Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 2012 Page: 1 of 16
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Volume 52, No. 51
www.mysoutex.com
July 26,2012-75*
Mowing
accident
claims life
An 18-wheeler collided head-on with a Ford SUV at 3:15 a.m.
last Thursday on Farm-to-Market 2678 in a curve just south
of the Fennessey Ranch. The semi cab and trailer flipped on
its side and burst into flames. The two men inside and the
Kenda Nelson photo
driver of a Ford SUV narrowly escaped with no life-threat-
ening injuries. Above, A.J. Root and Allan Miller Jr. of Allan's
Wrecker Service in Victoria worked until 10 p.m. to remove
the overturned cab and clear all the wreckage.
By Kenda Nelson
Editor, County Press
REFUGIO — A mow-
ing accident on Suntide
Road just off U.S. 77,
south of Refugio, claimed
the life of a 43-year-old
Gregory man at 2:11 p.m.
Thursday, July 19.
Timoteo Rivera was
mowing grass at the Koch
Pipeline facility when the
cage on the mower caught
a guy-wire attached to a
pipe from an abandoned
radio tower.
“From the evidence,
Timoteo Rivera
it appears the pole was
rusted at the bottom and
(See Pipe, 16A)
Driver charged with DWI
Victims survive fiery head-on collision
By Kenda Nelson
Editor, County Press
REFUGIO — An
alleged drunk driver
is being blamed for a
fiery head-on collision
in a curve on Farm-to-
Market Road 2678 at
3:15 a.m. on July 19.
Zachary Edwards, 30,
of Refugio was arrested
and charged with DWI
following the accident.
Both vehicles, an
18-wheeler and Ford
SUV, were destroyed,
yet all the victims in
the crash suffered only
minor injuries. DPS
Trooper Andrew Smith
called the men’s escape
from death nothing
short of a miracle.
“By the
grace of God,
they sur-
vived,” Smith
said.
Jared
Adamson, 34,
and Ronald
Higgins, 35,
employees of
Performance
Food Service
in Victoria,
were traveling to
Corpus Christi to make
a delivery to a Subway
Sandwich shop, accord-
ing to Smith.
The trooper said
Edwards was
in the wrong
lane of traf-
fic with no
he adlights
on. Edwards
was driving
south in the
northbound
lane, causing
the Ford to
collide head-
Edwards on with the
18-wheeler.
The food service truck
left the road and flipped
onto the driver’s side
on the east side of the
highway. The vehicle
burst into flames, with
the driver pinned in the
vehicle and unable to
release his seat belt.
“Normally, there is
only one driver sent
on a delivery but this
morning, they had two,”
Smith said.
That decision likely
saved the driver’s life,
according to the trooper.
“The second driv-
er was able to lift the
driver up enough so
he could undo his seat
belt,” Smith said.
(See Crash, 16A)
Contributed photo
Timoteo Rivera of Gregory was killed last Thursday when the
mower he was driving caught the guy-wire of an abandoned
tower and the concrete-filled pipe crashed down on him.
U.S. 77 work
commences
REFUGIO —Work to
overlay U.S. 77 from the
Mission River Bridge
to Houston Street will
begin this week.
The mill and overlay
project is expected to
last 34 working days,
weather permitting.
Work on the project will
take place from 7 a.m. to
5 p.m., Monday through
Friday.
The new Texas
Department of
Transportation (TxDOT)
Corpus Christi District
road project was award-
ed to Haas-Anderson
Construction at a cost of
$1.5 million.
The installation of
traffic barricades began
Tuesday, July 24.
Various lane closures
through the course of
the project should be
expected.
Drivers should slow
down and use caution
when approaching the
area. Watch for chang-
ing traffic patterns dur-
ing the course of the
project.
Burn ban continues
County Treasurer Aduddell resigns
By Kenda Nelson
Editor, County Press
County treasurer
Louise Aduddell submit-
ted her resignation to
the commissioners court
effective Aug. 31.
“It is not an easy deci-
sion for me because I
have absolutely enjoyed
serving the county for 11
years,” Aduddell said.
The commissioners will
advertise for applicants.
Should the court choose
to appoint someone to fill
the job, the elected posi-
tion will appear on the
ballot in the general elec-
tion in November.
Judge Rene Mascorro
said the applicant select-
ed by the court may or
may not choose to run for
the position. Each party
will select the candidate
to represent their party.
The court also agreed
to continue the burn ban.
Though rain showers
have fallen regularly in
some parts of the coun-
ty, the precipitation has
been spotty. Some parts
of the county remain dry
with dead vegetation.
“We need to get the
information out to the peo-
ple,” said Commissioner they should start burn-
Stanley Tuttle. “Just ing.”
because we have had a
little rain, people think (See County, 16A)
Deaths
Richard A. Lara
Roy Wise
Index
Classifieds
Community
Church
Obits
Sports
Page 8 A
Page 3 A
Page 6 A
Page 2A
Page 15A
Council quashes ed notices
By Kenda Nelson
Editor, County Press
REFUGIO — The Refugio City
Council voted unanimously Tuesday
evening to stop mailing second notic-
es on water bills commencing Oct. 1,
when the new fiscal year begins.
At Councilman Frank Hosey’s
request, the council agreed to stop
the practice of sending the red notices
which stands to save the city approxi-
mately $1,680 per year for postage
alone.
Currently water bills are due by
the 15th of each month. Water cus-
tomers who have not paid by that
date receive a red second notice that
water will be shut off if not paid by
the 25th.
The council also agreed to pay
police officers overtime for any time
worked over 80 hours during their
two-week pay period. Officers start
at a salary of $37,523.20, The policy
under the Fair Labor Standards Act
is to pay officers regular pay up to 86
hours.
Council member Karen Watts said
she asked that the item be put on the
agenda.
“The officers are getting no com-
pensation for those six hours,” Watts
said.
Chief Andy Lopez Jr. said the new
guidelines will allow the officers to
be eligible for time and a half during
(See Overtime, 16A)
Kenda Nelson photo
Effective Aug. 31, Louise Aduddell, county treasurer, will resign
the elected position she has held for 11 years.
Local man injured
REFUGIO —A Refugio
man was transported by
HALO-Flight helicop-
ter to Christus Spohn
Memorial Hospital fol-
lowing an accident at
1:29 p.m. Tuesday, July
24.
John Muguerza, 51,
who was struck by a high-
pressure hose at Hilcorp,
suffered at least one frac-
ture on both arms.
“They were getting
ready to pump off a
well head,” said Deputy
Jason Maley. “It appears
a coupling failed and he
was hit by the hose and
received a couple of frac-
tures, one to his left arm
and two to his right arm.”
Maley said Muguerza
was conscious and alert
when he arrived at the
O’Connor lease where the
accident occurred.
EMS paramedics
from Refugio Memorial
Hospital stabilized the
injured man before he
took the helicopter flight
to Corpus Christi.
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Nelson, Kenda. Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 2012, newspaper, July 26, 2012; Refugio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth740771/m1/1/?q=green+energy: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.