Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 25, 1991 Page: 1 of 42
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THURSDAY,
April 25,1991
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Volume 109
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The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
UPSP 437-340 Price: 25 cents
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g Court approves
. prison agreement
LIVINGSTON - Construction of a
2,250-inmate maximum security
prison near Livingston and expan-
sion of the subcourthouse in Cor-
rigan were two items on a varied list
of topics discussed during Monday's
regular meeting of the Polk County
Commissioners’ Court.
Commissioners also appointed two
members to serve on an ambulance
service board and took advantage of
a chance to save on hospital
malpractice insurance.
The court approved a facilities
agreement between the county and
the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, outlining the respon-
sibilities of the county in preparation
for the prison construction.
In its original proposal for a prison
site, the county pledged to provide
such items as clearing, site work,
grading, construction of an entrance
road, drainage improvements,
geotechnical services, engineering
and inspection costs and on-site
employee housing. Polk County
voters, in August, 1MB, approved the
sale of $2 million in certificates of
obligation to provide these services
in hopes of luring a prison here.
County Judge John Thompson
_____... .mijf-nT noted that the City of Livingston is
------ Eimanum narrow Stephen hengst i1s0 contributing extensively to the
GULF WAR STORIES - Army Spec. P4 Lennon Simmons School. Third grader Jennifer Stewart invited her brother to ^J«ct The.^^d^or^Ming
discusses his experiences In the Persian Gulf War with talk to her classmates. Simmons spent six months in Saudi $«oo,ow to™* jr^Miag
students Wednesday morning at Livingston Elementary Arabia and was assigned to a field artillery unit.
included in this year’s budget for the
expansion, Page hoa agreed that the
county can pay the additional $8,0®
after Jan. 1. 1M2, with no interest
added.
Tentative plans call for construc-
tion cost of the subcourthouse expan-
sion to be included in next year’s
budget.
See COUNTY pg. »A
Indictment
returned
LIVINGSTON - An indictment
for aggravated kidnapping was
returned against Dr. Chester
William Ingram, of Livingston,
by the Harris County Grand Jury
Wednesday.
The indictment involves a
March 1, IMS incident that occur-
red in Harris County.
Aggravated kidnapping is a
first degree felony punishable by
no less than five to 91 years or life
in the institutional division of the
Texas Department at Criminal
Justice and a fine of up toMMBB.
Citizens, city and county leaders meet
Precinct 2 meeting topics varied
ONALASKA - Everyone was in Senior Citixens Center in which
The brainchild of County Judge spoke to the people.
John Thompson, the idea waste hr- The evening provided an oppor-
ing the county government to the tunity for the elected offidalsto in-
people. ' form the people about various ongo-
Smith took the floor first,
enlightening the audience on a varie-
ty of topics.
Concerning Polk County Memorial
Hospital, Smith said it is “improving
the indigent care program, which
has been put under the Jurisdiction
of the hospital administrator. He
said someone from the indigent care
program will soon be in Onalaska
two days a wed: as well as in Cor-
wastewater treatment for the
prison, to which the City of Liv-
ingston is adding an estimated $44
million.
Thompson also reminded commis-
sioners of some upcoming special-
called meetings relating to the
prison. “The Texas Department of
Corrections has moved its program
up,’’ he said, adding that special
th^S’s^tebtefw'Ig^adver-
tisements for bids on various fac-
tions of the project
The court will meet atB a.m. today
iwo days a wee* ms wcu « u» v/ve- 1 necuun wui
ingston to
See ELECTED pg. 2A
eople. y form me people aooui vanoua wunr nave ~
Approximately 40 people attended ing projects In their respective of- much more professionally run, ne
the first Precinct 2 community flees as well as answer questions of said. _ .__ .
forum Tuesday in the Onalaska the people. Smith alluded to recent changes in
During TSTA forum
USD candidates HeM q
LIVINGSTON - Candidates for ------tte—^
positions on the Livingston Indepen- in the eighth, seventh and fourth
dent School District Board of grades. “Progress is important, but
_ ■ mm__a___ _ __ I i «—■atiinniin nnrn KlPfUtrnSOn
ssase ssssss
Five candidates are vying for the
nn^,T^|»..^chU^ da-toltolta
Luke and Pleasant Hill United
Methodist Churches.
abuse those who fund the schools,
the taxpayers.
West has four daughters attending
school in tiie USD - one a high
school junior, another a sophomore
two school board positions that will
be filled by the May 4 election. Can-
didates are Dennis F. “Ricky” Mc-
Clain, J.W. Ratcliff, Janey West,
John Keith Richardson and incum-
bent trustee J.K. “Butch” Johnson.
Although all five candidates ac- —---_-
pepted invitations to participate in community. West deecrU
Monday’s TSTA candidate forum, M’^open to change ’
Johnson was unable to attend due to like to be involved In the
an emergency in Ms family, accor-
ding to local TSTA President Bar-
bara Hayes.
Each candidate was allotted three
minutes for an introduction, then
given one minute to respond to each
of the doaen questions prepared in
advance by the TSTA. TSTA Vice
President Scott Jeffries asked the
questions, while Virginia Turner
kept time.
McClain, whose wife teaches at
the primary school, was born and
Richardson compared hia ex-
perience as a businewman to being
a school board member - “I have
done so much, with so little, for so
long.”
West described herself as a good
listener, quick to learn and and very
involved. She added that, from a
[to offer.
scnoui junior, miuuivi a uivubv«u<
and twins in the first grade. She said parent’s point of view, she has had 11
she and her husband moved to the years of experience with school
county four and a half years ago and systems and has 11 jnore to go
have become very involved in the
' - * "ws herself
___and would
in the growth of
the area.
Following are the questions asked
during the forum, followed by the
dollar budget?
West has worked with two multi-
mllltnn dollar corporations over the
years. She said she served as an ex-
ecutive secretary and was also an of-
fice manager and leasing agent for a
developer in Houston.
^______________McClain said it is “imperative
aon’s statement about having done that we slice the multi-million dollar
so much with so little. He added that budget into workable figures.” IBs
he testy he |w| eommuMcMi with all goal is to bring the budget down to a
of the people in the community and manageable number and to examine
L Why da you want to be elected te
this office?
McClain said he cares deeply
about his children, others’ children
and the community. Children now in
the school system will, In a short
time, be in places of prominence in
he said. McOala
that the people can have confidence
tlwt he will relay their message to
the board and see that action it
each department
See CANDIDATES pg. MA
Thursday, May 2, to open bids oa
construction of an entrance road.
Thompson encouraged contrac-
tors, sub-contractors and others in-
terested in bidding on various
phases of the project to attend a
soninar to be hosted by the Polk
County Chamber of Commerce at 7
pjn. tonight (Thursday) in the Liv-
tngston City Hafl I - -
In ottwr prison-
Mrs approved a
ting the City c
___to obtain a sta .
Thompson said the dty was suppor-
tive of Polk County’s successful ef-
fort to gain a prison, even though
Jasper was also in contention at the
time.
Another project, which will likely
not become a reality until next year,
got its start Monday. Commis-
sioners agreed to purchase .974
acres of land adjacent to tha west
side of the subcourthouse in Cor-
rigan for future expansion.
The land is being purchased from
Anthony Page at a total coM of
US,MB. Since only $10,008 has been
In sheriff's trial
Testimony
to begin
X&l ** • ffllpr * ..
LIVINGSTON-Jury wMctiefrfar
the trial of Polk Coiuity Sheriff
Leamon Cain has been a slow and
arduous task which started Monday
and as of press time Wednesday was
expected to conclude this morning
(Thursday)
Following the swearing-in by
District Clerk Nell Lowe and offer-
ing of excuses, 104 potential Jurors
began the process of individual voir
dire.
Nine people were questioned Moo-
day, 12 were questioned on Tuaeday
dud eight on Wednesday. Of those 2fc—
seven were dismiaaed.
A Jury panel of 22 will return this
morning (Thursday), 12 of whom
will be seated on the jury.
“Testimony will begin immediate-
ly following the seating of the Jury,”
Lowe said.
Cain was indicted on Aug. 22 on
five counts of official misconduct
stemming from promotions and pay
min— given to members of Ms fami-
ly-
Anticipating the possibility of Mm
being a witness, District Attorney
Terrv Brown will not be proeecuting
tin case.
Special Prosecutor Jim James, of
Bryan, bee been appointed district
attorney pro-tem.
Robert C. Bennett, of Houston, is
Memorial Hospital, but is also atten-
ding Sam Houston State University
full time, working towards teaching
certificate. He is also involved in tin
activities of First Baptist Church.
McClain said Ms goal as a board
member would be to keep an open
line of communication between the
community, teachers and the school
board. “A lot of people don’t behove
anyone listens,” he said, adding that
he wants to give the people a voice
on the board.
Ratcliff said he wants to offer his
best pre-meditated opinions,
thoughts and solicited decisions as •
board member. Hi feels Ms m-
parlance will make Mm a good
school board member. Citing Ms 41
years in education, hs said. “By this
mid hs hm. for the
past few years, bam searching for a
way to aarve the rommmfrv and
•
~St3=.
■Bertf
Richardson said Ms wife has been
a teacher for afar years, that hs hm
three children and occasionally
works with LISD Trustee George
Harrell. Other than that, he
deacribes Ma experience as “slim at
volunteer for 11 years in several
school systems. She has also
amtotod oa three rampisw in the
USD and plans to continue doing so.
McClain said Ms work and school
.A.A.U w. iiiowsfl Mm to be
“room dad" for Ma oldest daughter
and that he has served m t
substitute teacher on three ram-
puses here. He said be sew frui-
tion and sees probtema not being ad-
drmmd. That’s realty what rfreve
I K
*■ • ft
\
JAIL INSPECTION - Robert L. Dealing
I maflBnuu (wuj uuu
Thompson during an inspect
ty jail Monday. Snce lari yea
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 25, 1991, newspaper, April 25, 1991; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth798262/m1/1/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.