Comfort Wood Turns 100 Page 3-B
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Cousins Batter Up For El Campo Page 1-B
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Copyright ® 2014
New city West Loop park work starts soon
Volume 130 Number 8 • Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Pending drainage effort not quick fix
How About This One?
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
Tres Palacios project starts with easements, construction takes 1 year
In less than four months, the city’s West Loop Park should be the place to relax or play. If, that is, the weather cooperates with construction schedules. The $1 million Phase 1 of the municipal West Loop Park will include play areas, a maze and a three-quarter basketball court as well as restrooms, picnic tables, landscaping, a pond and other amenities. Right now, there’s not a whole lot to see on the 3.5-acre site near the intersection of West Jackson and the West Loop, Community Services Director Chris Barbee said, but added that should soon change. “It’s one of those things that once it starts, it’s going to be full speed ahead,” he said Thursday. “All the pieces are in place to get after it.” Dirt work will come first, followed by construction of concrete pad sites for various items. “It’s just like when you’re building
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
(See PARK PIECES, Page 10-A)
HEP Banquet A crowd of 400 packed the El Campo Civic Center Saturday to show their support at the 22nd Annual Hispanic Education Project Scholarship Banquet.
– See Page 7-A ALSO INSIDE: VIEWPOINT......................................Page 4-A OBITUARIES.....................................Page 9-A SPORTS.............................................Page 1-B LIFESTYLE.........................................Page 3-B CROSSWORD...................................Page 7-B CLASSIFIEDS & REAL ESTATE........Page 9-B
LOCAL WEATHER Wednesday Sunny DAY: 0% NIGHT: 0%
HIGH: 78º LOW: 54º
Thursday Sunny DAY: 0% NIGHT: 0%
HIGH: 79º LOW: 60º
Friday
Partly Sunny DAY: 0% NIGHT: 0%
HIGH: 79º LOW: 63º
Saturday Mostly Sunny DAY: 0% NIGHT: 0%
HIGH: 79º LOW: 66º
Last Week: Avg. High: 76º • Avg. Low: 57º
R ain G auge
Last 7 Days............................... .03 In.
Last 30 Days........................... 1.12 In. Same Time In '13...................... 1.15 In.
Year To Date........................... 4.51 In. Year To Date '13....................... 6.29 In. Data Collected by LCRA at El Campo Memorial Hospital
B urn B an : LIFTED COUNTY’S MEAN KBDI: 276 Burn Ban is put into effect when the mean KBDI reaches or goes above 500.
75¢
20 Pages, 2 Inserts
Looking back at Mom, Emmarie Barnes, the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of Ashley and Bradley Barnes of El Campo, makes her Easter egg selections in Evans Park Saturday. She and hundreds of other youngsters participated in the 11th Annual Easter Eggstravaganza hosted by Beta Theta Omega. Proceeds from the event benefited community projects and scholarships. For additional coverage, please see Page 8-A.
L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree
Getting landowners to give up sections of their property for a major Tres Palacios Creek drainage improvement effort takes time, officials say. And, design work needed to double the creek channel’s width between East Jackson Street to CR 406 can’t be finalized until the revised creek route is known. El Campo city staff has been trying since November to obtain those easements for land that will be turned into new creek bed or access strips. “I wouldn’t call (response) negative, but I wouldn’t say (it has been) extreme joy either,” City Public Works Director Clay Harris said Monday. “The majority recognize the drainage improvement (the project will bring).” The city received a $3.2 million FEMA grant to pay for all but $180,250 of the project, dollars coming from previously issued drainage bond funds. At the same time, Wharton County will provide the same dollar value via in-kind services – dirt work for the most part. One issue in obtaining landowner permission, Harris said, is simply finding out who owns a targeted property. Some, he said, have changed hands several times over decades via inheritances rather than sales. Because the targeted property sits directly beside the Tres Palacios (See WIDENING, Page 9-A)
LCRA proposes another water rate hike By JODY LARIMER reporter@leader-news.com
The Lower Colorado River Authority proposed a second set of water rate increases, an act which has caused concern for some downstream farmers. LCRA held meetings in Marble Falls on March 31 and Bee Cave April 3, to present the new proposed rates, but hasn’t set a deadline on when a vote on the possible rate hike will be taken. “I cannot overstate how disheartening it was to be learning of a second set of proposed rates only
after they had been published as having arisen out of customer input,” said Wharton County fourth generation rice farmer and Colorado Water Issues Committee Chairman Ronald Gertson. “Our input seemed to be sought only after the fact. Not only had our original input from an earlier set of ‘late’ customer irrigator meetings been ignored, but our share of corporate costs was increased rather than decreased.” Rate increases were proposed by the LCRA in January to help pay for two projects it is pursuing in both Wharton and Bastrop counties, and would affect both firm customers (cities and industries)
and interruptible customers (farmers). Preliminary rate increases presented for the Gulf Coast division in January, raised interruptible rates 70 percent in 2014, from the current $28.52 per acre-foot to $48.45 per acre-foot. The increase in rates would continue annually, reaching $70 to $75 by 2019. For firm customers who currently pay $151 per acre-foot, the rate would be raised 19 percent to $179 in 2015, increasing annually and reaching $251 per acre-foot by 2019. (See GERTSON, Page 7-A)
WCYF cook-off grills firing up this weekend By KEITH MAGEE news@leader-news.com
About 104 teams are expected at the Wharton County Youth Fair Barbecue Cook-off this weekend. “I’m very excited about the cookoff,” event chair Sandy Valigura said. “I can’t wait. I’m excited about being the chair. I’ve enjoyed it so far.” A prelude to the Youth Fair, which runs from Thursday, April 24 through Saturday, May 3, the cook-off is normally a week before the fair, but this year’s event is two weeks prior to the fair because Easter is on April 20, the weekend between the cook-off and the fair. Those teams wanting to check-in early may do so beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Otherwise, check-in is from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Gate 3. (See FRIDAY NIGHT, Page 10-A)
Running For The Queen
Contributed Photo
Runners race through Danevang Saturday in the Second Annual Danish Capital of Texas 5K Fun Run. Nearly 100 runners competed and awards were given for overall winners as well as different age brackets for both men and women. The event was held to celebrate the birthday of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. For more, please see Page 8-A.
Have A Very Merry www.leader-news.com
Copyright ® 2014
Volume 130 Number 82 • Wednesday, December 24, 2014
75¢
18 Pages, 2 Inserts
Grand jury indicts alleged stabber 25 Years To Life Possible If Wharton Man Convicted By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
Victorian home shines brightly this Christmas
The criminal case against a Danevang man who allegedly stabbed another man continues, but he no longer faces capital charges. However, 46-year-old Adrian Allen of 210 Tee
Garden in Wharton could still spend his life behind bars if ultimately convicted of the Oct. 24 attack. The non-fatal stabbing took place on the Danevang co-op grounds, the victim a man deputies say may have been in a relationship with Allen’s girlfriend. Allen stands accused of using a pocket knife he brought with him to stab the 64-year-old man three times – twice in the chest and once in the abdomen. None of the wounds were life-threatening. However, the man was flown via helicopter ambu-
lance to Houston for assessment. Wharton County Sheriff’s deputies then allege Allen stole the man’s pickup and fled from the scene. He was tracked down later that day and arrested on charges of attempted capital murder, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery. The case against Allen was presented to the Wharton County Grand Jury during its December deliberations and it received a true bill – but (See CHARGE CHANGE, Page 8-A)
– See Page 1-B
Websites allow Santa tracking, games & more – See Page 6-A
L-N Photo by Jody Larimer
All I Want For Christmas
Ricebirds win one, lose one – See Page 3-B ALSO INSIDE: VIEWPOINT......................................Page 4-A OBITUARIES.....................................Page 7-A LIFESTYLE.........................................Page 1-B SPORTS.............................................Page 3-B CROSSWORD...................................Page 6-B
LOCAL WEATHER Wednesday Sunny DAY: 0% NIGHT: 0%
HIGH: 55º LOW: 33º
Christmas Day
Sunny DAY: 0% HIGH: 65º NIGHT: 0% LOW: 51º
Friday
Chance of Showers DAY: 20% HIGH: 70º NIGHT: 30% LOW: 53º
Saturday
Chance of Showers DAY: 20% HIGH: 61º NIGHT: 20% LOW: 41º Last Week: Avg. High: 64º • Avg. Low: 51º
RAIN GAUGE
Last 7 Days............................. 1.48 In.
Last 30 Days........................... 2.47 In. Same Time In '13...................... 1.45 In.
Year To Date......................... 31.94 In. Year To Date '13..................... 25.02 In. Data Collected by LCRA at El Campo Memorial Hospital
BURN BAN LIFTED COUNTY’S MEAN KBDI: 227 Burn Ban is put into effect when the mean KBDI reaches or goes above 500.
El Campo ISD Myatt Elementary first-grader Jeremy Holmes tells Santa what he wants for Christmas. Parents were invited to attend Christmas parties at the campus Friday and each class got to visit with St. Nick as well. He and
other children will be going to bed tonight with hopes the morning will bring packages filled with wishes come true.
County salutes Pct. 4 commissioner’s years in office By KEITH MAGEE news@leader-news.com
Wharton County commissioners honored Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Kainer for his 16 years of service in that position when they met Monday. During the regular meeting, County Judge Phillip Spenrath presented Kainer with a Texas-shaped plaque honoring the
commissioner for his work. A list of the outgoing commissioner’s accomplishments during his tenure were reviewed as well. “I’ve really enjoyed it,” Kainer said. “I’ve learned a bunch. It’s another chapter in my book. I’m going to miss it.” Republican Doug Mathews, a heavy equipment operator for Wharton County Precinct 1 for the last 10 years, will take
over the post next year. Mathews defeated Kainer, a Democrat, in the Nov. 5 election after both earned their parties’ nominations during March Primary races. Mathews and other county officials will be sworn in a Thursday, Jan.1 ceremony at 10 a.m. in the commissioners court(See TAX ABATEMENT, Page 8-A)
KAINER
City honors medic twice for service to residents By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com
One El Campo city employee’s efforts to help have rippled through the community for more than two decades, one life at a time. And recently, the city has officially offered its thanks. El Campo EMS Paramedic Gerald Ripple is the recipient of two honors this RIPPLE month – both for outstanding service to the city, its citizens and the people simply passing through. Simply put, he’s the guy who’s there when you need him. “All in all, it’s just a part of the call(See ‘RIPPLE EFFECT’, Page 7-A)
Holiday Reading Time
Contributed Photo
Leader-News Publisher Jay T. Strasner, right, provides details about how a newspaper is made while his daughter, Taylor, listens intently. Strasner read a holiday book to Mrs. Walters’ third grade class at Hutchins Elementary last week, part of a Leader-News Christmas tradition.