The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 37, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 21, 2008 Page: 7 of 12
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Thursday, February 21, 2008, The Nocona News, Page 7
KNB kicks off membership drove for '08
Nocona Arborist
Mrs. Janet Barker presents Linsday Jackobson with her win-
ner's certificate, $50 savings bond and Keep Teaxas Beautiful
awards as the school winner inthe Arbor Day Poster Contest
SO to pay for K9 lawsu it
Continued from Page 1
make the copies, and mail them
to the Montague County prison-
ers.
The fees would be paid quar-
terly, McNew explained.
"It seems like the last year
the volume of law suits has been
awfully big," Pet. 4 Comm.
Tomrnie Sappington comment-
ed to McNew. "Sure has been,"
McNew responded.
"I haven't seen that (man) in
my 19 years in office (as com-
missioner)," Sappington added.
McNew noted discussions
with District Attorney Jack
McGaughey indicate the county
may be able to pay for the serv-
ices from Wichita County using
Montague County law library
Fund revenues.
"If we can't take it out of the
Law Library Fund, we need to
have a backup plan,"
Sappington observed.
"If we can't take it out of the
Law Library, then we need to
take it out of the department
where the problem is," he said,
pointing directly at the County
Jail.
"I'll add that to my second,"
Pet. 1 Comm. Dickie Cox added
as the court unanimously
approved Sappington's motion
to enter into the agreement and
fund the process either from the
county's Law Library Fund or
from the Jail's budget.
The second item on the agen-
da was an executive sessions to
discuss hiring a firm specializ-
ing in federal labor law to han-
dle the county's legal expenses
in defending itself against a
$22,033.02 claim by former
Deputy Sheriff Donald Morgan,
now of Burkburnett.
Morgan filed a claim con-
tending he never received the
additional pay (one hour per
day, 365 days a year, including
overtime) owed him for the care
and training of the drug dog he
used as a deputy sheriff for two
and a half years.
The county will have to pay a
$5,000 retainer to the law firm,
plus additional expenses as the
case winds it way through the
federal legal system.
"We need to take it out of the
Sheriffs Department,'
Sappington observed.
"I'm afraid the expenses
we're going to get into later are
going to grow and this could
have been avoided if the Sheriff
(Bill Keating) had worked with
the (commissioner's) Court,"
Sappington stated.
When he took office, Sheriff
Keating immediately added
three K-9 units to the county
without consulting the commis-
sioner's court about the added
expenses, special compensation
for the deputies.
When asked about it during
his first month in office, Keating
appeared before the court and
promised the county the K-9
program would not cost the
county anything stating that all
of the expenses for feeding and
caring for the animals would be
handled through donations.
Keating visibly resented hav-
ing to bring each of the dona-
tions to the county for approval,
although the court and then
County Auditor Janice Blakely
noted that was required by the
state laws dealing with county
funds and donations.
Sappington then made a
motion to take $4,318.84 out of
the Sheriff's Department's
"machinery and equipment" line
item in his budget - zeroing out
that line item - to fund the bulk
of the retainer fee with the
remainder to come out of a sec-
ond line item.
Recalling Keating brought a
$6,000 donation from a private
individual to purchase new bul-
let-proof vests for his deputies
earlier this month, Sappington
repeatedly stressed "That
$6,000 needs to go for those
bullet-proof vests," and not be
spent on anything else..
Originally, the sheriff had
just $2,560 in that particular line
item. He subsequently asked for
$6,000 to buy the vests, which
the commissioners agreed to
add to his budget. But before the
vests could be ordered, other
expenses shrunk the line item to
$4,318.84 leading to the need
for the donation.
"I'll cut an employee before
I'll cut those bullet proof vests,"
Sappington vehemently told the
court.
Sappington did warn that the
continued expenses of the
Morgan case could lead to
reducing the number of employ-
ees in the sheriffs department to
pay the cost of the law suit and
possible claim.
The commissioner stressed
the court did not create the prob-
lem, the sheriff did by adding
the K-9 program without con-
sulting the commissioners, cre-
ating procedures to account for
the additional duty hours and
thus avoid the law suit.
"Yeah, that program hasn't
cost us anything," he sarcasti-
cally stated, as he left the court-
room Friday. "We've already
been out $2,500 (in legal
expenses) and now $5,000, so
that free program has only cost
us $7,500 - so far."
Individually, the commis-
sioners indicated after the meet-
ing Friday that all future expens-
es for the Morgan case would be
taken from the Sheriff's
Department's budget and not
from other county funds.
REAL TREE
SERVICE
825-4526 841-4954
• Limb Trimming
• Tree Removal
• Stump Grinding
Curbside Brush & Limb Pick-up
CALL for Free Estimate.
Keep Nocona Beautiful
(KNB) began its 2008 member-
ship drive this month at a meet-
ing held at The Carpenter's
Shop. Dues will remain at
Individual $5, Family $10,
Business $10-$50 (based on
number of employees), and
Sponsor $100. A new category
of non-profit, Church and
organization was added at $20.
Funds will be used for the con-
struction of a "Welcome to
Nocona" stone marker at the
east city limits on Hwy 82. KNB
has already raised over $2000
toward this project.
Winners of the 2008 Arbor
Day Poster Contest were
Lindsey Jacobson for Nocona;
Erin Jackson for Ringgold; and
Thalia Salinas for Prairie
Valley.
KNB awarded each winner a
$50 savings bond, a Winner's
Certificate and a small prize.
This national contest is held
each fall for 5th graders through
the Texas Forest Service and
sponsored by KNB in this area.
Officers elected were Lindy
Ritchie, president, Mary
Ritchie, vice-president, Ruth
Sewell, secretary, and Dawn
Kitchens, treasurer.
The group will continue to
sponsor the Arbor Day Poster
Contest, and aluminum can
recycling by Nocona
Elementary School and The
Carpenter's Shop.
Special emphasis will be
given during the month of April
to work toward the elimination
of junk vehicles, old appliances
and debris in and around
Nocona and the Lake before
Nocona's celebration for the
Montague County birthday cele-
bration. Plans are also being
made for the annual "Great
Lunch 'n Learn today
This Thursday, Feb.21st the
Chamber will have a Lunch and
Learn Luncheon at the Chamber
Office.
It will be at noon and all
chamber members are invited.
The lunch is provided by the
Chamber and is free. The pro-
gram is the Texas Workforce
and Bill Scantlin is our speaker.
Please give us a call by
Wednesday if you can join us
for lunch. Your Chamber office
number is 825-3526.
American Cleanup" (March 1-
May 31) and the "Don't Mess
With Texas Trashoff on April
5.
Anyone who's interested in
this program can call KNB at
825-4488 or stop by the Nocona
Chamber of Commerce office
and pick up an information
packet or membership applica-
tion.
Ryan Nursing Home
We Have
All Private Rooms
At No Extra Charge ;
Clean, home-like atmosphere, professional, friendly
staff; a skilled unit; Medicare/Medicaid certified.
For more information, contact:
Scott A. Protor, Adm.
Lauri A. Weldon, Adm.
580-757-2517
tor whatever
MOVES YOU
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KIM
Fuel World
1211 E. Hwy. 82
940-825-3479
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€very f\igS\b oP bt\e UJeel^ ••
Monday
Chicken or
Shrimp Basket
20 oz. Drink
4.59
Tuesday
Quesadiila
Chicken or Beef
20 oz. Drink
5.99
Wednesday
CF Steak Plate
Large or Small
4.99 / 5.99
Thursday
Catfish Basket
Beans
6.00/.50
Friday
Cheeseburger
Double Meat Burger
2.00/3.00
Saturday Sunday
Philly Cheese Steak
FF/20 oz. Drink
4.59
Brisket Plate
Includes your choice of
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TX Toast and 20 oz. Drink
5.99
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QocoqaV Be/b t\epb Jccreb!
Steve Howard
Seeking Your Vote for
County Commissioner, Precinct 3
Born in Nocona, raised in the rural area of Spanish Fort, and a third generation
resident of Montague County, I am proud to be a Precinct 3 candidate for County
Commissioner.
My wife of thirty eight years, Nelda, and I have four children - Heath, Heather,
Hank, and Hannah - who were raised in the Nocona area. Nelda and I are active members
of Valley View Baptist Church, where I serve as the adult men's Sunday school teacher.
Excluding my years away to continue my education and for military service, I
have always lived in Montague County.
After I graduated from James Connally
Technical School in 1968 specializing in
diesel and heavy equipment mechanics, I
began working for Darr Caterpillar. I was
drafted into the Army, served my tour of
duty (2 V2 years), and was honorably
discharged. I then returned to Darr,
working a total of ten years.
In 1980 I started my own business
repairing heavy equipment and have
continued doing so for twenty eight years.
My career has given me the opportunity to
work for and alongside numerous County
Commissioners and road and bridge
contractors throughout North Texas and
Southern Oklahoma. The knowledge I
have gained during my career, specifically
road and bridge construction, maintenance
of equipment, and the cost of equipment
labor and repairs, will assist me as your
County Commissioner if elected.
Owning and operating my own
business for twenty eight years has taught
me management and budgeting skills and how to communicate effectively with people.
These skills were further developed during my twelve-year service as a Prairie Valley
School board member. Consequently enabling me to be as proficient of a business man as
I am diesel and heavy equipment mechanic.
On March 4th, residents of Montague County will have the opportunity to exercise
your right to vote in the Primary. I encourage all who are registered to utilize this
freedom and vote for the candidate of your choice. I would appreciate your vote so that I
might have the chance to serve the people of Precinct 3 and Montague County. I will
listen to your problems and concerns and try to help you find answers and resolutions.
Paid political announcement by Steve Howard.
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Mesler, Tracy R. & Mesler, Linda L. The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 37, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 21, 2008, newspaper, February 21, 2008; Nocona, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth439464/m1/7/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Friends of the Nocona Public Library.