Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 25, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 11, 2004 Page: 1 of 16
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Cherokeean
Vol. 155, No. 25 - 16 pgs.
| &BEZ1
H E R A L
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
INFAMOUS INMATE
GETS MEDIA ATTENTION
Andrea Yates, who was convicted
of murdering her five children, met
with her attorneys last week
at the Hodge Unit in Rusk.
see pg. 10
Rusk. I X 75785
DEPUTY
DOG
The City of Wells plans
to take a bite out of crime
with the newest member
of their police force, officer Jagr.
The German shepherd began
PhoP"' by making patrols last week.
Don Wallace see P9- 9 for details
E BACK
The Alto Yellowjackets are
armed and ready for action
with daily practices. Find
out about the team's first
scrimmage on pg. 12
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
JAIL UPDATE
See pg. 15 for a n u pdate from
the commissioners court
CITY OF ALTO
New municipal judge hired,
see pg. 12.
KOA Managers
Rusk City Manager
Kevin Bowden
(left) welcomes a
husband and wife
team as the new
managers of the
KOA campground.
Barbara and Pat
Cook will assume
their duties in the
very new future.
The campground
will open in late
September or
early October. See
related story on pg.
15.
'rustees enter closed
sess on by m ¡stake
Alto ISD holds closed
session budget workshop
By Robin D. Best
Special Contributor
The Alto Independent School
District Board of Trustees may
have erred when members
met in closed session Monday
night to discuss the 2004-05
budget.
"We're going over all of the
budget '' said AISD Superin-
tendent John Ferguson. "We
are going to look at the tax
rate from last year and this
year."
Ferguson said the board
would be making recommen-
dations to set the proposed
tax rate and to adopt the new
budget.
"We will set a date for the
pubhc hearing on the budget,"
Ferguson said. "We will adver-
tise'truth in taxation'Aug. 18.
We will set a date for the public
Please see ALTO ISD, pg. 6
Ferguson responds to
citizens' concerns
By Terrie Gonzalez
Managing Editor
Alto ISD superintendent
John Ferguson contacted the
Cherokeean Herald Tuesday
morning just before press
deadline to respond to some
of the issues raised by a group
Please see FERGUSON, pg. 6
THIS WEEK
Meet the Teacher night
planned in Rusk
The parents and students of grades
PK-5 are invited to attend Rusk ISD's
annual Meet the Teacher NightThurs-
day, Aug. 12. Students may bring their
school supplies as well as meet their
new teacher. The following are times
for the event per campus: primary
school 4-6 p.m., elementary school,
4:30-6:30 p.m. and intermediate
school, 5-7 p.m.
Jacksonville Pow Wow will
be held Friday at 7 p. m.
The Jacksonville Indian "Pow
Wow" will be held Friday, at 7 p.m.
at the Tomato Bowl.
The program will include introduc-
tion of the coaches, football teams,
the Cherokee Charmers, cheerlead-
ers, JHS band and twirlers. The
Jacksonville Athletic Booster Club
will also be selling memberships.
Classes start Aug. 16 in
Alto
Classes for the Alto ISD will begin
Aug. 16. Teacher-staff development
days are Aug. 11-12,Nov. 22 and 23.
Teacher/staff work days are Aug. 13,
Jan. 3 and May 28.
New business opens
The Value Shop designed to pro-
vide beauty supplies, accessories and
clothing for the entire family will have
a grand opening at 11 a.m. Saturday,
Aug. 14. Alnitaand JimmyTurnerand
Calvin Henderson are owners and
proprietors of the business located
at 1216 North Main in Rusk.
The event is sponsored by the Rusk
Chamber of Commerce and the public
is invited to attend.
Gospel singing planned
Gospel singing will begin at 4 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Jim Hogg
Historical Park in Rusk. Blue grass
singing begins at 7 p.m. Aug. 21. The
public is invited to both events.
Weather Outlook
BEATING
the Texas heat
w
( ■ *>' p
mm T
\
2
Rusk football players take a break after running as part of a conditioning drill at
football practice. Rusk hasn't had problems with players overheating due to close
monitoring and frequent water breaks.
Photo by Don Wallace
Frequent
breaks, water
combat grid
heat worries
By Don Wallace
Staff Writer
A Xater, water is
mm mm everywhere at
Mm wm football prac-
tices both in Rusk and Alto
and student athletes are
encouraged to chink it.
Rusk head football coach
Wayne Mahaffey said that
players could go through a
gallon or more of the wet
stuff and that's fine with
him. The Eagles are cur-
rently practicing from 8 a.m
to 1 p.m. with several breaks
in the schedule,
"The breaks are not really
specified, but if the players
Please see WATER, pg. 6
No RISE tax rate
increase planned
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
The Rusk ISD board will
conduct a public hearing for
the 2004-05 school budget and
taxrate at 5 p.m. Monday Aug.
23 at the school administration
building.
Taxpayers will experience
higher property values but
there will not be an increase
inthe taxrate, Superintendent
Dr. Jim Largent said.
The proposed budget is $11.9
million, which is a three per-
cent increase over last year's
adopted budget.
Lesa Jones, school business
manager, said Monday night
at the regular monthly board
meeting that the district has
$20 million moré in property
values due to minerals than
were expected.
She explained to the board
that the company that
appraises minerals for the
Cherokee County Appraisal
District made a $16 million
input error in estimates given
to the CCAD. These estimates
were given to Mrs, Jones and
she used those: figures to
Please see RUSK ISD, pg. 15
7 killed in wreck
Seven East Texas residents
were killed and three others
injured in a three-vehicle
accident at 8:30 p.m. Monday
night on U.S. Highway 69 at
the intersection of CR 145 in
Bullard.
One vehicle was apparently
traveling north on Highway 69
in the south bound lane of the
highway, according to a report
from the Texas Department of
Pubhc Safety office in Tyler.
The accident report was filed by
Trooper Sandy Taylor, who was
off duty and unavailable for a
statement Tuesday morning.
A 2005 Chrysler van chiven
by Virgil Hall, 79, of Lindale
was traveling north on High-
way 69, allegedly in the south
bound lane. Mr. Hall was pro-
nounced dead at the scene. He
was wearing a seal belt.
Mr. Hall's van struck a
1998 Doclge car, driven by
Lorie Fields McClain, 36, of
Jacksonville. Mrs. McClain
was killed instantly as well
as Sanely McClain, 10. Ms.
McClain and Sandy were not
wearing seat belts.
Ms. McClains vehicle was
knocked into a 1999 Chevrolet
pickup, driven by Encarnación
Jimenez, 51, of New Summer-
field, who died at the scene.
Also fatally inj ured were David
Barnes, 48, of Jacksonville;
LaToshia Barnes, 26, of
New Summerfield, who was
employed at Whataburger in
See FATAL WRECK, pg. 15
Wells' tax base drops
i V inc fjijnr «ftp# tnft lfttvi#ft ftftmo
Other cities post moderate gains
thursday
scattered t-storms
20% chance of rain
High: 87
Low: 62
AM
KWR
The Wells ISD lost almost 11,5
percent of its tax base according to
figures released by the Cherokee
County Appraisal District,
Wells lost nearly $4 million dol-
lars in taxable value due to lower
timber prices and to a lesser extent,
legislative changes, Timber prices
are eiltered in groups of five-year
increments to arrive at a running
average. This year marked a loss to
the average of a high price year and
the addition of a low price year.
Morton said, "We weren't expect-
ing it. We know values change
each year. This means we have a
reduction of state aid amounting to
$150,000 from last year."
Morton indicated that three jobs
at the school would be affected.
"Through attrition we were able
to reduce three per sonnel po sitions,"
Morton said. "Two professional
positions and one paraprofessional
position. We tried to make these
reductions where they would hurt us
theleast. Traditionally when people
move out or re tir e , other people move
around within the school district.;
That did not haj)pen this year."'
The school district will also have:
to dip into their savings, using
approximately $100,000 from the
fund balance.
Please see TAX, pg. 6
Cherokee County Property Values
CITY TAXES
Rusk
Jacksonville
Alto
Wells
SCHOOL TAXES
Rusk
Jacksonville
Alto
Wells
New Summerfield
Troup
2003
Certified Total
$81,265,659
431,036,945
22,134,560
9,572,313
236,789,863
604,838,671
101,000,000
33,968,321
30,424,761
130,072,959
2004
Certified Total
$85,355,536
474,662,826
22,561,341
9,585,024
260,321,563
667,759,027
111,068,749
30,071,477
30,944,805
205,148,769
CHANGE
$4,089,877
43,625,881
426,781
12,711
23,531,700
62,920,356
10,068,749
(3,896,844)
520,044
75,075,810
5.03
10.12
1.93
0.13
9.94
10.40
9.97
-11.47
1.71
57.72
CHEROKEE COUNTY GENERAL FUND
1,359,125,646 1,477,949,192 118,823,546 8.74
COUNTY LATERAL ROAD
$1,339,511,966 $1,459,201,361 $119,689,395 8.94
data: Cherokee County Appraisal District
graphic: Cherokeean Herald
C IV K
EP-
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 25, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 11, 2004, newspaper, August 11, 2004; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152638/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.