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Empire-Tribune STEPHENVILLE
Your Community. Your News. Your Website: www.yourstephenvilletx.com
We dn e s day, July 11, 2012
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STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS H CITY OF CHAMPIONS
STEP FORWARD
Police chief named interim city manager
75 cen t s
DIGGING FOR DINOS
BY MICAH MOORE micah.moore@empiretribune.com
The Dublin City Council appointed Police Chief Lannie Lee as its interim city manager Monday night. Lee took on city-wide responsibilities at the start of business Tuesday and received a $5 an hour pay increase. The appointment brings “stability, solidarity and cohesion” to city services and activities, Lee said. “I look forward to having continuity in the city,” said Mayor Becky Norris. Lee will split his time between the police department and city manager’s office. Lee said he had “serious reservations” about assuming the interim role. “The only way I would even entertain the thought of being the interim city manager was maintaining my role as police chief,” Lee said. “I’m a cop at heart.” The permanent city manager should be a good communicator, team
Lannie Lee player and willing to be involved in the community, according to Lee. Lee initially applied for the city manager position in 1999 before becoming police chief in 2000. Lee has not decided if he will apply to hold the position permanently, but has not ruled out the possibility. Until the council hires a city manager, Lee will focus on preparing a 2012-13 budget and replacing the wastewater management system, the two most pressing issues facing Dublin. “It’s important right now to make sure the city is completing its basic function for residents and those who visit our town,” Lee said.
The Stephenville Public Library hosted Dino Dig Tuesday, inviting area children to dig into sandboxes stocked with fossils. Kathy Lenz, park interpreter at Dinosaur Valley State Park, shared insights on the colossal creatures. AMANDA KIMBLE/E-T
DINNER TONIGHT
WARNING
Scammers pose as ‘prize patrol’
Website dishes out wholesome meal ideas
PHOTO GALLERY
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IMPROVEMENT
BY AMANDA KIMBLE amanda.kimble@empiretribune.com
Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant is issuing a warning. Telephone scammers who first starting calling several months ago are continuing their attempts to defraud local residents. Bryant said an Erath County couple received the same call twice in the last week. The scammers masquerade as an organization known for delivering sweepstakes winnings - Publishers Clearing House - and tell potential victims they have just won more than $3 million. “They go so far as to tell residents the winnings will be delivered by an armored truck with a police escort,” Bryant said. “All the ‘winner’ has to do is go to a local Walgreens or CVS and buy a $400 gift card.” Once the gift card has been purchased, the victims are directed to provide the “prize patrol” with the gift card number and security to code to “verify” it is legitimate. “They pretend to verify the card but the information actually gives them
Sheriff Tommy Bryant
access to the money on the card,” Bryant said, adding once the transaction is complete, the scammers will likely never be heard from again. “These people are really slick, they will do anything to gain their victims’ trust,” Bryant said. “In this case, they asked the woman if she was a Christian and when she said she was, they told her they would pray she would spend the money wisely. They are lying through their teeth.” In the recent case, Bryant said the couple did not fall victim to the scheme, but they did contact their attorney who directed them to call the sheriff ’s office. He said the problem with scammers is they are often on the move and change their phone numbers and points of contact regularly, evading See SCAM on Page 2
Good morning, Subscriber
Jerry Walker, Stephenville
8 pages H Vol. 112, No. 136 H ©2012
The Graham Street entrance to the courthouse annex parking lot is one of many problem areas Erath County hopes to repair by paving the lot later this year. MICAH MOORE/E-T
Donna White, extension agent with Texas AgriLife Extension Center, is sharing healthy recipes on the Dinner Tonight website. DONNIE BRYANT/E-T
BY DONNIE BRYANT
donnie.bryant@empiretribune.com
Fresh and healthy cooking ideas are just a click away, thanks to Texas AgriLife Extension Center’s Dinner Tonight website. Surfing the site will open a wealth of information on meals that can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Tips for making the meals more healthful are given within the recipes. Videos of preparation demonstrations can also be accessed. Recipes that were showcased at the Dinner Tonight Cooking School held at the auditorium of Tarleton State University’s Joe W. Autry Agriculture Building in April have recently been uploaded to the Dinner Tonight website. Take a quick visit to www.healthyliving.tamu.edu where you can select the “Healthy Cooking School Menu” option to open a list of entrées, including black bean and pork tostadas and chicken wraps. When an entrée is chosen, there will also be suggestions given for side dishes and desserts that will complement the main dishes.
County works to ‘smooth’ out parking problems BY MICAH MOORE
micah.moore@empiretribune.com
Erath County hopes to fix the “worst parking lot” the county maintains, but repairs will depend largely on the price. The county is now accepting bids from contractors to pave the courthouse annex parking lot for the first time since its construction. The lot consists of only a foundation surface, and crews often repair potholes and bumps. “We will pursue every avenue we can to fit this in to this year’s budget,” said Facilities Director John Wooley. The county hopes to pave the entire parking lot, southwest of the courthouse annex, and improve both entrances on Graham and Belknap streets. Landscaping features will also be added.
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