HerefordBRAND.com
| Wednesday,
February 6, 2019 | P
rinted on recycled paper
Midweek Edition
Hereford BRAND Volume 118 | Number 59 WHAT'S INSIDE
Proudly Serving The High Plains Since 1901
10 pages plus inserts | $1.00
11th-hour deal to keep BRAND open
Former sports editor, wife to take over daily operations From Staff Reports
Police Blotter Page 3
Lady Herd stand firm, still fall at Levelland
After hearing the news Saturday about the closing of the Hereford BRAND, a 118-year institution in Deaf Smith County, former BRAND sports editor Jeff Blackmon and wife Angela agreed to purchase the newspaper and will continue to publish the semi-weekly product. An agreement to purchase the newspaper from long-time BRAND owner Roberts Publishing was reached late Tuesday afternoon.
“When I graduated from Abilene Christian University (ACU) in the spring of 1999, my wife and I moved to Amarillo and then to Hereford,” Blackmon said. “I served as sports editor at the BRAND for more than a year, cutting my teeth in the newspaper business under former publisher Mauri Montgomery. “It was one of the best years of my life getting to know the community and having the chance to get to know and cover all of the
stellar athletes in Hereford.” Since leaving the BRAND in 2001, Blackmon has gone on to own the Wellington Leader (2006-08), The Castro County News (2011-14), The County-Star News (2012-present), The Texas Spur (2016-18) and The Swisher County News (2013-present). “From the first day I worked at the Hereford BRAND until now, I have always had a special place in my heart for the newspaper and the community,” Blackmon said.
“A community losing its newspaper is a tragedy, and we are glad to step in to own it and operate it. “Our goal from day one will be to earn the trust of the BRAND’s faithful readers and publish a paper everyone in the community will be proud of.” The BRAND has been owned by Roberts Publishing, Inc., out of Andrews since the 1950s. Under the new ownership, the BRAND will honor all past advertising contracts and subscriptions.
BRAND status no effect on timetable
Page 7
Friends of Library sale opens Feb. 22-23 Page 10
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
FORECAST
Regardless of the pending status of the Hereford BRAND, legal wheels already set in motion have to be played out concerning public record requests made of a local government body. On Jan. 7, the Hereford BRAND presented a quintet of formal Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Deaf Smith County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 – locally known as the San Jose Water Authority (SJWA). The requests sought disclosure of an array of public records from meeting agendas to meeting minutes, election information, annual budgets and independent budget audits that state law requires be available for public inspection at any time upon request. SJWA director and “employee” Mona Hernandez has repeatedly refused to release the public information citing the need for “permission” from the Texas Attorney General before public records could be released from her office. Hernandez could offer no basis in law for withholding the information and admitted not releasing them – and them not even being in the office – were violations of state
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INDEX Page 2............Obituaries Page 3...................News Page 4................Opinion Page 5..............Outdoors Page 7..................Sports Page 8................Religion Page 9...........Classifieds Page 10.........Community
© 2019 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
Doff
of the chapeau In recognition of January’s designation as School Board Appreciation Month, Hereford Independent School District (HISD) doffed the collective chapeau to its board of trustees during Jan. 21’s meeting. Above, left, HHS principal Richard Sauceda, left, greets District III trustee David Fanning, while, above right, District VI's Brandy Murillo is thanked by principals Sandy Maldonado and Andrea Brown. Right, longest serving trustee Carolyn Waters, center, of District II, is lauded by Northwest Elementary princpal Nancy Neusch and HISD Superintendent Sheri Blankenship, right. BRAND/John Carson
PLEASE SEE SJWA | 3
School bond to start moving forward this month By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
The wheels of the first Hereford Independent School District (HISD) bond approved by voters in more than 45 years will start picking up speed this month with hopes of initial projects getting underway this summer. Voters approved a $22.4 million bond measure in November by an almost 2:1 margin after $42.6 million and $45 million plans were decidedly defeated in 2015 and 2017,
respectively. this. The bond addresses some of the HISD financial consultant Vince ongoing facility concerns Viaille, managing director of facing the district over Specialized Public Finance, safety and security, as well informed the HISD Board of as aging and deteriorating Trustees in November plans buildings. to have a bond package for However, before any of approval at its Feb. 25 meetthe $16.7 million for safety ing. and security upgrades or A prospectus of the $5.7 million for a new fieldbond’s finances must be house and other athletic submitted to the Texas EduVIAILLE upgrades can be made, the cation Agency for approval bonds have to be sold. to be included as part of That is scheduled to take place the state’s Permanent School Fund
(PSF), which Viaille described as “insurance for investors that guarantees repayment of a school district’s public debt, before interest rates can be negotiated. A somewhat 11th-hour process for securing bond funding that included negotiations during the day of Feb. 25 with a trio of underwriters to establish an interest rate for the bond at both a 15- and 20-year payout will give Viaille the package he will present that evening.
Thank you Hereford for 118 years! - Hereford BRAND
PLEASE SEE BOND | 3