Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 117, No. 6, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 20, 2004 Page: 2 of 32
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Mains County Leader
TUESDAY. JULY 20, 2004
OriPciula't
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CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
Editorial
MAP - 1st Ihurs 6 30 p m Meadows
Room a! Rams Co Library
THE LADIES CLUI OE ALBA 4th Ihurs
700 p m Alba Community Center
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS K At ANON
Emory Ear.ii lues night frnory Uniter)
Methodist Church fellowship Hall at 8
pm for into call 903 597 17%
Lone Oat Ai Anon meets each Wed at
noon at United Methodist Church
AMERICAN LEGION POST 156 Rabb Bro
Mem Raint Co Meeting 7 00 p rn
on the 4th Monday 440 South 1st St
Point
AR8AIADANCE t aery I si 3rd Mh lues
da/ at Aihala Community Center
700 930
BETIlfi LITE GROUP OE NARCOTICS
ANONYMOUS 8 00pinEn.it
Class*. I anes Bowling Alley 333
Industrial 'lulphur Springs Tor irilo
contact Gary S 903 473 33?9
BOY SCOUTS Every Cun 3 00pm to
4 30 p m E rnory United Methodist
Ctiurch
EMORY I IONS Cl UB 1st A 3rd Tues
I? Of) noon Hose Community Center
ERIE NOS OE RAINS CO PUBLIC LIBRARY
4th lues 6 p rn Meadows Room
Rams County Public I (hrary
FINALLY HI WOHKOUfSEOH WOMEN
Mon Wed and Err at 8 00 a rn
upstairs Children s Bldg Emory
Baptist Church
GIBL SC0UI TROOP 1804 1st Tuesday
after school until 5 30 p m Junior
High School Caletena
INNOVATORS 4-H CLUB HtTues 2 00
p m Meadows Room Library
KEEP EMORY BEAUTIFUL 2nd Tuesday
at noon in Meads as Room, Library
IAKF FORK AREA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
month 6 00 p m Cantis Comm Center
IAKE IAWAK0NI LIONS CLUB 2nd »
4th hies 7 fpi t> •• I ,w ■
OVERCOMERS 12 STEP PROGRAM - at
Hope ol Glory Worship Center. Friday,
7 00 pm 903 662 4405 903-473-
3252
LONE OAK CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
Ens! Ihurs of earn mouth /pm
Lone On* United Methodist Ctum.h
MARS HILL MASONIC IOOGE 41440
4thThiits 7 30 p .n at lodge or
Hwy E,’)
NARCOIICS ANONYMOUS LIVING PRO
GRAM GROUP Mm H p m
Meailoyys Room Rains Co library
NIKKI H Will NESS PREVIEW ird
Thurs 7 3ft p m Meadov/s Room
I ibt,it/ linoiy for mhi 'Mil 473 7BC i
ORUEH 01 (ASTERN STAR EMORY
CHAPTER Yii-lMm Oft pin
Mats Mill I odge
OVERCOMERS CHRISTIAN 8ASED SUP
PORT GROUP AM 7 -Hi H to p m
I slie 0,0 Assemtil/ hi God
PRE SCHOOL READING READINESS
PROGRAM Wed it00 am 10 30
a m Meadows Roo n ol the Library
POINT LADIES CIVIC CLUB 1st Thurs
7 00 p rn Point Community Center
POINT 3fd lues 7 00 p rn Cotton
Pitkin Tlieatre Point 903 5967024
RAINS COUNTY CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE 3rd Thursday of each
month Call lor location 905 473-3913
RAINS AMATEUR RAOIO ASSOCIATION
tRARA) 2nd Tues 7 30 p m
Meadows Hoorn Public Library, Emory
RAINS COUNTY CHILO PROTECTIVE
SERVICES BOARD 3rd Mon 6 30
p m United Methodist Church. Emory
RAINS COUNTY FARMERS UNION 1st
Mon 7 00 p m Cotton Pickin' The-
atre 903 447 0096
RAINS GAROEN Cl UB First Mon 10 00
am Rose Community Center Emory
RAINS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
3rd Mon 6 00 p rn Heritage Park,
Hwy 2/6
RAINS COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD 4th
Mon 6 00pm Meadows Room.
Hams Public Library
RAINS 4 H CLUB 4tb Tues 700pm.
Rams fair/ounds fahibif Building
RAINS PRE8CH00L - Every Mon . 8 30-
11 30 a m Emory Baptist Church
RAINS COUNTY 0000 SAMARITAN8
Board meets 2nd Tues 2 00 p m at
Emot/Baptist Church Center is open
1 to 4 p m Mon and Thurs
BAINS COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
4th Thurs 7:00 p m , Rams County
Public Library
REPUBLICAN CLUB OF RAINS COUNTY -
2nd Mon 7 30 p m Dee s Keys
U NIORS ADVISORY COUNCIL OF RAINS
COUNTY 2nd Tues I 30 p m , Green
Acres Nursing Home
TOPS llakt Ott Pounds Sensibly)
Emory Chapter 1244 7 p m T ies
E irioiy Baptist Memorial Hall
Lone Oak Chapter 1410 6 3ft p rn
Mon 1 0 Metti Church arme/
IAWAKONI AREA CIVIC CLUB 3rd Mtm
t (i rn I asl fawakom Civic Center
447 248)
WOMEN S SERVICE CLUB 2nd Mon
10 (K) a in Rose Community Center
WOMEN IN NEED INC IA Bulleted
Womens Shelter) A lepieserilative is
at Hie Rains Co Public Library Tues
9 a m 12 00 noon Call 1903) 456
t612or 1903)454 HELP collect
calls at cepted
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
rAST IAWAKONI CITY COUNCIL
ird Tues ut e.n h month / Of) p hi
I is! I.iwakoiu City Halt
EMUHY CITY COUNCIL
3rd tues id ear ti mouth 7 Of) p rn
I ■■ my City Hall
COIN I CITY COUNCII
2nd tie s nl each month 7 00 p m
1'u.ffl City Hall
RAINS CUUNIY
COMMISSION!RS COURI
2nd /. 4th thm ril earh month 9 00
a m Hie Rams Co Courthouse
Anne*
RAINS COUNTY VETERANS
SERVICE OFFICER
1st K 3rd Thurs 8 30 4 30 County
Courthouse
RAINS COUNTY EMERGENCY
SERVICE ARIA DISTRICT
Istlhur 7 00 pm Hums County
Courthouse Anne*
RAINS ISO SCHOOL BOARD
2nd Tues ol each month. 7 00
p m Hams ISO Board Room
RAINS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT
2nd Thurs ol each month, 6 30
p m Rams la* (Mine
MEMBER 2004
TEXASHPRESSASSOCIATION
till OIDISI IKSINISS IN RAINS l XX INTV
Bams Countu Leader
’ >■*
l.xtuhlished June If), IHH7
(Publication Number USPS 454-560)
Postmaster Surid Form 3.6 79 to
RAINS COUNTY LEADER
PO fio* 127. Emory, TX 75440
Telephone 903/473-2653 • I AX 903/473 0050
vvww IbiirisCountyl e.tcJer com • £ mail rnirisleaeierWiiarthlink net
Heron a euentMtn
l arl Mill Jr
AMOCIATt IDITOft
Janie Morgan
*»»i«r*«r iDiTon
(.arolyri Hill
ovrice
Nancy E enter Mgr
AoveimeiMO
(Jartone Kneberg
nour* Miit
James Liles
Etobert Dean
Trey Hill
tetciAi niTimi
Bonnie Burch
eeooucTKM
Sue Davis
Ruby Vouny
Sarah King
PuUmhad --very Tuesday nucepl the Iasi Tuesday in December
f nlered nl the Post Office in £ moty. Texas, as a Periodical
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Inside Hams County, 1 ye*r $20 00. Out of County. 1
ykar |2fi Of* (Jut ol State 1 year 128 00 Hami County Senior Citiaan* age 60
and over will receive $2 00 discount Prices ettectrve January 1 2003
FORMER EDITORS AND RuallfMERt OE THE RAINS COUNTY ItAOtN
H W Martin 1887
Sam f d/geiak) Before 1900
W O Hebiseri Before 1900
A S Hornbeck Before 1900
J H Bradford - 1901 1904
Tom W Hill - 1904-1937
Earl Hi* Sr • 1937 I960
Kathleen Hit! Becknek -1962-1995
Which is the guilty one - the system or the man?
I just didn't understand this pica by Avis Jones Wednesday,
July 7, of tampering with governmental records, so I talked to
him and his wife Beverly and asked them to give me the
sequence of events leading up to this outcome.
Before we get into the trail of events, we must understand
that there were two commissioners, Virgil McEnturff and Evelyn
Malone, who wanted Jones removed as road and bridge superin-
j tendent. And there was the mysterious "black book” that was
supposedly kept by Herschel Bullard.
1 spoke with Commissioner Malone and told her that the
Leader was going to do a story on Jones and events leading up to
his indictment. I offered her the opportunity to give her version
on July 8, but she declined, stating lhat she had commitments
that afternoon and she would be attending a seminar the next
week. Commissioner McEnturff and Bullard, Democratic candi-
date for commissioner of Precinct I, were not informed ol the
article but will be given every opportunity to respond
And now to the trail of events. We're told by Jones that in
September 2003 a new computer program was installed at the
R&B department at the request of the commissioners court lor
employees to keep a daily work sheet. The daily work sheets
would be posted in a computer program to the different roads
that the employees worked on to track labor costs pet job The
amount of materials used on each road were also kept and post
cd and thus the commissioners court would have a spread sheet
that would give a very accurate account of budget dollars spent
on each road. The commissioners did not ask that the daily work
sheets match - hour for hour with an employee's time sheet.
As wc move on, Jones said he was on vacation October 13-
17 and in November he attended the Texas Association of Coun-
ty Road and Bridge Administrators seminar in Austin. Jones stat-
ed that while he was away employee work sheets were removed
from the R&B offices by Commissioner Malone without com
mtsiioners court approval
Jones continued, on February 1.3, 2(X)4, two investigators
from the County/District Attorney's office came to the Road and
Bndgc office asking questions concerning time sheets At this
time Jones discovered that employee daily work sheets for Sep
tembci, October, and November had been taken by Malone, lie
found that the investigators were trying to lie the daily work
sheets to time sheets He explained to them that would not work
since enough codes had not been provided by the programmer to
show all time worked by employees such as travel time to and
from a job site, fueling and loading of equipment, etc., and that
the daily work sheet program was still in the process of comple-
tion. He stated that if the time sheets were a problem, he would
have R&B secretary Jerri Staggs begin completing time sheets
from the daily work sheets for the employees, which they would
sign. The investigators seemed to think that would be a g<H>d idea
and the system was changed on that date - no employee would
fill out time sheets any longer.
That same day Jones went to County/District Attorney
Robert Vititow's office to find out what was transpiring. The DA
told Jones, "don’t lose any sleep over this.” When Jones asked if
he needed an attorney, he was told by the DA, "I’ll let you know
when you need one.”
On February 15 Jones went back to. the DA's office to
explain the change in employee time recording. Vititow told
Jones that the Road and Bridge system would never work in
Rams County and that it he were to be "billed” by the Grand
Jury, Vititow would give him an opportunity to resign and “this
will all go away ” Neither ol the statements made by Vititow to
Jones was ever acted upon.
Jn May Jones was indicted on one count ol misuse ot coun-
ty materials and three counts ol altering employee time sheets on
Herschel Bullard and Neal Mall All changes on time sheets
occurred during the dates Jones was on vacation in October.
Jones had tired Hall in November shortly alter he returned I mm
vacation.
The same grand jury met in June and indicted Jones on lour
counts of tampering with government records by signing the
time sheets of Neal Hall knowing the actual hours worked were
false. Also lour counts ol perjury following testimonies by him-
sclf, Herschel Bullard. County Judge Joe Dougherty, Jerri Stag-
gs, and Commissioner Gary Bishop. The count ol misuse ol
county materials was dropped alter Jones' attorney presented
Vititow with a signed affidavit staling that McHnlurfl had
ordered the destruction and distribution ol county materials
removed from a bridge.
On July 6 Jones was told he had 24 hours to resign and
accept a plea agreement or he would lace 10 separate trials
On July 7 Jones saw the DA and Carry Blount (Jones's
lawyer) at 4:00 p in. lor one hour ol deliberations on a plea bat
gain At 5: <0 tie pled guilty before Judge Robert Newsom.
The above is very disturbing to me. especially since I have
now learned how Rains County keeps time sheets and pays its
employees.
Rains County employees are paid once every two weeks on
Fridays Hourly employees’ time ends on Thursday afternoon at
4:00, 5:(X) or 6:00 p m. ot even later. But get this, the lime cards
tor the unit road employees must be turned in by ‘7:00 that mom
mg (Thursday, nine hours before their shill ends) to give the Irea
surer’s office enough time to figure the hours worked and write
the checks so employees can pick them up lhat afternoon al 3(X)
All other departments must have lime sheets ready by noon
Thursday and their checks arc ready Friday morning. I guess ibis
way of keeping time and paying employees lias been going on
forever in the county
Wc have also found ibis system (pay employees before work
is done) is used in an adjoining county, and those time sheets go
in two days before work is done We understand that since the
time sheet indictments against Jones in Rains County, that conn
ty is going to change ils system ol keeping lime.
Having worked lor a large company in Dallas many, many
years ago, our time was turned in Wednesday at quitting time and
wc received our checks on Friday a two day period to do pay
roll
All department heads Al,l. sign then employees' time
sheets and turn them in early But only one head has rolled.
I still don’t understand how Jones was indicted since daily
work sheet records were removed November 12. 200 3 from an
office of records dhc R&B office), which may make their integri
ty suspect, then checked to see it they matched up with lime
cards later removed from the treasurer's office What it one of the
charges made against Jones was on a Thursday 'A Thursday that
ihc time sheets were turned in early and lhat day the employee
left work early for whatever reason’’ Ihc lime cards could never
be matched up with that day’s daily work sheet. Then the super-
visor could be charged because he had already signed a false
record. Man, oh. man, is that ever a kick in the rear
The R&B system is working this wc can see because,
although wc think this is a wrongful conviction in this case, wc
now know people can be held accountable. The R&B manager
cannot personally use, loan or give away county property. How-
ever, elected officials arc almost untouchable except to you and
I. the voters who put them in office and can remove them from
office.
But it still comes down to you and I II wc don’t get involved
and go lo the commissioners court meetings, and express our
views, we’ll ultimately he to blame for whatever our county gov-
ernment becomes.
As read about elsewhere in
Iasi week’s paper I have some
new stuff to worry about. The
commissioners court appointed
me to be captain ol the Road and
Bridge Team I have heard sev
eral questions and remarks I
will try to answer the two ques
lions that I think are most impor
taut and tell you my favorite
comment.
The first questions is: What
does he know about roads and
bridges’’ My new title is Ailing
Road and Bridge Administrator
lor the Rains County Unit Road
and Bridge System I have dis
covered that road and bridge has
some very dedicated and talent
ed employees; with their help
and the support ol the citi/.ens,
commissioners and judge. I am
confident I can administer Ihc
Unit Road and Bridge program
The second question is What
about litter and seplie tanks?
The commissioners have provtd
ed me with excellent adtninislra
live support m Teresa North
cull's office and the toad and
bridge secretary. Jet in- Staggs
With then help, the Environ
mental Jerks are going lo )*•
worse oil I am not going to
have time to mess with them, so
I'll file charges and let them deal
with the local J P, Don Smith.
He has a lot more authority and
is meaner than I am anyway
Now to my favorite comment.
As most you know Sheriff
Wilson and David Traylor often
invite some ol their guests to
help me pick up trash. Fast week
I picked up fourol their visitors
Since I was not in uniform I
thought I would explain some
things to them so there would
not any misunderstanding. I
said, “I am not in my uniform
today because I have a new job
and a uniform would not he
appropriate, hut make no mis
take about it I still have the same
authority and yon are still in my
custody and you will do what I
s;iy I weal different clothes and
dtive a diflcrenl truck, otherwise
everything is just the same"
Someone in the track scat said
“Oh, I understand you are an
undcrcovei Filter Abatement
Ollicer." I guess where you arc
or where you have been deter
mines bow dungs look to you
I lie trash dtop oil and recy-
cling center will be open next on
July 31.
You can contact me at I’D
Box 158, Emory TX 75440,
(OEM) 47 3 878 3 or via e mail al
Irr mlimilUi mim < n l\ ii\
Hums ( minis Historical Sm ids
Center, Church & Cazeho
NOW AVAILABLE
FOR RENTAL
Electric &
cups
Watery'
For Information, call
903-473-3214 • 903-473-2832
Lone St^s r Realty
Hi
Michelle A. Clifton
- Renlioi
5702 West FM 5I5 • Yantis. IX 754*77
incldton<n,onlmcisp net
www.lonestarealty.com
‘703 878-2188 Office
*703 4 7 3 3 5 31 Home ^
l ‘70 3 2 6 8 2 674 Cell LSI
AVS
Appliance Service
Servicing Most Household Appliances - Since I9H7
LOWEST SERVICE CALL RATE WITHIN 200 MILES
( 903-473-3664
NEED A
RIDE?
m*
Call Minibus, Inc. at 1-800-590-3371
Minibus, Inc. is a provider of Rural Public
Transportation for the East Inxas Council
of Governments Rural Transit District.
SELECT THEATER
Mineola 903-569-2300
til. SAT. 7:11 • ADULTS IS • UNDID 12 S3
SAT. I MA MATINff All IICKHS S3
JULY
MOVIE
SCHEDULE
JULY 23-24-25:
Live Clay (musical):
Once Upon A Mattress
7 LO In \ Sal • 2 IK) Sun
I icki-ls S10 Ailiills • S5 Students
JULY 30-31, AUG. 6-7:
Harry Potter & the
Prisoner of A/.kahan
lililccntioc /iiiituw) l’(i l.l
AUG. 13-14 5 20-21:
Spider-Man 2 /•<; / <
Earl Hill, Jr
Editor and Publisher
r CP@P
LOW-
COST
PET VACCINATIONS
All vaccines available
Where: Point Volunteer Fire Dept.
(Downtown Point on Hwy. 69)
When: Sat., July 31, 8 a.m.-12 noon
Who: L. K. Knowles, DVM
For information, call 903-569-0645
Heartworm preventative available with negative teat
1
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Hill, Earl Clyde, Jr. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 117, No. 6, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 20, 2004, newspaper, July 20, 2004; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth767775/m1/2/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rains County Library.