Volume 64, Number 27
Azle News
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
THE
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Wrestlers win Dallas tourney Page 11A
How to choose a charity Page 1B
Season’s Greetings Special Section
SeaSon’S GreetinG
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2015
Claw hammer, pursuit, crash, fi re lead to man’s arrest Suspect already wanted for assault and robbery BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN Cody Byron Cox of Azle was already wanted by police when he allegedly led them in a short but eventful vehicle pursuit that resulted in a crash followed by a foot pursuit and ended with a vehicle fi re on Boyd Road Dec. 9. According to Detective Sgt. Kevin Rogers of the Azle Police Department, police were dispatched to a business in the 500 block of North Stewart Street at 9:08 p.m. A man holding a claw hammer was acting strangely and in a confrontational manner with customers there, a caller told dispatchers. Offi cers arrived to discover the man had just left the business. A check of the license plate provided by a witness showed the vehicle belonged to an Azle address offi cers were familiar Azle police Sgt. Steve Stutsman uses a portable fi re extinguisher to try to put out the fl ames of a ve- with. hicle the suspect hit while fl eeing police. Photo by Carla Noah Stutsman As offi cers continued to search for
the vehicle, additional 911 calls were received about a white van driving recklessly. One caller provided a location in the Azlewood subdivision, and Cpl. Chance Kidd was able to get there quickly. Rogers said Kidd located the van and followed it for a short distance as he waited for a backup offi cer to arrive. Kidd observed the van driving recklessly, moving from one side of the roadway to another and almost hitting two different parked cars. When Offi cer Terron Havins pulled up behind Kidd, he activated his overhead lights and attempted to stop the van. But the van failed to yield – in fact, it accelerated – so Kidd activated his siren. PLEASE SEE CHASE, PAGE 2A.
New city manager hired, coming from Haltom City BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN The city of Azle has named its next city manager. Although it wasn’t yet offi cial at press time Dec. 15, every indication was that the Azle city council would formalize an employment contract with a newly-selected city manager during the regular council meeting that night. Mayor Alan Brundrett expressed confi dence Monday that the city and Thomas J. “Tom” Muir have agreed to all terms and conditions of employment and that a contract would be signed at Tuesday night’s meeting. “Mr. Muir’s offi cial start date will
be Jan. 10, but Craig [Lemin, Azle’s current city manager] has invited him to spend some time with him prior to that so he can get ‘up to speed’ on everything,” Brundrett said. The city council interviewed Muir during executive session Tuesday, Dec. 8, and Brundrett has since been working out details of the contract with Muir. Muir recently resigned as city manager at Haltom City, a position he has held since February 2004. He began his employment at Haltom City as assistant city manager in May 2002 and was named interim city manager in October 2003. Muir worked for the city of Killeen
from May 1991 to May 2002, fi rst as purchasing manager and then as director of general services. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1982. Muir says he enjoys being active in the community and engaging citizens as well as staff. He calls himself a collaborative manager, necessitating departments to work together and communicate in accomplishing the council’s mission and goals. “I believe it is extremely important for the staff to be focused on customer service to the citizens of the commu-
nity,” Muir added. Muir’s contract with the city of Azle calls for an annual base salary of $147,800 plus a deferred compensation plan of $14,000 annually. He will also receive a $7,200 annual car allowance, bringing his total annual salary to $169,000. He’ll receive the same employee benefi t package as other city employees, Brundrett said. That’s an increase of $29,367.55 from the city’s current obligation for the city manager position. Lemin’s current base salary is $127,269, and he receives $6,363.45 annually in deferred compensation plus $6,000 per year for a car allow-
ance. That’s a total annual salary of $139,632.45. Brundrett said Muir has agreed to relocate his residence to Azle by Jan. 10, 2017; he’s also requested a onetime moving allowance of $10,000 to be paid at the time of his relocation. That request will be considered by the city council, Brundrett said. “My wife, Cathy, and I are excited about this next chapter in our lives and look forward to being part of the Azle community,” Muir said in an email Tuesday morning. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about Azle and I can’t wait to start working with the council and staff.”
Reno man dies in head-on collision BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN A head-on collision in the 13000 block of FM 730 South left a Reno man dead and a Weatherford man seriously injured Dec. 9. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Offi ce identifi ed the deceased man as 45-year-old Donald Scott Hays of Reno. The cause of death is attributed to injuries Hays sustained in the accident. According to an accident report fi led by the Azle Police Department, Hays was northbound at the wheel of a maroon 1999 Ford F150 pickup about 4:15 p.m. For an unknown reason, Hays’ vehicle went into the southbound lane of the roadway, where it struck a red Azle Fire Marshal Kenny Wilson provided an overhead view of the violence of a fatal crash showing the incredible force of the collision, PLEASE SEE WRECK, PAGE 3A. obtained by climbing to the top of Quint 52’s ladder.
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35 Years Ago In December 1980, the Lady Hornets hoops squad went to 11-0 by winning the Azle Invitational tourney with a last-second steal by Jana Watson to beat Decatur.
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