Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 30, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 14, 2005 Page: 1 of 18
eighteen pages : ill.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Vol. 156, No. 30 - 18 pgs.
okeean
Mm IL
Rusk, TX 75785
CAN-DO SPIRIT IN ALTO
Admission to Friday night's football game was canned
goods, and more than 3,000 pounds were collected to
benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. From left are Grant
Davis, Sean Crosby, Michael White, Wayne Pegues, Ryan
Thacker and Sarah Pegues.
{fiAGlii
WEDNESDAY
September 14, 2005
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
A 'STURN'
WARNING
Justin Sturns rushed 282 yards
in Friday night's overtime thriller.
See pg. 11 for Robin D. Best's wrap-up.
Voters speak: "Sell
OA campground
73 percent of voters want out of campground business
Proposition to allow
the Rusk council to
sell the campround.
Sen. Todd Staples
In an almost I hree-lo-one
vote. Rusk voters sent a strong
message to the city council to
get out of the campground
business.
ASaturday proposition asked
voters to authorize the council
to sell property that the city is
developing as a EOA camp-
ground.
COMING
Staples plans to run for
ag commissioner
Three Texas senate seats will be
up for grabs next March when the
spring primaries are held.
State Sen. Todd Staples (R-
Palestine) confirmed last week
what political pundits had been
saying: that he will seek the state-
wide office of Texas agriculture
commissioner.
Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, a
Democrat who represents Austin
and Travis
County, has
decided to
retire. Also
retiring is Sen.
Jon Lindsay
(R-Houston).
Sen. Sta-
ples began his
political career
in 1995 when he was elected state
representative in District 11.
Five years later, he was elected
to Senate District 3, which he cur-
rently holds.
Former POWwill speak
at Rusk observance
Retired Col. Jerry Curtis of
the U.S. Air Force will be guest
speaker for a National ROW/MIA
observance at noon Friday, Sept.
16, at the memorial on the court-
house lawn. Col. Curtis, a school
teacher in Temple, was shot down
overVietnam on Sept. 20,1965, and
was imprisoned for approximately
seven and a half years prior to his
release on Feb. 12,1973.
Sept. 24 blood drive set
Supplies of blood stored along
the Gulf Coast have been wiped
out by power outages.
Stewart Regional Blood Center
will be at Our Lady of Sorrows
Catholic Church from 10 a.m. - 2
p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The church
is located at 1023 Corinth Rd. in
Jacksonville. Donors are asked to
eat prior to coming to the center
and to bring their driver's license
or picture identification. For more
information call (903) 586-4538.
Weather Outlook
Some: 11 percent of voters
(153) said the city should sell
the property while 27 percent
(57 voters) wanted to develop
the facility.
The special election closely
followed last May's mayoral
race in which newcomer
Suzann McCarty defeated
incumbent Charles Horton and
Kay Hunter Epperson by a 67
to 37 percent margin.
Whether to spend upwards
of $1 million to develop a KOA
campsite has been a divisive
and controversial issue, and
voters have delivered the: same
message in two elections.
So far, the proposed EOA
campground has cost taxpay-
graphic: Cherokeean Herald
ers almost $600,000. Of that
amount, 8488.000 came from
Please see ELECTION, pg. 4
THURSDAY
mostly sunny
20% chance of rain
High:
Low:
97
68
opari their homes and hearts
ü-mG¿añ'e Katrina's devastation
Bfl
Cherokee County
to help after
< Members of the First United Methodist
Youth Fellowship in Rusk prepared 59 toi-
letry kits Sunday for distribution to victims
of Hurricane Katrina, which struck Aug. 29
and left thousands homeless and seeking
refuge in Texas. Far left are Robby Golds-
berry and Graham Inglish.
L
From left, Scott
Cox, Austin Peacock,
Kolton Black and Raul
Marin from Alto Middle
School Student Council,
and Darrin Dearman from
Alto FFA, sort clothing
donated by students and
other members of the
community. The cloth-
ing will be used to assist
evacuees.
Eho'to-sNA'SA* s; el I i te ima g e
JDfrr. ^
Teachers
get local
l pay raise
OLDIES RADIO
KWRW - FM and KTLU - AM
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
Teacher pay raises and an
update on school construction
topped the agenda for Rusk ISD
trustees Monday night.
A district construction
report was presented by Dr.
Jim Largent, Rusk ISD super-
intendent.
"The new auditorium will be
ready by the fir st of October," he,
told the board. "Everything is
finished except a few httle jobs,"
he said. Seats are expected to
arrive this week and installa-
tion will take approximately
two days. Concrete cleaning
and staining is underway inside
the building; a fountain will be
installed outside.
"We may need to have a brief
meeting to approve construc-
tion costs for the press boxes at
enterPoint wants
77% rate increase
Spokesman not
allowed to address
council Thursday
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
Rusk residents may soon see
their monthly gas bills triple
in price.
< Vnlerl'oini Energy wants
to raise the rates 77 percent in
See chart, pg. 6
Rusk to standardize the price
the company charges 21 fiitieS
in East Texas.
Fred Carl, a representative of
CenterPoint Energy attended
the Thursday evening meet-
ing of the Rusk City Council.;
He intended to speak to the
council, but the issue was not
Please see RUSK, pg. 6
Sparks fly at Alto
council meeting
Firemen object to
budget proposed by
city administration
By Mary Beth Garmon
Staff Writer
An otherwise routine busi-
ness meeting turned slightly
combustible Monday night
after Alto Volunteer Fire
Department Chief Terry Black
rose to ignite some frank discus-
sion about the Alto City Coun-
cil's proposal to cut his budget
and turn budgetary reins over
to his department.
The council had nearly
wrapped up discussion on
the budget, with intentions to
review a number of items before
making finalrecommendations
at next week's special meeting
on Sept. 19.
City Administrator Billy
demons had informed the
fire department that the city
was proposing a flat grant
of $12,000 from the General
Revenue Fund and H 1.700
for insurance. The city also
proposed sharing the county
auditor with the fire depart-
ment, alloting $200 for that
need.
"Well, let me give you some
figures,' Mr. Black said.
Listing line items totalhng
$36,608, Mr. Black said the
department would also need
to eventually replace one of
its trucks, at a cost of $50,000
to $60,000.
"Were just like any other
(city department)," Mr. Black
said. "We have to have money
to operate."
Assistant VFD Chief Andy
Crammer said the operation of
a fire department by a munici-
pality has a direct impact on
property insurance. "Insurance
is a calculatedrisk," Mr. Cram-
mer said, "We're at a six (rating)
now. It pays to take care of the
fire department."
Monte Coli ns
and Annie Walker
will be sworn in
Sept. 19
"What about calls outside
the city?" Mr. ('lemons asked.
"We're funding your calls out-
side the city"
Mr. Black responded to the
question, replying that only one
vehicle in the department was
paid for by city funds, and that
16 of the 19 volunteer firemen
live outside the city limits.
"Ninety percenl of our dona-
tions come from outside the
city," Mr. Black said.
When Mayor Debbie: White
asked the VFD representa-
tives about fundraisers, Mr.
Crammer said that the last
fundraiser barely broke even.
"Nobody needs the: fire
department until they need
Please see ALTO, pg. 16
Commissioners adopt
$15 million budget
Dr. Jim Largent registers for Tyler Junior College continu-
ng education classes. Helping with registration are Jonna
Dowdy and Stephanie Mayo. Seven students have registered
forthe computer class and the Spanish class. However, the
Spanish class needs 16 more students. To register call the
West TJC Campus at (903) 510-2900. Classes will be held
at Rusk High School.
the baseball/Softball field," Dr.
Largent said. Plans are to pay
for the construction out of the
building funds and the project
should be completed before
Please see RISD, pg. 4
County judge declares
7-day burn ban
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
Cherokee County Commis-
sioners will meet at 10 a.m.
Friday to conduct a public
hearing for a proposed 62 cent
tax rate. Another meeting is
scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday
to adopt the taxrate. Lastyear 's
tax rate was 59.75 cents,
The new rate if approved
will include 10.87 cents in the
general fund; 2.5 cents in the
indigent health care fund; 4,13
cents in contractual obhgations
fund; and 14.5 cents in the
county lateral road fund.
Commissioners met Monday
morning for a pubhc hearing
on the tax rate and a proposed
$15,335,128 county budget.
Later in the Monday meeting
commissioner s adoptedthe new
budget. Motion to approve the
budget was made by County
Judge Chris Davis and sec-
onded by Commissioner Mary
Gregg. Voting for the budget
were Commissioners Kevin
Pierce and Moody Class Jr.
Commissioner Billy McCutch-
eon voted against approval of
the budget.
The new budget includes cost
of salaries and benefits for 10
new jailers; increased cost of
health insurance for county
employees; voting machines
Please see COUNTY, pg. 6
CM K
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 30, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 14, 2005, newspaper, September 14, 2005; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152696/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.