CLICK HERE to return to the Archives Index

Front Page Headlines

Manslaughter Charges Filed in Vehicle Accident

By JERRY MORGAN, Reporter

Aaron Michael Smith, who was in the same vehicle with Megan Holder when she suffered fatal injuries in an April 15 accident, was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter on Sunday, May 2.

Smith had agreed to a request by the DeLeon Police Department to appear at Comanche County Medical Center and provide a DNA sample. Afterward he was arrested by DeLeon policeman Ben Rowell and taken to the Comanche County Law Enforcement for arraignment.

Blood taken from Smith shortly after the April 15 early evening accident was obtained by the District Attorney’s office. It reportedly indicated that Smith was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident.

DeLeon Police Chief Ralph Dickey indicated that the police investigation discovered evidence that Smith was driving the Holder vehicle when the accident occurred.

Chief Dickey credits DeLeon PD officers Tim Fanning and Ben Rowell, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the District Attorney’s office for their work in the investigation.

Dickey also reminds that the law presumes one innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

As of Tuesday morning Smith remained in the Comanche County Jail subject to a $20,000 bond requirement.

Intoxication manslaughter with vehicle carries a possible punishment of 2-20 years imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

Questions & Answers on the

New High School Bond Proposal

Special to the Free Press
By Dr. Randy Mohundro

The campaign to secure funding for a new school is always an exciting and challenging issue for a community. When a bond referendum is put on the ballot, many questions are asked in the final days.

Here are a few remaining questions that have been circulating around town and answers to them.

TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL BON.  DeLeon ISD board president Lisa Nowlin was the first of many who addressed a luncheon crowd at Prados last Wednesday regarding the $6 million bond proposal.

We saw a bond issue two years ago, so what is different this time?

The bond issue presented in 2007 was for $8 million. The bond issue this time is for $6 million. The 2007 bond issue called for renovations on all campuses. This bond issue is for one sole purpose and that is for a new high school. The 2007 project would have meant the old building would have to be torn down before a new could be built. This project will construct a new facility at a new site adjacent to the school, which will eliminate disruptions to teachers and students. In 2007, the school district did not budget any of its fund balance toward the project. In this election, the Board has committed a total of $1.7 million toward the project in order to lessen the tax burden on the community to the smallest amount possible.

Why is there no ag building in the picture?

While it is not in the picture, an ag/vocational sciences building is in the plan. The first priority is a high school building to serve all students. When the project goes out to bid, the high school building will be the main project. There will be two alternates to the project. The band hall that is in the picture will be a free standing building and an ag/vocational science building.

The issue is money. If the cost of construction continues to stay where it is, then building a band hall and an ag/vocational science building will not be a problem. However, if bids do come in high, the high school will be the first priority. With the way the project is organized, the high school can be built and the other alternates phased in as money becomes available. They will be done either with the main building construction or very soon after.

How can the high school building be condemned?

The most likely way that it would be condemned would be by the State Fire Marshall due to impending danger to human life. The major concern is the current state of the electrical system in the building. The system has been exposed to a great deal of wear and tear over the last 50 plus years. Rodents, mice, rats, and squirrels have made their home in the crawl space. This is due to the number of gaps in the building allowing them to get in. Then, once inside, they have gnawed on the wiring. The district is constantly finding long stretches of wire that are exposed due to rodents. While they are constantly being repaired, there are areas that we do not know about and the threat of a fire is eminent.

Another issue is the structural integrity of the building. The amount of cracks and the shifting that is occurring in the structure indicates that the building has served the community very well, but is now becoming a safety issue. The building has three different ceilings and the load that is being put on the overall structure is not what was intended when the building was built.

Another issue is air quality. Even with constant cleaning by the district, cricket and roach residue that has built-up over the years. This build-up, along with other sanitary issues that cannot be “just cleaned” such as mold, is causing students and teachers to get sick on a regular basis. Students with asthma are particularly susceptible to the problem.

For full article, subscribe to the DeLeon Free Press. E-mail edition is only $20/year.

Election Day This Saturday

By LAURA KESTNER, Editor

If early voter turn-out is any indication, vote totals this year will be much higher than normal.

According to City Secretary/Administrator Karen Wilkerson, more than 370 early voters had cast their ballots in the city and school elections by Tuesday at 4 p.m, May 5, the last full day of early voting, with the polls scheduled to remain open until 5 p.m.

There is speculation that the heavy voter interest is due to the “hot-button” items on the ballot -- a six million dollar school bond issue, and a local option to approve the sale of all alcoholic beverages in DeLeon.

Two years ago, when the school bond issue was first on the ballot, 140 early voters had cast their ballots within the same time period (as of the Tuesday morning prior to the Saturday election).

The polls will be open Saturday, May 9, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Click it or Ticket

DeLeon Police Chief Ralph Dickey announced this week that May is “Click it or Ticket” month, and reminds everyone to wear their seat belts.

“Remember, bad things happen to good people,” Chief Dickey said. “Buckle up!”

You Are Invited …

The De Leon ISD Board of Trustees is holding an Open House at the DeLeon High School each evening this week, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This is a “Come and Go” occasion to allow members of the community to see the school and its current condition for themselves. Board members and teachers will be present to show those interested the facility and answer any questions about the bond issue and the current need.

Hospital Remains Profitable Despite Loss Reported in March

By JERRY MORGAN, Reporter

VAN DYKE -- The Board of Directors of the Comanche County Consolidated Hospital District, the governing body of the Comanche County Medical Center, met in regular session on Tuesday afternoon, April 28, 2009, in a partitioned section of the hospital cafeteria.

Board president Gale Easley conducted the meeting with four of the remaining five board members, Joe Locke, Charles Mazurek, Karen Petty and Billy Ray Evans, present. Janna Morris was absent.

The first order of new business was a brief medical staff report provided by chief of staff Dr. Dwayne Miller. Dr. Miller stated that he had nothing new to report.

The board meeting was almost immediately closed into executive session for the stated purposes of considering personnel matters and to consider new services.

A surgical resident was present at the meeting and, with most of the hospital executive staff, remained in the closed session.

After a closed session of greater than an hour, during which the guest physician and executive staff was dismissed and only board members remained, the public portion of the meeting resumed.

Joe Locke offered a motion to authorize Chief Executive Officer Kevin Storey to pursue negotiation of a contract with the surgeon. Karen Petty seconded and the vote of approval was unanimous.

Chief Nursing Officer Kerry Radcliffe introduced the new head of Emergency Medical Services, Matt Hansen, to the board members.

Hansen had started his work at the hospital in the previous week on April 20.

The next order of new business was the adoption of an Identity Theft Prevention Program, the so-called Red Flags policy, in response to a federal mandate. Kevin Storey explained the federal mandate had a very broad application to many types of business.

The Chief Financial Officer, Tom Letz, will be in charge of developing, implementing and updating the program. The policy was unanimously approved, again on a motion by Joe Locke, seconded by Karen Petty.

Tom Letz presented the monthly financial report for March. He noted that the total patient revenues of slightly over $3 million for the month were down from the levels of preceding months, but were still $289 thousand ahead of the monthly budget.

Nine month year-to-date revenues of $26.4 million are $1.9 million over budgeted levels.

Deductions from revenue, however, were $658 thousand higher than budget, with the result that net patient revenues for March were $369 thousand below the budget. The nine month total was $433 thousand above budget.

Letz explained the surge in revenue deductions as resulting from analysis of a recent catchup in collections on billings made during the Meditech computer conversion during the winter months.

The actual percentage of revenue deductions proved to be in excess of percentage estimates used during the period, and the result was a negative adjustment in revenue deductions.

For full article, subscribe to the DeLeon Free Press. E-mail edition is only $20/year.

Transplant Patients to Participate in

“Second Chance” Event

By LAURA KESTNER, Editor

When the runners and walkers take off from the starting line during the “Second Chance Organ Donation Awareness 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run” Saturday, May 16, in Fort Worth, two DeLeon men -- Thomas Roberts and Ryan Newton -- will be participating.

Newton, a 2006 graduate of DeLeon High School, donated a kidney to Roberts, a 1994 DHS graduate, in October of 2008. The men are half-brothers.

Roberts, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a child, found his health beginning to fail drastically by December of 2006. The next two years would a blur of treatments and hospital visits. By the time of the transplant, he was taking dialysis treatments three times a week, always several hours from home, making it nearly impossible to hold a job. When Newton offered his brother a kidney, Roberts saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

“I didn’t ask him for a kidney,” Roberts said, “he just came to me and volunteered. I told him that if he wanted to back out, at any time, I would understand. He never did back out.”

The five hour transplant surgery, which was deemed very successful, resulted in a seven day hospital stay for Roberts, and a four day hospital stay for Newton. Afterwards, among other recovery adjustments (including surgery to remove the dialysis stint), Roberts was required to take 30 pills each morning and 25 pills each night. It was also a painful ordeal for both men.

Fast forward two years, and both men are in good spirits and good health.

“I feel great now,” Roberts said. “I was released a couple of weeks ago to go back to work.” Roberts, who is married to the former Kacey Hodges, goes on to explain that returning to his former job, at FMC, is no longer an option but that he will begin attending classes at Tarleton in July to pursue a teaching and coaching career.

Roberts still has problems with his pancreas, but hopes to be one of the first people to participate in a planned pancreas transplant program at Harris Methodist in Fort Worth in the near future.

Newton said he made a quick recovery. “I healed fast,” he said, “and went right back to doing things the way I used to do.” He added that he’s never regretted his decision to give his brother a second chance at life. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said.

Roberts said that he and his brother appreciated all the love and support they received from family and friends during the surgeries and recovery.

“Jace and Tammy Waller came to see us,” Roberts said, “and Jeff Lindley, Kenny and Rhonda Howard, Rusty Bennet and Mark Lewis were there too. And, of course, our families never left our sides. We really do appreciate everything that everybody did.”

Roberts said he is particularly thankful for what his brother did. “I knew he was good for something,” he laughed, “but I didn’t know exactly what -- now I know.”

Anyone wishing to participate in the “Second Chance Organ Donation Awareness 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run” in Fort Worth with Roberts and Newton are encouraged to call them at 734-6629 (Roberts) or 842-4200 (Newton).

In addition to raising funds for a worthy cause, the event is designed to pay tribute to those who have given the gift of life through organ and/or tissue donation.

Swine Flu Update

Special to the Free Press
By RAY HELBERG
Comanche County Emergency Management Coordinator

As of Monday, May 4, 2009, Comanche County has no confirmed cases of H1N1 Flu (swine flu), also there have been no cases of flu reported as of this morning.

There have been 43 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Texas. The total includes five residents of Mexico.
Following is a list of Texas counties with confirmed cases: Bexar,1; Cameron, 1; Collin, 1; Comal, 2; Dallas, 7; Denton, 1; Fort Bend, 3; Guadalupe, 9; Harris, 2; Johnson, 4; Starr, 2; and Tarrant, 5; for a subtotal of 38. Adding the non-Texas residents brings the total to 43.

The public is urged to follow standard risk-reduction precautions to reduce the spread of illness:
Stay home if you’re sick.

Cover coughs and sneezes.

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

The following are other states with laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 (swine flu): Alabama, 1; Arizona, 18; California, 26; Colorado, 4; Connecticut, 2; Delaware, 10; Florida, 3; Illinois, 3; Indiana, 3; Iowa,1; Kansas, 2; Kentucky, 1; Massachusetts, 7; Michigan, 2; Minnesota, 1; Missouri,1; Nebraska,1; Nevada, 1; New Hampshire, 1; New Jersey, 7; New Mexico, 1; New York, 63; Ohio, 3; Rhode Island, 1; South Carolina, 15; Tennessee, 1; Texas, 43, (with 1 death); Utah,1; Virginia, 3; and Wisconsin, 3.

Danny Owen, the Mayor of De Leon, has a personal website.

Open Danny's website by Clicking Here

Scott Hall has creating an Internet website with history & photos of our town.

Click Here to visit his website

All content of this site, unless otherwise noted, is Copyright©2006-2009 Morgan Publishing Co.

All Rights Reserved. Any duplication, in any form, without the written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited.