Archives for May 2010

A local woman was one of three people who pled guilty in separate cases when the District Court met in Childress on May 3.

Kristina Lynn Johnson, a 30-year-old Clarendon resident, pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for a period of two years to a lesser included offense of assault.

Johnson was arrested by Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn on November 15, 2009, for the state jail felony offense of injury to a child. Johnson pleaded guilty to lesser included offense of the assault, after being indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on January 13, 2010.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Johnson is required to pay a $1,000 fine to Donley County, court costs of $333, and successfully complete 100 hours of community service.

If Johnson violates probation, she could face up to one year in the Donley County jail.

Officers were dispatched to a residence on McClelland Street on November 9, 2009, to investigate a possible crime.

“Our investigation determined that a three-year-old white female had been burned on her private area,” Sheriff Butch Blackburn told the Enterprise last November.

The contact burns were likely caused due to hot water, the sheriff said. The child was taken to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo and then transferred to the Lubbock burn unit for treatment.

Johnson was arrested by the Childress County Sheriff’s Office on November 13 and placed in the Childress jail. Blackburn said he and Chief Deputy Randy Bond traveled to Childress and obtained a confession from the woman.

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

Also, James Thomas Chitty, 52-year-old Athens, Texas resident, was convicted and sentenced to five years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Chitty was sentenced on the third degree felony of possession of a controlled substance.

Chitty was convicted of the third degree felony offense that he originally pleaded guilty to on November 21, 2008. Chitty was placed on probation for the offense that occurred on May 2, 2008, for a period of three years.

The State filed a motion to adjudicate the guilt of the defendant against Chitty on August 28, 2009, alleging eight violations of probation, which Chitty pleaded true on all of the State’s allegations.

Pursuant to the plea of true, Chitty is also required to pay a total fine of $3,000 to Childress County, $376 in court costs, in addition to the five-year penitentiary sentence.

Michael T. Thomas pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for a period of three years for the state jail felony offense of possession of marihuana.

Thomas was arrested in Carson County on March 25, 2010. Thomas pleaded guilty to a complaint and information filed by the State on March 26, 2010.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Thomas is required to pay a $3,000.00 fine to Carson County, court costs of $327.00, $140.00 in restitution and successfully complete 200 hours of community service.

If Thomas violates probation, he could face up to two years in the state jail division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
A total of $7,000 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas on May 3. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $1,036 in court costs and $140 in restitution.

Voters will head to the polls Saturday to cast ballots in several local elections.

The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Election results will be posted Saturday night on The Clarendon Enterprise Facebook page as well as at www.ClarendonLive.com, and complete coverage will be included in next week’s print edition.

On the ballot this year, Clarendon voters will have a choice of seven candidates to fill three positions on the Board of Aldermen. Incumbent City Aldermen Kyle Davis and Will Thompson will be joined on the ballot by challengers Jeff King, Jeremy Powell, John Lockhart, Danny Bennett, and former alderman Terry Noble. Aldermen serve two-year terms and are elected at-large. Balloting is at the Donley County Courthouse Annex.

Voters in Hedley will have two choices for mayor – incumbent Bruce Howard and Dusty D. Wilkinson – and five choices for four positions on the Board of Aldermen – David Wells and incumbents Leon Ward, Tonya Metcalf, Travis Thomas, and Lonnie Roby.

Hedley city officials also serve two-year terms and are elected at large. Voting will be held at the Hedley Lions Den.

The City of Howardwick has four people running for three positions on the Board of Aldermen. Incumbents Rod Donaldson and Tanis McMorries are being challenged by Johnny Hubbard and Tim Gallagher.
These offices are two-year terms, and balloting is at Howardwick City Hall.

Six candidates are running for three positions on the Clarendon College Board of Regents. Challengers Cindy Myers, Glenda Hawkins, and Jerry Gage will face incumbents Susie Shields, Charles Deyhle, and Ruth Robinson. Regents serve six-year terms, and balloting is at the Donley County Courthouse Annex. An additional Election Day ballot box will be at the Hedley Lions Den.

One challenger is seeking a spot on the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees. Current members Robin Ellis, Jim Shelton, and Marvin Thompson will be joined on the ballot by Linda Rowland. Trustees serve three-year terms, and balloting is at the Donley County Courthouse Annex.

The Hedley ISD Board of Trustees has three candidates for two full terms. Incumbents James Edward Potts and Troy Monroe will face Bonnie Walsh Brown during the election. Karen Watt is serving an unexpired term on the board and was the only one to file to run for that position. Trustees serve three-year terms. Election Day balloting will be at the Hedley Lions Den.