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Vol. 116, No. 15 • Hereford and Deaf Smith County, Texas
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Weekend edition, August 20-21, 2016
12 Pages, $1
Be wary of traffic, crosswalks as school starts By C.E. Hanna BRAND Staff Writer Hereford motorists will need to pay attention to crosswalks, buses and school zones as close to 4,000 students and parents revert to school routines Monday morning. According to Hereford Police
Chief Brent Harrison, drivers must yield the right of way to children in crosswalks and cannot enter the crosswalk until it is completely empty of pedestrian traffic. “You may have time and there may be room, but you must wait until they are completely clear before you proceed,” Harrison said. “That’s the law at any
intersection, not just those near the schools.” Harrison also cautioned motorist to watch for crossing guards and follow their instructions accordingly as they have the same authority as police officers, are trained in traffic law and can file charges. Hereford Police Lt. Randy
WIT (Whitefaces In Training)
Stribling requested drivers take extra care on 16th Street near Bluebonnet Elementary. “The morning sun comes right down 16th [Street] and it makes it difficult for westbound traffic to see, so we’re asking for parents to really slow down and watch for PLEASE SEE HISD | 3A
Clerk trial set Monday
Bluebonnet, page 5A
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Back-to-school breakfast, page 6A
Readers Choice Ballot, page 3B TODAY
Cloudy High: 81, Low: 56 FORECAST Sunday Sunny High: 85, Low: 57 Monday Cloudy High: 84, Low: 61 Tuesday Showers High: 88, Low: 62
IN MEMORY
OF
Gerald Payne, 78
page 2
INDEX News.............1-3A Opinion............4A Community..5-6A Sports................1B Community..2-3B TV Listings........4B Classified............5B
Real Estate.......6B
BRAND/John Carson
Brynndall Bell, 4, left, and 3-year-old Jace Niño, right, are already set for the upcoming season as they frolic prior to Thursday's Meet the Herd event at Whiteface Stadium.
After more than a month of delays, appointment of a new judge and allegations of Constitutional right violations, Deaf Smith County (DSC) Clerk of Court Imelda DeLaCerda is expected to have her day in court Monday. DeLaCerda was arrested May 30 by Hereford Police for allegedly giving officers a false identity and second offense of driving with an invalid license. She had originally been stopped for speeding and has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Records show DeLaCerda has a 2008 conviction for driving while license suspended/revoked and has not possessed a valid Texas driver’s license since Oct. 12, 2003. An original trial date of July 7 in Deaf Smith County Court to answer the two Class 2 misdemeanor charges was continued by defense request in a flurry of filings at the end of June. In addition to granting the defense request for a DELACERDA continuance, DSC Judge D.J. Wagner recused himself from the trial on grounds “the defendant is an elected county official” and he had “personal knowledge of the defendant.” Also in the those late June filings from DeLaCerda’s attorney, Greta Crofford of Amarillo, was a motion to suppress all video, audio and other evidence gathered, as well as testimonies of those involved on grounds that DeLaCerda’s Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendments rights were violated. With Randall County Judge James Anderson appointed to hear the case and his office confirming Monday’s docket call in Deaf Smith County Court for 1:30 p.m., exactly what happens when the gavel falls is unclear. Deaf Smith County District Attorney Jim English said under usual circumstances, pretrial motions – such as the motion to suppress – are heard and decided upon before the actual trial begins. However, no official word from the PLEASE SEE CLERK | 3A
Officals agree millennials need basic life skills By C.E. Hanna BRAND Staff Writer With the foremost topic of discussion during District 31 State Sen. Kel Seliger’s recent Town Hall meeting in Hereford being education, one question seemed inevitable. “What to make of millennials’ lack of life skills, and how can they be improved?”
First Financial Bank president and CEO Mike Mauldin ventured the query – adding it is not limited to Hereford and is a national problem. “I’ve talked to major businesses here, and that’s the one thing that keeps coming up,” Mauldin said. “Students come out [of high school] without life skills or knowing anything about personal finance.”
Young adults do not know how to balance a checkbook, and he has personally witnessed young college students who take out more student loans than they need, Mauldin said. Mauldin suggested that high schools offer classes whereby the primary focus is on skills essential to adult independence. “I’m not saying that our kids are behind, because it’s nationwide,
but how do we make it so that our kids are a step ahead?” Mauldin said. Seliger said schools should proceed in that direction “very carefully” and any such course should be created with the assistance of the chamber of commerce. Seliger, who chairs the Senate PLEASE SEE SELIGER | 3A
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