at Tarleton State University, the daughter of Terry and Michelle Loyd; Maria Ellerbe, who will be attending Angelo State University, the daughter of James Jr and Felicia Ellerbe; and Haley Slate, attending Angelo State University, the daughter of Jimmie Gail Hafner.

The members of the Cooperative elected three directors, each to serve a three-year term. Those elected were, from the Burkett/Lake Coleman area, Rick Adams (incumbent), from the Mozelle area, Mike Stephenson, and from the Valera area, Glenda Gassiot (incumbent).

The meeting concluded with a drawing for prizes, some of which were donated by TRC Engineering and TRC Telecom.

City Continues to Spray for Mosquitoes
8/20/2007
The Coleman City Council learned during their last meeting that the City has put out more chemical to fight mosquitoes this year than in the past. Due to the rain and abundance of mosquitoes, there were times when the City sprayed neighborhoods up to four times per week but has dropped back to twice weekly as of last week. Areas such as city parks are sprayed daily.

New PD Officer Sworn-In
8/20/2007
The Coleman Police Department has a new officer. Douglas Butler was sworn-in to office Monday by Sue Burleson, City Secretary. Butler comes from Bangs P.D. but has also worked with the Brownwood and Winters departments. Butler is married with three children, two boys ages 9 and 13 and a 12 year-old daughter.

P.C. Students Recognized
8/20/2007
On May 17 Panther Creek Junior High School honored Cojo Bowman and Rachel Wilson as the 8th grade valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Cojo’s cumulative average was 5.4062 and Rachel’s average was 5.2800. Congratulations to both of these outstanding young students.

Lake Ivie Continues to Catch Water
8/20/2007
Thanks to heavy rains over the weekend just west of Coleman County, Lake Ivie is on the rise. We talked with a representative at the Colorado River Municipal Water District in Big Spring late this morning for the latest figures.

As of 11:45am, they calculated Lake Ivie to be 66.15% full. The lake elevation has increased 1 1/2 feet since August 16th. Water is expected to continue flowing through various tributaries into Ivie through today.

Santa Anna Library Receives New Books
8/20/2007
The Tocker Foundation has selected the Santa Anna Library for a new collection of books. The Library has been blessed with this honor twice before.
 
The Tocker Foundation was established in 1964 by Phillip and Olive Tucker. He was president of The Outdoor Advertising Assoc. of America.

In 1992 the Tocker Foundation decided to focus their endeavors on small town libraries (12,000 or less in population). In 1993 and 1994 Mr. and Mrs. Tocker endowed the foundation with their estates. The Foundation has provided books, buildings, automation, and other needs from this to help small town libraries serve the community.

There are 18 books in the new collection – ready for check-out. In fact 6 of the books are out now!
Come by the Santa Anna Library and learn something new. These books were published by Aytz Chaim Books of Austin, Texas.

Thanks to the Tocker Foundation small libraries like Santa Anna can continue to grow and supply books for the enjoyment and education of the entire community.

Rainfall Reports
8/18/2007
Rain was increasing across Coleman County early Friday morning. As always, you can send us your rainfall reports to mail@colemannews.com.

* Bill Garrett - 5 mi. SW of Santa Anna - 2.10 for 24 hr. period from early Friday AM to Sat. AM

* Colemannews.com - Concho and Walnut - .80 5:00am Friday - 8:00am Saturday

A Blue Glow Over Coleman?
8/18/2007
People are talking about a blue glow over Coleman Friday night but fear not, we haven't been invaded by visitors from another world.

The blue glow is a result of something the City of Coleman has done at the water tower on the hill. In the spirit of the Bluecats, blue lights will shine on the water tower every Friday night. A Bluecat victory on Friday means the lights shine blue all weekend. A Bluecat loss (and we're not expecting this to happen) will return the lights to their normal color on Saturday night. No doubt Bluecat players, coaches and fans will try to make the light shine blue all weekend.

In talking with Bob Ray, Public Works Director for the City of Coleman, he said this all came about as a result of a hail storm which beat out the lights. When the City repaired the damage recently, cages were built over the lights to protect them from the hail but a way to slide a blue gel over them was devised so the Bluecat spirit can shine on Friday nights.

City Swimming Pool Needs New Liner
City Will Request Bids for Repair
8/18/2007
The Coleman City Council Thursday evening gave the City Secretary authority to issue a Request for Proposals to repair the city swimming pool. City Manager Larry Weise explained that there were issues this summer with the fiberglass liner in the pool slipping.

Repair of the pool was not a budgeted item this year but Weise feels it needs to be done for health and safety issues. He also said the pool is very important to families in Coleman who use it throughout the summer. "This will be a complete recovering of the pool surface, not a patch job," Weise said. The price tag for a new liner won't be known until the bids come in but the City is estimating $40,000 to $50,000. To pay for the repair, funds will be diverted from the parks improvement budget and water and sewer infrastructure budget.

DA Office Releases March Court Proceedings
8/17/2007
The following cases were presented by District Attorney Joe Lee Rose to the Honorable John Weeks, 42nd District Judge, on Thursday, March 8, 2007.

* Terese Merworth Isbell, Possession of Controlled Substance. Isbell pled guilty and was sentenced to three years deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay a $1,000.00 fine, court costs, community supervision fees, lab fees, and was ordered to serve 120 hours community service.

* Ramiro Flores, Retaliation. Flores failed to appear for arraignment, and his bond was forfeited.

* David Roland Gutierrez, Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. Gutierrez failed to appear for arraignment, and his bond was forfeited.

The following cases were presented by District Attorney Joe Lee Rose to the Honorable John Weeks, 42nd District Judge, on Thursday, March 22, 2007.

* Jay Dean Simmons, Aggravated Robbery. Simmons pled guilty and was sentenced to eight years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees. A finding of the use of a deadly weapon was entered by the Court in this case.

* Tanya Guthrie Anderson, Possession of Controlled Substance. Anderson pled guilty and was sentenced as a Class “A” Misdemeanor under Section 12.44(b) of the Texas Penal Code to two years deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay a $500.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees, probation fees, lab fees, and was ordered to serve 120 hours community service.

* Samuel Bert Dixon, Felony D.W.I. Dixon pled guilty and was sentenced to five years confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

20mph Speed Limit Proposed on Airport Road
8/17/2007
The Coleman City Council approved, on first reading Thursday night, an ordinance to decrease the speed limit to 20mph along a portion of Airport Road on either side of Wind Clean.

The Council spent considerable time discussing the reduced speed limit which was proposed by City Manager Larry Weise. The purpose is to address the safety concerns voiced by citizens at the last council meeting.  Large wind towers and equipment movers routinely travel across Airport Road in the way of traffic.  Citizens didn't want Airport Road closed and traffic diverted to Hinds Lane so Airport Road was left open.

Weise noted that Wind Clean has stepped up to the plate to make the area safer by hiring full-time workers who now make sure barriers are in place and removed as needed. The proposed 20mph speed limit will start 50 feet west of McCarty Lane and extend east through the Wind Clean work zone, a total of 550 feet. Outside the 20mph zone, the speed limit will remain 30mph.

The Council will hold a second reading of the ordinance at their next meeting.

Full-Time Code Enforcement Officer Gets Council's OK
8/17/2007
The Coleman City Council approved a request Thursday by City Manager Larry Weise to make the Code Enforcement job a full-time job.

Previously, the Code Enforcement Officer has worked part-time under the Coleman Police Department. The reason for this was the person had to be a certified police officer, a stipulation in the grant from the West Central Texas Council of Governments, a grant which helped pay the officer's salary.  It was noted that considerable progress has been made in the past year cleaning up tire dumps and other unsightly areas in town, thanks to the grant which is up for renewal. It was also stated that the volume of complaints and calls about code violations has increased to the point that the part-time 20 hour per week Code Officer can't handle the load.

Under the new proposal, the City will not use the grant which means they lose $7,000 in grant funds but also will no longer have to staff the position with a certified police officer. The code enforcement person will now report to the City Manager instead of the Police Chief.

To pay for the position, City Manager Larry Weise said the bottom line of the budget won't be affected, even though this was not a budgeted item. He believes he can save enough money in overtime pay to fund most of the $20,000 salary. 

The City will advertise the job position in the near future. The person chosen will enforce city codes dealing with abandoned vehicles, unsightly and unsafe areas that need cleaning but may also learn code inspections and help coordinate a local emergency operation plan.

City Works on 5th Avenue
8/17/2007
The City of Coleman has embarked on a street project to improve highly traveled 5th Avenue. The street may look wider after work is complete but is actually being brought back to its original width. Over the years, lack of maintenance has allowed residential yards to grow over curbs and extend out into the street. City crews are clearing the street back to the curbs, leveling up the street and will apply new paving from Walnut to 24th Street near the Rodeo Grounds. They hope to complete the project before the summer is over.

County Water Supply Questions Answered
8/16/2007
Water has been in the news a lot lately in Coleman due to the boil water notice issued last week in the city of Coleman.

 One of our readers wrote and asked a few questions concerning their water supply. They live a few miles outside of Coleman and purchase their water from the Coleman County Special Utility District, formerly called Coleman County Water Supply. We talked with Travis Rhoads, Water District Manager, for an explanation of their distribution process.

* The Coleman Co. Special Utility District (water district) purchases treated water from the City of Coleman.
* The water district re-chlorinates the water delivered to them by the City at the point where it is received before they send it to the county customers.
* While the City of Coleman was under the boil water order last week, residual levels in the county water supply never dropped below recommended safety levels due to their re-chlorination process.
* The water district does a burnout of its lines about every six months to keep bio-films from building up in them, Rhoads said.
* The water district sends six water samples monthly to the Health Department in Abilene and has never failed a water quality test.
* The water quality of the county water supply is also tested quarterly by the State of Texas.
* Water samples are taken all the way to the end of lines which provide water to the customers of the Special Utility District.

City and county customers may notice a discoloration of the water and a chlorine smell for a short time more as the "line burn" process in the city comes to an end this week.

Rates Reduced at City Convenience Center
8/16/2007 (contributed)
Recent negotiations concerning solid waste disposal in the City of Coleman have made it possible for the City to reduce their rates at the Convenience Center. Beginning Saturday, August 18, rates at the Convenience Center will be as follows:

Brush/Limbs/Leaves:
16’ Trailer Load: $40.00
14’ Trailer Load: $35.00
12’ Trailer Load: $30.00
Large Pickup Load: $15.00
Small Pickup/Trailer: $10.00

Solid Waste: Solid waste that may be placed in the Convenience Center’s smaller containers (four- and six-yard containers) will be charged $5.00 per cubic yard.

Large Items: Large items, such as furniture, rolls of carpet, etc., that must be placed in the Convenience Center’s large, 30-yard roll-off container will be charged $10.00 per cubic yard.

Please watch for additional services to be provided at the Convenience Center in the near future, as the City will begin implementation of a new and improved solid waste disposal program.

County Commissioners Plan to Keep Same Tax Rate
8/15/2007
Coleman County Commissioners voted Wednesday morning to leave the tax rate the same as it was last year which is .72 per $100 valuation. "This is the fourth year in a row we have not raised the tax rate," said Jimmie Hobbs, County Judge. 

There will be public hearings on the tax rate on August 24th and 31st. Commissioners will vote to approve the tax rate and the budget on September 12th.

Commissioners also held a Budget Workshop Monday morning. The estimated operating budget for fiscal 2007-2008 is $ 3.2 million compared to $ 3.1 million for 2006-2007.

Successful Junior Rodeo
8/15/2007
The Coleman Junior Rodeo for 2007 was a huge success including the rain we received prior to our Saturday night performance. We would like to express our appreciation to all of the businesses that made donations, our contestants, and to our members and volunteers.

Friday night we had attendance of 182 contestants and on Saturday night we had 156 contestants with a grand total of 338 contestants participating in the 2007 Coleman County Junior Rodeo. This year the association added back the rough stock and 16-19 boys breakaway roping.

The all-around buckles went to the following contestants:
11 and under girls - Kellie Jo Elkins - Early, Texas
11 and under boys - Sy Felton
12-15 girls - Jordan Jewell - Santa Anna, Texas
                - Rebba Wright - Stephenville, Texas
12-15 boys - Turner McQuaide - Marble Falls, Texas
16-19 girls - Amanda Gray - Marble Falls, Texas
16-19 boys - Kevin Sanderson - Santa Anna, Texas

The Coleman Junior Rodeo Association would like to thank everyone who helped us make the 2007 rodeo a success and we are looking forward to making the 2008 Coleman Junior Rodeo a great success also. If you are interested in becoming a member, please join us at one of our meetings to see what our organization is all about.

Macy Edington Knight Receives White Coat
8/15/2007
Macy Edington Knight, along with 41 other students in her class, was honored Wednesday, August 8, during a white coat ceremony hosted by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Allied Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program.

The short white coat represents the transition of students from the didactic to the clinical phase of their training. Throughout the next 12 months, Macy will be spending six weeks with each of the following clinical rotations: Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, Geriatrics, Emergency Medicine and Surgery along with the completion of a Master's Thesis.

Macy is the wife of Jake Knight and daughter of Bob and Sylvia Edington of Coleman. She is the grand-daughter of Bobbie and the late Duwayne Edington and the late Raleigh and Winnell Neff. Attending the ceremony were her husband, Jake, Bob, Sylvia, Glen and Bobbie Edington, her mother-in-law Lynda Walls, and other family members Dale and Linda Burns.

County Commissioners Proceed with Disaster Assistance
8/14/2007
Coleman County Commissioners heard Monday morning from Tim Glendenning regarding grants from FEMA and the Office of Rural Community Affairs. Coleman County was included in a disaster declaration due to road and bridge damage caused by heavy rains earlier in the year. Commissioners approved Glendenning to assist in the process of applying for up to $350,000 worth of grants which can be used to repair road infrastructure. Commissioners have been mapping areas in their precincts where damage occurred and have met with government officials as a part of the grant application process.

County May Consider Closing 4B Election Box
8/14/2007
One of the items that came before County Commissioners Monday was the possibility of incorporating the Novice 4B election location into another Precinct 4 location. While no action was taken, the County may have a Public Hearing to discuss this issue at their August 31st meeting. There are 396 registered voters in 4B.

Ann McDorman Crowned Ms. Senior Springtown
8/14/2007
Ann Jones McDorman, former Coleman resident and graduate of the Class of 1960, was recently crowned Ms. Senior Springtown.

The only restrictions on contestants were that they be at least 65 years of age and from the Springtown area. Judging categories included 40 percent talent, 40 percent interview and 20 percent evening gown. As her talent, Ann sang "You Raised Me Up". Ann was escorted by her son, Todd McDorman. She is a retired Postmaster and was one of only two female postmasters for Stephenville in 100 years. She was a USPS state officer for five years, national vice president for two terms and held the national convention for postmasters last year.
McDorman will represent Springtown in all its parades and have the option to speak at organizational meetings. Last weekend she represented Springtown in the Ms. Texas Senior American Pageant in which she placed 3rd runner up.

New Associate Pastor at Central Baptist Church
8/14/2007 (contributed)
Central Baptist Church of Coleman welcomes Rev. Alec Rivera and Mrs. ‘Olie Rivera. They come to Coleman after serving churches in San Angelo, Ozona, Sheffield, Temple, Texas as well as Northern Mexico on the mission field. Rev. Rivera served as a church planter and consultant to starting churches and Hispanic missions and churches.

He was educated in San Angelo College, St. Philips College, Baptist Institute of Health, Mexican Baptist Bible College in Mexico.

The Rivera's have been married thirty-four years and are proud parents of a son and daughter (one grandson). They move to Coleman from the Pacific Northwest after service in the Seattle area and eastern Washington to Hispanic, first nation (Native American) as well as other churches, serving as associate minister, consultant and church planter/planner.

Coming to Coleman to retire, he felt a yearning and call to serve again in the community of Coleman and will serve as associate minister, service to adult, senior adults and the growing Hispanic community.

Join us Sunday, September 9th at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall for an ice-cream fellowship as we welcome them to Coleman and Central Baptist as the newest member of our Pastoral Team.

TOPS Report Submitted
8/14/2007
The Take Off Pounds Sensibly group held its regular meeting at Shapes on August 9. The chapter now has 14 members and 5.75 pounds was the net loss this week. There was one visitor at the last meeting. Weigh-in time is 5:00pm until 5:30pm. Meetings are held each Thursday at Shapes for those interested.

City's Water Filtration Process Explained
City Getting Good Water Test Results
8/13/2007
The City of Coleman began a process Monday, August 6, designed to clean all the city water lines, water towers and filtration plant. The process, known as a burn, involves putting chlorine into the water supply which eats away at biofilms on the inside of the water pipes. Biofilms reduce water quality and cause loss of chlorine residual in the water system. Biofilms are more likely to build up in the summer when the water temperature is hotter. The burn process takes about two weeks and most cities perform this process on a yearly cycle.

As the burn process started, one of the pumps went out at the half million gallon clarifier holding tank at the City Fitration Plant. The pump was expected to be replaced Thursday afternoon but the problem caused a set of events which resulted in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to require the City to issue a Boil Water Order.

In talking with Bob Ray, Public Works Director for the City of Coleman, he said the end result after the entire water system is "burned" or flushed out is that the city will put fewer chemicals, such as chloromine, into the water supply which should result in better tasting water and a safer system. Ray said there may be a light discoloring of water during the next few days while the process continues. The city is monitoring and reporting daily water samples, as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to insure the City is delivering the safest possible water to customers.  As of Monday afternoon, Ray said all testing of the water has come back from the labs with good results.  The process will be back to normal operations on Friday, August 17.

Message to Businesses from COLEMAN ISD
8/13/2007
It has been brought to our attention that local businesses are being contacted to sponsor Coleman Bluecat merchandise without CISD approval. These businesses use sales techniques and CISD sponsor names which lead you to believe these products are authorized by Coleman ISD.

Before you purchase any products, get the company's name and phone number so that you can return their call once you have verified that they have been approved by CISD.

We appreciate your support of Bluecat organizations and ALWAYS contact the school with any concerns or questions.

Thank You,
Coleman ISD Administration

Suspicious Box at Coleman Business
Turned Out to be Electrical Device
8/13/2007
As of 12:30pm Monday, the suspicious device found in a dumpster at a local body shop had been identified as a homemade phase converter and was discarded by someone in the dumpster.

The suspicious device was reported at 8:56am at Tibbetts Pro Body Works, 515 North Colorado at the 84 Bypass. The Dyess Air Force Base bomb squad was called and arrived at the scene at 11:14am.

They used a robot (shown left) to handle the device which was in a clear case with electrical wiring visible.

 While North Colorado was not blocked to traffic, police did shut down a dirt road to the north of the business until the danger had passed.

No charges are going to be filed, according to Les Cogdill, Detective with the Coleman PD.

West Nile Virus Should be Taken Seriously
8/13/2007
West Nile Virus suddenly and drastically changed the life of Margie Dodson almost two years ago. At the time, Margie was 57 and had received a great health checkup a few days before the mid-October day when everything changed.

It was October 11, 2005 that Margie didn't go to work at Johnson Implement in Coleman, she felt like she had the flu, body aches and the normal symptoms. Her aunt passed away that same day so she drove to Valera to be with her family for a while but kept feeling bad so she went home to bed.

Still not well the next day, she stayed home. Her husband, Henry, came home from his job at Coleman County State Bank to find Margie in the bathroom floor. By the next day, now in the Brownwood hospital, Margie was in a coma, unaware that doctor's were still trying to determine what she had. "I barely remember being at Brownwood ER and a nurse putting me in a wheelchair," Margie said. "The next thing I remember, I woke up in the middle of the night at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas with Nancy Mayes Weber sitting next to me." It had been 14 days of being comatose. "After they diagnosed her with West Nile, they treated her with a high dosage of steroids by IV and you could tell a difference in 24 hours," Henry said.

What is West Nile Virus?
West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. This is the time of year when most cases are reported. A mosquito infected with West Nile was found last week in Abilene, and it could happen here.

The Long Road Back
The good news was Margie was alert at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. The bad news was that West Nile Virus brought on viral meningitis which attacked her nervous system and left her totally reliant on nurses and therapists at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation to start her on the road to recovery, a road which she is still on today.

Once back at home, Holly Norris played a major role in Margie's recovery, giving her therapy, lifting her and being with her seven days per week. LeAnn Warren came to Margie's house for two months and did therapy. "I also had four months of therapy with Jenny Carnes at Coleman County Medical Center and I still have a 30 minute drill every night and I go to Curves to strengthen my muscles. Therapy, therapy, therapy .. if you don't do it, you won't get better," Margie said.

Margie went back to work in March 2006 in a wheelchair, driven back and forth by Holly. "I consider the folks at John Deere (Johnson Implement) my family, they were great."  She said Gwen Huggins was a patient tutor because she had to re-teach Margie her job. In fact, Margie had to learn almost everything again, from writing on a Big Chief tablet to learning her address to holding a fork and sitting up, just to name a few.

Lasting Effects
Margie still experiences long-term memory loss. Some things she simply can't remember, important things, like the birth of her children or her wedding. She is still getting better, still fighting the fight and now walks with a cane or with the aid of a walker. She still tires easily but at least is able to take herself to work each day and spend time in her garden and flower bed.

When and Where Did this Happen?
Margie probably won't ever know when or where the mosquito carrying the West Nile Virus bit her. Doctor's say it probably happened 4 to 6 weeks before she had her first flu-like symptoms. She and Henry had done a lot of traveling late in the summer of '05, to Louisiana, southeast Texas, Abilene, Brownwood, San Angelo and other places. But it only takes one mosquito bite to change a life.  Read the link below to learn about the symptoms.

Don't Think It Can't Happen to You
"I didn't fit in the box," Margie said. The "box" being those who normally contract West Nile .. the elderly, very young or people with weak immune systems. "Spray with deet before you go outside, try not to go outside at dusk," Margie said. "The medical community and media try to put everything in a box, I didn't fit into that box. Be diligent about spraying yourself," she said.

Margie applauds the City of Coleman for spraying for mosquitoes and in particular those who drive the truck. She is also a very thankful person that she was given a second chance, even though it hasn't been easy. "I've just been very blessed and still getting better." 

Learn More
To find out more about West Nile Virus, log on to the Centers for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm.

Humane Society Finds Homes for Dogs
but More Need Homes
8/13/2007
Great news! Our little climber pup that we pictured recently has been adopted from the City Shelter by a caring Burkett family. We hear she is quite happy about it.

Now we have Kelsey who hopes someone will find room for her before it’s too late. Kelsey has a Great Dane look about her, but she’s not as big as most Danes. She nevertheless has the “gentle giant” personality. The Humane Society will pay for her spay if she is adopted before it is too late. For information about this beautiful dog, call Mona at 625-4114. The Humane Society has many more dogs for adoption in their foster program.

JoJo, a sweetheart terrier mix, is one of them. You can visit with JoJo or see the other foster dogs at www.HumaneSocietyCC.com.  Thank you for caring about all God’s creatures great and small!

Ballinger Mourns a Teen
and Celebrates His Life
8/13/2007 (contributed by Martha Beimer)
Today and yesterday were very sad days here in Ballinger. We have a small enough town that when someone mentions gangs, we all think of the high school - not the gangs there but the one group - The High School. I suspect it is the same in lots and lots of small West Texas towns.

Today we laid back into the soil a lad of fifteen and one half. He had a rare from of cancer and has fought it so valiantly for the past two years. He will always be in our hearts and minds a hero. His illness brought out the best of what we hope all our young people grow to be. He was an example of Christian Assurance that can be matched by few ministers, much less humans in general.

He was sure that he would win and until the day he died, he did not expect to lose his battle. His doctor at Cook's Children's in Fort Worth was amazed at him. He won the hearts of everyone he met and remained a fifteen year old "smarty pants kid." (he wore a tee shirt often that said, "I just love the smell of chemo in the morning". His sense of humor, his devotion to his friends and family never left him.

Now, he has gone. He left us a legacy of Grace. His illness pulled our little town closer, his attitude lifted our hearts, and his memory will warm the coldest days and cool the frightened brow. His name was Trent William Ueckert.

I just wanted to share this with you so that you could know that God is alive, well, and still working His miracles. He worked one in Trent's illness and it will live in Ballinger for many years.

Love one another,
Martha B

Teen Night Out Was a Big Success
8/11/2007
Over 80 junior high students and almost 100 high school students attended the first ever Teen Night Out event Friday night at Coleman City Park.

A group of community members organized the event to give students from across Coleman County a chance to enjoy a night at the City Park which featured swimming, music, games and fellowship.

The junior high students attended as a group from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. The park was then cleared for the high school students to attend from 10:00pm to midnight.

Organizers were very pleased with the turnout and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves as they participated in the various activities. Special thanks to Jeremy Watson and Les Cogdill of the Coleman PD for volunteering their time and to all the more than 50 parents who helped make it a safe night. 

District Court Cases Heard
8/11/2007 (from the DA's Office)
The following cases were presented by District Attorney Joe Lee Rose to the Honorable John Weeks, 42nd District Judge, on Thursday, February 22, 2007, at 2:00pm:

*  Eric Brian Selvidge, Possession of Controlled Substance. Selvidge pled guilty and was sentenced to two years confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for three years, payment of a $1,000.00 fine, court costs, community supervision fees, lab fees, and 120 hours community service.

*  Stacy Leen Hull, Possession of Controlled Substance. Hull pled guilty and was sentenced to two years confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for three years, payment of a $500.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees, lab fees, and 120 hours community service.

*  Stacy Leen Hull, Possession of Controlled Substance. Hull pled guilty and was sentenced to two years confinement in a State Jail Facility, probated for three years, payment of a $500.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees and lab fees.

*  Kateva Ann Windham King, Possession of Controlled Substance. King pled guilty and was sentenced to three years deferred adjudication and payment of a $1,000.00 fine, court costs, court-appointed attorney fees, lab fees, and 120 hours community service.

*  Ramiro Flores, Retaliation. Arraignment was rescheduled for March 8, 2007, at 2:00 P.M.

*  John Lewis Flores, Felony D.W.I. Flores failed to appear, and his bond was forfeited.

*  Billie Rae Diaz, Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. Case was dismissed due to Diaz being sentenced through the federal system to 88 months confinement in a federal facility.

*  William Greg Stenix, Possession of Controlled Substance. Case was dismissed to Stenix being sentenced through the federal system to 188 months confinement in a federal facility.

*  State of Texas vs. $792.00 U.S. Currency. A forfeiture judgment was presented to Judge Weeks, requesting that a portion of the seized money be awarded to local law enforcement. The request was granted.

State Funds Helps Two Local Agencies
8/11/2007
Gov. Rick Perry awarded more than $26 million Friday to more than 200 programs to help victims of crime throughout the state. These grants are awarded under the federal Victims of Crime Act Fund (VOCA) and distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD) within the guidelines of their victim restoration program.

“These funds will support programs that protect victims, administer justice, and provide a safer living environment for all residents of Texas, particularly our most vulnerable citizens and Texas youth,” Perry said.

In our area, $68,756 went to the Regional Crime Victim Crisis Center Comprehensive Assistance for all Victims of Violent Crimes program, to help victims in Coleman, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Shackelford and Taylor counties. They provide therapy, explanation of rights and the criminal justice process, crisis intervention, accompaniment to medical and criminal justice appointments and a 24-hour hotline.

Another $49,937 went to the Pecan Valley Regional Domestic Violence Shelter Victim Advocacy and Support project to help domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Coleman, Brown and Comanche counties. They operate a 24-hour crisis hotline, assisting victims with obtaining protective orders and crime victim compensation and provide a safe shelter.

More on IBC - Inflammatory Breast Cancer
8/10/2007
After the article on Inflammatory Breast Cancer appeared earlier this week here on Colemannews.com, people have started talking, and that's exactly what needed to happen.

The article can be found further down this page, written by Sujo McKee, who's mother, Connie Griffis McKee Whitney, is fighting IBC.

We received two e-mails from ladies who read our paper, both asking us to put a link on our site to a news story which ran on TV station KOMO in Seattle. We are happy to provide the link to the story below along with another link to www.thebreastcancersite.com. 

Sujo and her sister, Ricka, are looking for members for Team Connie, a 5K Run they are going to participate in next month in Lubbock.  "We are looking for others to run with us. We need a minimum of 10 people to make a team. If you would like to be a part of Team Connie, we would love to have you! You can contact me at sujoali@verizon.net.  For more information on the race, visit their website at www.komenlubbock.org", Sujo said. 

Watch the video HERE. 

How Much Rain?
8/10/2007
It is hot and dry now in Coleman County, but that hasn't been the case for the first six months of 2007. To give you an idea of how much ahead we are, check out this report from Sammie and Imogene Powers who live 7 miles east of Santa Anna at the Brown-Coleman county line. In the month of June, they received 11.4 inches of rain followed by 4.8 inches in July. Since the first of the year, they have received 37.1 inches. Wow !

Ginger Test To Demo For Brownwood Art Association
8/10/2007
Ginger Test, member of the Fine Arts League of Coleman County, local artist, and teacher from Novice, is scheduled to conduct a watercolor demonstration September 8th at the Brownwood Art Center from 1-3 pm.

Her credentials are impressive. During the past year Mrs. Test's work has been accepted for the following juried shows:
*  Smith Art Gallery at Scott and White Hospital in Temple
*  Rio Brazos Art Exhibition in Granbury where she was awarded one of ten Judges' Merit Awards.
*  2-person show at the River Oaks Gallery in Abilene;
*  Stars of Texas, Brownwood.
*  Ruiz Gallery in San Angelo
*  Stribling Art Extravaganza, San Angelo.
*  Cross Timbers Western Heritage in Stephenville
*  Flight of the Dragonfly Show in Coleman.

Ginger immerses herself in her painting and says they reflect her love of color and design whether the subject matter consists of flowers, landscapes, animals, churches or western scenes. Being an avid photographer, she gathers her inspiration from nature, and has photographed scenes from Hawaii, to Washington, D.C. and from Maryland to the Texas Gulf Coast.

In addition to showing her work, Ginger's heart revolves around teaching others, both adults and children, to delight in their creativity. She has taught art full time since 1982, conducting weekly classes in Abilene, Brownwood, and Coleman as well as directing workshops throughout the state during the year. For the past fourteen years more than fifteen students have joined her in early fall for an exciting and colorful week of instruction, fun and fellowship at beautiful South Fork, Colorado in her annual Colorado Gold Workshop.

My Brush With Crime
by Colette Tabor
8/9/2007
  I have to admit my own stupidity and poor judgment to share my story. However, I feel that if it will prevent someone else from making the same mistake I did, then it will be worth the embarrassment.

  One afternoon, around 5pm, I stopped by St. Mark's Episcopal Church to drop off some items in the fellowship hall. I parked my car in the parking lot in front of the fellowship hall on Neches St. I went inside, put the items away, rearranged a few things and then I heard my car alarm go off. I went to investigate, thinking perhaps I had hit the alarm somehow in my pocket. When I went outside I saw that the back window on the passenger side of my car was broken out and a bicycle laid in the midst of the glass beside my car. When I looked inside my car, there was a brick laying in the back floorboard and my purse and tote bag were gone. This is admitting the stupid part. I left my purse in my locked car, but it could be seen.

  The Coleman Police Department went above and beyond any expectations to help me. The traipsed through tall grass in the area looking for my bags, patrolled town, checked trash cans and dumpsters, and questioned people. Neighbors to the church saw a suspicious person just after the incident happened and when they saw my car it was obvious to them what had happened and who was possibly the culprit. A description was given and a suspect was picked up later exactly fitting the description down to the clothing he was wearing.

  Being the "bulldog" that I can be when I am "fired up", I asked my husband to go with me to the area where the suspect was apprehended. We checked alleys and dumpsters in that area, too. With my husband trying to convince me otherwise, I got out of our pickup and began knocking on doors. Somebody always knows something about something. THAT is something to remember. This led to some visits in the area around where my car was broken into. Have you ever just felt that someone is not telling you the truth or omitting vital information? That's how we felt, but it was late and dark and there was not much that could be done at that time.

  The next morning, my husband went back to that area and began combing the drainage ditch beside the home of one of the other suspicious characters. Guess what? He found my tote bag and it's contents! My Kodak Easy Share digital camera is missing from the bag. Beware I have the serial number for my camera and so do the police. My tote bag was found just a few yards from the house of the man who "didn't know nothin' about nothin'". Sources took us straight to that particular man's house when they learned what had happened. Funny, too, that another man we had questioned and who was so sincere the night before in telling me he was so sorry that this terrible thing had happened to me, was at that house with that man when my husband began searching the ditch. He left in his car immediately. Looks mighty, mighty suspicious.

At the time of this writing my purse is still missing. The man would not allow the police to search his house for my purse or any of it's contents. I told all of them the night before that the money was not that important to me. I just really wanted my purse and my tote bag back. I'm thankful that my husband found my tote bag. I had things in it important only to me. I keep a notebook of the happenings at my church, Fellowship Baptist. I have records of church members, baptisms, deaths, marriages, babies, etc., just "stuff". I am especially glad to have my prayer meeting list back. I have kept it for years. When we pray for people and needs they have, I date it and write them down. Then, I can record when God answered the prayers and how He chose to answer them. Just something special to me. I really would like to have my purse and its' contents back. Bank accounts and my gas card have been closed. All the businesses in Coleman have been alerted to watch for forged checks on my account. I hate that the Citywide Toy Drive checkbook was taken. I keep it with me year round, so I can take advantage of good buys on toys and books for the children of Coleman County at Christmas time. As I said, the little cash I had is not as important as some of the other things. As for the money, I work at three part-time jobs for the money I had. I wonder if those who have my purse or know who has my purse work at an honest to goodness job?

I shared all of this to make the point...please do not leave ANYTHING in your car in sight of someone with no conscience or morals. Sadly, there has been a rash of these types of crimes in Coleman recently. Purses, CD holders, diaper bags, brief cases, tote bags, camera cases...with the camera inside or not, and store purchases in bags are a beacon to some sorts of people with criminal minds. I hope that this case will be solved and that at least one and maybe more of the thieves in town will see justice fall on them. Law abiding citizens of Coleman, be aware that crime does exist in our midst. Perhaps the thieves and vandals around here should consider that we all live in an area very well known for hunting. Plus, we tend to have snakes and four-legged varmint problems from time to time. Lots of honest citizens have firearms and, if they will shoot a rabid skunk or a rattlesnake, they will likely shoot someone breaking into a home or a vehicle.

Burglaries at Lake Ivie Cleared
8/8/2007
Early in the morning of August 2nd, the Coleman County Sheriff’s Department received calls of a burglary to a habitation and to the Elm Creek Village Store. Upon investigation information was obtained by Deputy Vickie Plummer and it was discovered the suspects lived in Concho County.

Deputies Plummer and Brixey working along with the Concho County Sheriff’s Department recovered all of the items taken in the burglaries. Also, solved during this investigation, a previous burglary of the Elm Creek Village Store, where the cash register was taken. A statement obtained by Deputy Plummer led to the recovery of a missing part of the cash register discarded near the lake’s dam.

Concho County Sheriff’s Department was also able to clear a burglary and theft of a 4 wheeler involving the same suspects involved in the Coleman County’s burglaries.

2007 Fish Camp Held
8/8/2007
The Coleman High School 2nd Annual Fish Camp "Taking Care of Business" was held Tuesday, August 7th with 31 members of the class of 2011 in attendance.
 
While at camp the group attended four sessions:
1. Making High School Count with CHS counselor, Lorene Halfmann
2. Discipline with Assistant Principal, Curtis Martin
3. What Changed from Jr. High to High School with student representatives
4. Tour of the building with Sarah Lofton

The group then heard from guest speaker for the afternoon, Brittni McMillan. Brittni is a 2003 graduate of Coleman High School and a 2006 graduate of Texas A&M University. She is currently employed as Livestock Director for the San Angelo Stock Show. She gave a very inspirational speech to the group about the importance of taking care of business while they are in school. This included their grades, community involvement and participating in activities while in high school and the impact that will have on the rest of their lives. She also spoke about the importance of being true to yourself, regardless of what others may think. Pictured to the left is Brittni speaking with the incoming freshman.

The day concluded with organizational representatives giving information regarding the various groups, a brief discussion regarding dress code, and a question and answer session with Principal Richard Holloway. The CHS Student Council would like to thank all of those who attended and look forward to seeing everyone on August 27th.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer - Learn About It
Help the McKee's Run for a Cure
8/8/2007 (by Sujo McKee)
Why is it that a tragedy, a death or an unexpected occurrence has to happen to wake us up? To make us appreciate moments, to realize the many wonderful blessings and people we take for granted everyday.

As most of you know, my mom, Connie Griffis McKee Whitney, is fighting a horrible, evil disease which sadly affects thousands every day, many of whom who live right here in our small community. That’s why on September 22nd, I along with my sister Ricka, will be running in the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure 5K run in Lubbock, Texas. We are forming a team to run in support of our mom as well as the others who are fighting breast cancer and those who have fought the fight and won.

My mom suffers from a very rare and aggressive form of breast cancer known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer. IBC is often misdiagnosed because it masks itself as a skin condition and does not show up on mammograms. I encourage everyone to educate themselves about IBC because the sooner it is caught, the greater the chances of beating it.

My mom is doing well. She just finished her 4th round of chemo and will be undergoing surgery in the next couple of weeks. After surgery she will have more chemo and 36 treatments of radiation. God willing by January 2008 my mom will be cancer-free.

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Nothing has ever touched me more than witnessing the outpour of encouragement and prayer given to my mom over the past few months. My mom, Jim, Ricka and I are amazed by the cards, notes, phone calls, concern and prayers she receives daily from many of you. I truly believe it is because of your actions and prayers that my mom is doing so well. There are not enough words to express our gratitude and just ask for your continued support and prayers.

My mom is strong, brave and determined. Her smile which can brighten any room has never faltered. She continues to put others first and spread her generous spirit and positive attitude with everyone she encounters. That is why she wins everyday and why my sister and I are participating in this race.

We are looking for others to run with us. We need a minimum of 10 people to make a team. If you would like to be a part of Team Connie, we would love to have you! You can contact me at sujoali@verizon.net.  For more information on the race, visit their website at www.komenlubbock.org. 

On behalf of my mom and my family, thank you to all the wonderful people of Coleman County. Living in a community like Coleman where people come together in time of need is indeed one of those blessings I have learned to treasure and never take for granted. You are and always will be home. God bless.

To the citizens of Coleman, Texas
8/8/2007
It was almost to the day last August that I penned a congratulatory letter to you after having met one of your local school administrators, Ms. Paula Ringo, at the funeral of a family member in Odessa, Texas.

As a retired high school administrator from Georgia, Ms. Ringo and I discussed at length our philosophy of education and I was so impressed with her praise of her school district and her eagerness for the 2006-2007 school term to begin. At that time, she knew that she must concentrate on setting clear measurable goals after analyzing prior student performance data and realized that she must be the catalyst for initiating action for change, thus showing the maturity of a veteran administrator. She obviously has an excellent working collaborative with her staff and the Coleman school community as evidenced by the recent publications of the State of Texas accountability ratings that state that Coleman Junior High School showed enough improvement to move to the RECOGNIZED status after improving on 16 of 20 indicators. Incredible improvement! Ms. Ringo and her entire staff of dedicated teachers should stand and take a bow and the citizens of Coleman should rejoice that you have in your midst, sincere, dedicated teachers and administrators across the district that want only the best for your children, the future tax paying citizens of Coleman, Texas. I have not had the pleasure of meeting any of the other administrators in your school district but I also congratulate the principals and staff at both the elementary and high school for their impressive improvement and their tremendous gains in student’s test scores. You are definitely a school system on the move!

I applaud your school superintendent, Mr. Royce Young, for his obvious excellent leadership in your school district that has garnered significant improvements at the elementary, Jr. High and high school level as he faces the major issues of providing adequate school financing, staffing, adequate provisions for the handicapped, in addition to maintaining a high level of service to you the citizens of Coleman, Texas.

As the new school year quickly approaches, please take time to congratulate and continually support all of the school employees in your district. They work extremely hard and they have a tremendous task ahead of them as they meet increased local, state and national mandates.

Good luck to all of you and may the 2007-2008 school year show even bigger and better gains.

Gary G. Dorough, Ed. D.
Retired, Dougherty County School District
Albany, Georgia

Trickham Resident Attends Theatre Camp
8/8/2007
This summer one student and one teacher at Bangs High School received at real treat. From July 11-29, Meghan Blake of Bangs High School attended the Tal Lastracco Summer Theatre Camp at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. She received college credit for the classes that she took which ranged from Technical Theatre classes to Acting and Movement classes.

The instructors were some of the most well known UIL One- Act Play directors and critique judges from the state of Texas. She was also cast in the production of The Triangle Factory Fire Project by Christopher Piehler in collaboration with Scott Alan Evans, directed by Gloria McLuckie of Hempstead High School. Although she was not a lead character she caught many people’s eye with her performance.

The night of their first performance the camp brought in C. Lee Turner, a prominent UIL OAP adjudicator from Prairie View A&M to judge the performances. Of the fifty students performing only 6 are given Outstanding Performance Awards, 2 from each of the three casts. At the Awards Banquet Meghan received an extra surprise by not only winning one of these sought after awards but also receiving a full scholarship to TVCC as well! Her Theatre Director, Gina Aplin, who was assistant director to another show, The Green Bird by Carlo Gozzi, and due to the illness of the Head Costumer ended up taking over a lot of the Head Costumer duties, was on hand for the award.

Meghan is the daughter of Jim and Sherrie Blake of Trickham, Texas and will be a senior this year at Bangs High School. Congratulations to Meghan!

Dear Editor
August, 7, 2007
On Saturday evening, August 4th, my husband, Clarence Plagens, was returning to our ranch near Dublin from a wedding in Wall, Texas. Just outside of Santa Anna, the fuel pump on his pickup died. He walked to the Dairy Queen, where the young ladies working there called the police to try to get him some help.

Help is not nearly a big enough word to describe what the wonderful people of your area then did to “help” him.
Police Chief Carlos Torres called ahead to Terry’s Towing in Coleman. Terry Hyden stopped what he was doing and he and his daughter drove to Santa Anna to get a handle on the situation. Terry then drove Clarence back to Coleman, dropped off his daughter, got his tow truck and they drove back to Santa Anna. While en route, Chief Torres called Terry to ask him to tell Clarence if he needed to get back to the ranch Saturday night, “he could take the chief’s pickup and return it Sunday after his had been repaired”!! This offer made to a man he did not even know – just a fellow Texan in trouble.

Clarence gratefully declined his wonderful generosity and after the pickup had been towed, Terry dropped him at a motel in Coleman. The next morning, Terry got his friend, Buddy Davis, to give up his Sunday and spend the hours necessary to take off the old fuel pump, put on the new one and send Clarence home safely so we could spend our 41st anniversary together.

Only in what I call “West Texas” could anyone ever imagine so many good Samaritans willing to lend a hand to a stranger on the road. And only I realize, that because he had recently had heart by-pass surgery and had a defibrillator/pacemaker implanted, what could have happened without those heroes disguised as your neighbors.
Leigh Plagens
Rockwall, TX

TO THE CITIZENS OF COLEMAN
8/7/2007
The City of Coleman began performing a line burn out Monday. This is a procedure that will kill and help prevent Bio-films on the inside of the water pipes in our water system.

Bio-films reduce water quality and causes loss of chlorine residual in our system. This is more likely to occur during the summer months when the water temperature is hotter. Under certain conditions ammonia can provide a source of food for the growth of nitrifying bacteria bio-films. This process is called nitrification. The burnout process will prevent this from occurring and help clean up our water lines in Coleman. This process will take about two weeks to perform and most all cities perform this process on a yearly cycle.

The things that you as our customers may notice: the taste of the water may change from what you are used to, as well as some light discoloring of the water during this two week period. We will be monitoring and reporting our daily samples as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to insure we are delivering the safest possible water to our customers. Again this process will take about two weeks to perform and there is no health risk to the public during this process. What we will gain from this procedure is a cleaner water system and cleaner pipes as well as a reduction of chlorine which we have to add to the water to maintain a high quality of drinking water in the City of Coleman.

For further information you may contact Bob Ray, Public Works Director, 325-625-2621.

Peyton Saverance Wins in Florida !
Crowned National Miss Teen American Queen
8/7/2007
Miss Coleman County, Peyton Saverance, is now Miss Teen American Queen. Peyton competed in the national contest last week in Daytona Beach, Florida. She swept her division, winning the interview, fitness and evening wear awards as well as the Carmela Award. The Carmela is given to the contestant with the highest overall combined score in all divisions which included 58 contestants. Her national platform will continue to be Domestic Abuse Stops Here.  Peyton is the daughter of Dewayne and Luana Saverance of Coleman.

Due to the generosity of the Coleman community during her garage sale and car show fundraisers benefiting DASH, she also was honored as the DASH Volunteer of the Year!

Peyton is shown with outgoing Desiree Gonzales of Houston, outgoing 2006 Miss Teen American Queen.

How Safe is Your Child?
Child Safety Seat Program Offered in Coleman
8/7/2007 (by Wayne Dennis, Child Safety Seat Technician)

For the past 2 yrs, Eastland County Safe Kids, a division of Tech*Star EMS Education have been conducting a child safety seat distribution program for Eastland and surrounding counties, and we are now pleased to bring this program to the Coleman County area. This program is open to those families that are not able to purchase a new safety seat or booster seat for their child.

One of the most common mistakes that are seen during these programs is the child has out-grown there current seat, but it is still being used. Another misuse that is noticed, is that the parents are using a hand-me-down car seat that a family member may have given them, or one that they have bought at a garage sale or thrift store.

What kind of car seat do I need? This all depends on your child, and this is based on his/her age, weight and height. All new car seats will have a label on the box and seat that will tell you what age, weight and height that the seat will accommodate. Naturally, as the child grows you will need to upgrade seats to accommodate their change in size, as car seats are not a one size fits all. Once the child’s head reaches the middle of the seat that you are using, it’s time to upgrade.

Second hand seats. The use of second hand car seats is not recommended, even if you know the history behind the seat. Families that have more than one child tend to save the seat and use it for the next child. While this is done to save money, it can be dangerous also. While the seat’s general appearance may look good, it could have flaws. If you bought the seat new and are using it for another child, while not recommended, is much safer than buying one second hand. The problem with buying one second hand at a garage sale or thrift store is that no one knows the history behind that seat, meaning, that particular seat may have been recalled by the maker for a design flaw or other reasons. You don’t know if the seat has been in a crash. Any seat that has been involved in a car crash, even minor ones, should be replaced. You have to remember that these are made from plastic, and even a minor crash can damage the integrity of the seat that may not be visible, therefore they should be destroyed.

Expiration dates for car seats? Yes, even your child safety seats have an expiration date. They also have a date of manufacture. It is recommended that no seat be used that is 6 yrs old. Somewhere on your child safety seat you will find this date, as it will be imprinted into the plastic portion of the seat. The manufacture date should be on one of the label on the seat. If they are missing, then the seat should not be used. The reason for the “expiration date” is that you have to remember that these are made of plastic, and with all of the temperature changes that we have in Texas as well as temperature changes in general, the integrity of the seat can be compromised. Again, since the shell of the seat is plastic, it will deteriorate over time.

There are various types of child safety seats on the market, and it is important that you select the correct seat for your child. Read the labels to see which seat best fits your child. Rear facing seat are for newborns and infants, forward facing seat are for child that are over one year-old and 20 pounds. Booster seats are for children that have out grown your typical car seat, but are still not old enough or big enough to ride without a seat. Booster seat are for children 3 yrs old and who weigh anywhere from 40-80 pounds.

Due to the recent change in Texas Law, a child is now required to ride in either a child safety seat or booster seat. If your child is less than 5 years old and less then 36 inches tall, they have to ride either in a child safety seat or booster seat. If they are over 5 years old they are not required to ride in either, but are required to wear a seat belt. If they are over 36 inches tall, again no child seat is required.

Although there is no law that prevents youngsters from sitting in the front seat of a vehicle, the safest place for a child in a car is in the rear seat, properly buckled into a child safety seat or booster seat, if required. Air bags don’t replace child safety seats and may increase the risk of serious injury to children. Children younger than 13 should never ride in the front seat of vehicles with active passenger air bags. If they do, placed the seat as far back as possible. Also, NEVER place a child safety seat in front of an active front seat air bag.

If you are unsure about your seat, please call our office (254-734-5989) and we will be glad to look at your seat and tell you if it should be replaced or not. Our distribution program is open to everyone that may not be able to purchase a child safety seat. There is no cost to attend the program, nor a cost for the child safety seat. Tech*Star EMS Education is an authorized child safety seat inspection and fitting station for booster seats and car seats, serving Eastland, Comanche, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Erath, Callahan & Coleman Counties.

Reckless Wins National Softball Championship!
8/6/2007
Three young ladies from Coleman know how it feels to win a National Championship. Carissa Zarate, Amanda Gober and Rynn Norris are members of the Central Texas softball team called Reckless.

They traveled to the National Tournament in Gadsden, Alabama and took it all. After going undefeated in pool play, Reckless went on to beat the TAA Bobcats by a score of 6-0 on Friday afternoon. The next morning Reckless defeated Center Xplosion 5-0. Saturday afternoon they continued their winning ways against Georgia Ice by a score of 6-3. Sunday morning Reckless beat the T-Birds 9-4. Because of the true double-elimination style tournament, Reckless faced the T-Birds once again

Sunday afternoon this time losing 2-3. In the final, the T-Birds were no match for Reckless and they won the national title in a rout 10-0. Congratulations to these three young ladies and to the whole team!

"Private Art in Public Places" Art Exhibit at Coleman Co. State Bank
8/5/2007
The Fine Arts League of Coleman County presents the work of its members in many ways. One of the favorite venues is in the Banks in downtown Coleman. It’s a friendly atmosphere and great place to hang paintings! Thanks to the Banks for allowing us this opportunity.
This exhibit contains different subjects and done in mostly watercolor. However, the artists presented this month work in multiple media. When it gets close to Fiesta Fine Art Show time (October 5,6) art becomes foremost in the minds of the artists. They start gearing up and trying to get a work done in time for the show. Inspiration comes in all sizes and colors as you will see in the Exhibit at CCSB.
Drop by the Lobby and check out the works of: Millie Martin, Jimmie Ruth Hubbard, Theda Rhea, Marian Johnson, Tammy Jo Boettcher-Turner, Dollie Sparkman, Kay Mitchell, Kathy Andrews and Virginia Bethke.

County Gets Good Insurance News
8/3/2007
At this week's meeting of Coleman County Commissioners, they were told by an insurance company representative that their premiums would be reduced by about $35,000. The reason for the reduction is that County employees filed very few claims over the previous year. In other business:
* Commissioners heard a request from County Agent Luther Dunlap who asked that Commissioners provide him a pickup large enough to pull the 4-H trailer. Commissioners are considering the request.
* A representative from the Texas Department of Transportation told Commissioners that the load limit on a bridge in Precinct One has been changed from 21,000 to 15,000. All other bridges in the County remain at the same status as last year.
* Approved purchase of two laptop computers and one desktop computer for the C