Archives for March 2010

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen will meet in called session this Thursday, April 1, to discuss an interim appointment for the office vacated when City Administrator John Webb’s job was terminated last week.

According to the agenda posted Monday, the aldermen will meet in closed session for consultation with their attorney and to discuss personnel issues – specifically the appointment, employment, and duties of an interim city administrator/city secretary – and then reconvene in open session to take action.

The board terminated Webb’s employment last Tuesday night, March 23, in a called session for what Mayor Chris Ford called “a lack of confidence in (Webb’s) ability to perform the duties of city administrator.”

Alderman Will Thompson told the Enterprise that the board voted 3-2 to remove Webb. Thompson said he and Alderman Ann Huey voted against the measure and that Aldermen Larry Hicks, Tommy Hill, and Kyle Davis voted for the removal.

Mayor Ford said the board’s decision was effective immediately and that Webb was given an opportunity to resign prior to the board’s action, which was taken after the aldermen met in closed session for an hour and 45 minutes.

The mayor said he met last Wednesday morning with all city employees to inform them of the decision.

Webb has served as Clarendon’s city administrator since October 2008. He did not have a contract with the city, Ford said.

A call to Webb’s residence in Borger was not returned before press time Tuesday.

More than 2,000 FFA and 4-H students were in Clarendon last Saturday, March 27, for the 29th annual Clarendon College Judging Contest.

The contest is the largest event in Clarendon each year, more than doubling the population each time the contestants come to town and is a significant boost on the economy. It draws participants from across Texas as well as from Oklahoma and New Mexico.

This year the total number of entrants was 2,247.  That number does not include coaches, parents, and family members that also attend and visit Clarendon for the day

Several local 4H and FFA members did well at the CC contest. In Livestock Judging, the Donley County 4-H Senior Team of Jacob Pigg, Jayson Pigg, John Pigg, and J.D. Baxter placed sixth.

The Junior Team One of Tres Hommel, Brittney McAnear, Kati Adams, and Jake Owens placed eighth. Tres Hommel was 13th high individual out of 109 contestants.
The Junior Team Two of Blaine Ellis, Jake Hewett, and Kelsey McAnear finished in a three-way tie for 16th place.

The 4-H Horse Judging Senior Team of Chris Shults, Cheyenne Kosechata, and Cedar Stevenson placed sixth; the Junior Team One of Sam Spillers, Kade Hunsaker, and Alysse Simpson placed 12th; and the Junior Team Two of Brandalyn Ellis, Jessica Lowrie, Shelby Musick, and Kolt Stevenson placed seventh.

The Clarendon High School FFA Livestock Team of Jacob Pigg, Jayson Pigg, and John Pigg placed 18th at the CC contest.

Local teams also participated in contests at Texas Tech on March 25 and West Texas A&M on March 26.

The FFA Livestock Team placed 39th of 143 teams at Texas Tech; and the team placed sixth at WT with Jayson Pigg as 17th high individual. FFA Horse Team of Brady Clark and Chris Shults also did well at WT. 

The 4-H Horse Senior Team of Chris Shults, Cedar Stevenson, Brady Clark, and Cheyenne Kosechata placed fifth at WT; the Junior Team One placed ninth; and the Junior Team Two placed eighth. Kosechata was fifth high individual in Halter Horse, and Spillers was fourth high individual in Performance Horse and tenth high overall.

The 4-H Horse teams will compete in the District Contest at WT on April 9, and the 4-H Livestock Team will be at the District I contest at WT on April 16.

 A Memphis man and woman suspected of passing at least 30 bad checks to merchants in Clarendon pled guilty when the district court met in Panhandle last Thursday, March 25.

Darrell Smith was placed on probation for a period of six years for the third degree felony offense of engaging in organized criminal activity. Smith was convicted and sentenced to ten years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, but the sentence was probated for a period of six years.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mr. Smith is required to pay a $500 fine to Donley County, $3,885.95 in restitution, $473 in court costs, and complete 200 hours of community service.

Aimee Smith was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of engaging in organized criminal activity. Mrs. Smith pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication.

Both Smiths were arrested in Donley County for offenses which occurred on March 12, 2010. The State filed its complaints and information on March 25, 2010.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mrs. Smith is required to pay a $500 fine to Donley County and is also required to pay $3,885.95 in restitution and $473 in court costs. If Mrs. Smith violates probation, she could face up to ten years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Also in Panhandle last Thursday, 10 other pleas took place which resulted in five convictions and 5 other deferred adjudications.

Luke Inman, the 100th Judicial District Attorney, prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

A total of $41,500 in fines were assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on March 25, 2010. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $4,188 in court costs and $4,725.95 in restitution.

Michael Ambrose Early was convicted and sentenced to six years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Early pleaded true to the allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Revoke Defendant.

Early originally pleaded guilty to the offense on March 16, 2009. On that date, Early pleaded to a 3rd degree felony possession of marihuana that occurred on November 21, 2008.

On February 2, 2010, the State filed a motion to revoke the defendant’s guilty which Early pleaded true to all of the State’s allegations. In addition to being sentenced to six years, Early is also required to pay a $7,000 fine to Carson County, and $313 in court costs.

Jared Trent Viner was convicted and sentenced to four and a half years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Viner pleaded true to some of the allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Revoke Defendant which was filed on October 7, 2009.

Viner was convicted originally on June 1, 2009 for the offense which took place on February 2, 2009. Viner received five years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for five years.

In addition to being sentenced to four and a half years, Viner is also required to pay a $2,000 fine to Carson County and pay $313 in court costs.

Jose A. Mora was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. Mora pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for possession of marihuana. He was arrested in Carson County on October 16, 2009. The State filed a complaint and information against Mora on January 4, 2010.

“The complaint and information filed in this case, and numerous other cases across the district, are the charging instruments that begin felony prosecution,” said Inman. “These charging instruments help expedite the felony prosecution process, while reducing the amount of time and energy our office and law enforcement expends if we are able to resolve the case before it is presented to the grand jury.”

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mora is required to pay a $3,000 fine to Carson County, and is also required to pay $140 in restitution, $327 in court costs, and complete 200 hours of community service. If Mora violates probation, he could face up to ten years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

John Lewis King, Jr. was placed on probation for a period of four years for the third degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. King pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for possession of marihuana.

King was arrested in Carson County on January 5, 2010. The State filed its complaint and information on March 10, 2010, charging King with the third degree felony offense.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, King is required to pay a $4,500 fine to Carson County, and is also required to pay $140 in restitution, $327 in court costs, and complete 200 hours of community service. If King violates probation, he could face up to ten years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Stephanie Marie Gerhardt and her husband, Craig Allen Doan, were placed on probation for a period of ten years for the first degree felony offense of possession of controlled substance and the third degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. Gerhardt and Doan both pleaded guilty for the offenses that took place on January 18 and were placed on deferred adjudication for both offenses.

Gerhardt and Doan pleaded guilty to a complaint and information filed by the State on March 10, 2010.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, both defendants were required to pay a fine of $7,000 fine to Carson County, and are also required to pay $140 in restitution and $654 in court costs and each must complete 400 hours of community service. If either Gerhardt or Doan violates probation, they could each face up to 99 years or life in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Jose Amador Sanchez-Miranda and Veronica Vindiola Estrada were placed on probation for a period of ten years for the second degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. Both Sanchez-Miranda and Estrada were convicted and sentenced to ten years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, but the sentence was probated for a period of ten years.

Both Estrada and Sanchez-Miranda were arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place on March 21, 2019. Both defendants pleaded guilty to a complaint and information filed by the State on March 25, 2010.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, both defendants are required to pay a $5,000 fine to Carson County, $140 in restitution, $327 in court costs, and 200 hours of community service.