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Thursday, April 16, 2015
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Volume 51, Number 52
$1 Springtown, Texas 76082
PD chief says safety a concern in arrest Teenager did not obey officers’ directions BY NATALIE GENTRY Springtown social media blew up last week when a story was aired on the nightly news about Dylan Waddle, a 17-year-old junior at Springtown High School, who was arrested and charged with interference after observing a police investigation and refusing to leave when instructed to do so by officers.
ing handguns out the window of their truck. Reports stated the individuals pulled into the Chevron in the 900 block of West Highway 199 and went into Taco Time. “The officers responded code three [with lights and sirens engaged] because they didn’t know if there had been a shooting, if there was about to be a shooting, or if there was about The beginning to be a robbery,” Chief of Police Ed The entire incident began when sev- Crowdis said. “Once they located the eral 911 calls came in reporting two boys, the officers were told the guns guys driving down the street flash- were just Airsoft guns and that the
boys were just playing around.” One of the officers can be heard on video requesting to see the guns. The video then shows the two boys and officers walking out to the truck. As Officer Jamie Oliver retrieves the guns from the vehicle, Waddle appears at the corner of the building. “He got what the officers deemed to be too close for comfort,” Crowdis said. Waddle was just across the empty parking spot from the other boys and Sgt. Shawn Owens – approximately nine feet.
If you build it...
Waddle around – and told him he was being detained. When the teen resisted, Sgt. Owen assisted in the detention. The officers handcuffed Waddle and put him in the car and got his name, birth date, and his mother’s phone number. He was later charged with interfering with public service. ‘Too close for comfort’ Waddle told David Goins of WFAA PLEASE SEE TEENAGER , PAGE 5A.
Springtown man arrested for child porn possession
Former administrator says he has proven ideas to get businesses to come to Springtown BY MARK K. CAMPBELL Lee Maness has been around – from Springtown to Arizona – and he told the Optimist Club that he has some established ideas to bring businesses here. He also said that it's time for younger adults to make positive changes around here. Maness, a former city administrator, said he has long roots in Springtown. He graduated from SHS in 1965 – and later so did his kids – before heading to the University of North Texas then into a multi-decade career in city government. Maness told two tales of how he helped improve the finances of a couple of towns. In Nogales, Arizona, a border town, the city enticed a Walmart to build. While it took some incentives to get the big box store to town, it proved to be a major boon for Nogales’ employment and the tax base. When he worked in Watauga, Ma-
Refusing directions The audio from the camera reveals that Oliver clearly told Waddle eight times to go back inside. “The officer should have just told him to move away to a safe distance and he could stand there and watch if he wanted to,” Crowdis said. “He didn’t have to go back inside.” The video shows that Waddle didn’t begin to move away from the scene until Oliver began moving toward him. Once Waddle refused to leave after being told to do so several times, Oliver attempted to physically turn
Lee Maness, a former city administrator, said incentives by the city will be necessary to entice bigger businesses to build in Springtown. Photo by Mark K. Campbell By the time the 68-acre tract was ness said he encouraged city leaders to purchase 68 acres near Highway 377 completely sold off, Watauga had cleared a profit of $8.5 million. and Loop 820. It also cost a pretty penny to get that The city forked over $1.5 million. Almost immediately, a grocery store Walmart in Arizona, too, Maness said. bought 18 of those acres for $1.75 PLEASE SEE ACTION, PAGE 4A. million.
BY NATALIE GENTRY though Ratliff at first denied viewing A 40-year-old Springtown man was any child pornography, he later told arrested April 9 on charges of posses- a Parker County Sheriff’s Investigasion of child pornography, a third-de- tor he viewed the image of suspected child pornography on a cell phone. gree felony. He also confirmed that he used the According to a probable cause affidavit, Dallas police were notified by same ISP that had been used to upload the image. the National Center “[Ratliff acknowlfor Missing and Exedged] he does have ploited Children (NCurges for underage MEC) that an image girls, and his urges of suspected child porgot the best of him,” nography had been upthe investigator wrote loaded from an email in the affidavit. “[He] account belonging to said that he can norSpringtown’s Hansel mally subdue his urgMichael Ratliff last es, and this incident November. was a one-time occurAfter NCMEC prorence.” vided the investigator Ratliff consented to with the IP address a search of his home and date of the upload, where two cell phones an investigator with Hansel Michael Ratliff were seized. the Dallas PD Internet According to the afCrimes Against Children Task Force was able to trace the fidavit search warrants were obtained upload IP address to Ratliff’s address, for the phones. Fifty-seven images of suspected according to the affidavit. Dallas police provided the informa- child pornography and child erotica tion to the Parker County Sheriff’s Of- were found on one of the phones. Ratliff remained in the Parker Counfice in January. According to the affidavit, al- ty Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond.
Ready! Set! Go-shen!
Approximately 79 runners participated in the 5th annual Porcupine Promenade at Goshen Creek Elementary School Saturday, April 11. The 5K is a U.S. Track and Field Certified course that began and ended in the GCES parking lot. Photo by Natalie Gentry
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