Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 152, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 1, 2001 Page: 1 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Singletary Memorial Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
II III II lllll ill ll III mil Mill ll Mill lull ill Mill II III III III I
SOUTHWEST MICRO PUBLISHING
2627 E YANDELL OR
El PASO TX 7W03-3743
Texas' Oldest, Continuoysly Published Weekly Newspaper - Established Feb. 27, 1850 us the Cherokee Sentinel
Vol I!)?, No. ? 11 Piicjcs 1 luirsdny, March 1,2001
Rusk, lrx.is 7!)7H!)
?i) ( (M)ts
Crystal Ward goat up for two of bar 17 points Friday night In tha
regional tournamant agalnat Kountza. Tha Lady Eaglas were
defeated 71-56.
For eomptata baakatball map-up, *m paga might
Commissioners authorize
i ■
purchase of new equipment
Cherokee County Commissioners
met Monday morning to consider an
agenda of 18 items, which included
purchasing county vehicle and ma-
chinery, grant applications, person-
nel and hearing reports.
Items covered included approval of
bids from Darr Equipment Co. for
$58.980 for a 7,500 HR Powertrain
420 D Backhoe loader with an Allis
Chalmers M-65 for $4.287 and a
Champion Motorgradur for $2.8(57
from Ricky Brown Trucks and Equip-
ment for Precinct 8; A dump truck
with dump body for $39.<i9-l.70 from
Pegues-Hurst Motor Co. for Precinct
8; a pickup truck from Bill McRae
Ford for $18,575 with a $8.000 trade
in for a Ford Tarus for Precinct 1: a
pickup truck for Precinct 2 from
Pearman Motor Co. for $28.897.09
with a $ 1.0001 rade-in. Bids for pickup
trucks for Precinct 8 were rejected
and the item will be re-bid.
Also, commissioners approved the
purchase of a 1998 Fiat Allis
motorgrader for $55,000 from Head &
Engquist for Precinct 8.
A new sign machine will be pur-
chased with funds from the 911 bud-
get. Road and Bridge Undivided will
pay for the purchase of materials. The
sign machine will cost $5,841 plus
freight and software.
The employment of a county license
and weight officer was approved.
Commissioners voted to apply for a
three year ("ops Fast Grant for the
employment of a new officer. The grant
can he renewed for a fourth year. It
provides funds to help with the salary
of a person filling a new position.
Sheriff*) a mes Campbell explained to
commissioners that it will be two or
three months before the county re-
ceives the grant.
Hot tie Bridges, account executive
for National Bond & Trust Co. in
Kilgore met with members of the court
to discuss t he county allowing payroll
deductions for the purchase of U.S.
Savings Bonds. The bonds pay 8.4
percent above the rate of inflation.
Savings Bonds are for five years.
In making his report to commis-
sioners County Attorney Craig
Caldwell reported that a total of
$8,320.7(3 was collected for hot checks.
Fees and costs included bond forfei-
tures. $1,878.26; fines assessed,
$12,850; court costs. $12,751.25; for a
total collection $24.479.50.
Criminal cases for January include
cases open at the beginning of the
month, 8,142; criminal cases open at
the end of the month, 3,100; criminal
cases finalized, 86; DWI cases pend-
ing at beginning of the month, 534;
DWI cases pending at the end of the
month. 526; and five dockets con-
ducted.
A proclamation was adopted nam-
ing March 18-24 as Poison Control
Week in Cherokee County.
An inter-local agreement with the
City of Cuney was approved.
Two deputies were authorized to
attend a drug interdiction training in
Beaumont. Feb. 27-March 2.
Candidates file for public office
Area city and school elections have
been called for 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. May
5. Candidates began filing Feb. 20
and will continue through March 21.
Early voting is April 18 through Mav
1.
Rusk Mayor Emmett Whitehead,
councilman Walter Session and
Harold "Buz" Parrish are seeking
positions,on the Rusk City Council.
Mayor Whitehead and Councilman
Session, who represents District 2.
are seeking re-election. Mr. Parrish.
former Superintendent at Rusk State
Hospital, offered his service after two
term councilman. Jerry Jordan an-
nounced that he would not seek re-
election to the District 1 position.
The election will be held at the
Rusk City Hall.
Two have filed for positions on the
Rusk Independent School District
Board of Trustees as of noon Feb, 27.
Three positions are open.
Two incumbents, Mike Ross and
David Fulton, have filed for re-elec-
tion. Dap Ltjdn. the other incumbent,
hits not announced his plans to seek
re-election.
The election will be held at the busi-
ness office of Rusk Independent School
District.
Alto Mayor Pro-tem Garwin Baugh
announced last week that he would be
a candidate for mayor in the May 5
election. Current Mayor Sandy
Wallace has announced that she will
not seek re-re-election for the post she
has held for four years. Two council
positions are open in this election.
1 1 1 bi ..i
Please see CANDIDATES, peg* 6
4 veterans promoted at RSH
Four veteran Rusk State
Hospital employees have
been promoted to new as-
signments.
Kevin Gentry has been pro-
moted to Director of Plant
Maintenance. Lana Starkey
to Director of Environmen-
tal Services, Lynda
Roberson, to Senior Program
Director, and Brenda Slaton
to Unit Program Director.
Promoted to Senior Pro-
gram Director, Lynda
Roberson is a 28 year em-
ployee of the hospital hav-
ing served as treatment unit
Program Director for the
Sabine and Trinity Multiple
Disabilities Units. She be-
gan her career as an assistant
caseworker. Agradualeof Prai-
rie View A&M University in
Prairie View. Texas. Lynda has
two sons. N. Chris Roberson
and Michael Roberson. Lynda
grow up in Henderson and is
the daughter of Clinton and
Annie Brown. She is a member
of the Mt. Hebron Missionary
Baptist Church in Henderson.
In her new role. Ms. Roberson
will have administrative re-
sponsibility for all residential
services. Ms. Roberson will also
be a member of the hospital
senior leadership team and will
be supervising residential pro-
gram directors.
Gentry, the new Director of
Plant Maintenance is a lifelong
resident of Rusk and has been
employed for 16 years in the
hospital's maintenance depart-
ment. He is married to Shelia
Coates Gentry. They have one
son. Janson. six months. Kevin
is a deacon and adult Sunday
school teacher at the Pleasant
Grove Baptist Church. His
parentsare J.C. and Ruby Gen-
try of Rusk.
In his new role, Mr. Gentry
will have major responsibility
for physical plant maintenance
of the hospital's 78 buildings.
As the Director of Plant Main-
tenance, Mr. Gentry will he-
roine a direct report to Mike
Crysup. Director of Auxiliary
L. Robertson
Kevin Gentry
Governing body meets
at Rusk State Hospital
Lana Starkey Brenda Slaton
Services.
Lana Starkey, Director of En-
Please see RSH, page 10
The t Governing Body of Rusk
State Hospital will meet at the
hospital Wednesday. March 7
beginning at 9 a.m. in the
Centralized Activities Build-
ing 611.
The governing body meets
on site twice each year to ac-
cept written and verbal reports
presented by the hospital ad-
ministration.
At t he heginningof this meet -
ing. the public is invited to
make comments relevant to
the management of the hospi-
tal. Persons wanting to be on
t he public forum portion of the
meeting can contact the office
of the Rusk State Hospital
superintendent, (903) 683-
7296 to be placed on the pub-
lic forum agenda. Publiccom-
ments are limited to three
minutes per person.
The remainder of the gov-
erning body meeting will be-
gin after public comments
have been made and will not
be open to the public.
Rusk State Hospital is a fa-
cility of the Texas Department
of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation, and serves 29
East Texas counties.
,Y> ; v'
Tootle, Eater and Agnaa demónstrete how tha Smith family can do the cakewalk.
Meet me In St. LotMela the ehlldrana ahow for tha Cherokee Civic Theatre and opana
Thureday, March 1. From left ara Bailey Rotelle, Diana Parker and Haylay Chllde.
Sea caaf Waf and thaatra ravlaw on paga two.
4 rescued from
%
Neches River
Don Lusk, 43, of Maydelle, who spent nearly
eight hours in the Neches River last week has
been released from East Texas Medical Center
Tyler.
He and throe companions were attempting to
cross the Hopson Bridge on the Neches River
when their pickup truck was swept off the road.
Captain Robert Carlson, TP&W Game War-
den, said recent rains had flooded the river and
water was over the roadway.
However, the driver of the vehicle Tally Hol-
land. 46, of Rusk, had attempted to cross over.
The pickup had trawled about a quarter of a
mile in the high waters when the truck was
swept off the roadway and into approximately
six feet of water.
Mr. Holland and two female companions
staved with the vehicle until daylight when
Holland swam to shore and called emergency
rescue personnel.
I .usk was swept from the truck and was lodged
in a tree several yards downstream, where he
remained until he was rescued around 9 a.m.
Thursday. He had been up to his neck in water
for the approximately eight hours. He was un-
conscious when he was rescued. He remained in
ICU most of the day Thursday.
The two women. Michelle Tucker and Irma
Banks, 24. both of Rusk, were found on top of
the submerged truck. Capt. Carlson said. They
were treated and released at ETMC Jackson-
ville.
L 1 |
\ i mm i
V t
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. 152, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 1, 2001, newspaper, March 1, 2001; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth168684/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.