Morgan Wheatly

The District Court heard four pleas when it met in Clarendon on April 14.

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

Jimmy Deforest Boyd was convicted and sentenced to 16 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony offense of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Boyd, 57-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place February 22, 2014 by Donley County Deputy Vincent “Sonny” Marasco. Boyd plead guilty to a complaint filed by the State on April 11, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Boyd is required to pay $488 in court costs and $519 restitution.

Matthew Tyler Hanes was placed on probation for a period of three years for the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation. Hanes pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Hanes, 27-year-old resident of McLean, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place June 17, 2013 by Marasco. Hanes was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on November 12, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hanes is required to pay a $1,000 fine to Donley County, $488 in court costs, and $103 restitution. If Hanes violates probation, he could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Anthony Portillo was placed on probation for a period of ten years for the first degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. Portillo pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Portillo, 27-year-old resident of La Puente, Calif., was arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place April 10, 2014 by Danny Dawson. Portillo plead to a complaint filed by the State on April 11, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Portillo is required to pay a $10,000 fine to Carson County, $336 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 400 hours of community service. If Portillo violates probation, he could face up to 99 years or life in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The State also finally forfeited Portillo’s vehicle, which was a 1997 Honda Accord that was used in the offense.

Gustavo Rangel-Serna was placed on probation for a period of five years for the second degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. Rangel-Serna pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Rangel-Serna, 28-year-old resident of Phoenix, Ariz., was arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place February 28, 2014 by DPS Trooper Ben Dollar. Rangel-Serna plead to a complaint filed by the State on April 10, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Rangel-Serna is required to pay a $5,000 fine to Carson County, $336 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 300 hours of community service.

If Rangel-Serna violates probation, he could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The State also finally forfeited Rangel-Serna’s vehicle, which was a 2009 Volkswagen Beatle that was used in the offense. This plea of guilty also subjects Rangel-Serna to deportation to his country of origin, which is Mexico.

Mulkey Block Party:

Did you know that if you go to the Block Party on Saturday the 24th of May, 2014, and if you take your kids there with you, you can take them in the Mulkey and you can bring a pillow or a blanket or a bean bag or a sleeping bag and, once everyone is comfortable, we will turn on a movie?

They will be playing movies all the time at the Block Party, we will never stop showing movies for that one day. This is just to make sure that it works. Is that nice?

 

Lions Convention:

The queen’s name is Josie Eck, and she is the Queen of the Lions Clubs in the Panhandle of Texas. She was wearing a white dress with a big white bow on the back of her dress. She got the crown for the Queen of the Lions Clubs, and she is from Canyon.

Clarendon College President Robert Riza has been recognized as an outstanding alumnus by Texas A&M University-Commerce recently.

Dr. Riza was one of 21 A&M-Commerce graduates welcomed back as Alumni Ambassadors on February 27 by the university.

Each academic department selected an alumnus/alumna to represent its division as an Ambassador at the Alumni Forum. The official designation given to these individuals, “Ambassador,” is the highest honor a department may bestow upon its alumni.

Dr. Riza was honored by the A&M-Commerce’s Department of Educational Leadership. He began his career in 1999 at Hill College in Hillsboro, serving as Director of Student Life & Athletics and later serving as PHED Department Chair and Director of Athletics. In the fall of 2004, he assumed the position of Director of Athletics at Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz. In 2007, he was named the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at PCC. In the summer of 2009, he returned to Texas to become the Vice President of Student Services at Hill College, where he served until December 2013 when he was named president of Clarendon College.

Dr. Riza has served on numerous committees including Clarendon Lions Club, Hillsboro United Way, President of the Western States Football League and the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, President of Cleburne Christian Business Club, and Chair-Elect of Cleburne Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to his graduate degrees from A&M-Commerce, he has an associates’ degree from Weatherford College and vachelors’ degree from Texas Wesleyan University. He is married to Cobette Lewis Riza, and they have two children – Bobby, a student at Texas Tech; and Cassidy, a senior at Joshua High School.

“We continue to be amazed by our graduates,” said Derryle Peace, Director of Alumni Relations. “As these honorees come back to campus they give our students the opportunity to be inspired, impacting their lives, and encouraging them to strive for excellence in their professional and personal lives.”

Donley County 4H had three horse judging teams participate in the District I Horse Judging Contest at West Texas A&M University on April 11. The Senior Team was second in all categories and overall and will advance to State Contest.

Senior Team members were Emilie Thompson, Alysse Simpson, Kelsey McAnear, and Brandalyn Ellis. Individual results were Performance Class – Ellis 5th; Halter Class- Ellis 5th; Reasons – McAnear 4th, Ellis 5th; and Overall – Ellis 5th.

The Junior Team was first in all categories and first overall and was comprised of Calder Havens, Hadleigh Halsell, Taylor Halsell, and Brenna Ellis. Results were: Performance class – Havens 1st, H. Halsell 3rd, T. Halsell 5th; Halter Class- Havens 2nd, H. Halsell 4th; Reasons – Havens 1st, Ellis 4th; and Overall – Havens 1st, H. Halsell 4th, and T Halsell 5th.

Intermediate Team was made up of Darcie Hunsaker, Tanner Burch, Harm Drenth, and Malerie Simpson. Hunsaker was 3rd in Reasons, and the team finished 3rd in reasons, 4th in performance, 4th in halter and 4th overall.

Funeral services for former Clarendon residents Noel and Mac Devin were held in Bryan and Gainesville this week after their untimely deaths April 7.

Bryan Police last Wednesday afternoon confirmed that two bodies recovered from an arson in that city are indeed those of the daughter and father.

Dennis Wayne Brown III was served April 9 with arrest warrants for Burglary of a Habitation and Arson in the First Degree for the fire at Noel Devin’s home in Bryan. Brown was already being held on a charge of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.

In a prepared statement, Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske said the criminal investigation of the fire and deaths is ongoing.

“The Bryan Police Department is working closely with the Bryan Fire Department, the Bryan Fire Marshals, and the State Fire Marshal’s office,” the statement said. “In addition we are in consultation with District Attorney Jarvis Parsons and his staff.”

A medical examiner positively identified Noel Devin, age 32, and Thomas Mac Devin, age 63.

“We believe this to be an isolated incident and at this time, we are not actively seeking any additional suspects in this investigation,” the statement said.

Arson is a 1st degree felony that carries a punishment of 5 to 99 years in prison. Burglary of Habitation is a 2nd degree felony that carries a punishment of 2 to 20 years in prison.

According to information from the Bryan Police Department, 911 in that city received calls of an explosion and fire at Noel Devin’s home about 4:30 Monday morning, April 7, and fire and police personnel were dispatched to the scene. Noel was determined to be the single occupant of the home; and when she could not be contacted by phone, dispatch contacted Devin’s mother, Karla.

At the scene, Mrs. Devin told officers that her husband, Thomas Mac Devin, had left their home in College Station on the day before at about 5:30 p.m. to bring Noel’s dog back to her. Mrs. Devin said she had fallen asleep and did not realize that her husband had not returned home until the dispatcher notified her of the fire. She also had not heard from Noel since earlier the day before.

Police said Dr. Devin’s pickup was parked in from of Noel’s home, and the dog was still inside. Mrs. Devin noted that Noel’s Ford Edge was missing.

Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters located the remains of two humans – one in the front living room and the other in the right rear bedroom. Both bodies were unidentifiable.

Investigators report they located incendiary trailers smelling of gasoline in the house. They also noticed a strong odor of bleach when they opened Dr. Devin’s pickup and noticed a white substance that appeared to be dried bleach in the driver’s compartment.

Noel Devin’s vehicle was later located at the El Camino Motel where a clerk said it had been driven there by white male who was still in the room where the vehicle was parked.

Police knocked on the door of the room, Dennis Wayne Brown III answered and police noticed a set of Ford keys on the bed. Brown clamed a black man named “Tear Drop” had left the car with him. The keys unlocked Devin’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a gasoline jug with gasoline and a bottle of bleach.

Officers also recovered several personal items positively identified as belonging to Noel Devin during a search of the motel room. The search also found more bleach and cigarette lighters.