Morgan Wheatly

A Clarendon man who escaped from the Donley County Jail in March was sentenced to 30 years in state prison last week as part of a plea agreement when the district court met here Monday, May 20.

Torrence Eugene Smith was convicted for the first degree felony offense of escape causing bodily injury, enhanced. Smith pleaded guilty for the offense that took place on March 5, 2013, and was sentenced to 30 years in the Institutional Division of Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Smith was arrested in Gray County after an escape from the Donley County jail by Donley County Deputy Vincent “Sonny” Marasco, according to Inman.

One jailer was injured during the escape which caused this felony of escape to be enhanced to a second degree felony, according to court documents.

“This was a very unfortunate incident for the jailer that was injured and we were just lucky that serious injuries were avoided by the swift action taken by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office,” said Inman.

Smith, 40-year-old resident of Clarendon, was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.

Inman filed an enhancement notice due to a previous felony conviction out of Potter County, making this second degree felony offense punishable as a first degree felony.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Smith is required to pay $473 in court costs to Donley County.

In all, the court heard four pleas here last week which resulted in three convictions and one deferred adjudication. There were also two contested revocation hearings that resulted in the conviction of two defendants.

District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding. A total of $9,500 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on May 20. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $2,561 in court costs and $1,085 restitution.

Other defendants included, Francisco Salazar, Richard Polmon, Nicholas Ryan Clubb, Todd Randall Phillips, and Lucinda Jean Hearn.

Francisco Salazar, a 54-year-old resident of Memphis, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Revoke and was convicted and sentenced to five years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

On February 21, 2012, Salazar originally pleaded guilty to the third degree felony offense of DWI 3rd or more that occurred on January 1, 2012, in Hall County.

The State filed the motion to revoke on January 10, 2013, alleging six violations of community supervision.

Salazar pleaded true to all of the violations contained in the State’s motion in an agreed plea and was sentenced to five years. Salazar is also required to pay $376 in court costs to Hall County, a $3,000 fine, and $140 restitution.

Richard Polmon, a 58-year-old resident of Amarillo, pleaded not true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

On July 13, 2011, Polmon originally pleaded guilty to the third degree felony offense of injury to elderly that occurred on May 8, 2011, in Donley County.

The State filed the motion to adjudicate on December 14, 2012, alleging seven violations of community supervision.

Polmon pleaded not true to all of the violations contained in the State’s motion. The state called three witnesses. Polmon denied the consumption of alcohol on the date of his arrest for DWI, and testified that the 42 ounce Budweiser beer bottle in the front driver’s floorboard was left by a hitchhicker he had picked up in Memphis.

After all the testimony was present, Polmon was sentenced to 10 years. Polmon is also required to pay $383 in court costs to Donley County and a $1,000 fine.

Nicholas Ryan Clubb, a 28-year-old resident of Hedley, pleaded true to one allegation listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

On September 20, 2012, Clubb originally pleaded guilty to the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation that occurred on March 9, 2012, in Donley County.

The State filed the motion to adjudicate on April 8, 2013, alleging six violations of community supervision.

Clubb pleaded true to one of the violations contained in the State’s motion.

After the plea of true to methamphetamine and alcohol consumption while he was on felony probation, a contested punishment hearing was held.

Clubb admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages on the night of March 17 that led to a one-car accident where Clubb’s vehicle was completely totaled in Donley County. The vehicle was owned by his grandmother.

Clubb walked to a nearby travel trailer and entered without the consent of the owner. Clubb fell asleep after he helped himself to several Dr Peppers and a sweatshirt, according to his testimony.

After hearing all the evidence, Clubb was sentenced to 18 years. Clubb is also required to pay $473 in court costs to Donley County and a $4,000 fine.

Todd Randall Phillips was convicted for the second degree felony offense of aggravated assault. Phillips pleaded guilty for the offense that took place on November 5, 2012 and was sentenced to seven years in the Institutional Division of Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Phillips, 42-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested by Donley County and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Phillips is required to pay $383 in court costs to Donley County.

Lucinda Jean Hearn was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of forgery against elderly individual. Hearn pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Hearn, 32-year-old resident of Amarillo, was arrested for the offense that took place December 18, 2012 and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hearn is required to pay a $1,500 fine to Donley County, $473 in court costs, $945 restitution, and successfully complete 200 hours of community service. If Hearn violates probation, she could face up to ten years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Kids’ College classes at Clarendon College start Monday.

More than 30 courses will be offered in the months of June, July, and August for kids ages 4-15.

“We have a wide variety of classes for kids and teens this summer, and we’ve set the schedule up so that even kids who go on vacation can still hopefully attend a portion of the offerings,” CC Marketing Coordinator Ashlee Estlack said.

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 Ballet & Tap, Nature Art, A Pirate’s Life, Cheerleading Camp, Cowboy Camp, and much more.

“One class we are particularly 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 babysitting class is for anyone ages 11 to 15, features training in first aid and home safety, and is ideal for anyone interested in babysitting neighbors or relatives.

“This is the perfect class for pre-teens and teens looking for a way to make a little spending money this summer and upcoming school year babysitting,” Estlack said.

Students can be registered up until 3:00 p.m. the day before any class starts. The first classes start Monday, June 3, and the last course will end Wednesday, August 14.

For more information, visit the Student Services office in the Instructional Center or visit www.clarendoncollege.edu or call Estlack at 806-874-4808. CC 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.

Clarendon College is pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity for service area high school graduates – the Bulldog Bucks Tuition Assistance Program.

Clarendon College has committed to providing available resources through the Bulldog Bucks Program to assist every graduating high school senior in the service area in paying for college.

The Bulldog Bucks program will aid in covering a student’s fall and spring tuition, fees, books and housing costs for the first year of college following a student’s high school graduation.

“We are proud of our area high school graduates and as a sign of our dedication to the higher education of these students we are awarding each graduate a $500 scholarship,” CC President Dr. Phil Shirley.

“We hope this contribution will help each student unleash their potential as they work to achieve their future dreams and endeavors.”

The scholarship is to be redeemed during the first-year following high school graduation and will be divided equally between the fall and spring semesters for full-time enrollment.

To be eligible for Bulldog Bucks, students must graduate high school from a school district located in Armstrong, Briscoe, Childress, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hall or Wheeler counties; enroll full-time (12 credit hours) in the first Fall or Spring semester after graduating from high school; and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For more information on the Bulldog Bucks program, please contact the college at 1-800-687-9737.

The Hedley Public School held its annual Awards Banquet last week and recognized several outstanding students.

The Hedley High School FFA chapter honored Austin Adams with the Dekalb Award, or the Outstanding Senior Award. Charlie Neeley was honored with the FFA Star Greenhand Award, Kati Adams was honored with the Hedley FFA Star Chapter Farmer award, and Kassie O’Dell was the recipient on the Hedley FFA Star State Farmer Award.

Coltin Kingston was awarded the Football MVP, along with several other football awards. Brandon Evans was awarded the Fighting Heart award and other football awards. Kyle Lindsey received Honorable Mention recognition. Austin Adams was the Top Defensive Player and also earned other football honors, Bryan Evans was the co- recipient of the football Fighting Heart Award, and Diego Souza also earned district honors.

HHS recognized Kati Adams and Coltin Kingston as being the Most Athletic students.

Kati Adams was the MVP of girls’ basketball program, Bailey Wood received the Top Offensive Player award, Kortney Burton received the Girls Basketball Fighting Heart award, and Kassie O’Dell received the girls’ basketball Top Defensive Player.

Coltin Kingston received district honors in boys’ basketball, Wyatt Wheatly received Top Defensive player, Brandon Evans HHS Boys Basketball MVP, David Bell HHS Basketball Fighting Heart, and Bryan Evans Top defensive player.

Local veteran remembers service in WW II

By Ashlyn Tubbs, Clarendon Enterprise

 Joe Robinson is a man rarely seen without wearing his cowboy hat and a smile on his face. Leasing land from the JA Ranch for more than 40 years, he is known largely for his ranch work and accomplishments within the Donley County community, winning the Pioneer Man of the Year for 2009.

These are not considered his biggest achievements, though.

During one point in Robinson’s life, he was not sure if he would ever return to the United States, when he left his family in the Texas Panhandle during World War II to serve his country 20,000 feet off the ground.

“Nothing is pleasant when something like that happens,” he said. “It’s something you have to do, it’s not necessarily something you want to do. I’m proud of my service, and I’m proud of my country, so I didn’t flinch because I had to go.”

Born in Hereford and raised in Denton County, Robinson graduated from Texas A&M in 1942, which he said reveals he is not a spring chicken. He became commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army and was sent to Ft. Knox, instead of Ft. Riley where he initially wanted to attend. Although he was disappointed at first, Robinson said he now views this as a blessing.

“They actually did me a favor,” he said. “Those who went to Ft. Riley trained with horses; and when they went overseas, they didn’t know they weren’t going to have their horses shipped to them.”

During his time at Ft. Knox, he trained with tanks for about six months until he discovered an opportunity he could not pass up.

“They were losing a lot of pilots and had started daylight bombing in Europe, and they needed pilots,” he said, “so I volunteered.”

Robinson began his pilot training in Florida and picked up a brand new airplane in Savanna, Ga. He flew with a 10-man crew to Nutscorner, Ireland, at age 21.

“If you don’t think that won’t get your attention out there over the ocean for about ten hours with nothing in sight,” he said, “you’re wrong.”

Robinson depended on a navigator, who was a graduate from Ohio State, to direct him to their proper destination.

“If you were two degrees off, you would miss the British Isles, if you got careless, and fly over France and get shot down before you ever got in combat,” he said. “The Germans didn’t care where you were from, they just wanted to shoot you down.”

His crewmembers consisted of three other officers and six gunners from states including Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey, California, Arkansas and Indiana. Promoted to lead pilot, the lives of these men became in Robinson’s hands.

“It was a lot of responsibility to be in charge of everyone, and I didn’t take it lightly because a lot of things depend on what you decide,” he said. “Your judgment has to be better than it should be.”

Once landing in Nutscorner, the crew members and Robinson took a train unto Belfast and the British furnished their breakfast, which consisted of hot tea and rock-hard navy beans.

“So we didn’t eat very much,” he said. “It was different when you stay in a foreign country for the first time with the different houses, vehicles, and everything. It was an experience.”

He vividly remembers his first night spent overseas.

“They put these huts in the fields and they scattered them so they would be hard to hit, and the first night I was there, the German’s plane got in there and bombed our barracks,” he said. “Luckily, the dropped bombs missed the barracks and just threw dirt and rocks all over them.”

“That kind of got our attention. We didn’t sleep very good that night. I went to the bomb shelter because I didn’t know whether there was going to be more or not. I didn’t know what was going on”

This would be only one of his many encounters with bombs. While in London during a three day pass, Robinson said 169 buzz bombs hit that night.

“It was the worst night of the war,” he said. “That evening, the train stopped going into London and I knew we weren’t at the station yet. Turns out, he stopped for a buzz bomb to go past. Those British people had to put up with a lot.”

Robinson’s first mission was to deliver supplies to the marquis for the French underground.

“We went down a valley and they said there would be smoke signals there,” he said, “so we dropped our supplies and we flew back over the mountain and people were just waving at us.”

He said that was a beautiful day, without a cloud in the sky. He got to view the Eifel Tower as they flew over Paris and remembers the pretty scenery with a twinkle in his eye.

“I wasn’t mad at anybody,” he said. “I was like, ‘Boy, this looks pretty peaceful’.”

However, right about then, his plane got hit with flack from another plane. That was all it took to change Robinson’s initial mindset.

“Four little ol’ holes came into the wing not far from me,” he said, “If it would have been over about three feet, it would’ve been right under me.”

Robinson flew a B17 plane complete with thirteen 50-caliber guns in formation with 36 other planes, sometimes his wing fitting almost inside another plane’s wing while turning.

“You had to pay attention,” he said. “You couldn’t be joking off, because if they turn, they didn’t always tell you and weather conditions also affected the formation. They won’t let you fly that close now-a-days, unless you are in the service. The closer the formation, the better fire power you have.”

Robinson and his crew flew formation during daytime, while the British flew at nighttime. He said the 24-hour bombing was relentless.

“I can see why those Germans would be mad at you if you got shot down,” he said. “You would hope the army got to you before the civilians did, because you’re tearing up their houses and killing their families.”

Robinson said the United States’ anger toward Germany was evident by how Munich had very little houses with roofs on them from the bombs.

“We just tore that city all to pieces,” he said. “Munich is now built on top of the rubble from all the bombings.”

Robinson and his crewmembers had plenty of close calls during their missions. He said they once got hit in the bomb bay and had 54 holes in the plane when he finally landed, but no one was hurt.

Another time, Robinson made a decision that saved their lives while making a raid on Munich. During the long flight, Robinson said the plane began to run out of gas. He immediately left the European coast and started letting down from 20,000 feet to a main landing place in England.

After calling in to receive permission to land, he was luckily right in front of the runway, but another plane flew into the other side of the landing, which had wounded aboard. Robinson decided to chance the landing and missed the opposite plane by about 20 seconds. He will never regret this decision.

“When I turned off the runway, I gave the outboard No. 4 engine the gas and it quit on me because it was out of gas,” he said. “And when I parked the plane, I gave the No.1 engine the gas to park it, and it was out of gas. So if I had tried to go around, I never would have made it. Things like that you remember.”

Although Robinson was able to keep all of his crew members safe, he lost two men from his crew after they filled in for another crew’s members: one was taken prisoner of war and survived, the other died in a plane crash.

“I got pretty attached to all of them,” he said. “The rest of my crew and I were lucky we never had much firing activity.”

Even though Robinson went on 30 missions, he said the only thing that became routine was making sure everyone set their watches by the second because two or three seconds could make a huge difference in their formation. He said his bravery largely came from being in his twenties.

“When you’re young, you don’t worry much,” he said. “I thought I was bulletproof, and I guess I was because I never did get a Purple Heart.”

Another close call Robinson experienced was during his last raid, one he said made him sweat. The raid was on Berlin, and German fighters hiding in the sunlight knocked down 13 of their 36 planes.

“I never did worry much until the last mission,” he said, “and then I thought, ‘I want to go home’.”

Robinson did not have to wait much longer. After surpassing the required 100 points by seven from his missions ran and medals received, he was released to return home after serving three-and-a-half years.

“It was great to get back into the United States,” he said. “I came back with a whole bunch of troops and I was greeted once I got to Amarillo. My folks were in Dalhart then.”

Robinson’s favorite part of the war by far was returning home, he said.

“Home is always the best place,” he said. “There’s always some place that may look a little greener on the other side, but I don’t know whether it is or not once you get there.”

In honor of his service, Robinson has received three separate medals for his many missions completed and surviving the war.

“Now they’re pretty tarnished,” he said. “They wouldn’t pass inspection.”

He even received a medal from the French for helping raid the Germans.

“When the Frenchman awarded me with that medal, he kissed both my cheeks,” he said. “I didn’t know whether to break and run or hit him.”

Robinson is the only remaining survivor of his crew. He said he kept in touch and even exchanged Christmas cards with most of them up until their deaths.

He believes in the importance of veterans sharing their experiences with younger generations in order to prevent future mistakes and wars.

“I want them to find out what happened where they won’t get in the same mess we were in, because it’s no fun,” he said. “It’s a shame to kill so many young people and tear up so much. Killing people was worse that tearing up the town.”

After hearing Robinson’s war stories, his wife, Ruth Robinson, feels indebted to the young men like her husband and brothers who served in the war.

“I’ve really appreciated it and found out all that WWII was about,” she said. “Back then, I did not know. I guess when you’re that age in high school, you just didn’t understand. I realize how much we owe these young kids who flew over there, taking off over that big, dark ocean. I had no idea back then about the sacrifices they made. “

Without the service of crews such as Robinson’s during WWII, he said the US would be speaking German today.

“Freedom is not free,” he said. “Someone had to pay for it.”