Archives for October 2010

The 100th District Court handed down two convictions when it met in Clarendon last Monday, October 4.

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

A total of $6,000 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on October 4. 

Luis Alberto Garcia pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate Guilt of Defendant and was convicted and sentenced to eight years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

On July 29, 2009, Garcia originally pleaded guilty to the second degree felony offense of indecency with a child that occurred on October 19, 2008, in Donley County. 

The State filed the motion to adjudicate on September 15, 2010, alleging six violations of community supervision. Garcia pleaded true to all violations contained in the State’s motion and was sentenced to eight years in the TDCJ.  Garcia is also required to pay $640 in court costs to Donley County, and a $4,000 fine.

Robert Arthur Bullock was placed on probation for a period of two years for the Class A Misdemeanor offense of driving while intoxicated 2nd.  Bullock was convicted and sentenced to one year in the Donley County Jail, but the sentence was probated for a period of two years. 

Bullock was arrested in Donley County for the offense that occurred on March 5, 2010, and later indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on June 28, 2010. 

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Bullock is required to pay a $2,000 fine to Donley County, $140 restitution, and $558 in court costs. 

As a condition of probation, Bullock must comply with all the requirements of conviction under Texas Penal Code 49.04, which includes county jail time, a driver’s license suspense, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and other alcohol related conditions.

The Kwahadi Dancers will be performing on Friday, October 15, at the Bairfield Activity Center to benefit the Donley County Senior Citizens Center.

A meal will be served by the senior citizens at 5:30 p.m. The performance starts at 7:30 and will run approximately 90 minutes. Tickets at the door are $10.

Two Clarendon young people – Cire and Harley Jauregui – will be performing with the group.

The Kwahadi Dancers are a unique youth performing group. In addition to regularly scheduled public shows at the Kiva in Amarillo, the Kwahadis present their colorful pageant of song, dance, and stories of the American Indian for events, groups, and fundraisers nationwide.

The Kwhadis are officially Venture Crew Nine of the Golden Spread Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and over 1600 young men and ladies have presented over 3800 performances since 1944. They were honored by being given the name “Kwahadi” by the Elders of the Comanche Nation.

Local sales tax collections are on the increase, according to information released this week by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

The City of Clarendon’s October allocation was up 17.91 percent over the same period last year with revenue of $23,694.06.  That brings the city’s sales tax revenue for the calendar year-to-date to $254,654.59, a 2.99 percent increase.

Hedley also posted an increase with an allocation of $335.03, which is up 33.82 percent over last year and brings the city up 23.67 percent for the year at $6,097.29

Howardwick’s revenue was up 73.28 percent at $1,307.85 for the month and is now 8.54 percent ahead for the year at $11,293.59.

Statewide sales tax collections totaled $1.57 billion in September, up 6.8 percent compared to a year ago.

“This increase is significantly larger than recent monthly gains which have been in the 0 to 2 percent range,” said Combs. “Sales tax increases were posted across almost all sectors including oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade and restaurants.”

Combs will send local governments $443.5 million in monthly sales tax allocations, a 6 percent increase compared to a year ago. So far this calendar year, local sales tax allocations across the state are still down 1.3 percent compared to the same period in 2009.

Combs will distribute monthly sales tax allocations of $300.1 million to Texas cities, up 6.1 percent compared to last October. So far this calendar year, city sales tax allocations are running 1 percent lower than the same time last year.

The state and local sales tax figures represent sales that occurred in August.

For details of sales tax allocations to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales and Use Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.
The Comptroller’s November local sales tax allocation will be made on Monday, Nov. 15.