The
Thursday, November 26, 2015
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High school winter sports underway
Volume 52, Number 32
Page 11A
‘Tickets for Toys’ Page 4A
Mom gives pot, alcohol to kids
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Mockingjay, Part 2
Page 12A
Springtown, Texas 76082
A Reason to be Thankful
Springtown woman arrested for supplying minors – some pre-teens – at party BY NATALIE GENTRY A Springtown woman, Mandy Wells, was arrested by the Weatherford-Parker County Special Crimes Unit (SCU) for providing marijuana and alcohol to minor children at her home during a party. Parker County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Mandy Nichole Wells, 32, on a warrant Thursday, Nov. 19 after receiving the initial information, and conducting the preliminary investigation of an underage party held earlier this month at her residence in the 300 block of Meadow Road in Springtown. The investigation was turned over to the SCU, where members identifi ed eight of the juveniles attending the
party, confi rming them to be between 12 to 14 years of age. A search warrant was conducted at Wells’ home, where drug paraphernalia was found and seized as evidence. In addition, Wells implicated herself to investigators by saying she had possession of the marijuana and alcohol and offered it to the juveniles at the party. According to the probable cause warrant affi davit, Wells told the juveniles they “could all drink some beers, since they were all spending the night.” Wells later told investigators she “allowed the children to smoke and
No one was injured during an accident that left one vehicle on its side on the shoulder of West High-
PLEASE SEE S’TOWN, PAGE 2A. way 199 Monday, Nov. 23 at approximately 7:30 a.m.
Photo by Natalie Gentry
Loving – one stitch at a time 1st Baptist distributes 1000s of handmade items BY NATALIE GENRY In addition, Owensby said that one requests for the pattern for the chemo of the ladies in the group mentioned scarves pattern frequently from out Cancer victims. how much a small pillow had meant of state, so it seems our items are Pregnant women. shared,” she said. to her after her mastectomy. Alzheimer’s patients. “While our group did not start out “It had been a gift from the hospital Newborns. as a missions outreach All have been helped by a local auxiliary,” Owensby group, it has morphed explained. church’s ministry. into exactly that. “After inquiring of Connie Owensby, wife of First Bap“We have sent quilts tist Church's Minister of Missions, the American Cancer to missionaries in Robert Owensby, organized a group Society and a couple Russia and made fetal of hospitals, we began of ladies in 2007. demise blankets for They began to use the FBC Fellow- to make pillows and premature still-borns ship Center to meet once a week to donate them to surgitoo tiny for a standard share their love of sewing and quilt- cal patients as well Connie Owensby receiving blanket,” as breast cancer paing. Group organizer Owensby continued. “We have been meeting every tients.” “We have made blanThe group currently Thursday morning since that time,” kets for hurricane vicsupplies 30 heartOwensby said. And since then, the group Love ‘n’ shaped pillows every other month to a tims in Galveston.” Once a year the group makes enough Stitches has created and given away local breast cancer surgeon. An encouraging Scripture verse is items to hold an auction for internathousands of handmade items benefi ting all sorts of people, young and placed on an attached card that in- tional missions. Their most recent auction – Thurscludes the “Love ‘n Stitches” group old. day, Nov. 19 – raised $8,976. Owensby said, “We have donated name and church name. “One hundred percent of the pro“We also furnish chemo scarves and numerous baby quilts to both Eagle Mountain Pregnancy Crisis Center crocheted or knitted caps for patients ceeds going directly to our missionarand Grace House Ministries in Weath- undergoing chemo resulting in loss of ies in the field,” Owensby said. All in all, the ladies of the “Love their hair,” Owensby said. erford. She noted that the response has been ‘n Stitches” group have created and “We have donated quilts made speThe “Love ‘n Stitches” group has also made quilts to accompany cifi cally for Alzheimer's patients as overwhelmingly positive and inspires donated over 6,000 pillows, caps, scarves, and blankets for patients in Missions Pastor Rev. Robert Owensby and Senior Pastor Dr. Hal well as lap robes and walker aprons that group to keep working. “We get sweet notes of thanks and Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties. for nursing home patients.” Kinkeade on missions in Russia.
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We get sweet notes of thanks...
A tale of 6 cities: Our local municipalities BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN With annual municipal elections City Type Council Mayor Land Population coming up next May and the associated fi ling period for those who are pay/month pay/month Area in 2013 considering a run for elected offi ce, we at The Springtown Epigraph and The Azle news thought we’d do a comAzle Home Rule $20 $40 8.842 sq mi 11,334 parison of the six cities in our coverage area. Lakeside Type A $0 $0 1.5 sq mi 1,364 We’ll compare and contrast the types of cities in our coverage areas – Pelican Bay Type A $0 $0 384 acres 1,573 the cities of Azle, Springtown, Reno, and Pelican Bay as well as the towns Reno Type A $50 $1,200 12.86 sq mi 2,573 of Sanctuary and Lakeside – provide information about how much elected Sanctuary Type A $0 $0 192 acres 334 officials are paid in each city/town. We’ve obtained information from Springtown Type A $0 $0 2.8 sq mi 2,722 publicly available web sites as well as from responses to open records reThe six cities in the comparison are quests to each of the six cities in the charter (constitution for the city) and government will have. One example of the difference in the discussed below in alphabetical order: decide how to structure its city govcomparison. two types of cities regards annexation, But fi rst, some background on types ernment. City of Azle Today, only about a quarter of Texas or the addition of land to the city. of cities. The city of Azle is, by far, the largGeneral-law cities cannot annex adcities are home-rule cities. Other Lone Star cities are general- jacent unincorporated areas without est of the six cities in the comparison. Types of cities The city was incorporated as a GenCities in Texas are classifi ed as ei- law cities, meaning they are governed the property owner's consent; home ther “general-law” or “home-rule” cit- by general state laws regarding mu- rule cities may annex without con- eral Law city in 1957, and became a nicipalities rather than by charters sent but must provide essential ser- Home Rule city in 1969, after its popies. When a city reaches a population of adopted by the voters. These small vices within a specifi ed period of time ulation reached 5,000. With a population of 11,334 in 2013, more than 5,000 people, it may hold general-law cities must follow state (generally within three years) or the an election to become a home-rule laws concerning the form of govern- property owner may fi le suit to be de- the city covers 8.842 square miles, with approximately two-thirds of its city, meaning it may write its own city ment for the city and the powers that annexed.
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territory located in Tarrant County and about one-third in Parker County. Azle is the only Home Rule city in this comparison as it is the only city with a population of more than 5,000. As such, it’s also the only city in the comparison with its own charter, originally adopted in 1971. Coincidentally, the city has just appointed a seven-member Charter Review Commission in anticipation of a charter election in May 2016. The objective of that election is to update the existing Azle charter to bring it in line with state law, which often prevails. The last charter election in Azle was in 1990. Azle City Secretary Norma Zenk provided information that on Sept. 16, 2003, the Azle city council adopted Resolution 2003-17, authorizing council members to be paid $20 for council meetings each month and for the mayor to be paid $40 for council meetings each month. Prior to that action, council members were paid $10 a month and the mayor was paid $20 a month. Zenk also provided a copy of the resolution, as requested. PLEASE SEE TOWNS, PAGE 3A.
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