De Leon Free Press (De Leon, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 9, 2014 Page: 1 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Comanche Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Comanche Public Library.
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Chance ol rain
Friday - Saturday
Thursday: 54/47
Friday: 6i/38
Saturday: 56/31
Sunday: 63/36
Monday: 59/33
Proctor Lake Level: 48.68%
Weekly Precipitation: 0.00”
Annual Precipitation: 0.00”
Burn Ban Olt
Thursday, January 9, 2014 16 Pages Seventy-five Cents Volume 124, No. 28 DeLeon, TX 76444
SEARCH PARTY. Community volunteers and area fire
and police agencies gathered to search for a lost child
Saturday near Downing. Photo by Karen Wilkerson.
Boy rescued Saturday
by local search party
By JON AWBREY
Publisher
The disappearance of
seven-year-old Nickolas
Lambert of Brownwood
prompted DeLeon’s largest res-
cue effort in several years
Saturday when every available
local agency and a number of
DeLeon and Comanche County
residents banded together to
help find the missing boy.
According to family mem-
bers, Lambert was with two
other boys on a farm just south
of County Road 423 near Rush
Creek west of Downing, when
he became separated from the
group.
Lambert’s family searched
for the boy for almost two
hours without success.
DeLeon resident John
Mack Weaver was informed
that the boy was missing, and
immediately contacted 9-1-1
and the Comanche County
Sheriff’s Office.
About 5:15 p.m., the
DeLeon Volunteer Fire
Department was paged out to
assist in the search, and
responded with a large contin-
gent of at least six vehicles.
DeLeon Fire Chief Doyle Rone
requested more manpower for
the search from Promontory
Park and Sipe Springs Fire
Departments. Several police
officers from the DeLeon
Police Department and
deputies from the Comanche
County Sheriff’s Department
also joined the search, as did a
number of volunteers from the
community.
There was significant
motivation to find the child
quickly, said Weaver, as a cold
front was expected to blow in
overnight.
At 5:45 p.m., Lambert was
found on the west side of the
farm near the creek by volun-
teers. He had suffered a small
cut, but was otherwise
unharmed.
“Thanks to all who partici-
pated [in the search] or helped
in some way,” said Weaver
Saturday night. “Also our spe-
cial thanks to Steve McGinnis
for alerting the neighbors to
help look for this lost little boy.
Praise to God this young one
was found.”
“The ground search went
well not only because the boy
was found,” said DeLeon Fire
Chief Doyle Rone, “but the
See Rescue page 4
Stock show grows with
twice as many animals
By JON AWBREY
and KAY HODGES
This year, there were more
hooves, more snouts, more
oinks, more baa-aa-aas, and
more young stockmen and
stockwomen out at the DeLeon
Livestock Bam to challenge
each other for the title Grand
Hodges took home Grand
Champion honors, followed by
Dustin Sparger with Reserve.
Junior Swine
Showmanship was won by
Blake Hodges, and Senior
Swine Showmanship was won
by Cass Griffin.
Grand Champion Market
Lamb was won by Haley
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Market
Steer was shown by Slade Gooden at the DeLeon
Livestock Show Saturday.
Champion than have been seen
in the past several years.
The annual DeLeon
Livestock Show was held
Saturday, with nearly 85 ani-
mals shown through the day.
Of those 85 animals, 60
were swine, an increase of
nearly 30 animals over last
year.
Judging this year’s show
was Kate Murphy of the
Tarleton State Livestock
Judging team.
Kalen Mcllvain won
Grand Champion Breeding
Swine, while Landon Stephens
won Reserve Grand Champion.
In Market Swine, Blake
Buckley, followed by Shandon
Johnson, who won Reserve
Grand Champion Market
Lamb. Shandon Johnson also
won Senior Lamb
Showmanship, and Kody
Johnson won Junior Lamb
Showmanship.
Grand Champion Market
Goat was won by Kambree
Barnes, who also won Reserve
Grand Champion Market Goat
and Goat Showmanship.
Grand Champion
Breeding Beef Heifer was won
by Shawn Skaggs, with Allexis
McGrath taking home Reserve
Grand Champion honors.
See Results page 11
City Hall Project
receives funds
Deleonians share New
Year’s resolutions
By LAURA KESTNER
Editor
The way people keep track
of their new year’s resolutions
has changed significantly in the
last few years. For many, digi-
tal lists have replaced the tradi-
tional pen and paper versions -
and there are even resolution
“apps” now. But the resolu-
tions themselves haven’t varied
much year-to-year.
According to extensive
online research (which means I
typed Top 10 New Year’s
Resolutions into the Google
search bar) the most popular
resolutions for 2013, nation-
wide, included:
1. Eat healthy and exercise
regularly, 2. Drink less, 3.
Leam something new, 4. Quit
smoking, 5. Better work/life
balance, 6. Volunteer, 7. Save
money, 8. Get organized, 9.
Read more, 10. Finish those
around the house “to-do” lists.
While the list for 2014
included: 1. Lose Weight; 2.
Get Organized; 3. Spend Less,
Save More; 4. Enjoy Life to the
Fullest; 5. Stay Fit and Healthy;
6. Leam Something Exciting;
7. Quit Smoking; 8. Help
Others; 9. Fall in Love; 10.
Spend More Time with Family.
This list is almost identical to
the one for 2012.
According to the website
StatisticBrain.com, 45 percent
of Americans usually make res-
olutions, while only eight per-
cent are successful in achieving
them.
Here are a few resolutions
for 2014 from DeLeon resi-
dents:
REGENIA SADBERRY
I would like to strive to be
a better person, one that the
Lord, my husband and children
can be proud of. I want to take
time to notice and enjoy the
blessings that each day brings,
and I want to try not to stress
over the things that I can't
change.
MARK WYGLE
My resolutions are to win
our 4th consecutive champi-
onship in softball, and to love
my wife and be the best hus-
band I can be.
See Resolutions page 6
By HIRAM SMITH
Special to the Free Press
The American Legion
Post’s gift to the DeLeon City
Hall Project is expected to
cover the cost of replacing the
two public restrooms and mak-
ing them ADA compliant, said
Toney Prather, president of the
501c3 group in charge of the
City Hall Project.
Two contractors are study-
ing the plans and planning to
submit bids very soon.
A former citizen from a
distant state has sent a second
donation, making her contribu-
tion nearly $1,000 in support of
this needed and worthy project.
The City Hall Project
board encourages the citizens
of our area, clubs, civic groups,
and churches to begin making
their plans to fund the rehabili-
tation of this fine, historic
building to its full availability
and usage.
If you or your group is
interested in supporting a par-
ticular portion’s rehab, please
contact Toney Prather at (254)
893-2003 or his office at
Totelcom.
If you are ready to make a
contribution, contact any mem-
ber of the board: Toney Prather,
Hiram Smith, Shirley
Wilkerson, Connie Winkles,
Tim Beaty, Bobby Schuman,
Mark Nowlin, Becky Golden,
or Don Mitchell.
Contributions can be made
at F&M Bank or First National
Bank as well.
Storm Spotter training
is scheduled for Ian. 14
For the first time since
2006, tornadoes claimed lives
in north central Texas. Six peo-
ple lost their lives in Granbury
as a tornado produced EF4
damage in the Rancho Brazos
Subdivision. These were the
first tornado fatalities since the
Anna-Westminster tornado of
May 9,2006.
Severe weather is
inevitable in Texas. Can you
recognize the clues that suggest
large hail, flash flooding, or a
tornado? Do you want to
become part of the severe
weather warning system in
your county? As part of its
area-wide weather prepared-
ness campaign, the National
Weather Service Office in Fort
Worth will answer these and
many other questions at the
SKY WARN severe weather
program on Tuesday, Jan. 14,
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The pro-
gram will be held at Comanche
Community Center in
Comanche and is held in part-
nership with Comanche
County Emergency
Management.
The 2014 program will
discuss thunderstorm forma-
tion, ingredients, and features
associated with severe storms.
The presentation will also
review tornado formation and
behavior, and will give some
insight as to why some storms
produce tornadoes and some do
not. Additionally, we will dis-
cuss non-threatening clues
See Training page 11
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Breeding
Swine was shown by Kalen Mcllvain at the DeLeon
Livestock Show Saturday.
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Market
Swine was shown by Blake Hodges, with brother
Hunter, at the DeLeon Livestock Show Saturday.
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Market
Lamb was shown by Haley Buckley at the DeLeon
Livestock Show Saturday.
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Market
Goat was shown by Kambree Barnes at the DeLeon
Livestock Show Saturday.
GRAND CHAMPION. The Grand Champion Breeding
Beef Heifer was shown by Shawn Skaggs, with mother
Rayna, at the DeLeon Livestock Show Saturday.
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Kestner, Laura. De Leon Free Press (De Leon, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 9, 2014, newspaper, January 9, 2014; De Leon, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787163/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Comanche Public Library.