Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 18, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 31, 1998 Page: 1 of 24
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Hockley County News-Press so«
Jimmie LaDale Smith for aggravat-
ed sexual assault. Bond was set at
$200,000.
Smith was indicted for allegedly
raping a woman at a city conve-
nience store early the morning of
April 30. He was arrested at
gunpoint at the scene by Levelland
police. He remains in custody at the
county jail.
Daren Lee Butler was indicted for
burglary of a building. Bond was
recommended at $5,000.
Butler was charged with unlaw-
fully entering a building owned by
Harry Van Sycle on March 28.
The defendant allegedly stole
tools valued at more than $1,500
but less than $20,000, according to
the District Attorney’s Office.
Grand jurors returned an in-
dictment for escape against Pedro
Gonzales Castillo. Bond was set at
$5,000.
Castillo, 36, was a trusty at the
county jail when he walked off
from a work detail the afternoon of
April 1. He was awaiting trial on
a DWI charge.
The former jail inmate remains
at large.
Sheila M. Clark was indicted on
a charge of theft of property valued
at more than $1,500. Bond was
tupermarketon Dec.21,1997, Jan. a forged check for $300 on May 19.
4 and Jan. 7.
She allegedly wrote worthless
checks to the business for $223,
$238 and $384, according to the
DA’s Office.
Clark was also charged with
"appropriating currency" from
Jackie Schoonvelt that totaled more
than $500 but less than $ 1,500. The
theft occurred March 6.
Also, the defendant allegedly took
merchandise from Rann Mitchell
that was valued between $20 and
$500.
The indictment stated that Clark
was part of a "scheme and con-
tinuing course of conduct" which
led to the loss of properties valued
at more than $1,500 but less than
$20,000.
Michael Adam Castellano was
indicted for unlawful possession of
a firearm by a felon. Bond was set
at $5,000.
Castellano, 26, was one of more
than 20 people who were arrested
for probation violations last week.
At the time of his arrest, lawmen
recovered a handgun that was in his
possession.
Grand jurors learned that Cas-
tellano was on probation for five
years after he was convicted of
possession of marijuana in Hockley
County in 1995.
Sheila Roxanne Boots was indie -
Sixteen people were indicted by
a county grand jury Thursday on
such charges as aggravated sexual
assault, theft, ariving while
intoxicated and burglary.
MISHAP AT 15TH STREET — A two-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of 15th Street
and Avenue B sent thrde people to the hospital. Crystal Rendon of Levelland was northbound on Avenue B
when she apparently failed to yield the right of way to a westbound car driven by Heidi McCulloch of Levelland.
McCulloch and her two passengers, Angela Garcia and Dylan Garcia, were taken by ambulance to Methodist
Hospital-Levelland. Miss Rendon suffered minor bruises in the mishap. She was given a citation for failing
to yield the right of way, said police Officer Jim Cogdell. (Staff Photo)
$2,500. ted for forgery. Her bond was set
Clark was charged with unlawful- at $2,500.
ly acquiring groceries from United Boots was charged with passing
forged check for $300 on May 19
The check, which was made out to
herself, was written on die checking
account of Sharron Halbrooks.
The grand jury returned an in-
dictment for burglary of a hab-
itation against Shawna Marie
Duncan. Bond was recommended
at $10,000.
Duncan was charged with enter-
ing the home of Ginger Moore on
March 2.
Noberto Lopez was ihdicted for
DWI. Bond was set at $5,000.
The 36-year-old Levelland man
was driving a ChevroletCamaro the
morning of March 25 when the
vehicle hit a utility pole and
damaged part of the Junior High
School building. Damage was esti-
mated at $1,500, according to police
reports.
Grand jurors learned that the
defendant had two DWI convictions
on his record. One was in Lubbock
County in 1988; the other was in
Hockley County in 1995.
Guadalupe Martinez was indicted
on a charge of possession of a
controlled substance with intent to
deliver. Bond was $5,000.
Sheriff s deputies arrested
Martinez in a vehicle near Smyer
on Texas 114 the afternoon of May
15. He had more than 4 but less
than 200 grams of cocaine in his
See INDICTS Page 2
LISD students make
gains in TAAS scores
indictments on 16
Land Commissioner candidate
Locally, students slipped a bit on
the writing exams.
The number of LISD students
who passed the writing tests dipped
1.5 percent from last year, falling
to 83.7 percent, Holcomb said.
SUMMERTIME JOB -- Even though summer does not officially start for another three weeks, the ongoing
heatwave makes it feel more like July than late May. Levelland High School graduate Jeff Renegar was feeling
the heat this week as he worked on the grounds at South Plains College. Here Renegar edges curbing behind
the Technical Arts Building on campus. (Staff Photo)
Holcomb noted that the success
rate for district students who passed
all TAAS exams increased, rising
from 71.6 percent in 1997 to 75.9
percent this spring.
See TAAS Page 2
two CDs on the market, including
"The Cowboy Side of Life."
Concessions will be provided
by the Levelland Band Boosters for
June 4, 11 and 18 performances.
"This will be very much a
family show featuring something
for just about everybody, traditional
and modern country music,
dancing, a little rhythm and blues
and some nostalgic music," said
Cary Banka, SPC coordinator of
commercial music and one of the
show's directors. The musical
menu includes "Stand By Your
Man," "Chapel of Love," "There's
Your Trouble" and "I Just Wanna
Dance With You." Blue Prairie
features Tim McKensie on upright
bass, Philip Payne on fiddle and
Dave Branson on guitar. They are
known for hits such as "The Big
Iron On His Hip" and "My Adobe
See OPRY Page 2
The South Plains Opry,
summer's answer to the
couch-potato blues, will kick off its
month-long series of performances
Thursday (June 4) on Levelland's
Downtown Square.
Concert time is 7:30 p.m and
admission is free. Patrons are
and blankets for the concert under
the stars.
South Plains Opry is being
presented by the Levelland Main
Street Program, Level land
Downtown Association, Levelland
Area Chamber of Commerce and
South Plains College.
The South Plains Opry Stage
Band will perform a variety of
classic and contemporary hits.
Special guests will be Blue Prairie,
a popular cowboy trio from
Lubbock who have performed
worldwide. They currently have
Preliminary results from the state
show that scores for Levelland In-
dependent School District students
who took the Texas Assessment of
Academic Skills exams this spring
are up from last year.
In some areas, Levelland students
exceeded the state average, said
Mark Holcomb, director of elemen-
tary education.
"I think we showed some. signi-
ficant gains in most of our areas,"
Holcomb said. "Overall, we came
up districtwide. We’re pleased."
_ The required state exams, which
are normally given in March, mea-
sure students’ proficiency in the
areas of reading, writing and math.
Students in grades three, five, six
and seven take TAAS reading and
math exams.
Eighth-graders are also tested in encouraged to bring lawn chairs
two other areas - science and social
studies.
Students who are in grades four,
eight and 10 must also take writing
exams in addition to reading and
math tests.
Districtwide, 84 percent of all
students who took the reading ex-
ams this year passed, up 3 percent-
age points from 1997.
Holcomb noted that 84.9 percent
of all of the district’s students
passed the TAAS math tests this
spring, an improvement of 4 percent
from a year earlier.
South Plains Opry
kicks off Thursday
pledges efficiency in stopover
been
have
more
government gets in the way and
slows down initiative It’s just not
responsive."
Dewhurst, who founded Falcon
Seaboard Holdings, an energy and
investments firm, said a more effi-
cient l and Office is possible.
"I’ve been in the oil and gas
business for 23 years I’ve learned
how to achieve more with less," he
said. "The Land Office needs to be
run more efficiently with less
dollars and fewer people."
The Republican Party candidate
for state Land Commissioner said
he would cut the bureaucracy and
improve efficiency if elected in
November.
Houston businessman David
Dewhurst made those comments
Wednesday during a stopover in
Levelland
Dewhurst is visiting 104 Texas
cities as part of his "Dirty Boots"
bus tour.
Speaking to a dozen people at the
courthouse gazebo, he said the Tex-
as General Land Office has grown
from more than 200 to 700 employ-
ees since Democrat Garry Mauro
took over the agency in 1983.
In 15 years, the agency’s budget
has increased 300 percent, rising to
about $44 million a year, he said
Mauro is running for governor
this year against Gov George W.
Bush.
"We’re all interested in good
government," he said, "but too often
"I happen to think that private
property rights are the cornerstone
of protecting our environment, he
said. "Because if you’re not able to
take care of your own property, the
whole system falls."
He said there are four areas of
responsibility for the land commis-
sioner
I he commissioner runs the office,
manages public lands and serves as
a "real estate agent" for 3 million
acres of land owned by other state
agencies He also maximizes reve-
nues while overseeing veterans
programs.
The former A" F^rce officer
said he would like to see more
Texas service veterans using the
I .and Office’s programs About nine
percent of the state’s veterans have
done so, he said.
"These loans are good for our
veterans and they don't cost the
state of Texas money," he said. "As
See CANDIDATE Page 2
he use and recreation, Dewhurst
said state legislators have
looking at the issue
"The Legislature does
programs to look at buying
land," he said. "That’s something
the Legislature has been looking at
for the last couple of years. It
depends on budgetary restraints."
Dewhurst emphasized that he is
strongly committed to private pro-
perty rights
to work with Gov. Bush to improve
public education across the state.
"It shouldn’t bejust more money
for the same old education results,"
he said, adding that he is especially
concerned about student achieve-
ments and dropout rates in inner-
city schools.
The 52-year-old candidate said
he is also concerned about preserv-
ing the state’s coastal resourcesand
reducing beach erosion
Asked about the possibility of the
The agency currently oversees state acquiring more lands for pub-
about 20 million acres of public
lands in the state That figure
includes 13 million acres whose oil,
and mineral leases generate more
than $1 billion a year for public
education in Texas, Dewhurst said.
"I think we need a businessman
managing that fund," he said. "I
want to help generate more money
from those public lands for public
education."
Dewhurst said he also would like
CAMPAIGNINGIN LEVELLAND- David Dewhurst, the Repubhcan
Party candidate for state I and Commissioner, met with the public Wednesday
afternoon in downtown Levelland. Dewhurst said he would downsize the
General Land Office and make it more efficient if he is elected in November.
He and his opponent. Democrat Richard Raymond, are seeking the post
being vacated at the end of the year by Garry Mauro. (Staff Photo)
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Rigg, John. Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 18, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 31, 1998, newspaper, May 31, 1998; Levelland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1198752/m1/1/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting South Plains College.