Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 81, Ed. 1 Friday, April 20, 2012 Page: 3 of 12
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Sweetwater Reporter
Friday, April 20, 2012 ■ Page 3
Obituaries
JAMES FRANKLIN "BUSTER" DUNN
Funeral services for James Franklin "Buster" Dunn,
83, of Roscoe, are pending with McCoy Funeral
Home.
Dunn died Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Big Spring.
Probation for woman in
disgraced Texas judge case
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A South Texas woman
has been put on probation for a bribing a judge to help
her spouse.
A federal judge in Brownsville on Thursday sentenced
Karina Pena to four years of probation. She also must do
200 hours of community service.
Pena and her husband last year pleaded guilty to wire
fraud over a payment to state District Judge Abel Limas.
Linias, who failed in his 2008 re-election bid, pleaded
guilty last year to racketeering and awaits sentencing.
Armando Pena was on probation in Texas for aggra-
vated robbery when he went to Arkansas without legal
permission.
Prosecutors say $1,800 was wired from Hot Springs,
Ark., to Harlingen in April 2008. Limas then changed
terms of the probation.
Armando Pena last month was sentenced to 27 months
in prison.
Texas comparing California
prison cellphone rules
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas prison officials are
evaluating a California plan to curb calls on smuggled
devices by having cellphone towers at units.
The Austin American-Statesman reports the sys-
tem blocks certain calls, texts and online access.
Administrators at each prison would manage the tower
and only allow calls based on approved phone num-
bers.
Federal law prohibits jamming of calls.
Jason Clark with the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice said Wednesday that the agency is working with
contractor Century Link. The company operates pay
phones in Texas prisons.
Clark says Texas corrections employees last year
confiscated more than 900 unauthorized cellphones.
That compares to nearly 1,500 smuggled phones seized
three years ago. Texas authorities attribute the decline
to security upgrades.
California expects to begin operating the new system
this fall.
Texas court upholds
polygamist's conviction
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas appeals court has
upheld the child sex abuse conviction of a polygamous
group member who was sentenced to 75 years in pris-
on.
Court records say Raymond Merrill Jessop was 32
when he took a 15-year-old girl as one of his many spiri-
tual wives. She gave birth to his daughter in 2005 at the
Yearning for Zion ranch in West Texas.
The Third Texas Court of Appeals in Austin upheld
Merrill's conviction for sexual assault of a child on
Thursday and rejected his 35-point appeal.
Merrill claimed prosecutors never proved the sexual
encounter happened in Texas. He questioned the valid-
ity of DNA evidence. He claimed the girl could have
impregnated herself with a turkey baster.
Merrill was a member of the Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a group run by its
jailed leader Warren Jeffs.
Fla. judge to decide if
Zimmerman can leave jail
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A bail hearing has begun for the
neighborhood watch volunteer charged with murdering
Trayvon Martin
An attorney for George Zimmerman is asking the
Seminole County judge to let Zimmerman post bail at a
hearing Friday. Zimmerman is in the courtroom, shack-
led but dressed in a suit. Martin's parents are also in the
courtroom.
Experts say Zimmerman stands a good chance of getting
bail since he has proven he's not a flight risk. He turned
himself in to authorities last week after he was charged
with second-degree murder.
Zimmerman has admitted fatally shooting the 17-year-
old unarmed teen during a confrontation last February in
a gated community in Sanford, about 15 miles northeast
of Orlando. But Zimmerman says the shooting was self-
defense.
Band
Continued from page
positions. The third piece must be a march of the con-
ductor's choice. Again, the Sweetwater High School
Band received first division ratings from all three
UIL Judges. Judge Richard Graham commented in
his evaluation of Sweetwater, "This band has a good
quality, focused, characteristic tone! The band plays
very musically!" Judge Robert Vetter added "Lots of
wonderful music making on 'Polly Oliver. - Awesome
clarinet solo!" Judge David Fakins summed it up,
"Very mature sounds from this band. Tonal concepts
are outstanding. Great balance and blend. Great
'march style' - very light and clearly articulated. Super
changes in articulation patterns. Percussion does
superior work! Sweetwater, you are demonstrating
very impressive musicianship. Phrasing is outstand-
ing. This is a great band!"
The final round of competition takes place only
minutes after the band performs it's three prepared
pieces. They immediately move to a room where
they are shown a brand new piece of music, and are
given eight minutes to 'look it over'. Then the band
must perform the piece. Again, Sweetwater earned
superior ratings from all three judges. Adjudicator Ed
Hefti commented in his critique, "Solid overall per-
formance - really nice sounds from start to finish."
Forrester Halamicek added, "Wonderful controlled
sounds and playing! Good rhythmic stability and pre-
cision. Nice job of letting melodic lines come through
- good listening and execution. A really musical read-
ing of this piece!" Finally, judge Tim Edins added,
"Good phrasing - nice gentle style. Balance overall
was very good. Band - you read well!"
The band is now preparing for their competition in
Dallas on April 28, and their Spring Concert on May 10.
Texas math standards seek
to exceed national ones
WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' top education official
said Thursday that the state should hammer out new
K-12 math curriculum standards that are better than
national requirements adopted almost everywhere in
the country, or delay approving anything until it can.
Textbook publishers are waiting for final approval by
the State Board of Education so they can begin produc-
ing classroom materials. But Education Commissioner
Robert Scott said making the final product better than
national "common core" math standards is more impor-
tant than meeting deadlines.
"We're going to fight and we're going to complain and
we're going to have amendments and we're going to
have dialogue," Scott told the board. "If you can't walk
out of here tomorrow with math standards that are bet-
ter than the common core, delay. Come back in May and
finish then."
The board gave preliminary approval to new, 10-year
requirements in January that are up for final passage
by its 15 members Friday. The proposed requirements
are based on the math tested in previous Texas stan-
dardized tests, as well as past curriculums in California,
Massachusetts and Minnesota, and Singapore.
The requirements are not based on the Common Core
State Standards Initiative coordinated by the National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices and
the Council of Chief State School Officers. Texas is one
of just five states that haven't adopted those standards,
which were developed by teachers, school administra-
tors, and experts with the intent of proving a consistent
benchmark for preparing students for college and the
workforce.
Sensitive to complaints Texas' proposed standards
may not be strenuous enough or include all subject areas
they should, state board members have made a series of
modifications and amendments to the would-be math
curriculum and will continue to do so until the final vote.
If members can't finish that work in time, they could call
a special meeting next month to complete the job.
Scott urged the board Thursday to "do your best in the
next 24 hours to complete this process" but also noted,
"we had a last minute barrage of concerns raised, and we
will do our best to address them."
Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, responded by saying, "the
common core is an unnecessary distraction."
"That really should not be the overriding focus. For
me it's about the students and the teachers and their
abilities and them having the necessary resources," said
Knight, alluding to $5.4 billion in cuts to public educa-
tion approved last summer by the state Legislature.
The Texas Association of Business, one of the most-
influential organizations of its kind in the state, has
opposed the new math curriculum standards as not
strict enough — saying they ultimately will hurt the com-
petiveness of future Texas workforces. The group also
says the requirements try to cover so many areas that
id dc
enough focus on basics like algebra.
they practically are incoherent at times, and don't place
Some education groups have supported the standards
as a major step forward. But others worry students are
being asked to do too much, tackling advanced math at
young ages.
National curriculum standards aside, the proposed
Texas curriculums also block their implementation
unless the state Legislature provides funding for books
to help students cope with tougher math requirements
— an attempt by the board of education to hold lawmak-
ers' feet to the fire on funding.
Dow Chemical to build
ethylene plant in Texas
MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — The Dow Chemical Co. said
Thursday that it will built an ethylene production plant
in Texas as part of a broader expansion designed to take
advantage of lower natural gas prices created by a pro-
duction boom.
The plant at Dow Chemical's Freeport operations is
expected to employ as many as 2,000 workers during the
construction phase. It is scheduled to start production in
2017.
It is one of several projects in Dow Chemical's $4 bil-
lion investment plan to take advantage of lower natural
gas prices as it expands production of ethylene and pro-
pylene, which are chemicals used in industrial processes.
The Midland, Mich., manufacturer also is developing
a propylene production plant that is expected to begin
production in 2015. It also plans to restart an ethylene
production unit near Hahnville, La., by the end of 2012.
Natural gas prices have fallen sharply because produc-
tion is booming as energy companies use newer drilling
techniques to access new underground reserves. The
futures price for natural gas has dropped 35 percent this
year.
Shares of Dow Chemical rose 12 cents to $34.73 per
share in early afternoon trading.
Boss of driver arrested
with ammo: It's a mistake
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The boss of a truck driver
caught with 268,000 rounds of ammunition in Ciudad
Juarez, Mexico, says his employee took a wrong turn on
his way to deliver what he says was legal cargo bound for
an Arizona dealer.
Denis Mekenye, operations manager at Demco
freight company in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, said
Thursday that driver Jabin (JAY'-bin) Bogan (BOE'-gin)
made "a very honest mistake" when he took a wrong
turn that eventually led him to Mexico.
Mekenye says the ammunition was on its way from
Tennessee to United Nations Ammunition in Phoenix.
The federal prosecutors office in northern Chihuahua
state says the 37-year-old Bogan is being held pending
investigation on illegal weapons charges. Spokesman
Angel Torres says the driver claimed he had no goods
to declare.
Derby
Continued from page I*'
approached the target.
Home to the longest ski season in New Mexico,
Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort offers a natural
mountain terrain, perfect for all ability levels. From
green and blue groomed cruisers to the steeps and
powder stashes found above lift 1, this mountain has
something for everyone. Historically Sipapu was the
first Ski Resort to open in New Mexico.
The weather conditions the day of the race were 220
and by afternoon the temperatures rose to approxi-
mately 60 °. Support ing the racers on the snowy slope
were Cindy Hamlin, Rusty and Pam Goates and Mary
Carr. The West Texas Wind Runners are currently
looking for a sponsor.
Lawyer: Mom accused in
fatal baby abduction upset
JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press
CONROE, Texas (AP) — Attorneys for a nurse accused
of fatally shooting a new mother and speeding away with
the dying woman's infant son said she was confused and
mumbling in court on Thursday, and they plan to review
her mental state.
Verna McClain is facing a capital murder charge in
the death of 28-year-old Kala Golden. Investigators said
McClain, a mother of three, had suffered a miscarriage and
was desperate to find a baby after telling her fiance that
she'd given birth to their child.
"It will take a while ... for her to have an appreciation for
what the situation is, if she ever does appreciate it," defense
attorney E. Tav Bond said after the brief court hearing.
The judge delayed a bond hearing until Monday to
give McClain's lawyers more time to review the case, and
McClain will be held without bond until then. The capital
murder charge carries a potential death sentence.
McClain is accused of shooting Golden in the parking
lot of a suburban Houston pediatric clinic, then snatching
Golden's 3-day-old son, Keegan Schuchardt, The infant
was found safe hours later with McClain's sister, who told
investigators that McClain told her she planned to adopt
the boy.
McClain intends to plead not guilty, Bond said, adding
that a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity was "certainly
something we will be visiting."
Handcuffed around her waist and wearing a pink-and-
white striped prison uniform, McClain spoke softly and
looked down during the hearing. Texas District Judge Fred
Edwards asked her several questions, including whether
she owned a house or car, or had any savings, to which she
responded, "No sir." McClain told the judge she understood
the charge against her.
McClain is being held in a jail cell by herself under
24-hour watch, and Bond said he didn't believe any of
her relatives had visited. Bond said he hopes McClain is
granted a reasonable bond so she would take care of her
three children, who are being looked after by a relative in
Houston.
Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said
his office hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Bond and McClain's other attorney, Stephen Jackson, said
they didn't believe that punishment was appropriate.
"One of the things they have to prove is future danger-
ousness. When you have an isolated incident with some-
body who has no prior criminal history, it is very difficult
to prove that that person would be a future danger," Bond
said.
The shootings occurred outside the Northwoods Pediatric
Center in Spring, about 20 miles north of Houston, where
McClain had taken her three children for checkups. But
investigators believe Golden was randomly targeted.
Authorities said McClain parked next to Golden's vehicle,
and as Golden was placing Keegan into her pickup truck,
McClain repeatedly shot her, snatched the child from the
truck and sped off. Witnesses reported that the dying
woman leaned into McClain's vehicle and tried to take the
boy back, screaming: "My baby!"
Golden died at a hospital. Her son has been reunited with
family members.
McClain's estranged husband said he was shocked at the
events of recent days.
"I can't believe she shot someone. That's not Vera," Theo
McClain, of San Diego, told The Associated Press.
McClain is a vocational nurse at a local staffing agency,
a job that involves providing basic nursing sendees under
the direction of registered nurses and doctors. She holds
vocational nursing licenses in California and Texas and has
not faced disciplinary action in either state, according to
licensing boards.
Associated Press writers Danny Robbins and Linda
Stewart Ball in Dallas contributed to this report.
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MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING
MIDDAY ON WALL STREET
Today's Trading
Change
DOW
13,039.75
+75.65
NASDAQ
3,022.93
+15.37
S&P
1,382.53
+5.61
General Motors
23.95
-0.06
Ford Motor Co.
11.68
+0.02
AT&T
30.83
+0.09
Pepsico, Inc.
66.30
+0.15
USG Corp.
15.93
+0.11
Archer-Daniels
30.54
-0.13
GE
19.51
+0.36
Deere & Co.
81.25
+0.86
McDonalds Corp.
97.12
+1.84
Chevron Texaco
103.50
+0.99
Exxon Mobil
85.47
+0.19
Fst. Fin. Bnkshs.
33.51
+0.50
Coca-Cola
73.81
-0.01
Dell
16.06
-0.10
SW Airlines
8.23
INCH
Microsoft
32.25
+1.24
Sears Holdings Co.
55.64
-0.02
Cisco
19.98
+0.07
Wal-Mart
61.80
+0.05
Johnson & Johnson
63.49
+0.46
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 81, Ed. 1 Friday, April 20, 2012, newspaper, April 20, 2012; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229745/m1/3/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.