Abilene News: July 1-15, 1996

• 7/15 - Cops Say, 'We Deserve A Better Raise By Golly'
• 7/14 - Faith and Academics, a 50-50 Bond for Abilene College Students
• 7/13 - Dogs Track Down Escaped Prisoner
• 7/12 - Stenholm: Highway Funds Would Mean More Flexibility
• 7/12 - Brownwood Police Officer Suspended
• 7/12 - Eastland Men Get Licenses Suspended: Two Eastland County men had their driver's licenses suspended by Texas Attorney General Dan Morales as part of a statewide crackdown.
  ....Morales announced Thursday that his Child Support Division suspended 101 licenses, most of them driver's licenses, of parents who failed to pay child support.
  .....Those parents have collectively withheld nearly $1 million in support from their children, Morales said. By next week he anticipates that 30 more licenses will be suspended.
  .....In Eastland County the driver's licenses of Jon Kerr and Jesse Leo Boyd were suspended. According to Morales' office, Kerr owes $2,952 and Boyd, $6,626.66.
  .....The license suspension law went into effect Sept. 1, 1995.
• 7/12 - Lake Coleman Under Rabies Quarantine: Lake Coleman is under a 10-day quarantine after health department officials confirmed a case of rabies at the lake.
  ....A female dog at Comanche Shores, a residential area by the lake, was confirmed to have rabies, said Ray Prichard, city of Coleman animal control officer. The dog was found dead at the lake and was taken to a Clyde veterinarian, who sent the dog's head for tests to the Texas Department of Health in Austin. The tests were positive.
  ....Approximately 14 other dogs and cats at six residences were exposed to the carrier. ....Prichard said that even though the pets had been vaccinated for rabies, he has ordered the owners to get booster shots for the animals.
• 7/12 (early) - No Fireworks Over Developer's Plan: The anticipated fireworks Thursday over developer O.B. Stephens' latest plan turned out to be a dud.
  ....Only one citizen spoke against Stephens' request to amend the southwest area land use plan at a public hearing before the Abilene City Council. Councilmembers weren't swayed by the lone opponent's pleas and unanimously approved Stephens' proposal.
  ....The plan, adopted in 1993 to serve as a guide for future development, now allows for limited commercial development on 1.4 acres on the east side of Catclaw at the intersection of Rolling Green. Across Catclaw, multi-family residences will be permitted on a 12.4-acre tract.
  ....The plan previously permitted only residential neighborhoods on the land.
• 7/11 - Republic of Texas General Counsel Meeting in Abilene
• 7/11 - Accused Teen Rapist's Trial Testimony 'Stomach-Churning'
• 7/11 - Abilene Getting First Indoor Gun Range
• 7/11 - Mary Cooksey Named Director of Children's Center for Literature
• 7/11 - Dyess Safe Haven from Bertha: Dyess Air Force Base is providing a safe haven for 10 aircraft assigned to East Coast bases threatened by Hurricane Bertha.
  ....Two C-17 Globemaster transport planes from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and eight P-3 Orion and S-3 Viking antisubmarine aircraft from Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Fla., were evacuated to Dyess on Wednesday.
• 7/11 - Teeler New Director: Don Ray Teeler has been selected as new executive director of the Abilene Regional MHMR Center.
  ....Teeler, currently chief of operations of the Andrews MHMR Center in Tyler, will begin here Aug. 5.
  ....He succeeds William Livingston, who is resigning July 31 to enter a seminary in Austin to study to become an Episcopal priest. He has been executive director since 1992.
• 7/11 (early) - Area Farmers Offered Relief: Family farmers in the Abilene area were offered federal drought relief loans Wednesday as officials declared 22 Texas counties natural disaster areas.
  ....Low-interest loans from the Farm Service Agency will be available to family farmers in Fisher, Haskell, Howard, Jones and Mitchell Counties and in any adjacent counties.
  ....The declaration came in response to a request from Gov. George W. Bush after heavy damages and losses from the ongoing drought.
• 7/10 - Robertson Inmate Who Tried to Escape Dies
• 7/10 - Heroin Suspect Misses Two Court Dates
• 7/10 - TIF Board to Draft Policy after Sidewalk Renovation Concerns
• 7/10 (early) - Council to Consider Land Use Amendment: The Abilene City Council will consider amending the southwest area land use plan for developer O.B. Stephens after a public hearing Thursday morning.
  
  ....Stephens is asking the council to amend the 1993 plan to allow limited commercial development on a 1.4-acre tract at Catclaw and Rolling Green. He's also requesting that multi-family residences be permitted on a 12.4-acre tract across Catclaw.
  ....The land use plan calls for residential neighborhoods on the properties.
• 7/10 (early) - Clamann Speaking in Japan: Dr. York Clamann, curriculum director at St. John's Episcopal School, hasbeen selected to present a lecture at the biennial conference of theInternational Planetarium Society.
  ....The conference will be this month in Osaka, Japan.
  ....Clamann, a member of the South West Association of Planetariums, willpresent a lecture on his paper titled "Scaling the Solar System."
• 7/9 - Abilene, Wylie Students Improve TAAS Scores
• 7/9 - City Tax Rate May Fall to Its Lowest in Nine Years
• 7/9 - Firm to Create 200 Telemarketing Jobs in Abilene
• 7/9 - Hot Weather No Concern for Water Usage ... Yet
• 7/9 (early) - Robertson Inmate Shot Trying to Escape: An inmate at the French Robertson Unit was shot today by a guard during an escape attempt, an official said.
  
  ....Texas Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Todd said Daniel Miguel Avellaneda, 25, was shot in the head. Avellaneda was transported to an Abilene hospital. His condition was not immediately available.
  ....The incident happened around 7:50 a.m. as Avellaneda and about 20 other inmates were removing dirt from a field near the unit. The prison official says the guard fired a warning shot in the air as Avellaneda ran.
  ....The inmate refused to stop and allegedly made an obscene hand gesture as he fled.
  ...."He was continuing to run. The officer then fired one shot at him, striking the fleeing inmate between the eyes," according to Todd.
• 7/9 (early) - She Fell for It...Hook, Line and Sinker: A tackle box given by an admirer contained a lure that Erath County Attorney Beth Barber fell for hook, line, and sinker - an engagement ring.
  
  ....Nestled next to the bobbers and the bass lures was the lovely ring wrapped in a piece of tissue. Barber announced her resignation Monday during the Erath County Commissioners meeting in order to wed Stephenville attorney Garry Lewellen on Oct. 26.
  ....Barber was appointed county attorney to serve out the term of her husband, Bob Hooper, who died July 21, 1993.
  ....Bill Oxford, county attorney-elect, has agreed to take office on Aug. 1.
  ....Lewellen's fishing box proposal had one catch - the future Mrs. Lewellen could keep the ring but she had to return the box.
  ...."He said he could never part from his tackle box," Barber said.
• 7/8 - Officials Studying Quality of Abilene Parks
• 7/8 - Crowded House, Mobile Home Cause Ordinance Fight
• 7/8 - Hot has finally settled in to stay a spell: Sunday's year-high temperature of 104 not only set a record for July 7, but was the hottest this year to date, and was the third straight day of century-high readings in Abilene.
  
  ....The forecast for the work week ahead doesn't offer much hope of relief, either. For each of the next five days, an afternoon high temperature of at least 100 remains a possibility.
  ....For optimists, the only possible break in sight is a slight chance of thunderstorms, which can cool the outside air considerably, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  ....Elsewhere in the state, Dallas-Fort Worth, Sherman, Tyler and Longview continued under a heat advisory as sunny and hot conditions prevailed. Dallas-Fort Worth hit a record 106, surpassing the 105 reached on Aug. 31, 1990.
  ....Wichita Falls, with 110; Denton (108); and Waco (104), were among other Texas cities that beat or tied heat records on Sunday.
• 7/7 - Jury System Needs Reform (Special Report by Richard Horn)
• 7/7 - Legendary Watt Matthews Given Tribute in Stamford
• 7/7 - Two New Attorney's in D.A.'s Office: Two new attorneys have joined the Taylor County district attorney's office.
  ....Kristy Bronson and Dan Joiner fill two vacancies, said District Attorney James Eidson.
  Bronson grew up in Tyler and was planning to attend Abilene Christian University when, coincidentally, her father was transferred to Abilene.
  .....She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism/mass communications from ACU in 1990. She went to South Texas College of Law in Houston and graduated in May of 1994.
  ....Bronson said she sought employment with the district attorney's office because she "likes being one of the good guys."
  ....."You do make more money in the private area, but this is the right side of the law," Bronson said.
• 7/6 - LULAC Owes Roscoe School System Money
• 7/6 - Proud Woodson Exes Hold Reunion
• 7/6 - Drought Meeting Monday: The first of a series of statewide drought relief town hall meetings will be Monday in Abilene.
  ....The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to noon in the Hart Auditorium on the Abilene Christian University campus.
  ....Through the series of meetings, state and federal agencies - from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to the Small Business Administration - will travel around the state to spread the word about available grants, loans and government assistance.
• 7/5 - Fourth Was a Busy One for Abilene, Area
• 7/5 - Robbery Suspect Arrested: A 41-year-old Jones County man was arrested Thursday morning at his Jones County home and charged with the knifepoint robbery at a Clyde drugstore a day earlier.
  
  ....The Callahan County sheriff's department would not release the name of the man Thursday night, although he was being held in the county jail.
  ....The robber briefly held a woman hostage with a large knife as he demanded a variety of drugs from the Falk Pharmacy Wednesday afternoon.
• 7/4 - Plan Your "Escape" Route After the Fireworks Show
• 7/4 - Clyde Pharmacy Robbed: A daring robber made off with an undetermined amount of narcotics in a robbery at a Clyde pharmacy Wednesday afternoon.
  
  ....The robber, who held a woman hostage with a large knife, entered the Falk Pharmacy near Interstate 20 about 4 p.m. and demanded the drugs. The hostage was left shaken but otherwise unharmed.
  .....He was described as a white man in his late 20s to early 30s, about 5 feet 10 and medium build, with brown hair and a large mustache. He drove a small, beige four-door car, with his direction of escape unknown, said Clyde Police Sgt. William Cheek.
• 7/4 (early) - Abilene's Fourth Activities: - Patriotic program sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Briarstone Manor, 101 Eplen's Court.
  
  .... * Old-fashioned picnic sponsored by Taylor County Democrats, 4-7 p.m., Festival Gardens at Abilene Zoo.
  .... * Fireworks display after Abilene Prairie Dogs baseball game, sometime after 9 p.m., Crutcher Scott Field at Abilene Christian University, 1600 Campus Court.
• 7/3 - Lots of Fourth Stuff Today: A number of Fourth of July-related activities, including the opening parade for the Texas Cowboy Reunion, will take place today.
  
  ....In Stamford, a full day of events begins at 8:30 this morning with a directors meeting of the Oldtimers Association at the bunkhouse.
  ....Team roping at 9, a memorial service at 9:30 in the bunkhouse and a barbecue lunch at noon at the bunkhouse shed all take place today.
  ....The opening TCR grand parade begins at 4 p.m. in downtown Stamford. It will be followed by a chuckwagon dinner.
  ...The first performance of the TCR rodeo, including the grand entry, begins at 8 p.m. A dance with music provided by Jody Nix & the Texas Cowboys will follow at the pavilion.
  ....In Abilene, at 6:30 p.m. the Abilene Community Band will perform a patriotic concert on the lawn at the Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church, South 6th and Meander.
  ....The concert is free and people should bring lawn chairs.
  ....In Snyder, the 36th Annual Fourth of July celebration begins today in Towle Memorial Park. Craft and food booths, as well as carnival rides, open at 5 p.m.
  ....The celebration continues Thursday with a prayer breakfast, fireworks display and special white buffalo finale.
• 7/3 (early) - Former Resident Sues Total Rehab Inc.: A former Abilenian is charging in a $1.5 million lawsuit that his female boss made sexual overtures to him in a darkened hotel room.
  
  ....Avien Lay's ex-boss called the claims, detailed in a lawsuit filed in Abilene federal court last week, baseless. Bruce Phillips, president of Total Rehab Inc., noted the last man he's heard make such claims was actor Michael Douglas, the victim of a corporate vamp in the movie "Disclosure."
  ...."I thought this dog was dead," Phillips said Tuesday. "This thing was thoroughly investigated. If he wants to sue us, fine. I feel very comfortable."
  ....Lay was hired in June 1995 as an operations director for West Texas Rehab Management - not to be confused with the West Texas Rehab Center. Total Rehab provides management personnel to West Texas Rehab Management, which provides physical therapy to area hospitals and nursing homes.
  ....According to the suit, Valerie McCaleb, a Total Rehab vice president, broached several personal matters with Lay during his employee orientation, including the details of his divorce and "extensive inquiries" into his ex-wife's alleged extra-marital affairs.
• 7/3 (early) - Constable to be Appointed: Someone will most likely be appointed to the position of Constable for Precinct 3 before the election in December, said Taylor County Judge Lee Hamilton.
  
  ....In the County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, the resignation of Constable Keith Davis was accepted, leaving a void until the election in January. Davis resigned because he said he was not able to fulfill the duties of the part-time job. The time commitment of the job is full-time, said Davis, and since the job couldn't be expanded, he resigned.
  ....Hamilton said the Commissioners weren't asked to consider making the position full time. If there is a discrepancy, the constables should advise the court of changes in workload and make appropriate budget requests, Hamilton said.
• 7/2 - Outcome of Bond Election Gives Hope to Other Projects
• 7/2 - Jet Skis Churn Rougher Waters for Swimmers
• 7/2 - Planning and Zoning Board Approves Developer's Request
• 7/2 (early) - Taylor County Constable Resigns: The resignation of Taylor County Constable Keith Davis went into effect Sunday.
  ....Davis, of Precinct 3 in Tuscola, said he resigned because he is no longer able to meet the time requirement of the job.
  ...."With the amount of paper work I have and my full-time job, it doesn't leave me much time for my family," Davis said. "I've had a good time and have enjoyed serving the public, but under the circumstances, I can't serve as I should."
  ....Davis served 3-1/2 years of his four-year term, and acceptance of his resignation will be considered at the Taylor County commissioners meeting today at 10 a.m.
• 7/2 (early) - Stamford Cowboy Reunion Begins: The 66th Annual Texas Cowboy Reunion begins Tuesday night with apreview party for the western art show and sale.
  ....The party begins at 6 p.m. in the John Selmon Memorial Pavilion.
  ....Western art will be for sale and on display in the pavilion throughout the four-day event Wednesday through Saturday.
  ....Texas Cowboy Reunion activities get under way at 4 p.m. Wednesday with aparade through the streets of Stamford.
• 7/1 - Sweetwater Chamber Finds Home in Lavish Building
• 7/1 - Stamford Man Stabbed to Death: A 40-year-old Stamford man was stabbed to death after answering the door at his central Stamford home late Saturday.
  
  ....John Thomas Hicks died en route to Hendrick Medical Center by air ambulance. He was initially treated at Stamford Memorial Hospital before transfer to the Abilene hospital.
  ....Justice of the Peace Sam Matta of Abilene pronounced him dead at 2:35 a.m. Sunday, and ordered an autopsy, to be performed at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office.
  ....Three teen-agers, one a juvenile, were taken into custody in connection with the homicide.
  Gary Acosta Jr., 17, and Jude Pardo Jr., 19, both of Stamford, were each arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The juvenile's name, age and custodial status were not released Sunday.
  .....Stamford Police Chief Glenn Smith would not specify a likely motive in the slaying, although he said he didn't believe it to be drug-related.

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