Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 149, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 18, 1997 Page: 1 of 16
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1587 MIX TEXAS
SOUTHWEST MICRGPUBLISHING
2627 E YANDELL DR
EL PASO TX 79903-3724
TRYOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR 'BORN YESTERDAY,' PG 7A
Clferokecaij/Merald
: Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper - Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
TB Tests Considered
Alto ISD considers
mandatory testing
of employees
See Page 5A
Vol. 149, No. 34-16 Pages
Loggers
struggle with
forest ban
M Environmental concerns
may force job layoffs
By Lee Hancock
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION, DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Kelvin Steely's lumber company had
$60,000 invested in a new logging road and
150 big trees cut and ready to drag out of the
woods last month when a federal judge
stopped all timber harvesting in Texas' na-
tional forests.
"It was a wake-up call," said Mr. Steely, a
fourth-generation lumber man whose Hunts-
ville company depends on the National For-
est for 60 percent of its timber supply. "Some-
body telling us to pull our equipment out,
leave trees on the ground and walk away -
that got our attention."
The judge ruled that such dire action was
necessary because the National Forest
Service's management and oversight of tim-
ber harvesting have violated federal law
and damaged soil and water quality in the
state's four national forests. The decision
threw $26 million in timber contracts into
limbo and prompted furious protests across
the East Texas Piney Woods.
An agreement Monday among environ-
mentalist groups, the timber industry and
the Forest Service allowed loggers back into
the woods - but only to retrieve felled trees
and finish cutting already started.
New logging remains barred, under the
order by U.S. District Judge Richard A.
Schell in Beaumont, even on 53 other con-
tracts in which loggers already paid the
government for timber rights. The National
Forest Service also has indefinitely sus-
pended future timber sales in Texas because
of Judge Schell's Aug. 14 ruling.
"It still has people concerned," Mr. Steely
said.
His family-owned company is completing
cutting on one tract of the Sam Houston
National Forest but has four other pending
contracts frozen by the judge's order and a
new logging road it cannot use or get reim-
bursed for.
He said his company can weather the ban
without laying off any of its 65 employees.
But he and others predict that other South-
east Texas companies may not survive if the
ban is not lifted soon.
"Economics will force some of the smaller
ones out of business," he said.
The ruling is the latest action in a 12-year-
old lawsuit that originally challenged the
practice of clear-cutting in the state's na-
tional forests, a practice now used rarely.
The case went to trial in April 1996, and
Judge Schell agreed to hear evidence that
Please see TIMBER, page 8A
Thursday, September 18, 1997
Rusk, Texas 75785
25 cents
Nixon pleads guilty
State Sen. Drew Nixon
M Lt. Gov. Bullock testifies
A Travis County jury heard pleas for le-
niency from Sen. Drew Nixon, his wife, his
mother and therapist Tuesday. The final
witness to take the stand in the prostitution
sting case was Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, who
told the jury the senator deserves a second
chance.
Assistant County Attorney Gilbert Barerra
argued that the state senator deserves to be
punished because of a similar incident which
occurred in 1993 in Dallas involving a con-
cealed weapon and prostitute. He was not
convicted.
Sen. Nixon pleaded guilty to misdemeanor
charges Monday of soliciting a prostitute
and unlawfully carrying a weapon during
an Austin Police Dept. sting operation Feb.
18.
A therapist, who has worked with Mr.
Nixon since the time of his arrest, acknowl-
edged that Mr. Nixon has been with prosti-
tutes in the past.
A five woman, one man jury began hear-
ing testimony on Tuesday to determine his
punishment. Deliberations are expected to
begin Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Sen. Nixon faces up to $6,000 in fines and
a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
The jury was allowed to view a videotape
Tuesday, which showed Sen. Nixon bar-
gaining with an undercover policewoman to
get the price down to $35 for two acts of sex.
Travis County Attorney Ken Oden is in-
vestigating whether Sen. Nixon improperly
threatened Panola County Sheriff Jack Ellett
in May. Sen. Nixon is accused ofthreatening
the sheriff with using his influence to harm
Panola Jr. College in Carthage. A tape re-
cording of that conversation has been sub
poenaed.
Reports are that the Senator allegedly
threatened to use his office to do harm to the
college in the event the sheriff answered
questions from the press about a traffic stop
in Beckville at 3 a.m. May 4.
The senator has denied through his spokes-
person that he had been involved in an early
morning traffic stop in Beckville.
Any lawmaker convicted of a felony or
misdemeanorrelatingtohis/herofficial duty
Please see SEN. NIXON, pg 7 A
Nichols vows to visit every TxDot
district in 90-day, whirlwind tour
By Meredith Whitten
SPECIAL TO THE CHEROKEEAN/HERALD
Gene Schuler is meticulously describ-
ing how he makes roadside signs. He
carefully explains how the size is deter-
mined and how the letters are placed,
then demoiistrates how it is done. All the
time, Robert Nichols listens and watches
intently.
Although he takes no notes, it is obvi-
ous that Nichols completely follows what
the Lubbock District Sign Shop employee
says. If he doesn't know something, he
asks.
This scene is being repeated in TxDOT
offices statewide, as Nichols, the newest
member of the Texas Transportation
Commission, makes his way from dis-
trict to district. The purpose of Nichols'
visits is purely educational.
To understand the department's op-
erations thoroughly, he set out to see
employees in action firsthand. The re-
sult has been a dizzy schedule that started
in Lufkin on May 27. and will wind up in
Houston.
With Sallie Burk, his executive assis-
tant, in tow, Nichols already had spent
time in 20 of the 25 districts by the end of
August.
"I want to go out and visit the people
who are doing the work of the depart-
ment, who are meeting the public and
working with the communities," Nichols
said. "I'm meeting with them, getting a feel
for the facilities we have, getting a feel for
the projects. I like talking to the people in
the field close to the projects. They seem io
know what we are doing well or not well."
Seeing local transportation systems for
himselfwill give Nichols a valuable perspec-
tive when it comes time to make crucial
decisions.
"You get a different impression when you
see a project in person," he said. "For ex-
ample, I've read lots of reports and traffic
counts about Laredo, but when we got there
what we jaw was trucks backed lip for fivii
hours trying to get across the border. That's
something you have to see."
His crash-course in Texas transportation
already has changed the way he looks at
things.
"He used to drive down the road and look
where he was going," Burk said. "Now, he
looks at the road."
Nichols was appointed to the Texas Trans-
portation Commission for a six-year term by
Gov. George W. Bush in May. He joins Com-
mission Chairman David Laney and mem-
ber Anne Wynne on the three-member board.
He replaced David Bernsen of Beaumont,
whose term expired.
Nichols' appointment came after much
debate over the definition of "rural." State
law requires at least one transportation
commissioner to reside in a rural commu-
nity, but it fails to define what constitutes
rural.
Commission member Robert Nichols, right, has been shaking hands nonstop
as he travels throughout the 25 districts. In Paris he met James Hutchison,
engineering technician, left, and Bobby Jones, laboratorysupervisor, center.
■photo courtesy of Travel & Information Div.
When making his appointment, Bush
opted to follow Transportation Commission
guidelines, which define rural systems as
those serving a population of less than
50,000. Jacksonville, Nichols'hometown, has
a residency population of 12,756. Despite
his rural residency, Nichols is adamant that
he is not on the commission solely to
represent small-town interests.
"One out of three positions is desig-
nated as rural commissioners, but ev-
ery commissioner knows that he is re-
Please see NICHOLS, page 8A
Hospital assists with golf fund raiser
C.C. Baker, center,
presents a check for
$5,000 from Trinity
Mother Frances
Hospital to George
Douglas, left, and
Doug Young, right.
The check will go
toward expenses of
the Jacksonville
Rotary Club in
sponsoring a golf
tournament at the
Cherokee Country
Club.
*
Trinity Mother Frances Hospital has
presented a check for $5,000 to help
defray costs of a golf outing spon-
sored by the Jacksonville Rotary Club.
The event will be held Saturday,
Sept. 27 at the Cherokee Country Club.
Proceeds from the event will ben-
efit the Anderson/Cherokee Crisis
Center.
The golf event will be a four person
scramble with a $60 green fee/cart
fee.
For additional information, contact
Doug Young at 903/586-3009.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. with a
luncheon and awards ceremony
follow.
to
Rusk Council discusses
ambulance contract
Members of the Rusk City Council
extended East Texas Medical Cen-
ter Emergency Medical Service's
contract for two months Thursday
evening. Personnel from ETMC
EMS had requested the extension to
allow member of the council to visit
the operation's Tyler facility prior to
final approval of a contract.
The council cast its vote for a mem-
ber of the Texas Municipal League
Group Benefits Risk Pool. Rusk vote
was cast for Dewey Jones, financial
director for the City of Jacksonville.
Most of the evening's meeting was
spent in executive session with City
Attorney Forrest Phifer to discuss a
problem between the city and Heri-
tage Constructors Inc., contractor
for the Rusk Sewer Plant. Council
members reported they think the
problem has been worked out.
Members of the council in atten-
dance were Mayor Emmett White-
head; council members Jerry Jor-
dan, district 1, Walter Session, dis-
trict 2, Gloria Jennings, district 3,
Thomas Parsons, district 4 and
Charles Horton, district 5.
The next Rusk City Council meet-
ing will be held Oct. 9 at Rusk City
Hall.
No new taxes
planned by county
■ Workshop will
allocate $11
million budget
Cherokee County Commissioners
plan no new taxes to a proposed
$11,165,503, 1997-98 budget. They
expect to fund approve the budget
and set the tax rate at the Sept. 26
commissioners court meeting.
A public hearing will held earlier
that morning and plans are to ap-
prove the budget and set the tax rate
following the public hearing.
Broken down, the county budget
includes General Fund 29.45 cents;
indigent health, 2.45 cents; interest
and sinking fund, 2.75 cents; con-
tractual obligations, 1.25 cents for a
total operating fund rate of 35.9
cents. County lateral road tax is
1.40 cents tax bringing the total tax
rate to 49.9 cents, the same rate as
last year.
County employees will be granted
a 3 percent salary increase.
County Auditor L. H. Crockett said
a good portion of the budget increase
goes to courthouse renovation and
when that work is completed the
total budget will decrease consider-
ably. Budget for the permanent im-
provement fund totals $1,375,000.
Copier and computer expenses will
be added to the Veterans Affairs
office budget. That budget will in
Please see COUNTY, page 5A
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The Alto Yellowjackets'
1997 varsity cheerleading
squad is a "cheerful group,"
encouraging Jacket-
backers to yell loudly for
the undefeated home team.
Squad members include
from left, front row:
Cassidy Selman, Krlstl
Jones, Chandra Baugh and
Rachael Burrows. Middle
row, same order, are Angle
Bobbitt, Nakeshia Green
and Adria Pierce. Kasondra
Hackney is standing.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 149, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 18, 1997, newspaper, September 18, 1997; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152338/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.