Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 104, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 29, 2005 Page: 1 of 18
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Polk County
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Vplume 123 Number 104
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
Pandidate
announcement
deadline Jan. 9
)rfc
LIVINGSTON - The Polk
County Enterprise will publish
political announcements from
those who have filed as candi-
dates in the March 7 Republican
and Democratic primary elec-
tions.
Announcements must be re-
ceived in the Polk County Enter-
prise office no later than 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9.
Announcements may be pre-
pared by the candidate in ad-
vance and submitted to the
newspaper or a candidate may
contact the Enterprise for an in-
terview.
These one-time political an-
nouncements are considered
news stories. There is no charge
and the announcements are sub-
ject to editing.
We prefer to run a picture of
the candidate with the an-
nouncement. For editorial pur-
poses, we will picture only the
candidate, although pictures that
include the candidate’s family
may be used in paid political
advertisements.
Those who already have a suit-
able photograph may submit it
for publication with their an-
nouncement. For those who do
not have a photo, the Enterprise
staff will be available to take
photos of candidates for use in
announcements and advertise-
ments that are to run in any Polk
County Publishing Co. publica-
tion.
Changes in store
for proposed 1-69
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY GORDON LEBARRON
MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL ON THE HORIZON - Local elected officials posed recently
to promote the upcoming 6 annual Multicultural Festival honoring T'_ ““1 — *-
slated for 5 i
The festival is slated for 5 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Living
(1-r) Alabama-Coushatta Chief Clayton Sylestine, Coi. Howara uamei ana unaiaska Mayc
Lew Vail. Second row (1-r) Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Steve McEntyre and County Ta
Assessor-Collector Marion A. “Bid” Smith. Third row (1-r) Livingston Mayor Ben R. Ogletree
Jr., Corrigan Mayor Grimes Fortune, District Clerk Kathy Clifton and Precinct 4
Commissioner Tommy Overstreet. Fourth row (I-r) Sheriff Kenneth Hammack, Precinct 2
Commissioner Ronnie Vincent, County Clerk Barbara Middleton and County Judge John P.
Thompson.
Crime, tragedy, growth continue
(This is the second of a four-
part series reviewing the top local
news events of2005.)
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
Livingston - Daily life in
Polk County continued in the sec-
tond quarter of 2005, with more
crime, tragedy, growth and accom-
plishments.
} , April
| State officials push for public in-
Ipit on the Trans-Texas Corridor
intoved forward with the creation of
jjff citizen’s advisory committee.
(Polk County Judge John P. Thomp-
son was appointed to the committee
along with 20 other people, having
btfen selected from a field of 251
applicants.
The Polk County Sheriffs De-
partment assisted the Houston Po-
lite Department Homicide Division
itPtfie investigation of the April 6
death of 20-month-old James Dal-
ton Powell of Livingston. A capital
murder charge was filed against
Theresa Ann Blount, 36, of Hous-
ton, whose care the child was under
for ■several hours prior to his death.
Ground was broken April 7 for
construction of the county’s new
;IAH Detention Facility on a 101-
«cte site on FM 350 South at Man-
gum Road, adjacent to the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice’s
Polunsky Unit. Upon completion,
the facility will house up to 525
inmates for U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, formerly
known as the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service.
As a result of an ongoing investi-
gation, search warrants were exe-
cuted at Gold Star EMS headquar-
ters in Port Arthur April 7, as well
ps at six Gold Star EMS sub-
stations, including the one in
Livingston. Additionally, the com-
pany filed a voluntary petition for
reorganization under Chapter 11 of
the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the
United States Bankruptcy Court for
tM Southern District of Texas.
Five individuals were arrested on
drug charges and five additional
individuals were deported as a re-
sult of a raid conducted April 13 at
a residence in the 100 block of
North Houston. Numerous com-
plaints of drug-dealing had been
lodged with the Livingston Police
Department and the Polk County
Sheriffs Department, sparking an
investigation which solidified with
the purchase of drugs from the
residents by undercover officers.
A Polk County Sheriffs deputy
was terminated following allega-
tions of sexual misconduct with a
female prisoner. Daniel Adams, 28,
was charged with violation of civil
rights of a person in custody.
Committed to bring gaming back
to the Alabama-Coushatta Indian
Reservation, Carlos Bullock, a
member of the Alabama-Coushatta
Tribal Council, and Scott Crowell
represented the tribe when they
attended a public hearing held by
the House Ways and Means Com-
mittee to show their support for
pending legislation in favor of
gaming.
State Rep. John Otto (R-Dayton)
received a gavel from Speaker of
the Texas House of Representatives
Tom Craddick, an annual tradition
for those who serve as chairman or
vice chairman of a House commit-
tee. Otto serves as vice chairman of
the House Committee on Govern-
ment Reform.
Robert Belt of the firm of San-
derson Knox and Belt presented the
management report of the county’s
independent audit to the Polk
County Commissioners’ Court,
calling it a clean audit that reflected
$19 million in total assets and $9
million.
Over $106,000 was raised during
the fourth annual American Cancer
Society Polk County Relay For
Life in which close to 40 teams
participated. Timber Creek Ele-
mentary School was the first place
fundraising team, raising $5,830 for
the fight against cancer. The Trinity
River Authority’s team received the
award for best camp theme and
costumes with their Flintstones-
themed camp.
A ceremony dedicating the
marker designating Forest Hill
Cemetery a Historic Texas Ceme-
tery was held April 19. In conjunc-
tion with the ceremony, the Sidney
Smith family was recognized, hon-
ored and thanked for their generos-
ity in creating a memorial garden in
the center of the cemetery.
Local Drs. Jerry Wood, Ray-
mond Luna and David Buescher
and Buescher’s sons, Brian and
Christian, participated in the MS
150, an annual bike ride from
Houston to Austin. The two-day
bike ride, which had approximately
13,000 participants, raised funds
for multiple sclerosis research and
patient assistance programs.
Habitat for Humanity of Polk
County celebrated the completion
and dedication of its third home in
two years. It was known as the all-
Escapees house because members
of the Escapees RV Club raised all
of the funds and provided all of the
labor to build the home.
The Livingston Volunteer Fire
Department hosted Its 26““ annual
fire school which drew 310 instruc-
tors and students and approxi-
mately 50 support personnel.
In what organizers hoped would
become an annual event, a Freedom
Climb was held April 24 at the Stu-
art Moore Memorial Climbing
Tower on the campus of the First
United Methodist Church in mem-
See YEAR pg. 4A
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
LIVINGSTON - “What is means
to us is hopefully within a very
short time, they’ll start pouring
concrete,” Polk County Judge John
P. Thompson said of recent devel-
opments in which the proposed
Interstate-69 may become Trans
Texas Corridor-69.
Thompson was re-elected vice
chairman of the Alliance for 1-69
Texas during the 12th annual Alli-
ance for 1-69 Texas meeting held
recently by 1-69 and the Greater
Houston Partnership in which Gov-
ernor Rick Perry addressed the
group and shared his vision for “a
world-class transportation system
and an interstate that connects
South Texas, Houston and East
Texas to the opportunities of the
future.
“For 12 years now, the members
of this Alliance have invested a
tremendous amount of time and
resources to advance the 1-69 vi-
sion. From the very first feasibility
studies to the millions of federal
dollars that have flowed to Texas
since then, your leadership has
been critical in moving this impor-
tant. project forward,” Perry said,
adding that the 1-69 environmental
study is approaching the halfway
point and there should be some Tier
One environmental documents to
see this summer.
“I think it is important to em-
brace some frank realities,” the
governor said. “First, despite the
best efforts of the people in this
room, and our congressional dele-
gation, we have received little
funding to design and construct I-
69 in two separate federal transpor-
tation bills.
“Second, we all have to recog-
nize the federal funding genie is
dead. The federal highway trust
fund is heading toward bankruptcy,
taking in less in receipts every year
than what it is obligated to spend
on new projects,” Perry said.
“I think we can build the needed
corridors that will connect the
Texas cities and towns along the
proposed 1-69 route to the indus-
trial heartland of Mexico and the
industrial base of Middle Amer-
ica,” Perry said.
“Over the last five years, we
have worked together to provide a
variety of new ways to build the
infrastructure this state needs,”
Perry said. “We can now tap the
power and resources of the private
sector. For years this state has de-
pended on private construction
companies to build our roads. We
are also using more private engi-
neering talent than ever before.
Now we can use the private finan-
cial markets to jump-start projects
all across Texas.
“For decades, Texas has relied on
the private sector to finance and
build our telecommunications and
utility infrastructure. It’s time we
harnessed the private sector to fi-
nance our roads and railroads too,”
Perry said.
“As you know, the private sector
has offered to put over $7 billion in
equity into the 1-35 corridor to
build TTC-35 - the first segment of
the Trans Texas Corridor. This will
allow Texas to build billions in new
infrastructure at little cost to tax-
payers and use tax money on other
transportation challenges,” Perry
said. “What I propose for your con-
sideration is this: Let’s resuscitate
1-69 as TTC-69, using the tools of
See POLK pg. 2A
Filing deadline
is Monday
LIVINGSTON - The deadline
for filing for candidacy in the
March primary elections is Mon-
day, Jan. 2.
Although Monday is a county
holiday, there will be someone in
the County Clerk’s Office all day
Monday, until the 6 p.m. filing
deadline, to serve last-day filers,
according to County Clerk Barbara
Middleton.
She asks that candidates use the
west entrance of the county court-
house.
Offices to observe
holiday Monday
Banks, post offices and Polk
County government offices will
be closed on Monday, the day
after New Year’s Day.
City of Livingston offices will
also be closed on Monday, but
curbside trash collection for city
residents will continue on regular
schedule.
The Polk County Enterprise
office will be closed on Saturday
and Monday.
1 ■
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BBS!
Middleton on ballot Re-election sought
LIVINGSTON - Barbara Mid-
dleton has filed for re-election to
the position of county clerk.
She has held that position since
Jan. 1, 1995 and has been elected to
serve for three consecutive terms,
1995-2006. She began her em-
ployment in the County Clerk’s
Office on Jan. 2, 1987 and has
served there for a total of 19
years. She is an II -year member of
the County and District Clerk’s
Association of Texas and has
served as a director on that board
for-2002 and 2003. Middleton is a
member of the National Associa-
tion of County Recorders and Elec-
tion Officials (NACRC).
She has received numerous
awards from many state agencies
covering elections and vital statis-
tics. She is credited with many
achievements covering all aspects
of record keeping procedures and
cost-saving techniques. Since being
elected she has attended all re-
quired continuing education classes
and received certificates of comple-
tion for more than 500 hours of
training.
“I have been married to Herbie
Middleton since 1966 and we are
the parents of three grown children
and blessed with five grandchil-
dren,” Middleton said. “Our
youngest son, Leon Middleton, is a
police officer with the Livingston
Police Department.
“I feel that my 19 years of ex-
perience makes me a qualified can-
didate for county clerk. I am asking
for your vote and support in the
upcoming Democratic Primary of
2006. I am very proud of my ser-
vice record to the citizens of Polk
County and am seeking a fourth
term as your county clerk.”
BARBARA MIDDLETON
... clerk files for re-election
LIVINGSTON - Polk County
District Clerk Kathy E. Clifton is
announcing her candidacy for re-
election to a second term in office
in the March Democratic primary
election.
Clifton has been employed with
Polk County for over seven and a
half years. She was appointed by
258dl Judicial District Judge Eliza-
beth E. Coker and 411* Judicial
District Judge Robert Hill Trapp to
complete the unexpired term of
retiring clerk Nell Lowe in Sep-
tember 2000. She was unopposed
for her first term of office in 2002,
which she is currently serving.
The district clerk's office main-
tains and preserves records for the
258rt< and 4114' judicial district
courts and the County Court at Law
of PolKCounty.
Clifton said she has improved of-
fice functions by upgrading com-
puters and networking into the
courtrooms. To more efficiently
assist the public, she said she has
implemented digital scanning of
documents. She said she has also
contracted with the Office of At-
torney General to serve as a local
customer support and state case
registry for child support assis-
tance.
Clifton said she is actively in-
volved in the County and District
Clerk’s Association of Texas. She
is currently serving on the legisla-
tive committee, as co-chair of the
district clerks' procedure manual
committee and is one of two district
clerks serving statewide for the
association on the Office of Attor-
ney General's committee to con-
See MORE pg. 2A
KATHY CLIFTON
.clerk file* far re electfoa
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 104, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 29, 2005, newspaper, December 29, 2005; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth820046/m1/1/: accessed May 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.