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PINECREST ENERGY CENTER
‘Project 800’ construction set to begin in 1Q of 2015
CITY OF LUFKIN
Lufkin City Council picks Wright as new city manager
Lufkin Deputy City Manager Keith Wright, left, accepts congratulations after Tuesday night's city council meeting in which council members selected Wright as the new city manager.
Members OK Parker’s replacement in 4-3 vote
ANDY ADAMS/ The Lufkin News
By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News Construction on “Project 800,” a proposed gas-fired, electrical generating plant on 83 acres near state Highway 103 and Loop 287, is set to begin in the first quarter of 2015, company and Lufkin city officials announced Tuesday. Officials with Plano-based Coronado Power Ventures, parent company of the Pinecrest Energy Center, along with city officials, made the announcement at Lufkin Business Park where construction on the $700 million facility is set to commence. Officials hope the facility will be operation by summer of 2017. The plant is expected to produce 730 megawatts of electrical power, which can provide power to about 700,000 homes. According to officials, the facility will utilize the most recent advanced emissionscontrol technology, resulting in one of the cleanest natural gas-fueled power plants in Texas. “(Deputy City Manager Keith Wright), (City Manager) Paul Parker, Mayor Brown and everybody here have been such a big help to us throughout the process,” said Brandon Upchurch, director of business development for Coronado Power Ventures. “I know it’s been kind of quiet in the SEE PINECREST ENERGY, PAGE 4A
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Judge grants shock probation in case of man who burned bed By RHONDA OAKS The Lufkin News A judge granted shock probation on a 10-year prison sentence Tuesday to a Lufkin man who admitted to setting his girlfriend’s bed on fire. District Court Judge Barry Bryan sentenced Tristan Keon Ballard, 28, after attorneys agreed on the deal that could see Ballard released from prison in four months. Bryan told Ballard BALLARD that if he had no problems for the first 120 days of his sentence, he wanted to see him back in his courtroom, where he would consider probating the remainder of his 10-year sentence. Ballard was arrested on arson charges SEE ARSON, PAGE 4A
ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News
More than 100 people packed into the Lufkin City Council's chamber — which seats 91 — for a council meeting at which the council selected By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News In a 4-3 vote, members of the Lufkin City Council on Tuesday appointed Deputy City Manager Keith Wright as the new city manager. The council meeting began at 5 with an overflow crowd in the council chambers. Council members immediately went into executive session after the opening prayer, then returned at 5:26 p.m. to announce their decision. Mayor Bob Brown and council members Lynn Torres, Rocky Thigpen and Don Langston voted in favor of offering the job to Wright, who was in attendance. Council members Victor Travis, Robert Shankle and Sarah Murray voted “Nay.” Travis on Monday released a statement indicating he believed the city’s process to find the replacement for City Manager Paul Parker, who is retiring, was conducted in a way to make sure that Wright was the pick. “I definitely say ‘Nay,’” Shankle said, “because this process wasn’t a process.” Torres made the motion to offer a
contract to Wright, followed by the roll call vote. At the end of the council meeting, Wright asked to say a word. “I want to personally thank Paul Parker,” Wright said. “He’s been a great mentor to me, a great boss.” “I’m not gone WRIGHT yet,” Parker quipped. “I wanted you to know,” Wright said. Shankle continued to express his displeasure of the search process after the meeting, stating the process “wasn’t fair to anyone.” “The reason I said the process wasn’t a process was because there was some misleading information given by our mayor, Bob Brown,” Shankle said. “Mayor Brown left me a voicemail on Friday at 11:36 a.m. stating that we would offer Keith Wright SEE CITY MANAGER, PAGE 4A
Deputy City Manager Keith Wright to replace City Manager Paul Parker, who is retiring.
Council approves first reading of ordinance authorizing assignment pay for certain Lufkin Fire positions By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News Lufkin City Council members on Tuesday approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing assignment pay for certain positions within the Lufkin Fire Department. According to city officials, the assignment pay is an amount above regular pay received for specialized functions by firefighters. In addition to cleaning up the current assignment pay policy, the current assignment pay plan would add assignment pay for two new positions: primary care attendant, the emergency medical service provider in the rear of the ambulance, and secondary care attendant, the ambu-
lance driver. The proposed ordinance would provide assignment pay as follows: ■ Fire marshal — $618 per month ■ Deputy fire marshal — $304 per month ■ Training/safety officer — $618 per month ■ Emergency Medical Services coordinator — $304 per month ■ Logistics officer — $304 per month ■ Primary care attendant — $40 per day ■ Secondary care attendant — $20 per day Council members must consider and vote on a second reading of the ordinance before its enactment. SEE CITY COUNCIL, PAGE 4A
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