The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 4, 1998 Page: 1 of 14
fourteen pages : ill. ; page 21 x 13 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.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:
12 pages in one section
Fire levels house, 22nd within mile in three years
Accidents
traffic death in Bastrop last year
50c
“I haven’t ruled out anything yet,” he
said.
The call on the house came from a
neighbor Wednesday night. Norman
said when he arrived, the house was
engulfed in 30 to 40 foot flames.
Late last month, authorities were
“The suspects that have
been arrested have been
referred to on many occa-
sions as the North End
Posse."
By Jason Suchomet
Staff Writer
17-year-
Richard
of Cedar
and an
Chief Mike Norman, the blaze was the
22nd within a one-mile radius since
1995.
Firefighters were first called to the
scene Wednesday morning to extinguish
a small blaze in a bam. That call came at
about 7 a.m., Norman said.
“The bam caught fire for no apparent
reason” and was most likely started
David Board,
Bastrop Police Sergeant
Texas’ Oldest Weekly Newspaper Since March 1,1853 Semi-Weekly Since Sept. 5,1977
I Authorities are scrambling for
answers after a fire on County Road 109
off Texas 304 brought a home to the
ground Wednesday.
According to Bastrop Volunteer Fire
The chief joined City
Manager Randall Holly this
week in arguing that at this rate,
the city cannot simply wait five
years or more for the Texas
Department of Transportation to
begin building safety improve-
ments projected to cost $30 mil-
lion.
Anderson said he wants to
schedule a session with TxDOT
safety experts and other agency
officials including the Bastrop
school district, the sheriff’s
Five Bastrop students have
been arrested after allegedly rob-
bing two classmates at gunpoint.
According to____________
police,
old
Hinkle
Creek
unnamed juvenile
were driving near
Farm and Wilson
Streets on
Wednesday night
when they were
abruptly cut off by another vehi-
cle, causing them to stop.
A second car then pulled up
and boxed the victims' vehicle
in, said Police Sergeant David
Board.
Five guys jumped out of the
two vehicles and one of them
had a pistol. Board said.
According to the police
report, the suspects stole a small
amount of money and a pocket
knife, then returned to their vehi-
cles and drove off.
“The good thing about this
robbery is that all of them are
Officials looking at
safety upgrades for
Texas 71 stretch
;• Bastrop Police Chief Bill
:Anderson has begun planning
•ways to make the stretch of
Texas 71 through Bastrop—from
;Texas 304 to Tahitian Drive—
Jess dangerous following a
detailed review of 130 traffic
■accidents on the route over the
;past 14 months.
Since January L 1997 acci-
dents have claimed three lives,
land 33 other crashes have sent
51 people to hospitals for treat-
ment of injuries, Anderson
reported this week.
; Two of the fatal wrecks have
Bastrop school students so they
were all identified,” Board said.
The five suspects taken in
were 17-year-old Terry Taylor,
17-year-old Gary Taylor, 17-
year-old Dana Lamont Piper. 17-
year-old Edwin Williams and an
unnamed 16-
year-old male.
All five were
Bastrop High
School stu-
dents.
Additional
arrests could
be pending,
police said.
“It may be
a gang and drug related inci-
dent,” Board said. “It’s still
under investigation. \
“The suspects that have been
arrested have been referred to on
many occasions as the North End
Posse,” said Board. The name
could signify gang activity, offi-
cials said.
All five suspects were
charged with aggravated robbery
with a deadly weapon, a first
degree felony. If convicted, the
four adults could face up to- 99
years in prison and fine of up to
$10,000.
Stamnitz is busy looking for. possible
causes of the blaze.
He said it will be hard to determine
the cause of the fire because everything
was destroyed.
Arson is a strong possibility,
Stamnitz said. He said he has a suspect,
but further investigating is still neces-
sary.
strop fifeae 5 tr
Five Bastrop teens
taken in on armed
robbery charges
intentionally, said Norman.
Later that night, forces were called
out to .the same property, this time
because the unoccupied house was on
fire. I ;
By the time the firefighters reached
the blaze, the house had burned to the
ground. 1 "
Deputy State Fire Marshall Ed
department and Department of
Public Safety to review possible
measures to help drivers stay
more alert to hazards. No date
for such a meeting has been set.
The chief said additional
signs and warning signals may
be appropriate along the 4.1 -mile
route through Bastrop.
Anderson has also
approached DPS about a special
traffic enforcement program
(STEP) grant which pays local
off-duty officers to work extra
hours on traffic patrol duty. A
new round of grants will
See HK3HWAY, Page 2
School board candidates answer pressing questions at forum
Bastrop school board candidates faced
questions Thursday about opening the
schools to community involvement, keep-
ing quality teachers and financing future
classroom needs.
The session, sponsored by local teacher
groups, featured unopposed incumbents
Evelyn Weilert and Kay Wesson along
with incumbent John Thrift and one of his
opponents for the Place 5 seat, LCRA
General Manager Mark Rose.
Errol Banta, the final candidate, did not
attend.
Rose and Thrift seemed to agree that
Bastrop schools can do more to dispel a
widespread impression that parents and
others are not always welcome on cam-
pus.
“It takes a long time to change a per-
ception,” said Thrift. He added that the
district’s elementary schools seem to be
“doing better” in that regard.
“There’s a lot the school board can do”
to change the district’s image, said Rose.
The board can be active in the community
and survey what the community sees as
needs, he suggested.
Weilert noted efforts to involve com-
munity mentors with specific students.
“We’re working toward more parent
involvement,” she said. “We can do
more.”
Asked if deciding to spend the pro-
ceeds from a recent soft drink franchise
agreement on a high school athletic facil-
ity without advance public discussion
matched stated goals for more community
involvement, incumbent trustees said the
decision received wide public applause.
Thrift and Wesson said calls of support
far outnumbered others. Weilert said it
never occurred to her that the decision
would spark controversy.
Rose suggested an improved decision
making process might avoid divisive
debate afterward.
Teachers were especially keen to hear
from the candidates about support for
maintaining the local pay supplement in
the next few years. The supplement was
kept this year only after an extended
debate among trustees.
But what the teachers heard Thursday
was not especially encouraging.
“The district’s budget is going to be
tough for the next two years,” said Thrift.
He pointed to a 1997 change in the fund-
ing formula for state aid which will make
See CANDIDATES, P^je 2
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.
McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 4, 1998, newspaper, April 4, 1998; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1178946/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.