Alvarado Star (Alvarado, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 7, 2012 Page: 1 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Burleson Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Burleson Public Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
cyan magenta
black
a lUMediaNews Group newspaper voi. i6 no. 39
www. a Iva rad os tar. net
Thursday, June 7,2012
75 cents
WATER RESTRICTIONS
ALVARADO ISD
Because of the need to
maintain proper water supply,
storage and pressure, the city
is activating the following provi-
sion of its drought contingency
plan:
Water customers are re-
stricted from outdoor watering
during the day except by hand-
held hose, faucet-filled bucket/
watering can, or drip irrigation.
Customers using hose-end
sprinklers/irrigation systems
shall refrain from use except
between the hours of midnight
and 8 a.m. Addresses ending in
an even number shall be limited
to Mondays and Thursdays and
odd addresses shall be limited to
Tuesdays and Fridays.
Please refer to the city web-
site or call 817-790-3351 for infor-
mation.
HELPING HANDS
Helping Hands for Jesus is
low on supplies and needs food
goods for local families.
To donate, the food pantry,
located at 404 N. Parkway, and
is open 9 a.m. -1 p.m, Monday
- Friday.
1977-2012
Meals-on-Wheels
of Johnson and Ellis Counties
Meals-on-Wheels is needing
summer volunteers to deliver
noon-time meals. Bring hope,
love and friendship to the el-
derly and disabled in your com-
munity.
Please contact Christina at
817-558-2840 for information
or go to www.servingthechild-
renofyesterday.org.
SHARE YOUR JOY
Wedding announcements,
engagements, anniversaries
and baby announcements are
posted free in the Alvarado
Star. E-mail alvaradostar@the-
stargroup.com or mail to the
Alvarado Star, P.O. Drawer
909, Burleson, Texas 76028.
INSIDE
Thursday, June 7, 2012
10 pages in 1 section plus inserts
Weather 2
From the front 3
Viewpoints 4
Police/Fire reports 5
School news 6,8,10
Classifieds 7
9
www,alvaradostar.net
OE7U/U I i O a
Stepping into the future
TOMMY BROWN/ALVARADO STAR
Valedictorian Ian Dittmar talks to his fellow graduates about making the best of the future.
★ Class of 2012
graduates 202,
wins more than
$1 million in
scholarships
Alvarado High School’s Class of 2012 graduated 202 se-
niors Wednesday, May 30, at Wilkerson-Greines Activity
Center in Fort Worth.
Valedictorian Ian Dittmar addressed his classmates,
winners of more than $1 million in scholarships and
grants. Salutatorian was Kavan Norman and Crystal Todd
was class historian.
TOMMY BROWN/ALVARADO STAR
Ryan Price and Taylor Chenoweth take part in the Alma Mater
in the final moments of last Wednesday's graduation ceremony.
TOMMY BROWN/ALVARADO STAR
Kenny Adams hugs teacher Tracy Shea after receiving his di-
ploma last Wednesday night.
COURTS
vans: Substance, information
missing from Matthews charges
BRIAN PORTER/ALVARADO STAR
John Matthews, right, is charged with nine felony counts of
abuse of position, falsifying records and theft.
By BRIAN PORTER
alvorodostor@thestorgroup. com
CLEBURNE - Fort
Worth attorney Tim Ev-
ans found fault Friday
with each of nine grand
jury felony indictments
facing his client, former
Johnson County Precinct
2 Commissioner John
Winchester Matthews, but
a trial will proceed.
There’s no substance
to the indictments and
they should be quashed,
he argued in the 18th Dis-
trict Court at the Guinn
Justice Center.
“All of these offenses
arose from the same pe-
riod of time as a product
of John Matthews being in
office,” prosecuting attor-
ney Paul Hable countered.
District Judge John
Neill has ruled the indict-
ments will stand and a
trial, which could call a large
majority of elected Johnson
County officials to the wit-
ness stand, will commence
Sept. 10.
Matthews was indicted
Dec. 15 by a grand jury on
counts of abuse of position,
falsifying records and theft.
He faces six counts of tam-
pering with a government
record, two counts of abuse
of official capacity and one
count of theft of $1,500-
$20,000 by a public servant.
Evans, who appeared on
the 2011 Super Lawyers list of
top 100 attorneys in Dallas-
Fort Worth, gave some clar-
ity to a litany of filings he has
made in the case.
He summed up his issue
with all allegations when he
told Neill, “Information is
missing.”
The indictments fit the
statute, Hable responded.
“We believe the defense is
on notice as to what we be-
lieve to be criminal acts,” he
said. “The defense is under
sufficient notice for what the
offenses are.”
There’s no substance
to the allegations and they
should all be quashed, Evans
argued.
In the first count, relat-
ing to an audit of precinct
purchasing with a Home
Depot credit card, Matthews
is accused of theft of $1,500-
$20,000 by a public ser-
vant, a state felony carrying
a minimum penalty of 180
days confinement and up to a
$10,000 fine.
The indictment does not
identify theft by name, kind
and number, Evans said. But
receipts included in the in-
vestigation obtained almost a
year ago by the Alvarado Star
mostly dispel any vagueness
to the allegation.
The Alvarado Star’s inves-
tigation included 72 receipts
from the county auditor’s of-
fice that had been reviewed,
some found to be question-
able and some not. The ques-
tionable purchases ranged from
soap and paper products, pool
supplies and tools allegedly not
applicable to princict opera-
tions to such purchases as a Bos-
ton fern, bottled water, Febreze,
folding chairs, leaf rakes, stain
remover, water hoses, Christmas
lights, bamboo shades, a flag kit,
Ryobi tools and an umbrella.
There were various quantities
of 72 products purchased which
were included on those receipts,
but it wasn’t clear Matthews
made the purchases.
See MATTHEWS | Page 3
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
McMichen, Candy. Alvarado Star (Alvarado, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 7, 2012, newspaper, June 7, 2012; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth803958/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.