The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 86, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 25, 1995 Page: 1 of 18
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Kunkel defends water board vote on CPA firm
► See WATER, page A2.
Inside
Sports
Index
Panola County. Texas
Volume 122. Number 86
1 Section. 18 Pages
Wednesday. October 25. 1995
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SWEPCO files to lower electric
rates in Panola County.
See page A3.
Bulldogs look to move to 2-1 in
district, Bearcats shoot for 3-0.
See page A7.
firm's partners, are sisters. The firm
provides administrative and record-
keeping services for the board.
Texas laws require public offi-
cials to abstain from voting on any
action that could benefit a private
business in which the official has a
substantial interest. The law ex-
tends to relatives of the official
"within the second degree" by ei-
The Panola County Commis-
sioners Court Monday approved
funding up to $300,000 for pur-
chasing radiology equipment for
Panola General Hospital.
County Judge John Cordray ex-
plained that the funding will be
provided from the county's health
fund, and will be repaid by the
hospital over a five year period.
At a special meeting of the
Panola General Hospital board last
week, radiology department chief
John Crisp reported that some of
the current x-ray equipment is up to
20 years old.
Repair costs on the equipment in
PGH's two x-ray rooms has totalled
some $35,000 this year. "They are
spending almost as much money on
repairs as they would spend on a
$350,000 note,” Cordray added.
Radiological services will gen-
erate more than $ 1 million in rev-
enues for the hospital, so repaying
their spouse, not to the persons to
whom those relatives are married.
The chairman also reviewed
By Daniel Humphries
THE PANOLA WATCHMAN
Arrest Report ..
Calendar......
Classifieds.....
First Things First
... .A3
.. .All
A14-15
... .A4
u
z
Obituaries .
Police Beat
Sports ...
TV Guide
...A3
...A3
A7-10
Schieffer and Neal. All three sup-
ported Kunkel's position — that he
did nothing illegal in voting on the
issue.
Kunkel's Lake Murvaul neigh-
bors spoke up, for the most part, to
ask the board to reconsider putting
the issue up for a bid.
"I think that whether or not the
c
the wife of Dale Gosnell one of the the.r blood nr marriage
In other words, an elected offi-
cial would not be allowed to vote
on an issue which would benefit a
spouse, parent or child who holds a
substantial interest in a business.
Kunkel explained the laws at the
opening of the meeting, and re-
viewed Texas case law which
states, in short, that a person is re-
lated only to the blood relatives of
the county health fund the esti-
mated $250,000 to $300,000
needed for the project should pre-
sent no problem.
The hospital currently owes the
county $250,000 for construction
of the medical office building.
In other action, the court
awarded two bids that will fulfill a
grant awarded to the Fairplay Wa-
ter Supply Corporation.
The bids, totalling almost
$80,000 went to Sefco Inc. of
Tulsa, Okla, and Duplichain Con-
struction of Alto.
Duplichain will get $57,025.20
for site work, foundation work and
installing a chlorination system. Se-
fco will be paid $79,613 for con-
struction of the water standpipe.
This was the second bid on the
project. Panola County saved about
$48,000 by re-bidding the job.
A resolution requesting state
grant funding for the Tri-County
Narcotics Task Force was ap-
► See COUNTY, page A2.
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At a special meeting Monday
night, Panola County Fresh Water
District Chair Pete Kunkel de-
fended his action in breaking a tie
vote to increase the fees paid the
accounting firm of Gosnell, Schief-
fer and Neal.
At issue was whether or not
Kunkel violated Texas nepotism
and conflict of interest laws by
casting the vote. Kunkel's wife and
..jJMLa. ;
I didn’t do anything wrong. I just have to do
what I think is right, and that’s what i did.
Pete Kunkel
Sherry Koonce photo
Mackenzie Sharp, 7, of Kilgore, sits patiently while Panola College nursing student Nicole
Pinkston paints spiders and other ghoulish Halloween imagery on her face. Kid’s face
painting was just one of several events held Saturday at HealthFest *95. Proceeds from the
event will benefit the Panola College Nursing Club Scholarship Fund.
Help with
beaver
control to
be offered
Panola County landowners who
are plagued by beavers can sign up
for free help to minate their wooly
pests.
The Texas Animal Damage
Control Center will begin a beaver
trapping service at the end erf
November or beginning of Decem-
ber for local residents who have
signed up for the program.
Anyone who would like to be
added to the beaver control list
should call 693-0385 to register.
Landowners must sign an agree-
ment giving trappers permission to
enter their land.
County to fund
letters from the lake board's attor-
ney, his personal attorney, and an
attorney representing Gosnell.
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PGH improvements
4
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Lay-offs at L-P may result
in denial of tax abatement
By Sherry Koonce
THE PANOLA WATCHMAN
I
tion.
"The abatement was made with
the assumption that new jobs would
be created. It will be my
recommendation to support the
county if they decide to nullify
their agreement with L-P," Wheat
stated.
Recent lay-offs at Louisiana Pa-
cific Corporation's lumber produc-
tion plant may negate the com-
pany's tax abatement agreement
signed last year with Panola
County and two other taxing enti-
ties.
The seven-year agreement, be-
tween the county, Carthage Inde-
pendant School District, Panola
College and L-P, is contingent on
140 new jobs created along with
the construction of the company's
new oriented strand board plant.
Last week's layoffs, however.
Local man gets
heart transplant
Rhiddlehoover recovering well
have put a wrinkle in the agree-
ment. According to Panola County
Judge John Cordray employees
shifting from the shut-down lumber
mill to other plants in the company
does not constitute new employees,
and as such does meet the criteria
set forth in the agreement.
According to the terms of the
agreement, taxes on the plant's new
value will be abated at 100 percent
for the first three years. For the re-
maining four years, tax abatements
will decrease 20 percent annually.
"Obviously, the things that are
going on out there could affect the
tax abatement. If they are laying off
at the existing plant and shifting
Although both CISD and Panola
College offer tax abatemenhrto L-
P, Wheat indicated, only the county
can enter into an official tax
abatement agreement with the cor-
poration.
"I am supportive of whatever
Judge Cordray deems necessary,"
Wheat stated.
additional 30-40 days.
Rhiddlehoover has been in
the Shreveport hospital since
June awaiting a suitable donor.
The operation was very
successful with everything going
according to schedule, said Bob
Williams, Rhiddlehoovcr's
father-in-law.
A Carthage man is in good
condition following heart
transplant surgery Tuesday.
Steve Rhiddlehoover, 42, un-
derwent heart surgery and was
in recovery by 4 a.m. at the
Willis-Knighton Heart Transfer
Unit, where he will remain for
the next 10 to 12 days. After
being released from the heart
unit, Rhiddlehoover will be
transferred to a local motel
where he will be treated on a
daily outpatient basis tor an
Rhiddlehoover and his wife,
Charlotte, are the parents of two
daughters, Jessica, 16, and
Chelsea, 11.
those workers to their Logansport
plant or the new OSB plant. I do
not consider those new jobs.
"When the abatement agreement
was made, LP had close to 100 em-
ployees at the old plant. Those
same 100 need to the be employed
as well as an additional 140 before
the tax abatement is effectual,"
Cordray stated.
Cordray indicated a letter has
been sent to LP officials as well as
CISD and Panola College adminis-
trators, citing the potential prob-
lem.
But already. CISD Superinten-
dent Mac Wheat has thrown his
support behind the county’s posi-
BHHr
Gas masks and camouflage suits used In the Persian Gulf War were just pan the Marino
Corp League’s display of modern-day warfare. Held at Carthage High School Saturday, the
group of former marine corp members also sponsored their first annual 5-K run, to bo held
yearly In Panola County.
AUSTIN — With a promise to
put the state's interests first, U.S.
Rep. Jim Chapman said Monday he
will seek the Democratic Party
nomination for U.S. Senate.
Chapman, a Democrat from
Sulphur Springs, surrounded him-
self with family members and an-
nounced his intention to run against
Sen. Phil Gramm in a press confer-
ence on the steps of the state capi-
tol. In his opening statement of the
1996 campaign, he took aim at the
incumbent, who is seeking his
party's nomination for president.
"Our campaign is based on a
very simple premise: Texas, and
our common interests, come first,"
Chapman said. "Today this Senate
seat is held by one who puts per-
sonal and political interests above
all else. That is wrong and Texans
know it"
The representative also said
Gramm had "abandoned our fight
and moved on to one for himself."
"We need to put a fighter back
• Jim Chapman
in the ring for Texas," he said,
pledging to fight for safe neighbor-
hoods, secure jobs, good pay and
good schools.
In his speech. Chapman invoked
the Constitution of the Republic of
Texas, quoting "All political power
is inherent in the people, and all
Chapman announces Senate bid
free governments are founded on
their authority." He pledged to "put
that philosophy back to work in
Washington for all the people of
Texas."
He also made reference to his
father and uncle, who served in the
Texas House, and to his early ex-
posure to politics as a Senate page.
Joining Chapman for the an-
nouncement were his son Trey,
who introduced him, daughter Jen-
nifer, wife Betty, mother Idell,
brother Joe, and parents-in-law
Wilma and Carl Brice.
Last month Chapman an-
nounced he would not seek re-
election to the House of Represen-
tatives. He was unopposed in his
last campaign for re-election and
has held office in Texas' First Con-
gressional District since 1985,
when he won an eight-candidate
special election.
He has served on the House Ap-
propriations Committee.
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Leach, Ted. The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 86, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 25, 1995, newspaper, October 25, 1995; Carthage, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1280190/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sammy Brown Library.