The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. SIXTY-FIRST YEAR, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 1986 Page: 1 of 12
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sat as a jury. District judge
Brock Jones presided over the
cases in a professional and
impartial manner. The system,
folks, is working as it is from the
county judge to the big judge to
the ultimate judge's, the people
of Reagan County. When you've
got people willing to stick their
necks out for the things that are
right and decent, then 1 have no
fear for our residents, county,
state, or nation.
There is a drama unfolding
in Austin this week that has
little to do with politics, or law
0 and order, or wordly affairs, but
to me it is just as important. I
am extremely interested to know
the outcome of the girls golf
team and Mitchell Martin in his
track event. But most of all, I
want to see Leslie Gooch,
daughter of Alyce and Wayne,
win medalist honors in golf and
then win the girls 800 meters in
* track.
Leslie has the chance to
become a triple crown winner.
She has already been named to
to the girls Class AA All State
Basketball Team after averaging
over 26 points a game. Now she
has a chance, and an excellent
chance to be the Class 2-A Golf
_ medalist and the State Champ-
^ ion in the 800 meter run.
And Leslie will also rank in
the top two or three in her class
academically. She has compiled
a record at RCHS that will not
likely be surpassed for some time
to come. I'm sure Alyce and
Wayne are proud and we are
proud for them and Leslie.
A Good luck to all at the state
meet.
In their Monday meeting,
Reagan County Commissioners
decided that all pool employees
supervising the north and south
swimming pools must be certi-
fied according to regulations set
forth by the Commissioner's
0 Court.
A course will be available in
Big Lake and prospective pool
employees may attend the course
on Saturday May 17 and Sunday
May 18 or again on May 23 and
May 24. Those interested may
contact the county Auditor's
office and sign up for the course
before Friday, May 16.
0 The course on May 17 will be
held from 9:00 a.m, to 12:00,
and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On Sunday the course will last
from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The
course starting Friday May 23 •
will be held from 4:00 to 7:00
p.m. and on Saturday May 24
from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 and
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The cost of
0 the course is $25.00 per person
and $10.00 for an instruction
manual.
RCHS students are after state championships
glancing around
...by the editor
C) The recent court decision in
a local drug trial must give those
involved in the drug element
something to think about. The
individual sentenced to a 99
year prison term and fined
$10,000 will have at least 30
some odd years to think about
his crime.
The investigation, indictment,
O prosecution, and sentencing in
cases like this indicate that
this is a country that recognizes
there is a problem here and that
this community is willing to do
what is necessary to combat the
problem.
The investigation started over
a year ago. The county judge
authorized the funds to start an
Reagan County athletes will
be in Austin this week trying to
bring home state champion-
ships in golf and track. The
Reagan County girls golf team
will be competing for the state
golf title and Leslie Gooch
and Mitchell Martin will be
competing in track at Memorial
Stadium.
The Reagan County girls
golf team qualified for state by
winning the regional golf title
in Big Spring. These girls won
by shooting rounds of 414-413 on
the Big Spring course. The
RCHS girls were in second place
after the first day, but the girls
made up the needed strokes and
came in with a two stroke victory.
Members of the 1986 Reagan
County team include Slade
Harkleroad, Melissa Joyce,
Leslie Gooch, Molly Bobb, and
Sheba Minnick. The Owls are
coached by Randy Doege. Leslie
Gooch fired consecutive rounds
of 84 for a 168 to give her the
regional medalist title. Gooch
was seven strokes better than the
runner-up regional medalist.
The girls golf team will play
today and Friday (May 15-16)
at Jimmy Clay Golf Course in
Austin.
Mitchell Martin and Leslie
Gooch will be participating in
the state track meet, May 17 at
Memorial Stadium. Martin will
compete in the discus throw and
Gooch will run the 800 meters.
Mitchell Martin has a personal
best of 162'10' and he qualified
for state with a throw of 161'6*.
RCHS track coach Robert Sexton
said, 'Mitchell has an excellent
chance of placing high or
winning his event. He had the
third best qualifying distance
out of all regional qualifyers.'
An athlete from Groveton threw
173'9' at regional, an Eastland
thrower went 162'6', Martin
threw 161'6', a Franklin, Texas
thrower went 160'9' and a
sophomore from New Deal threw
157'2'.
Mitchell Martin will compete
on Saturday, May 17 at 10:00
a.m. at a field near Memorial
Stadium.
Leslie Gooch will compete in
her event Saturday at 7:20 p.m.
at Memorial Stadium. Gooch
was regional champion in her
event in Big Spring. 'There are I
only 3 seconds that separate *
the eight runners in the 800
meters, so a competitor like
Leslie should do well,' said
coach Ron Taylor. The girls
800 meters will be a final event.
No preliminary running in that
event will be held.
Leslie Gooch
Photo b» Don Child*
Mitchell Martin
undercover operation as re-
quested by sheriff Weatherby.
Weatherby headed up an investi-
gation which resulted in num-
erous arrests and indictments.
The district attorney, J.W.
Johnson did extensive research
and was able to present cases to
the grand jury and finally to
citizens of Reagan County who
mm a T\, ♦ ■■ i y, ♦ « , ■ /4 (> rk
§
BIG LAKE
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ilkal
(Tax Included)
SIXTY-FIRST YEAR
NUMBER 20
BIG LAKE. TEXAS
(USPS 055-860)
May 15, 1986
Maximum sentence plus $10,000 fine
Jury gives drug dealer 99 years
A Reagan County jury sent a
strong message to a convicted
heroin dealer by assessing the
maximum penalty of 99 years in
prison and a $10,000 fine in the
punishment phase of a trial
which was concluded Tuesday
afternoon in Reagan County
Courthouse.
The eight man, four woman
jury had earlier found Refugio
Olivas guilty of delivery of heroin
in the amount of less than 28
grams, and the punishment
phase of the trial followed
immediately after the conviction.
112th district judge Brock
Jones presided over the case
The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches presented a
Presidential Award Plaque to coach Ron Taylor for dedicated service
to the organization. Coach Taylor served this year as a Jr. Director.
For the school year 1987-1988 he will serve as a Senior Director.
One of his duties this year was to select the Class A, AA, & AAA
All Region teams. Coach Taylor, varsity girls basketball coach of
Reagan County High School, will begin his 4th year of coaching at
RCHS next season.
which was prosecuted by district
attorney J.W. Johnson, Jr.
Mark Edwards was Olivas’
court appointed attorney.
District attorney J.W. John-
son, Jr., told the jury 'We are
asking for the maximum penalty
in this crime which is 99 years in
Texas Department of Corrections
and a $10,000 fine.' Johnson
brought out testimony which
revealed that Olivas received a
2 year TDC sentence in 1976 for
sale of Marijuana, a 10 year
sentence in TDC for a drug
conviction in 1979, and a 2 year
sentence in TDC for stealing
cars in 1985. 'This man is a 3
time loser, said Johnson, and
there is a place for those like
him and that place is prison.*
Johnson pointed out 3 factors
for the jury to consider. 'Re-
habilitation is one factor, but
forget rehabilitation, said the
district attorney. Olivas refuses
to be rehabilitated. Another
factor is the deterrent effect. A
maximum sentence will send a
message to other drug dealers in
our Community. Thirdly, heroin
pushers have a callous disregard
for others. These individuals are
a liability to our community.
We are asking for a harsh sen-
tence, but heroin dealing is a
harsh crime.'
Olivas had plead guilty to
a lesser charge of possession of
a controlled substance in the
incident which occurred on or
about November 16, 1985.
Attorney Edwards asked the jury
to find Olivas guilty of pos-
session, but not guilty of delivery
of a controlled substance. 'He
wants to plead guilty to possess-
ion and go to prison and dry out
and get rehabilitated, said
Edwards. As Mr. Olivas'
attorney, I can not get him to
come in here and plead guilty to
something he did not do.' In
his summation, Edwards told
the jury 'I know you all want
to do the right thing. One thing
1 don't want you 12 citizens to
do is to go on a witch hunt. Even
though there is a drug problem
here, I don't want this communi-
ty to go on a witch hunt.'
Edwards brought out the fact
that the state's main witness,
undercover agent James
Thrasher had admitted to ' shoot-
ing up' heroin with others. In
his defense case, Edwards asked
that the jury not believe Thrash-
er's testimony.
The district attorney explained
that the burden of proof was on
the state and he had 5 elements
he had proved including the
fact that Olivas had (1) inten-
tionally and knowingly, (2)
delivered a controlled substance,
(3) Heroin, (4) in an amount
less than 28 grams, (5) by
actually transferring the sub-
stance. Johnson added, 'We
are not content to just fine the
defendant guilty of possession.
We would like a verdict (of
delivery) based on the evidence.'
Reagan County Sheriff Paul
Weatherby said, 'Our officers
worked with other officers on
this case and of course we are
extremely pleased with the
verdict.'
Reagan County Judge Frank
Sandel added, 'We are pleased
(continued on Page 2)
Crimestoppers seek information
Sales tax rebates up
The City of Big Lake received
its monthly sales tax rebate
check last week from the State
Comptroller's office in the
amount of $22,209.02. This
brought the 1986 rebate total to
$101,178.13, and this shows to
be a 17.12% increase over 1985.
The 1985 total for the same
period was $86,388.46.
May rebate checks represent
taxes collected on sales made in
March and reported to the State
Comptroller's office by April 20.
Other cities in this area are
listed with this month's amount
received, year-to-date total,
and percentage of change as
follows:
McCamey $19,196.34,
$56,250.09, down 12.23%;
Rankin $4,824.61, $15,807.10.
down 10.13%; San Angelo
$652,146.52. $2,376,850.52. up
2.16%; Sonora $25,384.39,
$104,431.82, down 9.72%;
Sterling City $5,967.41,
$24,675.30, up 14.15%; Eldorado
$6,792.64, $25,567.51, up
3.91%; Fort Stockton $53,373.23,
$225,764.77, up 6.15%; Iraan
$17,356.52. $58,650.56, up
11.95%; Midland $943,124.81,
$3,614,375.70, down 8.70%;
Stanton $10,250.06, $28,884.23,
up 32.67%; Mertzon $6,686.34,
$26,504.17, down 12.13%;
Big Spring $202,967.23,
$691,324.28, up 1.41%; Odessa
$812,871.95, $3,258,511.66,
down 6.56%; and Crane
$15,207.72, $60,844.28, up
14.75%.
Reagan County Crimestoppers
is offering a reward for informa-
tion on several break-ins that
have occurred at McKinney's
S & S 66 Station. Anyone with
information on the break-ins
may contact crimestoppers at
884-3535 and earn up to a $1,000
reward if the information leads
to the arrest and/or conviction
or apprehension of the guilty
parties.
The latest burglary occurred
Sunday night, May 5, in the
early morning hours. The break-
in was the third in a short period
of time at the McKinney Station.
Sheriff Paul Weatherby said,
'If the information is useful in
a significant way then the
crimestoppers board will author-
ize payment of a reward. I
guarantee anyone who gives
information will remain anony-
mous. 1 will not even have to
know the identity of those who
give information.*
Callers with information may
call the crimestoppers number at
884-3535.
Texon reunion is set for June 1
The first Sunday in June is
the date of the annual Texon
Reunion and this year it falls on
June 1st. Local chairmen for
arrangements are Mrs. Joe
(Fern) Kosel and Mrs. Frankie
(bertha) Delz. Mrs. Kosel re-
minds everyone that the reunion
is only a little over two weeks
away and urges everyone to pass
the word around.
All activities take place in
the Reagan County Community
Building in Big Lake in the
county park. Early arrivals will
meet Saturday evening for
sandwiches and refreshments.
The main reunion starts Sunday
morning at 9:00 a.m. when
coffee and donuts will be served.
Registration will start then and
visiting will be the order of the
day. A lunch at 12:00 noon will
be catered for a nominal fee.
The reunion has been held
annually in recent years as
former Texon residents, their
families, and friends gather to
reminisce and renew friend-
ships and meet new additions to
families. The first Texon Re-
union was held in 1963 and was
held every two years several
times until it was changed to
an annual event.
Sixty-three years have passed
since the Santa Rita No. 1 was
drilled and hundreds of people
have worked and lived at Texon.
They formed lasting friendships
over the years, and they and
their children enjoy the annual
reunion more now than ever
before. Everyone is invited.
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Werst, David. The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. SIXTY-FIRST YEAR, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 1986, newspaper, May 15, 1986; Big Lake, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth657942/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Reagan County Library.