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| Wednesday,
June 13, 2018 | P
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Hereford BRAND Volume 117 | Number 96 WHAT'S INSIDE
Police Blotter Page 3
Proudly Serving The High Plains Since 1901
Razing the roof
10 pages | $1.00
Fireworks nixed as burn ban renewed
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Commission detailed on Panhandle efforts Page 5
County nominations open on Friday Page 6
FORECAST
A derelict house at 808 Avenue K came down Monday as the official condemnation process moved forward on property that city officials called “a health hazard” and “unsafe.” BRAND/John Carson
City demolishes derelict residence By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Today
Mostly Sunny High: 93º Low: 67º FIRE WEATHER WATCH
Thursday
Mostly Sunny/Wind High: 95º Low: 66º
The wheels of government turned, and a house came tumbling down. The mechanical monster took its first bite Monday around 2 p.m., and when it had finished there was a pile of rubble where a house once stood in the Avenue K neighborhood. By Tuesday morning, city works crews were on site with a front-end loader and dump trucks to clear the debris as Hereford ridded itself of a blight and pending danger. With city officials readily admitting the condemnation of property is not a pleasurable
task, the city had exercised more-than-due patience in dealing with the saga surrounding the house at 808 Avenue K. A 2015 fire severely damaged the interior of the house, and according to city officials, homeowners collected their insurance money, then effectively abandoned the property. A city attempt just more than a year ago to have the property repaired met with the application and issuances of building permits in May 2017 and another in June 2017 – both of which were still visibly posted on the front door prior to demolition. PLEASE SEE RAZE | 10
Friday
Sunny High: 95º Low: 66º
Saturday
Partly Cloudy/Wind High: 92º Low: 66º
Sunday
Isolated Thunderstorms
High: 87º Low: 64º
Monday
Mostly Sunny High: 89º Low: 64º
Tuesday
Scattered Thunderstorms
High: 87º Low: 63º
INDEX Page 2............Obituaries Page 3......Public Record Page 4................Opinion Page 5..............Outdoors Page 6....................News Page 8................Religion Page 9...........Classifieds Page 10..................News
© 2018 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
City workers go about the task of removing the pile of debris Tuesday from the site where a house once stood on Avenue K. BRAND/John Carson
It did not take long Tuesday for the Deaf Smith County Commissioners Court to take all the pop out of this year’s upcoming Independence Day celebrations. In rapid fashion to open their first meeting of the month, commissioners wasted no time in renewing the county’s ban for another 90 days before almost as quickly approving a declaration of disaster for the county because of the ongoing drought. Included in the declaration is the ban of the use and sale of fireworks in Deaf Smith County. “The concern is looking at the whole county,” Deaf Smith County Judge D.J. Wagner said. “This was a tough decision. It will affect events WAGNER around town. “It you want to see fireworks on the Fourth, you’ll have to go somewhere else. We have to consider the safety of all. This is a predicament for a few, but is the best for the whole.” The timing of the fireworks ban has to do with legal hurdles that must be cleared to make such a ban effective for the upcoming holiday. Because the disaster declaration includes the banning of fireworks, the order is only viable for 60 hours. During that time, the declaration – if approved by the court – is forwarded to the governor, who must sign off on the declaration and subsequent ban to make it effective for time needed. To meet time guidelines TURNEY for the Fourth, the approved declaration had to be forwarded to the governor by Friday. Commissioners did not debate the issue after Hereford Fire Marshal and county emergency management director Dean Turney unveiled additional local drought information. “It didn’t look possible to have fireworks a month ago,” Turney said. “I told the judge then we would probably need to cancel them.” Based on the official drought index, a county needs a grade of at least 575 to qualify for a declaration of disaster. PLEASE SEE BAN | 3
Well field project moving to fruition By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
“The project is going real well,” Hereford Assistant City Manager With wells dug and Steve Bartels said. “They ready to pump, all are in the process that remains is the of the getting the completion of pipe pipe laid. installation for the “Once that is in City of Hereford to the ground, we can get a boost in its connect the new water supply. wells to the city’s Works is conwater system.” tinuing on the While the pipe is project that will being laid, Bartels BARTELS give the city five added that electrimore water wells cal panels for wells on a plot that effectively are simultaneously being spans North Avenue K installed. and North Progressive PLEASE SEE PIPE | 10 Road.
Laying water pipe is not what it was 25 years ago, as a total of five workers – two equipment operators and three workers in the ditch – are needed to put in the city’s new water line. BRAND/John Carson
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