09-12-2010-Sunday - Wise County Messenger

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2A WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Sunday, September 12, 2010 WISE COUNTY A new blog by Kristen Tribe www.wcmessenger.com /blogs/shelfspace/ Phil Major President & Publisher P.O. Box 149 115 S. Trinity Decatur, TX 76234 940-627-5987 Fax 940-627-1004 www.wcmessenger.com news@wcmessenger.com Joe Duty Photographer Lowell Burkett Subscriber Services Messenger photo by Joe Duty UNDER WATER — Water overtakes the walking bridge at Black Creek Lake on the LBJ Grasslands. The lake closed Thursday due to the high water levels. Soaking start to September ... Continued from page 1A ought to know that,” Liles said. At David Mosley’s house on Cemetery Road just north of Decatur, his wife got dressed in the dark Wednesday morning. The power went out in that area at 6 a.m. and remained out until mid-afternoon, Mosley said. Neighbor Rebecca Gage is a homemaker and said she went to her in-law’s house in Decatur when the power went out. Gage and her family live in a manufactured home and felt safer in town when the tornado sirens went off, she said. “They ruined our family’s lives — I’ll tell you that,” she said. “Our lives have been ruined as far as Wise County. We don’t have the money to get out so we must stay here and deal with it.” At least 13 additional suspects were arrested along with her five sons late last January. Several were apprehended at the 10-acre Malone property several miles south of Slidell on Farm Road 51. Others were arrested throughout Wise and Montague counties. They were all charged with engagement in organized criminal activity related to the production and distribution of methamphetamine. On Wednesday morning at the Wise County Courthouse, the charges against 15 of those arrested were dropped. Two pleaded guilty. A third is still in limbo. On Monday, Benny K. Malone, 46, pleaded guilty to possession of 4 to 200 grams of methamphetamine, possession of chemicals to manufacture methamphetamine and engaging in an organized criminal activity. He received five years in prison for his plea. Investigators had considered him a primary target in the arrests. On Aug. 30, his wife Tammy Malone, 42, pleaded guilty to two felony charges, including engaging in an organized criminal activity. She received five years probation. She faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison if she violates the terms. The only one still facing “I knew there was a tropical storm coming, but no one expects 10 inches of rain in 12 hours,” Gage said. The vast amount of water Hermine dumped on the county sent Gage Lake spilling over its banks and covering the bridge that leads to one of two ways out of the housing division. Residents were inconvenienced by having to take the longer way out onto Farm Road 730. “It is several feet deep over the bridge, and it will probably be several more days before it goes back down,” Gage said. Jimmy Gage’s family has owned land in WISE COUNTY Most Malones freed ... Continued from page 1A Benny K. Malone — pleaded guilty to drug possession, manufacturing drugs and engaging in organized criminal activity and sentenced to 5 years in prison Guilty pleas Messenger photo by Joe Duty NEW GROWTH — Wilda Malone continues to grow vegetables and raise honey bees at the scene of a massive drug raid late last January. charges is Bryan Malone, 50. He has not yet reached a deal with prosecutors. “After many hours of research and further investigation, we Tammy L. Malone — pleaded guilty to engaging in an organized criminal activity, received probation Joye Wilson Malone David Wayne Malone Bobby W. Malone James Malone Kevin Malone Jeramie Landon Dykes Keith Wayne Kuykendall Xavier Glen O’Dell did not believe we had enough evidence to convict all those people on what they had been indicted on,” said Wise County District Attorney Greg Lowery, Charges dropped this area for several decades, and he has not seen the water this high since 1981, he said. “Any time it rains 4 or 5 inches, it gets over the road,” he said. Rebecca Gage and her kids found a way to make the best of the soggy situation. “It takes longer to drive (to the other exit), but it’s fun,” she said. “The kids went out and played in all the puddles in the road.” ! E-mail Julie at jneal@wcmessenger. com. Valentin Lopez Talamentes Brandy Nicole Talamentes Brian D. King Rocky Dale Gates Shonda Michelle Lanman Michael Eugene Lanman Jason Robert Smith of the mass dismissals. Kevin Benton, an investigator with the district attorney’s office, spent more than 100 hours on the cases, but he couldn’t gather enough evidence to guarantee convictions. Sgt. Inv. Chad Lanier said the sheriff’s office will continue working on the cases. And Benton said a lot of information was gained through the indictments. “They were wrongly accused,” Wilda Malone said. “Bobby (Malone) wasn’t involved at all. He wasn’t even here.” Bobby W. Malone, 50, spent six months in county jail only to have all charges against him dropped. “I just wish someone from the sheriff’s department would apologize,” he said. Tammy Malone said it’s been difficult for her to find a job. Wilda Malone also said it’s caused a tremendous amount of stress in her life. “People never see the toll it takes on you,” she said. “It’s affected my health ... My energy is gone. “I think the law needs to know what they are doing before they destroy people’s lives.” She has renewed her land with a flourishing vegetable garden, and she’s tried to renew her spirit through scripture. She paraphrases Psalm 103: 5. “God will renew my youth like the eagle,” she said while annuals around her swayed in a damp breeze. Charges pending Bryan A. Malone Mark Jordan Vice President/ General Manager Ken Roselle Senior Account Executive Denny Deady Special Projects Manager Kristen Tribe Assistant Editor Mandy Bourgeois Brandon Evans Julie Neal Lesa Major Tim Terrell James Bradshaw Carrie Adkins EDITORIAL Brian Knox Editor Richard Greene Sports Editor Mack Thweatt Keri Pritchard- Willerton Graphic Artist Joe Duty Photographer BUSINESS OFFICE Teresa Mayberry CLASSIFIEDS Lori White Kelly Guess Kristi Bennett Business Manager Donna Bean ADVERTISING Lisa Davis Advertising Manager Audrey Pannell Laura Belcher PRODUCTION Todd A. Griffith Production Manager/Webmaster Andrew May Videographer Pierre Moua Peter Franco SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Lowell Burkett Roger Weber Wesley Robinson Anne Upton Manager Blake Simmons Jesse Matheny OFFICE SUPPLY Leisa Gage Manager Sue Carlson Shelly Stokes Heather Miskiewicz SUBSCRIPTIONS $35 a year In-County $40 a year Out-of-County $45 a year Out-of-State $20 Digital Subscription www.wcmessenger.com/subscribe ________________________________ Name ________________________________ ________________________________ Address ________________________________ City St. Zip ________________________________ Phone ________________________________ Email Mail to: Wise County Messenger PO Box 149, Decatur, TX 76234 or call 940-627-5987 TIP LINE: Phone: 940-393-3450 E-mail: tips@wcmessenger.com SUBMIT NEWS Submit News, Sports, Letters to the Editor, Lifestyle, Obituaries and Update items online www.wcmessenger.com/submit ADVERTISING Contact Lisa Davis, Lori White, Michelle Bush, Kelly Guess or Laura Belcher at 940-627-5987 www.wcmessenger.com/advertising USPS Publication No. 688940 ISSN 0746-8679 The Wise County Messenger (ISSN 0746-8679) is published Thursday and Sunday by Wise County Messenger, Inc., P.O. Box 149, 115 S. Trinity St., Decatur, Texas 76234-0149. Periodicals class postage paid at Decatur, Texas. Subscription rates: one year in Wise County $35, six months $18; one year out of county $40, six months $22; one year out of state $45, six months $23. An erroneous refl ection upon the character, standing or reputation of any fi rm, person or corporation, which appears in the columns of this paper will be corrected upon due notice given to the publication at the Messenger offi ce. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Wise County Messenger, P.O. Box 149, Decatur, Texas 76234-0149. 940-627-5987. http://www.wcmessenger.com. E-mail: news@wcmessenger.com. © 2010 Wise County Messenger
WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Sunday, September 12, 2010 3A WISE COUNTY By MANDY BOURGEOIS ALVORD Council seeks to buy building for library By JULIE NEAL Alvord City Hall may soon have a new neighbor that cherishes silence. The city council approved a proposal to buy a portable building from the old middle school. However, they will have to draw up a formal proposal for the school. Originally, the council considered renting space in the old middle school and renovating it into the library, but it needed too many repairs. Council member Karan “What do you know about tobacco?” Kari Thorn asked a room full of sixth graders at Paradise Junior High. “It’s bad!” yelled one student. “It gives you cancer,” said another. “It makes your lungs black!” an excited student said. This was the beginning of a lesson on the dangers of tobacco — from the exposure to chemicals, to the thousands of dollars spent over a lifetime purchasing products. Thorn showed it plainly and simply to the kids. “We’re trying to give you more information so you can make better decisions,” she said. The “we” is STAR (Solutions Toward Addiction Recovery) Council, an organization working in Wise County and 17 other counties to help people with substance addictions. But STAR Council also Huggins called a moving company in Saginaw that quoted $4,200 to remove the building’s skirting, move the structure onto city property, tie it back down and skirt it again. The proposed location is on land the post office owns, but is closer to city hall on Elm Street. Another motion was approved to see if the private owners of the post office will sell them the small plot spends time in the schools to prevent addiction before students have the opportunity to try tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Thorn, a former teacher, is a prevention specialist of land. The library would share the city hall parking lot and possibly be refaced to look like city hall. In other business, the council approved an increase in gas prices. For residential customers, the new rate includes a 25-cent increase per mcf (1,000 cubic feet of gas), and a 15-cent increase in the base price, pushing it to $7.15 from $7. A household with average The Update is just a wcmessenger.com/update simple click away HARD TO BREATHE — Kari Thorn proved that it was hard to breathe with smoker’s lungs by showing a pair of pig lungs to sixth graders at Paradise. While the pig didn’t smoke, the lungs were modeled after human lungs ravaged by decades of smoking. Messenger photos by Joe Duty Stellar education STAR Council teaches students about dangers of tobacco use EWW — During a presentation on tobacco by the STAR Council, Ashley Angell reacts to pig lungs deformed to represent a pair of smoker’s lungs. with STAR Council and visits schools throughout Wise County conducting 12-week programs with middle school students. She connects with the students quickly with conversational banter. She asks them questions and encourages discussion about the topics. “Does anyone know what formaldehyde is?” she asked the students as she held up a jar. “Lizard skins?” a student asked quizzically, pointing to the preserved lizard in the jar. “No, it’s a preservative and embalming fluid,” Thorn answered with a smile. Thorn explained that formaldehyde is one of 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes, along with benzene, pesticides and ingredients Continued on page 7A gas use, 4.5 mcf per month, will see its total bill increase by $1.40. Commercial properties will see a $3.40-increase. Replacing a service line caused the rate hike. ! E-mail Julie at jneal@wcmessenger.com. BACK HOME IN WISE, SAVING YOU MONEY! RANDY WILLIAMS 940-627-2177 BUICK • CHEVY •GMC•CADILLAC•HYUNDAI•PRE-OWNED Let RANDY HELP YOU with ALL Your NEW and PRE-OWNED Vehicle Needs! Rick’s Metal Recycling 3280 S Hwy 101 • Bridgeport, TX 940-683-3770 TOP PRICE ACCURATE WEIGHT ON ALL METALS • Short Iron $185/ Ton • Long Iron/Tin $160/Ton • Car Bodies w/title $160/Ton • Aluminum Cans 62¢/lb • #1 Copper $2.70/lb • #2 Copper $2.60/lb Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sat. 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. TAKE A BITE OUT OF CANCER OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH How would you like to be a part of a “FIRST”? For the fi rst time, the Wise County Messenger will publish a Breast Cancer Awareness special section. Call today to be a part of something that increases breast cancer awareness and provides valuable information about available programs. ADVERTISING DEADLINE September 14 PUBLICATION DATE September 30 For more information call Lori, Kelly, Laura, Audrey or Lisa for all the details 940-627-5987 ads@wcmessenger.com A portion of the proceeds will help fi ght breast cancer in Wise County. 4th Annual Bridgeport Rocks Miners 5K Run/Walk Starts at 8 a.m. October 2 presented by Hanson Aggregates Registration at the Pavilion at Harwood Park 5k Starts at: 8 a.m. • Registration begins 30 minutes prior. STARTING POINT OF RUN: At the stop sign by the pavilion at Harwood Park. FEES: Pre-Registration: $25 (includes T-Shirt) Must be received by September 20. At Race Time: $25 (does not include t-shirt) REGISTRATION Mail to: Hanson Aggregates, c/o Charlotte Fitzgerald, P.O. Box 6 Chico, Texas 76431 Make checks payable to: Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce Call for information: Charlotte Fitzgerald at 940-644-2236 ext 221 Proceeds of the run will benefi t the Stage Coach Operation (for more details contact the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce) AWARDS Awards will be given to top 2 finishers in each category. 14 - Under • 15/20 • 21/29 • 30/40 • 41 - Over Forms available at the following locations: Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, Hanson Aggregates, Fit-N-Wise, Body Fitnus or online at www.active.com This event is also made possible by the following sponsors: Truman Arnold Companies, Ratech Construction, Chico Auto Parts, Applied Industrial Technologies, TXI, Holt Cat, Nalco, Aggregate Haulers, Abresist Corp
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Page 17 and 18: EQUAL HOUSING ® MULTIPLE LISTING S

09-12-2010-Sunday - Wise County Messenger

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