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Thursday, May 14, 2015
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SHS quartet head to state track meet
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Save the Monarchs!
The people have spoken BY NATALIE GENTRY While many area incumbents ran unopposed this year, Parker County residents in Springtown and Reno went to the polls Saturday, May 9 to decide who will represent them on their city councils.
Tom Clayton, mayor-elect
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Springtown a singles Page 2B hotbed?!
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ceived 64 early votes and 49 May 9 votes for a total of 113 votes or 42.01 percent. Denise Taylor in Place 2 received 225 votes, although she was unopposed and therefore automatically elected to the seat. Likewise, Robert E. Wilson, in Place 4, was unopposed and received City of Springtown Although three places on the City 223 votes. Council were up for election this year, only the Mayoral seat was contested. City of Reno After facing two challengers – Tom Clayton won the seat with 3 absentee votes, 90 early votes, and 63 Gilbert Morrow and former counElection Day votes for a total of 156 cil member David Andrews – Lynda Stokes will retain her seat as Mayor of votes or 57.99 percent. Councilman Tony D. Smith re- Reno by a definitive margin.
Volume 52, Number 4
Springtown, Texas 76082
Clayton elected mayor, Stokes holds Reno post
Stokes received 6 absentee votes, 17 early votes and 134 Election Day votes for a total of 157 votes or 61.33 percent. Andrews received 8 absentee votes, 15 early votes and 58 May votes for a total of 81 votes or 31.64 percent. Morrow had 1 absentee vote, 3 early votes and 14 Election Day votes for a total of 18 votes or 7.03 percent. John “JB” Basham was elected to Place 2 on the Reno council – the seat Andrews chose not to defend when he ran for mayor. Basham received a total of 114 votes, 45.42 percent. Darrel Allen got 70 votes or 27.89
percent. Jody W. Works tallied 46 votes or 18.33 percent. Carol Houlihan got 21 votes or 8.37 percent. Incumbent in Place 4 Eric Hunter was unopposed in his bid for re-election and retains his seat, as well. Proposition 1, which proposed the adoption of an additional sales and use tax of one-half of one percent (onehalf cent) for the purpose of reducing property taxes, was approved by Reno voters with a total of 191 votes or 74.90 percent voting “for” and 64 votes or 25.1 percent voting “against” the proposition.
Straight-line winds wreak damage locally BY NATALIE GENTRY The weather in Springtown and surrounding areas turned wild and dangerous May 7 with a combination of high straight-line winds, hail, lightning, and even funnel cloud sightings. While reports of tornadoes were confirmed in Wise County, the majority of the damage in Springtown was caused by high straight-line winds, even though some residents were convinced a tornado had touched down south of Springtown. “I spoke to the Parker County fire marshal and the emergency management coordinator,” County Commissioner for Precinct 1, George Conley said. “After looking at the damage and the debris pattern they determined that it was straight-line winds that caused the damage.” Another concern for residents was the flooding caused by more than an inch of rainfall in about an hour. As creek beds overflowed, roadways became perilous and residents were warned not to try and cross through fast moving water on the roads. While the cleanup from the storm has been slow but steady, meteorologists warn that severe weather risks aren’t over. Rain is predicted everyday into next Strong straight-line winds destroyed this 100-year-old barn on Old Springtown Road during a storm May 7; it later dropped a funnel cloud nearby that eventually did some damage in Decatur. See Page 3B for a photo of that cloud. Photo by Natalie Gentry week.
Area VFDs help with nocturnal creek rescue BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN A Kenny Chesney anthem pays homage to the sometimes reckless days of youth, proclaiming: “Had no excuses for the things that we’d done, We were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly young.” That may be the case for six young people ages 18 to 22 who were rescued from the banks of Walnut Creek near Reno in the wee hours of Monday morning, May 11. The six young people – three men and three women – were cold, wet and had a few minor scratches but all refused medical transport after a rescue operation that involved multiple fire departments and police agencies. What fun? The six adventurers decided it would be fun to take advantage of the raging waters of Walnut Creek to go “tubing.” They put in Sunday evening around 7:30 p.m. at what is commonly called the “old swinging bridge” – even though the swinging bridge was replaced decades ago with a modern one – on Jay Bird Lane (FM 2257). Arrangements had been made with friends to pick them up at their destination: the Reno Road LaJunta VFD Chief Tony Scarlato (left) relays location information to a Saginaw firefighter as a team prepares to walk in to Azle’s Walnut Creek. Photo by Carla Noah Stutman
PLEASE SEE SIX, PAGE 3A.
National Day of Prayer Scores of local leaders turned out for the annual National Day of Prayer May 7. Once again, Hilltop Family Church hosted the event where several people prayed for a variety of people and causes. More photos on Page 5A. Photo by Mark K. Campbell
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