Archives for May 2012

Five witnesses were called to the stand Thursday, May 31, in the first day of testimony in the capital murder trial of Robert Monroe Babcock.

Jurors meeting in the Hall County Courthouse in Memphis spent the morning and part of the afternoon hearing the testimony of Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn as he recalled going to Babcock’s residence on the morning of January 4, 2011, after the defendant called 911 and reported his four-year-old son was non-responsive.

Blackburn testified that the boy had been severely beaten, and jurors listened to more than two hours of a recording of the sheriff and Chief Deputy Randy Bond interrogating Babcock, who admitted to them that he had struck the boy in the head and stomach to discipline him but maintained that the boy’s most severe injuries were self-inflicted.

The child, Chance Mark Jones, died the next morning at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. The investigation and the interview played for the jury indicate that Babcock physically abused Jones from December 24, 2010, to January 4, 2011.

Jurors also heard testimony from Chief Deputy Bond regarding Babcock’s demeanor that morning and from Donley County Paramedic Blaine Burton and emergency room nurse Amanda Trujillo about the horrifying nature and severity of the injuries Jones suffered, which they both said could not have been self-inflicted.

The final witness this afternoon was Paula Blackburn, owner of Paula’s Daycare where Jones received after-school care for two weeks before the Christmas break. She testified that Jones was a happy child who exhibited no discipline problems and that she saw no signs of abuse in the two weeks that he was at her facility, which ended on December 22.

The trial will continue Friday morning in Memphis, where the prosecution will call more witnesses to the stand. Babcock has entered a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity” in the case.

By Roger Estlack, © 2012 Clarendon Enterprise

Bargain shoppers will be in for a treat during the seventh annual “Trash to Treasures” garage sale event to be held in Clarendon and nearby communities this Saturday, June 2.
Twenty-one individual sales are scheduled to be held. A complete description of each sale is printed on the official Treasure Map located on the last page of this week’s Enterprise.
From a tractor to a Texaco light, this weekend’s sales will feature hundreds of treasures just waiting to be uncovered at bargain prices.
Other items included in this year’s sales are leather recliners, a hot tub, books, a piano, a Maytag washer, and more.
“Trash to Treasures” is being promoted with advertising dollars in area communities; and many people from neighboring counties attend.
After visiting all the sales, hungry shoppers are urged to stop by sale number 21 where the Assembly of God Youth Group will be having a hamburger lunch from 11 a.m. til the food runs out.
Trash to Treasures is organized by The Clarendon Enterprise as a service to the community.

Kids’ College classes at Clarendon College will get underway next Monday.

There will be more than 20 classes offered in the month of June for kids age 5-15.

“We have a wide variety of classes for kids this summer, and we’ve set things up so that even kids who go on vacation can still hopefully attend a portion of the offerings,” CC Marketing Coordinator Ashlee Estlack said. “We love offering Kids’ College as a way for kids to learn in a fun environment right here at home.”

This year’s courses feature popular returners from last year including Let’s Have a Tea Party, Take Home a Pet Tornado, Erupt a Volcano, and Make an Ocean in a Bottle.  New to this year’s schedule are Telling Tall Tales, Creative Writing, Fabric Crafts, Hand Sewing, Rooms Crafts and Jewelry Making, Fun with Fossils, and Jelly Making.

“Another class we are excited to offer is Basics in Babysitting,” Estlack said. “This course is taught by the American Red Cross and is graciously underwritten by the City of Clarendon in order to make it affordable for the students.  The class is for anyone ages 11 to 15 and features training in first aid and home safety and is perfect for anyone interested in babysitting neighbors or relatives.”

Students can be registered up until 3:00 p.m. the day before any class starts.  The first classes start Monday, June 4, and classes will continue until Friday, June 29.

For more information on Kids’ College stop by the Student Services office in the Instructional Center or visit www.clarendoncollege.edu. Anyone with questions can also contact Ashlee at 806-874-4808.

The college is open Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.