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| Saturday,
April 29, 2017 | Printed on recycled paper
Hereford BRAND Proudly Serving The High Plains Since 1901
Volume 116 | Number 87
10 pages | $1.00
Early voting turnout better than past
WHAT'S INSIDE
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Although initial indications are positive, reviews are still a bit mixed on whether Hereford Independent School District (HISD) officials have accomplished their main purpose in publicizing its $45 million bond issue. With early voting underway and election day looming on the May 6 horizon, voter turnout continues to be the main concern for school
Pipe dream comes true Page 3
Honor rolls for fifth six-weeks Page 6
Lady Whitefaces drop playoff opener Page 9
officials. on getting voters registered, inThe reason for the voter forming them of the bond’s push is a 2015 $42.6 million needs and details, and getbond issue that failed. ting them out to vote since Although the nay vote the measure was officially was somewhat overwhelmcalled on Feb. 13, reality ing, 765-403 – an almost 2:1 may prove those efforts to margin – reality of the canhave been only marginally vass showed that only 1,168 successful. of the county’s then-7,816 After early voting opened registered voters (14.9 perMonday, turnout as of DELACERDA cent) took part in the elecThursday showed 330 baltion. lots had been cast, accordWith school officials focusing ing to Deaf Smith Clerk of Court
Imelda DeLaCerda, who is overseeing the election process. “That is more than have voted early in these elections in the past,” she said. “In terms of overall turnout, the total for early voting often represents the same number of people who will vote on election day.” DeLaCerda said early voting is averaging around 100 per day, which is higher than in the past, PLEASE SEE VOTING | 3
HISD corrects calendar snafu
Plea nets prison sentence By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
FORECAST
Today
AM Rain/Wind High: 43º Low: 32º
Sunrise: 7:00 a.m. Sunset: 8:33 p.m. Wind: NNE 23 MPH Precipitation: 80% Humidity: 89% UV Index: 4 of 10
Sunday
AM Snow Showers/Wind High: 54º Low: 33º
Sunrise: 6:59 a.m. Sunset: 8:34 p.m. Wind: NW 24 MPH Precipitation: 40% Humidity: 70% UV Index: 9 of 10
Monday
Sunny High: 72º Low: 43º
Sunrise: 6:58 a.m. Sunset: 8:35 p.m. Wind: SW 9 MPH Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 45% UV Index: 9 of 10
HEREFORD HISTORY 20 years ago • April 29, 1997
Four Hereford High School students have qualified for the state UIL academic contest at the University of Texas in Austin. Students included Mari Gamez, Carey Lyles, Eddie Montoya, and Justin Betzen.
INDEX
Obituaries................2 News......................3-5 Honor Roll..............6 Classifieds...............7 Religion..................8 Sports......................9 Community..............10
© 2017 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
The adage says “30 days hath September, April, June and November,” that is unless you are Hereford Independent School District (HISD), which added August to that list when it came to the 2017-18 school calendar. HISD officials wiped some admitted egg from their faces during Monday’s regular meeting of the HISD Board of Trustees when corrections were made to the calendar for the upcoming school year that had been approved at March’s meeting. “I really don’t know how it happened,” a somewhat embarrassed HISD Superintendent Sheri Blankenship said. “There were 150 people who looked the calendar over and checked it. No one noticed the omission.” The problem rested in the fact that Thursday, Aug. 31 had been omitted from the upcoming school calendar. The calendar, as approved and released following the March trustee meeting, showed Aug. 1-30 then picked back up on Friday, Sept. 1. PLEASE SEE HISD | 4
Sunday spin Jonah Hernandez, 10, makes the most of a sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this month by giving 4-year-old Brooklyn Guzman a whirl on the new playground equipment at Hereford’s Josserand Aquatic park. BRAND/John Carson
A Hereford man could well spend the remainder of his life behind bars on a drug conviction after a plea agreement was reached in Deaf Smith County State Court this week. Deaf Smith Assistant District Attorney Chris Stroud said Thursday that 40-yearold Johnny Tijerina had accepted a plea deal and given a 30TIJERINA year sentence in the Texas Department of Corrections. Tijerina was originally arrested on March 4, 2016 for possession of more than 4 grams-less than 200 grams of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Stroud said the substance in question was methamphetamine. At the time of his arrest, Tijernia was in possession of 108.81 grams of the drug and had $6,550 in cash on him, according to Stroud. When Tijernia was indicted on Sept. 7, 2016, Stroud said the indictment also “pledged” that Tijernia had two prior felony convictions. The plea agreement not only saved the county the expense of a trial, it accomPLEASE SEE PLEA | 2
HTFCU unveils plans for new $3 million facility By Jim Steiert Contributing Writer
The anticipated launch of site preparation and construction on an expansive new Hereford Texas Federal Credit Union building was announced at the 80th annual meeting of HTFCU members April 25 at the Hereford Community Center. The facility will incorporate a spacious reception and waiting area, including a fireplace, lending, teller and loan office spaces, board room and accounting spaces, along with a new attached drive-up facility. Brenda Fuentes, HTFCU president, reported that work is expected to begin within the next two months. Members of the credit union’s board and staff worked diligently with contractor DEI Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio to evolve the new facility’s
This artist’s rendition from contractor DEI Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio illustrates how the planned $3 million, 6,400 square ft. new Hereford Texas Federal Credit Union will look upon completion between 3rd and 4th streets fronting Schley. layout, Mrs. Fuentes said. The planned $3 million, 6,400
square ft. building represents a remarkable advancement from HT-
FCU’s humble beginnings when it opened July 11, 1936 in shared space in a corner of the county welfare and Red Cross offices. The late Dyalthia Bradly Benson was the original treasurer/manager for the credit union and served until the fall of 1967, according to the Deaf Smith County history “The Land and its People.” Mrs. Benson encouraged local residents to open accounts and deposit savings of as little as 25 cents, a sum hard to come by during the hardscrabble times of the 1930s. She often went to local residents on paydays to receive deposits and talk up the new “cooperative bank.” The original investment by charter members of HTFCU was $80, and at the end of its first year, HTFCU had 22 members and a whopping $125.44
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PLEASE SEE HTFCU | 6