Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 068, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 5, 2012 Page: 3 of 10
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Sweetwater Reporter
Thursday, April 5, 2012 ■ Page 3
Obituaries
DORIS HODGES
Doris Hodges, 77, of Sweetwater, Tx, passed away
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at Rolling Plains Memorial
Hospital. Funeral services will be Friday, April 6, 2012,
at 2 p.m. at McCoy Chapel of Memories. Reverend Mike
—_ _ Sells will be officiating. Interment
will follow at Sweetwater Cemetery.
Family visitation will be Thursday,
April 5,2012 from 6-8 p.m. at McCoy
; Funeral Home.
Lomie Doris Butler was born July
J 28, 1934, in Jones County, TX, to
,i parents William Henry Butler and
wife Georgia. Doris attended school
: I in Hamlin. Doris became a Licensed
| Vocational Nurse. She married Vallie
I Dewitt Hodges on June 6, 1954, in
I Anson, TX. Doris loved nursing, gar-
I dening and shopping. Doris had been
in the Sweetwater area since 1955.
Survivors include her daughter,
DORIS HODGES Julie Jo Guelker and husband Curtis
of Abilene; sons, Vallie M. Hodges of
Houston, David W. Hodges and wife Lesleigh of Sweetwater,
Kenneth R. Hodges of Stephenville; grandchildren, Chastity
Hodges of Austin, Amber Lane Hodges of Ohio, Samantha
Guelker of Abilene, Justin Guelker of Abilene, Rachael
Guelker of Abilene, Karbin Hodges of Sweetwater, Matthew
Hodges of Sweetwater; one great-grandchild; brothers,
Stanley Butler and wife Lisa of Sweetwater, Gerald Butler
and wife Patsy of Sweetwater and Joe Butler and wife Cathy
of Lubbock; sisters, Marybeth Lutz of Taylor, Tx, Judy Hill
and husband David of Arlington; and numerous nieces,
nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vallie Dewitt
Hodges on Dec. 8, 2005.
All arrangements are under the care and direction of
McCoy Funeral Home.
Texas' open meetings law
goes before appeals court
HOUSTON (AP) — A long-running challenge to the
Texas Open Meetings Act is going before a federal appeals
court.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals is set to hear oral arguments Thursday in Houston
in a lawsuit seeking to declare part of the act unconstitu-
tional.
The 2009 suit, filed by 15 city leaders from around Texas,
contends the act violates elected officials' free speech rights
by preventing them from speaking in public or private on
issues facing their constituents.
The office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says
the law prevents government by secret.
The suit is before the appeals court after a West Texas
federal judge last year ruled the law doesn't muzzle the
First Amendment right to free speech.
Survey: Quarter of Texas
children live in poverty
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has the second-highest
birth rate in the nation and more than 25 percent of those
children live in poverty.
That's according to the annual Kids Count survey released
Thursday. The number of children in Texas rose by nearly
1 million between 2000 and 2010, and accounted for
more than half of the U.S. child population growth. But
39 percent of Texas mothers received no, or very late, pre-
natal care and the percentage of babies born underweight
jumped 13 percent. The study is conducted every year by
the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. The
nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations advocate for solu-
tions to poverty.
The study also reported that children without health
insurance dropped from 20.8 percent in 2006 to 16.9 per-
cent in 2009. High school drop-outs are also down.
About 20 dead cats
found in SE Texas house
BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — Officials say they've found
about 20 dead cats in a house in Southeast Texas.
The house is in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in
Beaumont's West End.
Matthew Fortenberry is supervisor of Beaumont Animal
Services, He says police, fire-rescue and animal control
officers had to force their way into the house Wednesday
afternoon after a potential homebuyer became alarmed
after peering inside. They found two cats alive, but also the
dozens of decomposing carcasses, piles of trash and excre-
ment throughout the house.
Beaumont Fire Capt. Brad Penisson says neighbors
haven't seen the owners lately.
un air
Continued from pagel
the county commission in
early March, noting that in
2011, around 39,000 cases
of child abuse or neglect
were confirmed in Texas
alone. Thus, the county
should help in finding
solutions by promoting
and supporting programs
that deal with child abuse.
Efforts can be made
through partnership with
local entities like schools,
churches, and law enforce-
ment—among others, with
the goal to make everyone
aware of the situation and
help as possible.
Following the read-
ing of the proclamation,
eight candles were lit in
the Coliseum in remem-
brance of eight children
who died from child abuse
by civic leaders from
the Sweetwater Police
Department, Nolan County
Sheriffs Office, the District
Attorney's office, the City
of Sweetwater, Nolan
County and BACA (Bikers
Against Child Abuse).
A moment of silence was
observed, which transi-
tioned into a performance
of "Concrete Angel" by
Martina McBride, sung by
Kyrsten Smith.
Concluding the Time of
Remembrance was County
Commissioner Tony Lara,
who promoted the idea of
building up one another
through a Scripture read-
ing of Matthew 11:28-30,
followed by a prayer.
Texas residents sift through rubble from tornadoes
FORNEY, Texas (AP) — As a twister bore down on her
neighborhood, Sherry Enochs grabbed the three young
tdren in her home and hid in her bathtub. The winds
swirled and snatched away two of the children. Her
home collapsed around her.
Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt.
Enochs, 53, stood Wednesday amid the wreckage
of what was once her home in the North Texas city of
Forney, among the hardest hit by a series of tornadoes
that barreled through one of the nation's largest metro-
politan areas a day earlier. No one was reported dead,
and of the more than 20 injured, only a handful were
seriously hurt.
"If you really think about it, the fact that everybody
who woke up in Forney yesterday is alive today in
Forney, that's a real blessing," Mayor Darren Rozell
said.
The National Weather Service is investigating the
damage caused by the tornadoes, which appeared to
flatten some homes and graze others next door. The
twisters jumped from place to place, passing many heav-
ily populated areas overhead and perhaps limiting what
could have been a more damaging, deadly storm. Most
of Dallas was spared the full wrath of the storms.
While tornadoes can strike major cities, having two
major systems strike a single metropolitan area is highly
unusual, meteorologist Jesse Moore said The Texas
twisters would have done more damage had they stayed
on the ground for more of the storms' path. But weather
experts and officials credited the quick response to tor-
nado warnings for preventing deaths or more injuries.
In the Diamond Creek subdivision where Enochs'
home was destroyed, residents put on work gloves
Wednesday and began cleaning up. Many noticed things
in their yards that didn't belong to them.
Enochs doesn't have a clear memory of exactly how
things happened Tuesday, but she was found holding
her grandson in the bathtub, which had blown into the
area where her garage once was. A 3-year-old she was
watching was found wandering around the backyard. A
neighbor pulled another child Enochs had been taking
care of, 19-month-old Abigail Jones, from the rubble.
"I heard the rumbling from the tornado and I didn't
even hear the house fall," Enochs said.
Abigail was taken to the hospital but released. The
blonde, smiling child with bows in her hair was bruised
all over her body, but not seriously hurt. Her mother,
Misty Jones, brought her back Wednesday to see what
had happened.
Seven people were injured in Forney, none seriously.
Ex-warden's wife released
from Oklahoma prison
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former Oklahoma prison
warden's wife convicted of helping an inmate escape almost 18
years ago has been released from prison.
Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie says
Bobbi Parker was released at 1 a.m. Thursday from the Hillside
Community Correctional Center in Oklahoma City. She served
a little more than half of her l-year prison sentence.
Parker was convicted Sept. 21 for helping convicted killer
Randolph Franklin Dial escape from the Oklahoma State
Reformatory where her husband, Randy, was deputy warden.
Parker and Dial disappeared together from the Greer County
prison on Aug. 30,1994. They were discovered living together
as man and wife on a chicken farm in Texas in April 2005.
Prosecutors allege Parker fell in love with Dial. Her defense
attorneys say she was kidnapped.
How states fared on OS
unemployment aid requests
Weekly U.S. unemploy-
ment benefit applications
dropped to a fresh four-
year low last week, the lat-
est evidence that layoffs
have slowed and hiring is
strengthening.
Here are the states with
the biggest changes in
unemployment aid requests,
and some reasons for the
change. The data is for the
week ended March 24, one
week behind the national
numbers.
States with the biggest
decreases:
Pennsylvania: Down
1,956, due to fewer layoffs
in the entertainment, lodg-
ing, food service, construc-
tion, professional services
and retail industries
North Carolina: Down
1,656, due to fewer layoffs in
the food service, textiles and
construction industries
New Jersey: Down 1,511,
due to fewer layoffs in the
hotel, restaurant, manufac-
turing, retail, construction
and health care industries
Massachusetts: Down
1,083, no reason given
States with the biggest
increases:
Texas: Up 4,185, no rea-
son given
California: Up 2,199, no
reason given
Kansas: Up 1,555, no rea-
son given
Arkansas: Up 1,141, no
reason given
Money trouble means Fort
Worth golf course closing
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A North Texas public golf
course in use since the 1930s has been slated for closure
due to dwindling use.
The Fort Worth City Council has voted to close the Z Boaz
Golf Course by Sept. 30. The complex will be converted into
a community park.
The council decision came Tuesday night. Officials say
the 138-acre golf course lost about $234,000 last year.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the course was
built in 1930 but closed during World War II. Golf great
Byron Nelson headlined its 1950 re-opening celebration.
AUCTION
Of DAVISON SIGN COMPANY
SATURDAY 10 AM APRIL 07,2012
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VIEW TIME WILL BE DAY OF SALE. COME ENJOY THE DA¥ WITII US.
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WE ACCEPT CASH/ CHECKS / MAJOR CREDIT CARDS FOR YOi JR CONVENIENCE
LIST: 1986 CHRY 4D LEBARON (not running). 1977 FORD VAN (not mnning). 1987 NISSAN l'lJ, 1966 INTL
BOOM TRUCK W/GAS WELDER/HYDROLIC LIFT, TOOL CABINETS. GRINDERS W/STANDS. lg'sm AIR
COMPRESSORS, COMMERCIAL AIR PAINT SPRAYER, BUCKETS OF NAILS BOLTS SCREWS etc. 15 1- "
DRILL PRESS (needs motor). CHAIN SAWS. CORDLESS/ELECTRIC HAND TOOLS DRILLS SAWS SAXDI.RS
CHAIN SAWS, Lg AMOUNT PUZZLES, FLOOR STAND JACKS, FISHING ITEMS IURKS RODS Rhl.I.S
POLES/TACKLE/LIPE VESTS/ OTHER. 12ft TO 30ft LADDERS/STEP LADDERS. CHAINS/ COME ALONGS.
TOW ROPES W HOOKS. ROUND CLOTHING RACK, PRINTING TRANSFER MACHINE FOR DI.CAI.S.
PC MONITORS/KEY BOARDS, RADIOS, ROLLS OF VINYL ROLLS FOR PRINTING, METAL CABINETS?
SHELVING/RACKS, Lg LIGHT BULBS, MANY ITEMS FOR MAKING NEON SKINS VAC'Ct TNI HEATERS
BULBS/ COMPRESSOR etc). 5 US CANTEENS/ OTHER ITEMS, 42" RIDING MOWER. GAS PUSH MOWER.
3500 w GAS GENERATOR. GAS LIMB CHIPPER. GAS TILLER. GAS POSTHOLE DIG W/BITS. CLAMPS/
Ft RNITI IKE Wl- I DING OTHER. BOLT CUTTERS. PIPE VISE IShNDING 11 ITING TOOLS. HAND TOOLS/
WRENCHES/ SOCKETS/SCREW DRIVERS/HAMMERS/OTHER HAND TOOLS, MANUAL TIRE CHANGER
W/TOOLS, WELDING TORCHES/SUPPLIES. TRUCK TIRES W/RACK. Lg AMOUNT ROLL AROUND RACKS/
TABLES/STANDS, Lg BLOCK BUSTER NEON SIGN, FRAMED SIGNS. STACKS OF LUMBER/SHEET ROCK/
MIXED METAL, VISES W/STANDS, 10" TABLE SAW. CUT OFF SAW. 10 TON FLOOR JACK, MOTOR LIFT
JACK, CHAINS/STRAPS, CABINETS, SHELVING, 12" BAND SAW. STEP LADDERS, VAP WATER COOLER,
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SAW, ELECTRIC CEMENT MIXER. KEROSENE HEATER. EXTENSION CORDS. BATTERY CHARGER. SIGN
MATERIAL AND MORE ITEMS NOT LISTED!
SERVING MILES AND MILES OF TEXAS SINCE 1985
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Next sale is 4-14-2012 here in Sweetwater TX
An additional 10 people were hurt in Lancaster, south of
Dallas, and three people in Arlington, west of Dallas.
National Weather Service crews in Forney, east of
Dallas, spotted storm damage that suggested the twister
there was an EF3, with wind speeds as high as 165 mph.
Other tornadoes in Arlington and Lancaster appear to
have been EF2 tornadoes, with wind speeds up to 135
mph. Tornadoes can range from EFo, the weakest, to
EF5, the strongest. An EF2 or higher is considered a
significant tornado.
A twister can hit one spot and continue for miles
before touching down again, Moore said. It's difficult to
explain why a tornado touches down when it does.
"It can destroy one house and the one across the street
is fine. It can go back up for a mile or two and drop back
down," Moore said. "That's all the crazy things that can
happen with tornadoes."
Randy McKeever and his wife and several of their
friends sorted through what was left of their house
Wednesday. Their roof was completely gone. The front
yard was ittered with shingles and pieces of wood.
Inside was a jumble of belongings. McKeever, 47, wore
work gloves as he tried to find anything that could be
salvaged.
"There's a bunch of stuff in there that's not even ours,"
he said.
Stunning video from Dallas showed big-rig trail-
ers tossed into the air and spiraling like footballs. An
entire wing of an Arlington nursing home crumbled. In
Lancaster, dozens of young children cowered in the safe
room of a day care near a local church. The storm pulled
one of the walls back "like you were peeling an orange,"
day care director Danita Harris said.
The students were moved further indoors and rode
out the rest of the storm safely, she said.
"Not one Band-Aid had to be applied," Harris said.
Hundreds of flights into and out of Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport and Dallas Love Field were can-
celed or diverted elsewhere Tuesday. American Airlines,
which operates most flights at the airport, said it can-
celed more than 400 flights Wednesday after stopping
about 800 Tuesday. An airport spokesman said more
than 110 planes were damaged by hail.
April is typically the worst month in a tornado sea-
son that stretches from March to June, but Tuesday's
outburst suggests that "we're on pace to be above nor-
mal," said National Weather Service meteorologist Matt
Bishop.
Gov. Rick Pern plans an aerial tour of the damage on
Thursday.
Texas mother charged in
death of body-in-box son
TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — A Houston-area woman has
been charged in the 2011 death of her lo-year-old disabled
son whose body was found in a cardboard box.
The Galveston County Daily News reports that police
arrested 42-year-old Tina Madrid Wednesday on a murder
charge in Texas City.
A coroner last week ruled Jonathan Singer's death a
homicide.
Jonathan's body was discovered last April in a box in his
father's truck in Spring Branch, a Houston neighborhood.
Authorities say the boy had cerebral palsy and was
neglected. Prosecutors say Jonathan drowned after his
46-year-old father, Jeffrey Singer, left him alone in a bath-
tub.
Singer has been charged with serious bodily injury to a
child.
Online jail records do not list an attorney for Madrid,
whose bond is $50,000.
Ex-Central Texas prosecutor
indicted in sex case
WACO, Texas (AP) — A former prosecutor in Central
Texas has been accused of indecency with a girl.
A McLennan County grand jury Wednesday indicted
51-year-old Lyle Gripp on a charge of indecency with a
child by contact. If convicted, Gripp faces up to 20 years
in prison.
The complaint says the girl was about 5 years old when
she allegedly was abused 111 1995. Prosecutors learned of
the allegations in 2010. Further details on her haven't been
released.
Gripp initially was charged with three counts of aggra-
vated sexual assault of a child. The former prosecutor in
McLennan and Falls counties is free on bond.
Gripp attorney Stan Schwieger says the accusations are
baseless and he expects his client to be exonerated.
The state attorney general's office is prosecuting.
El Paso: nearly ton of
mariiuana in roof materials
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Officers at a West Texas border
crossing have confiscated nearly a ton of marijuana stuffed
in more than 190 rolls of roofing paper.
Customs and Border Protection authorities on Wednesda y
announced the seizure in El Paso at the Ysleta (is-LAYT-
uh) commercial cargo site.
A drug-sniffing dog on Tuesday drew attention to the
load.
Customs officers discovered that smugglers had cut rect-
angular spaces into the roofing paper rolls and filled the
spaces with bundles of marijuana. Authorities seized more
than 1,800 pounds of marijuana.
Nobody has been arrested as the investigation contin-
ues.
MIDDAY ON WALL STREET
Today's Trading
Change
DOW
13,067.90
-6.85
NASDAQ
3,075.93
+8.02
S&P
1,398.65
-0.29
General Motors
25.05
-0.05
Ford Motor Co.
12.51
+0.01
AT&T
30.87
-0.26
Pepsico, Inc.
66.09
-0.25
USG Corp.
16.93
+0.39
Archer-Daniels
31.47
+0.04
GE
19.61
-0.13
Deere & Co.
82.91
+1.70
McDonalds Corp.
98.17
+0.69
Chevron Texaco
105.56
-0.04
Exxon Mobil
85.25
+0.27
Fst. Fin. Bnkshs.
34.84
-0.22
Coca-Cola
73.35
-0.11
Dell
16.56
+0.10
SW Airlines
8.33
-0.05
Microsoft
31.51
+0.30
Sears Holdings Co.
62.95
-0.07
Cisco
20.31
-0.05
Wal-Mart
60.55
+0.29
Johnson & Johnson
65.31
-0.08
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 068, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 5, 2012, newspaper, April 5, 2012; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229732/m1/3/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.