Saturday, February 11, 2017
Volume 116 | Number 65
www.herefordbrand.com
8 Pages, $1
Make Newspapers Great Again
Court move to cost county
FORECAST
Today Sunny, High: 85 Low: 37 Sunday Mostly Cloudy/Wind, High: 48 Low: 28 Monday Rain/Snow, High: 37 Low: 29 Tuesday AM Snow, High: 38 Low: 25 Wednesday Partly Cloudy, High: 49 Low: 26 Thursday Sunny, High: 57 Low: 35
WHAT'S INSIDE
From Staff Reports Deaf Smith County officials are taking exception to a state proposal concerning the electronic filing of court documents. The Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA) – which operates under direction of the Texas Supreme Court – has proposed alterations to its current electronic filing process (e-File) that local officials said will ultimately take money from county coffers. “Attorneys can file documents through the e-File system,” Deaf Smith County Judge D.J. Wagner said. “OCA is proposing to keep information online and pretty much take away our revenue. “They want to make the system solely sufficient, which would remove postal and other services.” Under the current e-File system, attorneys have the option of filing documents online – rather than through the postal system or in person – and those documents are available to anyone at no fee for 30 days, according to Wagner. Following the initial 30 days, documents are removed from websites and only available through a respective court clerk’s office. The problem with the OCA proposal is twofold, local court officials said. Foremost is that OCA centralization of court documents appears to violate state statutes – as well as the Texas Constitution – which designates county and district court clerks as custodians of court records and responsible for the “management, preservation and access” of court records. The other concern revolves the loss of potential
1 hurt in Fri. crash
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Alpha Alpha to fete sweetheart Page 2
Police blotter Page 3
'House & Garden' running at WT Page 4
Herd playoff fire still burns Page 7
INDEX Page 2 News, Community Page 3 New, Obits, Public Record, Crossword, Calendar Page 4 News, Weekly Bonus Page 5 Classifieds Page 6 Real Estate Page 7 Sports, Sports schedules Page 8 Sports
An unidentified person was taken to Hereford Regional Medical Center (HRMC) with unknown injuries Friday morning following a traffic accident on U.S. 385. The accident occurred about 3 miles south of Hereford on U.S. 385 at approximately 8:30 a.m. Although no official details of the incident have been released and no report filed as of press time, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers investigating the scene confirmed the approximate time of the incident. While not identifying the driver of the pick-up involved in the one-vehicle crash, troopers did say the person was alive when placed into an ambulance for transport to HRMC. As investigation into the incident continued, troopers were unsure of the exact cause of the wreck. They did add it appeared the vehicle swerved right off the roadway before striking a tree, which caused the truck to roll several times. The incident crushed the top of the pick-up and left debris scattered along a 100 yard-plus swath along the right-of-way.
BRAND/John Carson
DPS troopers gather evidence while investigating a Friday morning accident south of Hereford on U.S. 385 that left one person injured.
PLEASE SEE COURT | 3
Hereford loves Love’s By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
After quietly opening its doors for business a fortnight ago, Love’s Travel Stop became the newest member of the Hereford business family Thursday with an official ribbon cutting. The event – hosted by the Deaf Smith County Chamber of Commerce – drew more than 30 chamber, government and school officials, as well as fellow business owners and well wishers. “The reaction has been nothing but positive,” Love’s general manager Joe Mehyous said. “I have had no negative interactions since we’ve opened. The community has been great and was patient with us while we finished [employee] training.” Following a several-month delay in starting construction as Texas Department of Transportation hurdles had to be cleared, ground was broken for the First Street outlet over the summer. Despite a few additional delays as construction
BRAND/John Carson
The Love’s Travel Stop in Hereford became an official member of the Deaf Smith County Chamber of ComPLEASE SEE LOVE'S | 2 merce and local business family with a formal ribbon cutting Thursday.
Staff Writer
The Hereford BRAND has an opening for a full-time staff writer position. The ideal candidate will be experienced in both writing/photography and in social media. Experience is preferred; however, we will train the right person - a self-starter who can handle the pressure of deadlines, some crazy hours, and assignments that could cover everything from city and county government to schools to whatever might walk in through the door.
Sales Representative
The Hereford BRAND has an opening for a full-time sales representative position. Experience in sales and/or marketing is a definite plus, but not required. Job requires both telephone and outside sales in the local area, as well as with regional and national advertisers. Successful candidates need to be diligent and pay strict attention to detail and customer service. Send resumes to the publisher at publisher@herefordbrand.com or drop off at 506 S. 25 Mile Ave. No phone calls.