The Gatesville Messenger and Star-Forum from Gatesville, Texas • Page 1

50 Cents II 1 Wednesday, a OA "1,2001 mum M1 H-Jl iturday In It ttotcsuillc I tar forum I'' Volume 1 CO Number 64 One Section -16 Pa-ss t'li Ji faiPgWgWW' heriff seeks Ikr.i. i i it ngMfcij grant to buy two cameras Faught is seeking a $10,000 grant through the Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG). If approved, the county's share of the matching funds would be $929. In other business, commissioners accepted a $2 bid from Eugene Spradley for the sale of leftover gravel. The gravel, left from a paving job near Copperas Cove, was on private property and commissioners sought bids to sell the material as a means to have it removed.

After accepting the bid, commissioners briefly discussed setting a minimum amount on future bids to cover the cost of advertising. The Flat Volunteer Fire Department presented the county with a red flag to be flown whenever a burn ban is in effect. Duffie Riddle Please see CAMERAS, P. 16 In his continuing effort to upgrade his department, Coryell County Sheriff Roger Faught is seeking a grant that would allow him to purchase two cameras for use in deputy vehicles. At Faught's request, Coryell County commissioners on Monday approved a resolution supporting the grant request.

Police departments in Gatesville and Copperas Cove have recently installed cameras in their vehicles, and Faught said a bill is being considered in the state legislature that would make it mandatory. "It would protect citizens from abuse from officers and it would protect officers and the county from frivolous lawsuits," Faught said. Video tapes are a valuable tool to prosecutors in the courtroom, especially in cases involving drunk drivers, the sheriff added. Representatives of the Child Protective Services and Child Welfare Board erect their new pink flamingos on the courthouse lawn Friday after their arrival. The fund-raiser allows individuals to pay $25 to have the board "flock" the bright pink birds on someone's yard, and that person must pay a $10 donation to the board to have them removed.

Shown are, from left, Child Welfare Board members Becky Adams, Holly Jones and Linda McClure and Child Protective Services representative Dan Waddill. SO issues first speeding ticket as new era comes to traffic control 1 Pink is pretty that first traffic citation to a driver doing 84 miles per hour in a 65 miles-per-hour zone. Faught first broached the subject of deputies writing traffic tickets just after his election last fall. Traditionally deputies in Coryell County have not written traffic tickets, although other sheriff's departments across the state started the Saving bridge latest effort by commission before they 're all gone! What's Inside: Classifieds 12-15 County-Wide. 2,3,5 ......4 Obituaries 5 ......6 Sports April 0.00" Year-to-Date Precip: 8.75" Information collected at 5 p.m.

each day for previous 24 hour-period Since 1881, Coryell County's Favorite Home Newspaper! ISSN No. 0894-4954 Copyright 2001, The Gatesville Messenger All Rights Reserved v. Photo by Perry Garrett 3 Thurs. Trl" Sat Sun. Prrcip.

hnip Prrap Pmip 84 nn 2H 2Qr-j6J5 IQ I 35 I 50 I 45 I 40 I I -JO jll 1 HI U) HI LP III U) HI U) i ryj a spokesperson for the group, told commissioners the historical organization would like to see the bridge over Hog Creek on County Road 225 be moved to the Coryell Activities Complex where it could serve as the foundation for a park. "We need to preserve these bridges," Kerr said. "Once they are destroyed or moved from the county, they are gone from the Please see BRIDGE, P. 16 rr: At 12:55 a.m. on March 30 on U.S.

Highway 190 near the West Fort Hood exit, a new era came to law enforcement in Coryell County. That was the date, time and place of the first ticket written by a member of the Coryell County Sheriff's Department staff under a new initiative by first-term Sheriff Roger Faught. Deputy Tony Barrios issued Quick, Dad, A young participant in Saturday's Easter egg hunt at Flat deftly deposits one of his finds in a sack held by his dad. Youngsters had a field day searching for the eggs that were hidden by the Mound and Flat Volunteer Fire Departments. Photo by Perry Garrett fa Photo by Perry Garrett practice several years back.

However, Faught said the number of fatalities in the county and the needfor help In covering traffic by the Texas Department of Public Safety, prompted him to address the issue. He purchased two radar units and spent the past month al- A route on Friday. For the area schools, it will be a four-day weekend for most. Oglesby ISD will be closed Friday for Good Friday, then again on Monday as they use a bad weather day that was not needed. Jonesboro ISD will also observe a four-day holiday, closing on Friday and Monday.

Evant ISD will enjoy a modified holiday, going to school at the regu iv i a hit The Coryell County Historical Commission is renewing its efforts to save one of the old iron bridges that were once plentiful in the county. Several members of the historical commission attended Monday's Coryell County Commissioners' Court meeting to seek support for the project. Janelle Kerr, who served as Evant man pleads guilty A 33-year-old Evant man last week avoided a trial by pleading -guilty to one charge of indecency with a child. James Leslie Weeks Jr. was sen tenced to 10 years deferred adjudication probation in exchange for the guilty plea.

Weeks was indicted in September 2000 on two counts of indecency with a child, involving a fe male under 17 years of age. The second charge was dismissed in the plea agreement. Under deferred adjudication, Weeks will have the offense cleared from his record if he successfully completes the terms of probation. In addition, to the sentence, Weeks was ordered to pay $10,046.67 in restitution to the victim and her family. Weeks was scheduled to go on trial last week on the two second degree felony charges.

If convicted. -he would have faced up to 20 years in prison on each charge. get holiday lar time on Friday, but dismissing at 12:30 p.m., at which time busses will run. Then, on Monday, there will be a full day holiday and classes will resume at the normal time on Tuesday. Gatesville ISD will observe a student holiday on Friday and will use an un-used bad-weather day Monday for another holiday, giving them a four-day weekend.

1 I 7 will all the county offices and the courthouse. State and federal offices will operate their normal business hours, as will the post offices in Flat, Jonesboro, Mound, Purmela, Oglesby, Evant and Gatesville. The Gatesville Multi-Service Center will remain open on Friday, as will both banks in Gatesville. CenTex Waste Management will run its normal garbage collection -J--mJ fflT.t 865-8941 'fe, i-J-l AV. Schools, some governmental offices to Deputized Stephen Bush, a student in Cindy Venable's third grade class at Gatesville Elementary, gets a little help from Barbara Denbow in getting his honorary deputy badge on just right.

About 200 students paid a visit to the Coryell County Jail and Sheriff Roger Faught provided them with the stick-on badges. Only a handful of businesses will close on Good Friday, but a number of schools and governmental offices will take advantage of the holiday to enjoy a long weekend in some cases a four-day weekend. The City of Gatesville will be closed on Friday only, while the city library will close on both Friday and Saturday as part of, a three-day weekend. The City of Evant will close, as 210 S.Hwy. 36, Gatesville 2409 S.

Hwy. 36, Gatesville 865-2218 Fax: 254-865-2210 email: salesOtranumford.com website: www.tranumfordmercury.com.