Archives for February 2008

AUSTIN – For the first time in the Lone Star state’s history, Texans can vote online for a new general-issue license plate.

From noon Monday, February 4, until noon the following Monday, February 11, Texans can go to www.txdot.gov to vote for one of four new license plate designs or to keep the current general-issue plate.

All of the plates feature the state name on the top and “The Lone Star State” on the bottom. They are divided into four categories, a representation of how Texans see the state:

Traditional Texas. The plate features blue highlights with a gold Lone Star, and bold, red “TEXAS.”

Lone Star Texas. A white Lone Star stands out in the top, left-hand corner of the plate. Wide brushes of red and blue punctuate the Texas sky on the top half of the plate along with a low-lying mountain range on the bottom.

Natural Texas. The entire plate is covered with wildflowers.

New Texas. This red, white and blue plate features a composite of modern landmark buildings from several Texas cities.

My Texas. This is the current general-issue license plate that was introduced in 2000. It features icons of the state, including a horse, space shuttle, and oil derrick.

All of the plate designs were created by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

“We’re excited that the Internet makes it possible for Texans to help choose the next general-issue license plate,” said Rebecca Davio, director of Vehicle Titles and Registration, the TxDOT division that oversees the manufacturing of the state’s license plates.

Even if Texans choose the current plate design, they will see something new in early 2009 when the state changes to seven-character, alpha-numeric plate patterns.

“By the end of this year, we will be out of license plate combinations for the three letters and three numbers that we currently put on the general-issue plate,” Davio said. “Because we need to change the plate, we thought it was the perfect time to invite Texans to participate in a design selection.”

By law, the Texas Transportation Commission must give final approval to any new general-issue plate design. If Texans select the current plate design, no further action is needed by the commission.

For more information, contact Kim Sue Lia Perkes at (512) 302-2076, or kperkes@dot.state.tx.us.

Texas beef and dairy cattle producers, cattle feeders and markets operators achieved a long-sought victory Friday, February 1, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Texas has achieved cattle brucellosis-free status.

For nearly 50 years, Texas cattle producers battled brucellosis, or “Bangs Disease,” the bacterial disease that is caused by Brucella abortus. The disease can cause cows to abort, deliver weak calves, or produce less milk.

All other states in the United States are classified brucellosis-free, some for more than 25 years.

“Texas was the last state to achieve the ‘free’ status. We have more herds and more cattle than any other state – ­14 million at last count. We also had more brucellosis infection to fight. In 1959, when Texas officially joined the national eradication program, we had more than 20,000 of the country’s 100,000 infected herds,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency.

“This victory for the cattle industry did not come easily or without hardship,” said Dr. Hillman. “For many cattle producers in the early days of the program, it meant losing a herd with only salvage value payment, or having the herd under quarantine and being unable to sell animals for long periods of time. Some producers’ herds became re-infected. In recent years, infected herds were purchased from owners and depopulated whenever possible, to quickly wipe out infection.”

“Hearing the words ‘cattle brucellosis-free’ is music to the industry’s ears,” said Mr. Ernie Morales, Chairman of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

Clarendon’s doctor may be half way around the world, but his thoughts are certainly on home and the friends and family who are carrying on in his absence.

This week those thoughts were evidenced by the presentation of a unique honor bestowed upon the Clarendon Family Medical Center – the “Patriot Award” Certificate of Appreciation from the National Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Dr. John Howard nominated his wife and office for the award, and ESGR volunteer Ben C. Pollard made the presentation Monday morning.

“When you’re over there, one of the things you worry about is what’s going on at work at home,” Pollard said. “But Dr. Howard said he has not had to worry about that.”

Howard is a Commander in the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty last spring to serve with a squadron of Marines in Iraq.

Pollard said Howard particularly commended the efforts of physician assistants David Dickinson and Devah Pittman for caring for his patients while he is away.

Howard’s wife, Lori, said he is doing well in Iraq and should be coming home soon.

“He hopes to be back in April and back to work in May,” she said.

Mrs. Howard also credited the hard work of those working at the clinic in the doctor’s absence.

“It’s a group effort for sure,” she said. “And we want to be sure to thank Dr. (Mike) Henderson, too.”

Henderson is a physician in Childress who is acting as the Clarendon clinic’s supervisor while Howard is gone.”

The Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense organization. It is a staff group within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (OASD/RA), which is in itself a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The nation’s Reserve components (referring to the total of all National Guard members and Reserve forces from all branches of the military) comprise approximately 46 percent of our total available military manpower.

The current National Defense Strategy indicates that the National Guard and Reserve will be full partners in the fully integrated Total Force. Our Reserve forces will spend more time away from the workplace defending the nation, supporting a demanding operations tempo and training to maintain their mission readiness.

The Patriot Award is presented by the ESGR on behalf of the Department of Defense. All members of the National Guard and Reserve forces are eligible to nominate their employers for the certificate.

The nomination is subsequently used by the local ESGR Committee as the basis for consideration to receive higher level awards.

While races for county offices are already well underway, a whole new field for local candidates will open next week.

Starting Monday, citizens wishing to serve on any one of seven local boards can sign up for a place on the ballot.

The City of Clarendon will hold an election to choose three aldermen for two-year terms. Those positions are currently held by Aldermen Tommy Hill, Janice Knorpp, and Chris Ford.

The City of Howardwick will elect three aldermen. The terms of Aldermen Rod Donaldson, Sam Grider, and Lee Ann Cook are up for election this year. These officers each serve two-year terms.

Hedley’s election will select a mayor and two members of the board of aldermen for two-year terms. Those seats are now held by Mayor Janie Hill and Aldermen Ricki Baker and Leon Ward.

Two positions on the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees are up this year. Those seats are currently held by Weldon Sears and Lance Thornberry and are three-year terms.

Hedley ISD has two full three-year trustee positions and one unexpired position open this year. Those seats are currently held by Blain Burton, Kelly Patton, and Rex Morris. The top two vote getters will get the full terms, and the number three vote getter will serve the unexpired term.

The Clarendon College District will choose three members for the Board of Regents. Three full six-year terms expiring this year are currently held by John Howard, Bill Sansing, and Jack Moreman. College officials say each of those regents has expressed their intention to run for reelection.

The Donley County Hospital District will select four two year positions on its board, now held by Gene Hommel (Place 4), Carolyn Moffett (Place 5), Mark C. White (filling the unexpired term of the late Onita Thomas) (Place 6), and Bright Newhouse (Place 7).

Local offices are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must sign up for a specific place.

Sign up continues through March 10, 2008; and elections for these offices will be held May 10.

You may be entitled to a tax refund.

Thanks to action taken by Texas voters last fall, some self-employed taxpayers may be able to exempt their vehicle from being subject to personal property taxes. The exemption begins with the 2007 tax year; and if you’ve already paid your 2007 taxes, you could be eligible for a refund.

The passage of Proposition 6, which amended the state constitution under House Bill 1022, provides for an individual to one passenger car or light truck from personal property taxes if the vehicle is used for both business and personal reasons.

“We’re calling it a multi-use exemption,” said Donley Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Paula Lowrie.

Citizens must fill out an application to receive the exemption, and people who want that exemption to apply for the 2007 tax year must fill out the form at the appraisal office by April 1, 2008.

Lowrie said HB 1022 was passed after real estate agents in the state pushed for it.

“These are vehicles that would usually be taxed as business personal property, but they (real estate agents) got this exemption passed because they also drive their vehicles for personal use,” she said.

Lowrie said her office initially thought the law would not affect Donley County because, unlike many of the areas of the state, most local entities here tax vehicles for personal use.

“It kind of threw us for a loop,” Lowrie said. “It was apparently oversight that they didn’t exclude this exemption in places that tax these vehicles on the personal side.”

As it is, Lowrie says there are a lot of small businesses that are eligible for this exemption.

To qualify for the exemption individuals need to fill out an application form from the appraisal office that includes such basic information as the owner’s name, the vehicle identification number, the name and description of the business, and a short description of how the vehicle is used for the production of income.

“There are two main questions to answer,” Lowrie said. “Do you use this vehicle in the production of income? And do you use it for personal reasons?”

The law allows for one vehicle tax exemption per individual, so Lowrie said a husband and wife who both work for their own small business could exempt two vehicles total.

Certain situations are not eligible for the exemption.

“If you work for someone else, that’s the main eliminating factor,” Lowrie said.

People who used their vehicle to commute to and from work, are not eligible.

A retired person with no production of income is not eligible.

A vehicle that is registered in a business’ name and is used exclusively for business purposes is not eligible.

Lowrie said people who fill out an approved exemption form for 2007 and who have already paid their 2007 taxes will be issued a refund of that portion of their taxes in about 30 days.

The appraisal district does not yet know how much the new exemption will cost the local taxing entities in terms of revenue already collected or future revenue. That will not be known until after the April 1 deadline passes.

For taxing years 2008 and beyond, exemption applications must be filed between January 1 and April 30 each year. It is not automatically renewed.

Application forms are available at the appraisal district office at 307 S. Sully Street in Clarendon.