Archives for August 2008

Memphis – Harold “Bud” Eric Hamm was officially charged with the first degree felony offense of murder Monday.

Ham, age 40, is accused of killing 48-year-old Darrel Wayne Randell, both long-time residents of Turkey, Texas, according to DPS Trooper Dan Hawthorne.

Hamm was magistrated by Justice of the Peace Cody Bell who set his bond at $500,000.

On Friday, August 15, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding a possible aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on the South West side of Turkey around 10:00 p.m.

“Hall County Deputy Sheriff Tom Heck responded to the call Friday night and is currently investigating the crime, along with Texas Rangers from the Texas DPS Ranger Division,” said Neel.

Upon arriving at the scene of the crime, Heck observed Randell’s body lying on the ground. Heck observed pools of blood around the head area of Randell, as well as the abdomen area.

Heck reported that Hamm was leaning on the driver side of his pickup and he was crying and appeared to be very upset.

Heck also stated that after Hamm was secured, Heck found a handgun on the ground approximately 30 yards east of where Hamm had been standing.

Witnesses of the shooting identified Hamm as the one who shot Randell.

Justice of the Peace Bell arrived at the scene and pronounced Randell dead.

“My condolences go out to the victim’s family members and friends, as well as the residents of Turkey who were affected by this offense.” said Luke Inman, 100th Judicial District Attorney.

A divided Clarendon Board of Aldermen proposed a tax rate 15 cents higher than the current rate last Tuesday as the city begins the process of preparing a budget for the coming year.

The board agreed that taxes would have to be raised in order to help the city get out of the financial difficulty it has been experiencing, but the division came when it was time to propose an exact rate.

The current city property tax rate is 50 cents per $100 valuation, and Interim City Administrator Phyllis Jeffers said an increase of 5.9 cents per $100 would be needed to generate the same revenue as last year.

If all other things stayed equal, the current rate of 50 cents would leave the city with a $160,000 shortfall, Jeffers said. A rate of 55.9 cents would leave a shortfall of about $90,000, and a rate of 60 cents would be a nearly break even point.

Jeffers told Aldermen that some savings can be realized in the new budget – an expected decrease of $18,000 in health care premiums, for example – but she also said the city had depleted its reserves this year.

“You need to fund reserves, and that has to be a priority,” Jeffers said. “You need to think five years ahead in this budget.”

Alderman Terry Noble suggested proposing a 60-cent tax rate, but Alderman Ann Huey disagreed.

“I just don’t think 60 cents will do it,” she said. “I don’t want to have to come back next year and go for another big tax increase.”

Mayor Mark White also said he thought people would understand the higher tax rate.

“Everything has gone up, and everyone knows that,” White said.

Aldermen Tommy Hill said he agreed with Huey that the city needs more money, but said 65 cents was too much to ask of the taxpayers.

The board approved proposing a 65-cent tax rate by a vote of 3-2. Aldermen Huey and Noble voted in favor, Aldermen Hill and Kyle Davis voted against, and Mayor White broke the tie with an “aye” vote. Alderman Chris Ford was absent.

The city will hold two public hearings on the proposed tax rate – one on September 9 and again on September 16. Both hearings will be at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

If adopted a rate of 65 cents per $100 valuation would raise the taxes on the average residence by $241.30. The taxes on the homes of disabled persons and persons aged 65 years or older are frozen and will not increase.

Jeffers also said more hard decisions would have to be made and said water, sewer, and sanitation rates may have to go up as well.

The board also approved a motion to take more than $123,000 out of the Improvement Fund and transfer it to the General Fund to cover expenses.

In other city business last week, Aldermen accepted a health insurance bid from First Care with lower premiums that the current year, accepted an agreement for repairs on the property at 716 W. Sixth, and approved two resolutions for a solid waste grant that would give the city 40 new three-cubic yard trash bins and other new equipment.

A Clarendon man is facing a manslaughter charge in the death of Thomas Childress Herman.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Raymond Ballard, age 37, was arrested last Wednesday as part of the ongoing investigation into Herman’s death.

Herman, age 52, was found dead in his Clarendon apartment at Fourth and Gorst on the morning of July 7.

Sheriff Blackburn and Chief Deputy Randy Bond conducted an investigation, and an autopsy was ordered by Justice of the Peace Connie Havens, the results of which are still pending.

It was soon discovered that forged checks were being written in Herman’s name; and, on July 9, Ballard was arrested and charged with possession of forged checks with Herman’s name on them. Ballard was also charged with possessing stolen credit cards not belonging to Herman.

Blackburn said a polygraph was run on Ballard on July 17 and a statement was received from the accused. That led Blackburn to meet with District Attorney Luke Inman on August 8 and receive the official complaint and charge of manslaughter.

Ballard remained in the Donley County Jail Monday morning with bond set at $50,000

The Lelia Lake man charged in the July kidnapping case of a McLean resident now faces the additional charge of aggravated sexual assault.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said 37-year-old James Michael Brinkley received the additional charge last Wednesday while still in custody on the aggravated kidnapping charge. He was arraigned by County Judge Jack Hall, and bond on the sexual assault charge was set at $100,000.

Brinkley is now accused of raping a 32-year-old white female at his trailer house near Lelia Lake on July 28.

The new charge stems from the ongoing investigation of the kidnapping case that occurred on that same date. The woman in the case is no longer being identified because of the sexual assault charge.

The case began July 28 when a 52-year-old McLean man was reportedly kidnapped in Amarillo by two or possibly three subjects. He was bound and put in a white van which was later being driven through Clarendon, followed by the victim’s red Lincoln Navigator, which was driven by one of the suspects.

The vehicles then pulled off at Lowe’s Family Center in Clarendon about noon that day. There the McLean man managed to free himself, injure one suspect, and escape into the supermarket.

The man reported another person, a woman, was being held against her will. She was found later that day and reported being held at a residence near Lelia Lake by Brinkley.

The woman was subsequently arrested on drug charges.

Another suspect, John E. Arbukle, age 38, of Childress, was stopped by a Donley County Deputy the day after the kidnapping for a traffic violation last Tuesday and arrested on outstanding warrants.

Both Brinkley and Arbukle remained in custody Tuesday morning. The woman in the case has been released on bond.

The investigation in the kidnapping case is still ongoing. Blackburn says he expects additional charges will be filed soon in Amarillo.

Some Donley County ag producers could be facing restricted groundwater use if the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District takes action next week.

A room full of ag producers and other concerned citizens gathered at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College on Monday to hear from the PGCD during the public meeting concerning water issues.

The PGCD discussed the need to cut back and possible restrictions on water use in the eastern portions of Donley County which has been designated as a proposed Conservation Area.

The PGCD presented a slideshow with several models that showed a study done for Regional Planning efforts that predicted parts of the Panhandle running out of water. In the mid 1990s, several events occurred in the District that led the Board to determine the need for a long term goal for conservation.

Jason Green represents Donley County on the PGCD board and said in an interview with the Enterprise on Tuesday morning that the district is just trying to stay ahead of Austin in regards to groundwater.

“The state did tell us if we don’t take care of the matter ourselves, they will take care of it in Austin,” Green said. “Right now the District is years ahead of Austin.”

In 1998 the PGCD adopted the 50/50 Standard which is a “management standard that ensures at least 50% of the current supplies or saturated thickness of the aquifer remains after 50 years.”

The acceptable annual decline rate is 1.25 percent of the saturated thickness per year. If an area is declining at a rate greater that 1.25 percent per year, it will be initially considered for a study area. After the PGCD studied area 05-4, which is the area in the Eastern portion of Donley County around Hedley, they are recommending to designate the area into Conservation Area C08-05-04.

If this area is approved as a conservation area, within 120 days meters will be installed on every well capable of producing over 25,000 gallons per day at the owner’s expense.

Each producer will be checked to make sure they are only producing 1 acre-foot per contiguous acre owned or leased the first year. Production will never be reduced below 0.2 acre-feet per acre.

Producers who exceed the maximum usage could face fines of up to $10,000 per day under state law.

While ag producers understand the concerns of the declining groundwater levels, they are equally concerned about their ability to produce sufficient crops and maintain their livelihoods if restrictions are placed on the amount of water they can pump.

Green says he understands the concerns of local farmers.

“I’m right there with them. I am an irrigation farmer, and the water is my life.”

But Green also said that the District is trying to make sure that future generations have water available.

“In the High Plains and North Plains districts, they have already gone too far and pumped too much water,” Green said. “Some areas in Colorado and New Mexico can’t even drill new wells. We don’t want to get to that point.”

Suggestions to farmers include growing a crop that requires 15” or less of water per year, splitting crops under the pivot with a lower water use crop, or leasing water rights from grasslands contiguous to you. To be contiguous, your property lines must be joined by ¼ mile.

In the worst case scenario, if we do not receive sufficient rainfall, producers could face further restrictions in the future.

Green said that there are a lot of things that need to be discussed and understood before final decisions are made.

“I personally don’t think we have enough information to start the regulation business,” he said.

The PGCD encourages all interested parties to attend the public hearing and express their concerns on Wednesday, August 20, at 1:30 p.m. at the District Office at 201 West Third Street, White Deer, Texas.

Following the public hearing, the PGCD board will take action in regard to initiating the restrictions in the Conservation Area. Green said the PGCD board will have to choose between enacting the Conservation Area rules or just continuing the Study Area.

For a map of the affected area, visit the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District’s website at www.pgcd.us.

San Thompson was the recipient this week of the fourth award under the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s Façade Grant Program.

The CEDC Board at its regular meeting Monday approved Thompson’s improvements to his building at 317 S. Kearney, immediately south of Sam Hill’s BBQ. The project consisted of removing windows that were deteriorated and in danger of falling out and installation of a new awning.

The project cost Thompson $1,761.67, and he hired his son, San Thompson, Jr., to do the work. CEDC President Steve Hall presented Thompson with a check for $880.83 Tuesday morning.

“I really appreciate all the work the EDC is doing,” Thompson said.

Thompson said he was aware of the grant program before he started working on the project and that the possibility of getting a grant impacted his plans for the building.

“I did a better job and a little more work than I would have otherwise done,” he said.

The project has generated a lot of comments, almost all of which have been positive; and Thompson say the work definitely improved the looks of the building.

“It was pretty ugly before,” he said.

Thompson hopes to rent the building for some kind of business use and told the CEDC Board that the building’s has a fairly open floor plan that could be used a variety of ways.

The CEDC has budgeted $10,000 for this year’s Façade Grant Program, which provides fifty-fifty matching grants up to a maximum of $2,000 per project for properties on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street between First and Fourth Streets.

Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront.

To date the CEDC has awarded more than $4,000 in façade grants. A fifth application is pending.

The CEDC Board will next meet to consider grant applications on Tuesday, September 2, at 5:15 p.m. in City Hall. This will be the final chance for grants to be considered in this fiscal year.