Thursday, May 21, 2015
The , 2015 May 21
wn o t g n i r Sp h School Hig
Class
of
www .spring town-epigr
aph.ne t
The hard work of showing animals
Page 7A
torian Salutae Scott Grac
toriany le Valedoic n Hink Daws
Page 10A
ment
upple
cial S
A Spe
SHS medal history
Flying WWII vets Page 1B
Volume 52, Number 5
$1 Springtown, Texas 76082
The
Springtown’s New State Champion
Senior Porcupine Dillon Springfield (third from right) wins the 4A 110-meter hurdle race at the state meet in Austin May 16. He became SHS’ first state individual sports champion since Amy Ryan won 3A tennis in 1987 – 28 years ago. STORY, MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10-11A. Photo by Mark K. Campbell
Former resident gets 35 years for sexual assault BY NATALIE GENTRY David Kenneth Nelson, Sr., 51, once from Springtown and now of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to the 2011 aggravated sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Parker County District Court on Tuesday, May 19. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. According to a court report, Nelson was accused of sexually assaulting the victim numerous times beginning when she was 6 to when she turned 11 in Parker County and in the state of
Washington. “This was a challenging case to investigate due to the fact that nearly everyone involved had moved in the years since the crime occurred,” said Assistant District Attorney Jeff Swain, who prosecuted the case. “Our victim did not disclose what had happened to her for years after the abuse ended, which is very common for victims of child molestation offenses. “In this case, that meant that Texas Ranger Tony Bradford had to coordi- David Kenneth Nelson, Sr.
Springtown ISD Olympus Showcase SMS eighth grader Caleb Bertram’s project for the SISD Olympus Gifted and Talented Showcase discussed the history of the guitar as well as the relationship between fractions and the instrument’s frets and length of its strings. In fanciful costume, Jasmine Roach, an SES fourth grader, displayed the “history” and mystery of the lost civilization of Atlantis. Photos by Natalie Gentry
nate resources with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and police departments in Arizona and Washington,” Swain continued. “When we needed to communicate with our victim, it meant that we needed to call her in Okinawa at the naval base there. There were certainly more logistical considerations with this case than we usually need to address.” According to Swain, during the interview by Ranger Bradford Nelson told him, “not that I know of” and
“maybe I was drunk, I don’t know,” when asked if he ever molested the victim. “I would venture to guess that, when asked if they ever molested a child, nearly everyone out there could categorically state that they did not,” Swain said. Nelson will not be eligible for parole until he has served half of his sentence. The case was handled in the 43rd Judicial District Court, with Judge Craig Towson presiding.
TRWD lifts Stage 1 water restrictions But Walnut Creek SUD does not The Tarrant Regional Water District has notified its wholesale customers that Stage 1 watering restrictions terminated effective May 18. The City of Springtown has followed suit and announced May 19 that its Stage I watering restrictions have been lifted as well. According to a press release issued by TRWD, the drought restrictions were put in place in June 2013 when its reservoirs fell below 75 percent capacity, limiting outdoor watering to twice per week. After heavy rains earlier this spring, the water district’s reservoirs have climbed to more than 95 percent capacity. It is estimated the conservation measures reduced demands by 39 percent during a period of peak use, saving an estimated 112 million gallons per day.
Although drought conditions have subsided, TRWD encourages the public to continue practicing voluntary conservation measures in order to reduce peak demands in the summer and prolong the area’s water supplies. Those residents who are in the Walnut Creek Special Utility District (SUD) are still under restrictions. According to the website, no use of irrigation devises, outside sprinkler systems, and similar outside irrigation devices between the dates of April l – Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. will be allowed. However drip irrigation or hand held devices may be used. Walnut Creek SUD’s source is Lake Bridgeport which is still only 68.6 percent full as of May, 20. For more information, visit www. trwd.com or http://www.walnutcreeksud.org.
More Spring Storms, More Damage
A mighty nocturnal windstorm – actually a downdraft deemed to be of F1 tornadic power at 100 mph – early Sunday, May 17 damaged manufactured houses and tossed several of these storage containers willy-nilly into a pasture off Highway 51 about five miles south of Springtown near Carter Road. Photo by Mark K. Campbell
Follow us on Twitter @SpringtownEpi
Like The Springtown Epigraph on Facebook