Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 Page: 1 of 14
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-É-
Cljerokeeaij/Herald
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper - Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
Back to School
Summer's almost over.
Alto students register
for classes this week.
See page 10
Vol. 154, No. 24-14 pgs.
Wednesday, August 6, 2003
Rusk, TX 75785
50 cents
Commissioners begin work on new county budget
County
contracted with
current ambulance
service until 2008
Cherokee County is bound
by an old ambulance contract
until August 2008, Jack White
told members of the commis-
sioners court Monday morning.
Former County Judge Harry
Tilley signed a contract with
East Texas Emergency Medi-
cal Services last year that has
an automatic renewal clause,
he reported at the meeting.
"According to the contract
you have to give 180 days
notice prior to the time for the
contract to be renewed," Mr.
White said.
"I had understood there was
no automatic renewal clause
in the contract. I thought the
county could terminate it with
proper notice," he said.
Various commissioners
stated that they had under-
stood last year that there was
no automatic renewal for the
contract.
"Judge Tilley signed the con-
tract and I think it is binding,"
Mr. White said.
A copy of the contract could
not be located in the judge's
office or the county clerk's office.
Then, ETMC EMS office faxed
Mr. White the contract. He had
been told that the contract had
already been renewed for five
years.
"I had understood that the
contract would automatically
renew for one five-year term
and then the county would have
to renew it," Mr. White said.
Kevin Pierce, commissioner,
Precinct 2, said, "I think we
ought to let Craig (County
Attorney Craig Caldwell) look
at this. We thought everyone
would have a fair shot for the
contract. No one knew there
was a 180-day notification
clause in this contract."
"Five years ago, the court
went to great lengths to say
we don't want an automatic
contract. But it got signed,"
Mr. White said.
"If there is no way for the
county to get out, the chances
are that the cities can't either.
East Texas (ETMC EMS) might
still have been the best," Mr.
White said.
The meeting had been called
for budget hearings, but the
ambulance contract was placed
on the agenda as well as an
opportunity for District Attor-
ney Elmer Beckworth to ask for
the employment of a criminal
investigator to replace Randy
Hatch, who resigned.
Commissioners approved
Mr. Beckworth's request.
Mr. Beckworth said he plans
to hire former Nacogdoches
County Sheriff Joe Evans to
fill the position.
Mr. Beckworth discussed his
budget requests. He asked that
his office be given $500 to pro-
vide a tape copying service.
Mr. Hatch, the former inves-
tigator for the office, had his
own dubbing machine and now
there is no way to copy tapes.
Mr. Beckworth asked that the
county postpone the enforce-
ment of employees having to
take vacation and compensa-
tion time. "I have two employees
who are pregnant and the other
one just cannot take her accu-
mulated time off," he said.
Mr. Beckworth also informed
the court that the state will not
pay expenses for felony trial
out-of-county witnesses. "This
will be another expense we will
have to absorb," he said.
Court-at-Law Judge Dan
Childs asked that his employ-
ees be exempted from the
requirement of having to take
unused vacation and compen-
sation time. That request was
denied by commissioners.
Judge Childs also said that
if he has to be out of the office
the state will not provide pay
Please see BUDGET, pg. 6
Health
department
offers $5
vaccinations
Children's shots
must be current before
registering for school
All immunizations must be current
before students can be registered for
school. Area schools will begin regis-
tering students for classes during the
early days of August.
Personnel at the Cherokee County
Health Department will administer
shots to children for $5 regardless of
the number of vaccinations needed
in the shot.
The health department in Rusk will
give shots Monday through Thursday
from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and also during
the noon hour.
The Jacksonville office offers shots
on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
they are closed during the noon hour.
However, shots are given without
appointments.
Required inoculations
The Cherokee County Health
Department has issued information
concerning when vaccinations are
due.
All infants should receive the first
dose of hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine
soon after birth and before hospital
discharge; the first dose may also
be given by age two months if the
infant's mother is HBsAg-negative.
Only monovalent hepatitis B vaccine
can be used for the birth dose. Monova-
lent or combination vaccine containing
Hep B may be used to complete the
series; four doses of vaccine may be
administered if combination vaccine
Please see VACCINES, pg. 6
Grid Iron Giants
The third-ranked Alto Yellowjacket work on conditioning and running drills on
the first day of summer 2-a-days.
>►
Rusk (right) defensive players run blocking plays as they prepare for the season
opener against Fairfield Aug. 29.
Rusk, Alto athletes hit the practice fields
Rusk coach has high expectations
By Leland Acker
Cherokeean/Herald Writer
Those who have only read Texas
Football are missing most of the
signs that point to another exciting
season for the Rusk Eagles. The
Eagles have experience, skill and
are coming off of a highly success-
ful season from last year. However,
any coach will testify that the work
ethic and conditioning of the play-
ers determine success.
"We had a lot of success last year,
we have lots of returning players
and we're expecting success this
year," said Rusk Head Coach
Wayne Mahaffey. "Our kids are
excited about the start of this year,
and everyone's anxious to get on
the field for another outstanding
year."
Coach Mahaffey assesses his
team, and continues, "This team
has done more over the summer
than in past years." Mahaffey cites
increased participation in summer
workout programs, which are now
allowed under UILregulations, and
the success of the Eagles' 7-on-7
Please see RUSK, pg. 6
Alto looks to continue winning streak
By Leland Acker
Cherokeean/Herald Writer
The winning tradition established
by the Alto Yellowjackets has many
East Texans wondering if there is
something in the water. For Alto
Head Coach Marty Murr, the answer
is not such a mystery.
"We have good kids," Coach Murr
stated. "We are really blessed. There
aren't many character problems,
hardly any discipline problems and
our kids make the grade."
Any coach will attest to the
importance of strong discipline as
a key ingredient to a great football
program. According to Coach Murr,
the Yellowjackets have a lot of dis-
cipline.
"We have a great senior class. They
show good leadership and have good
talent," Coach Murr said.
Among Coach Murr's talented
players is Johnny Thacker. Thacker
has earned statewide recognition
as a running back. Texas Football
names him as one of the top backs in
the state, but Coach Murr sees more
potential for Thacker than punching
it in on 4th and goal situations.
Please see ALTO, pg. 6
County man charged
with wife's murder
A Jacksonville woman was
allegedly shot and killed
Sunday by her estranged
husband as she and family
members returned home
from church.
Faye Harris, 42, and her
family arived home at 1003
Columbia St. in Jacksonville
around 1:30 p.m. when she
was reportedly accosted
by her soon to be divorced
husband. She was fatally
shot with a bolt action .410
shotgun, Jacksonville police
said.
Her former husband,
Michael Harris, is currently
in the Cherokee County Jail
without bond.
When Jacksonville Police
Officer Lex Moses was
reported to have answered
a 911 call, he arrived at the
scene and found Mrs. Harris
lying on the ground.
Relatives said the victim
was hit with the butt of
the weapon in the face and
head area until she fell to
the ground. After falling to
the ground Mr. Harris was
reported to have put the gun
to her body and shot her twice
in the back.
Mr. Harris was appre-
hended later in the day
after an altercation with a
motorist in Anderson County.
He was believed to be under
the influence of narcotics and
was transported to Palestine
Regional Hospital. Lt. John
Page, Jacksonville Police
Please see MURDER, pg. 6
2 Rusk men voluntarily take polygraph test
Keith, Johnny
Issacs claim
self-defense in
altercation
By Robert Gonzalez
Cherokeean/Herald writer
A lie detector test admin-
istered to racetrack owner
Johnny Isaacs and his 27-
year-old son Keith shows they
were truthful in their account
of the incident that led to their
felony indictment by a Harri-
son County grand jury. The
idictment alleges that Keith
and Johnny Isaacs assaulted
a man with a disabled arm,
Tommy Flint, at the Halls-
ville racetrack on Sept. 14,
2002. Polygraph expert Rick
Holden administered the test
last Friday.
"The polygraph showed that
Johnny and Keith were truthful
in their answers," said noted
attorney Clifton L. "Scrappy"
Holmes of Longview. The Isaacs
maintain that Mr. Flint drew a
knife and threatened them.
"We plan to submit the
polygraph test to the Harrison
County D.A., for their review."
added Mr. Holmes. "Last
September, we presented the
results of our investigation
of the incident to Harrison
County District Attorney Rick
Barry and he declined to file
suit," said Mr.Holmes.
Mr. Holmes offered an expla-
nation of the events that trans-
pired: the altercation started
when Mr. Isaac's 17-year-old
daughter, Crystal, and Mr.
Flint's wife, Mercy, became
involved in an argument. Soon
after, Keith and Johnny, arrived
and saw that Mr. Flint had a
knife. Keith Isaacs hit Mr.Flint,
knocked him to the ground and
held him down until Johnny
Isaacs took the weapon from
Mr Flint's hand. The Isaacs'
actions were self defense, Mr.
Holmes asserts.
"We have sworn statements
from three bystanders who
corroborate what Keith and
Johnny said happened," said
Mr. Holmes.
A new district attorney, Joe
Black, took office in January.
He re-opened the case and pre-
sented it to a grand jury which
resulted in the July 15, 2003
indictments.
"We were not informed of the
grand jury meeting to consider
indictments against Keith and
Johnny," said Mr. Holmes. "If
I had known, I would have
insisted on Johnny and Keith
te4stifying before the grand
jury."
A simmering feud between
Isaacs, who sold the Hallsville
drag strip to Chuck Bishop of
Denton, has led to charges,
countercharges, a bankruptcy
by Mr. Bishop and a civil lawsuit
against Johnny Isaacs.
Mr. Isaacs filed foreclosure
proceedings in December on
the racetrack and a bankruptcy
judge has ruled in favor of Mr.
Isaacs. "The judge ruled that
Mr. Bishop engaged in dilatory
conduct," said Mr. Holmes. The
legal term means Mr. Bishop
intended to delay payments,
Mr. Holmes said. Mr. Bishop
will be required to pay Mr.
Isaacs for unpaid mortgage
payments on the racetrack.
Keith and Johnny Isaacs are
expected to be arraigned on the
charges today at the Harrison
County courthouse.
Harrison County District
Attorney Joe Black declined to
comment on the matter, citing a
policy "no comment" policy for
ongoing trials.
Mr. Isaacs began dirt work
this week on a $2 million
NHRA-sanctioned dragstrip
south of Rusk.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 6, 2003, newspaper, August 6, 2003; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152582/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.