The Silsbee Bee (Silsbee, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 20, 1985 Page: 1 of 20
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The Silsbee bee 125
VOLUME 76 - NUMBER 20
SILSBEE, TEXAS 77656, THURSDAY, JUNE 20,1985
20 PAGES IN 3 SECTIONS
Counties Face Dilemma
On Increasing Taxes
The following editorial is
reprinted from an information
guide on county government,
“County Information Bulletin",
and was written by Bill Hicks.
It explains some of the prob-
lems Texas counties are en-
countering in raising funds with
which to operate.
BACK TO THE OLD
WHIPPING POST
It seems like that every two
years it's back to the old
whipping post for county
government. Maybe this is the
price county government pays
for being an arm of the State
government, I don’t know, but
it seems to me that the State
Legislature has this nasty habit
of biting the hand that feeds it
sometime and this year is no
exception.
No one likes to raise taxes -
at least I don't know of very
many who do, but when the
Legislature uses the old “in
crease in fees to raise money"
tactic in order to keep from
raising the sales tax so they can
say, “Look, I didn’t raise
taxes!", it is tapping the resour
ces that should be left at the
local level to help take care of
local problems.
If a county is operating on a
very tight budget and if the
county could raise fees to keep
from raising ad valorem taxes,
the commissioners court could
raise those fees rather than
voting for a tax increase and
then THEY could say, “Look, I
didn’t raise taxes!”.
Well, obviously that was not
to be because the state officials
wanted to say it first so the
poor commissioners court goes
back to the whipping post one
more time and they are forced
to raise taxes on the county
level in order to have enough
money to fund the county
operation.
This wouldn’t be so bad if it
were not for the fact that the
counties have gone to the State
Legislature year after year and
asked for the option to share in
the sales tax. The State Legis-
lature always says, "We're not
7,500-Foot Wildcat Planned
12.5 Miles NE Of Silsbee
By A. Charles Lewis
Joe W. Elsbury of Lafayette,
La., has revealed plans to drill
a 7,500-ft. wildcat well in
Hardin County. The operator
has 80 acres leased, with drill-
site in the W.N. Cox Survey
and has designated the venture
as the No. 1 Doty-Jackson.
Drillsite is 12.6 miles northeast
of Silsbee.
***
At a location eight miles east
of Village Mills, Santa Fe/
Andover Oil has finaled a new
oil well in Hardin County's
Southwest Beech Creek Field.
The well is designated as the
No. A-2 Schneider, flowing at
the rate of 25 barrels of oil and
280,000 CF gas per day.
Location is in a 285-acre lease
in the H&TCRR Survey. Bot-
tomed at 7,704 feet, the well
will produce from perforations
in the Yegua Formation, 6,973
to 6,986 feet into the hole.
***
Shell Western Exploration &
Production has given up in its
efforts to make a producer out
of the No. 1 Kirby Lumber
Corp. It was wildcat try in
Hardin County. The location
was 2.5 miles west-northwest
of Kountze. Spudded Jan. 15,
the well had reached 14,100
feet total depth.
***
The No. 1 McVitie has been
given a “dry hole" label by Sam
Myers. Located three-quarters
mile southeast of Saratoga, the
well had been spudded Mar. 19.
It was located in the Saratoga
Field, Hardin County, and had
reached 1,456 feet total depth.
*♦*
At a location three miles
south of Ray wood, ANR Pro-
duction has finaled a new oil
producer in Liberty County's
North Rich Ranch Field.
The well is designated as the
No. 1 J.H. Rich, flowing at the
rate of 113 barrels of oil and
99,000 CF gas per day on a
12/64 choke.
Location is in a 40-acre lease
in the GC&8FRR Survey.
Bottomed at 14,072 feet, the
well will produce from perfora-
tions in the Cook Mountain
Formation, 13,428 to 13,440
feet into the hole.
A 7,000-ft. developmental
well i" planned by Maralo Inc.
of Midland at a drillsite three
miles northeast of Hankamer,
Chambers County. The location
is in a 40 acre lease in the
Andrew Weaver Survey.
Well's designation is the No. 1
James A. Weaver Unit. It is in
the Southeast Hankamer.
A Houston-based operator
has staked location for the No.
1 White, a developmental well
to be located 7.3 miles south of
Eagle. With projected total
depth of 10,000 feet, the well is
in a 320-acre lease in Chambers
County's East Mayes Field,
Solomon Brill Survey. The
operator is Huff Oil & Gas.
Lamar To Strengthen
Admission Requirements
BEAUMONT - Admissions
requirements for students who
enter four-year baccalaureate
programs at Lamar University-
Beaumont in the fall of 1987
have been strengthened under
modified guidelines approved
Thursday by the board of
regents.
All students entering LU-
Beaumont in 1987 must be
graduated from an accredited
high school and must have
successfully completed 14 high
Two Are Charged
With Possession Of
Controlled Substance
Silsbee Police have arrested
two teenagers on charges of
possession of a controlled
substance, according to Silsbee
Police Chief Dennis Allen.
Upon making a traffic stop,
Officer Dexter Viator observed
a box in the vehicle containing a
white powder substance he said
he believed to be cocaine, and
arrested the driver of the
vehicle. The passenger was also
found to be in possession of a
clear plastic bag containing a
white powder substance
believed to be cocaine.
Officer Viator arrested both
Brian Ruston Linscomb, 19,
P.O. Box K-646, Buna, and
Richard Keith Johnson, 17,
Route Three, Box 43, Buna, on
charges of possession of a
controlled substance. Linscomb
was also arrested on charges of
disobeying a stop sign and no
valid driver's license. Linscomb
was taken before Justice of the
Peace Robert Ward's court who
$et bond at $15,000 on the
controlled substance charge
and was taken before City
Judge Frank Grote, who fined
him $50 for having no driver’s
license, and $30 for disobeying
the stop sign.
Johnson was taken before
(So* Police Sot. I, Pago 4)
school units in college prepara-
tory courses.
Students ranking in the top
half of their high school
graduating class are eligible for
unconditional regular admis-
sion.
In addition to the general
admission standards, LU-
Beaumont pre-professional and
professional programs may re-
quire separate, more rigorous
standards commensurate with
the the demands of the various
programs.
Entering high school stu-
dents ranking in the bottom
half pf their graduating class
must achieve a designated com-
posite score on the Scholastic
Aptitude Test to qualify for
regular admission. Otherwise,
they will be admitted only
through provisional admission.
Students admitted on a pro-
visional basis will be granted
regular admission status at the
end of the semester in which
they complete 24 or more hours
if they have earned a 2.0 grade
point average in identified
courses taken at LU-Beaumont
and satisfactory grades in
English 131 and Math 134 or
a higher level math course.
Those who do not satisfac-
torily complete the terms of
provisional admission will be
denied readmission to LU-
Beaumont for one full year.
Transfer students entering a
four-year baccalaureate pro-
gram with less then 18 hours
must submit and meet the
entrance credentials and re-
quirements of a first-time-in-
college student.
Students who transfer 18
hours or more hours must
either meet regular admission
requirements or have satisfac-
tory grades in transfer courses
equivalent to English 131 and
Math 134 or earn satisfactory
grades in those two courses by
the end of the semester in ,
which they complete 18 or more
hours at LU-Beaumont.
Standard admission require
ments for transfers include a
2.0 cumulative grade point
average on a 4.0 for all work
attempted and to be eligible to
re-enter all colleges and/or
universities previously attend-
ed.
Transfer credit earned at
other accredited institutions
will be considered for credit at
LU-Beaumont by certain
policies, including the usage of
all courses passed, failed or
repeated in calculating the
cumulative grade point
average.
A “D” grade earned at other
institutions will not count
toward degrees. Junior college
transfers are limited to a
maximum of 66 hours and no
junior college credits will be
considered for transfer as
upper level (junior-senior)
credits.
going to let you share in the
sale tax because we may neec
to increase the sale tax at some
time in the future for state
funding!". If they won’t let the
counties have the opportunity
to share in the sales tax and
they are draining the maximum
fee income from the counties -
just what in the hell are
counties supposed to do when
they need money to fund their
operation or fund federal and
state mandated programs with
out receiving state or federal
money to fund them with?
I know what the counties can
do don’t you? Counties can
‘bite the bullet' one more time
and increase the ad valorem
taxes once again. That will
solve all the problems at least
for the State Legislature.
No wonder there’s so much
turnover every election year on
the commissioners courts
around the state. No wonder
counties always stay in a finan
cial bind always trying to cut
expenditures to the bone
always keeping county salaries
so low that it’s hard to get and
keep competent, dedicated
employees. No wonder you
hear people say that county
government is twenty years
behind every other branch of
government. My word, if you
take away a person’s ability to
use his own judgment and keep
him broke all the time, it’s hard
for that person to mature into a
productive and innovative in
dividual capable of administer-
ing his own affairs.
Well, the counties can write
off another potential source of
revenue when the fee bill
passes and is signed by the
Governor. The county officials
will be responsible for collect
ing and accounting for most of
increased fees to be sent to the
State. The public is going to get
mad at the county officials
because they are having to pay
more money for the services
they receive and what little
money the county will receive
as a result of the increased fees
will not be worth the price the
county officials will have to
pay in the end. If the county
officials must increase ad
valorem taxes at the same time
the public is paying increased
fees for services that old
whipping post may get a good
work-out over the next few
months.
Thanks! Texas legislature
for looking out after the best
interest of county government.
Maybe someday county govern-
ment can return the favor.
MAKING A PRESENTATION of Booumont Gator basoball tickat* to Silsbao Llttlo
Loaguo Yankoos It Lions Club Prosidont David Burgor (tocond from loft). Tho
Yankoos rocoivod tho tickets as a result of winning tho Little Loaguo fund-raising
contest. Also pictured are: from left President of the Little League Ladles
Auxiliary Roberta Burk, Bryan Tatum, Chris Hare, (Yankee Team members),
Second Vice President of the Silsbee Little League Board Charles E. Burk, and
Yankee Coach Dale Grisham. The Yankees attended the Beaumont game last
Sunday against San Antonio and were recognised for their efforts during the
game.
RALPH EDWARD JONES
Robbery Suspect
Wanted OnAWarrants
TEXARKANA The odds
appear to be running out for
Ralph Edward Jones.
Police in Texarkana say
Jones is a prime suspect in two
robberies last year to Piggly
Wiggly food stores in their
area. And police in Tom Green
County, Bryan and Wills Point
have outstanding warrants on
him.
Since one out of every three
armed robberies was solved
last year in Texas, according to
the Department of Public
Safety, defectives figure that
they might have an opportunity
to meet Jones up close and
personal in the near future.
Jones is described as a white
male, 32, 5-10, 175 pounds with
brown hair and blue eyes. The
pupil in his left eye is
discernibly dilated.
This week Jones has been
added to the Texas Most Want
ed list. A reward of up to $1,000
is being offered for information
leading to his capture.
Texarkana police want Jones
for the January 29,1984, armed
robbery of the State Line
Piggly Wiggly in Texarkana.
Police reports indicate a
white male entered the store
and asked the manager for an
employment application. When
the manager was distracted,
the offender pulled out a four
inch Smith and Wesson revol-
ver and said, “I want money."
The manager told the gun-
man he didn’t have any money
in the cash drawers and opened
them to show him.
However, the offender per-
sisted and told the manager to
open the safe. The robber
pulled out a brown paper bag
and forced the manager to fill it
with money from the safe.
The offender then walked to
the rear of the store with the
manager and said, “I’ll check
you later.” He was last seen
fleeing from the store on foot.
Detectives say a similar of-
fense occurred on February 28,
1984, to another Piggly Wiggly
store in Texarkana. Jones is
the prime suspect in that case.
In addition to the warrant
charging him with Aggravated
Robbery out of Texarkana,
Jones has also been charged
wtih Aggravated Robery by
the Tom Green County Sheriff s
Office, Robbery of a Business
by the Bryan Police Depart-
ment and Theft over $750 but
less than $20,000 by the Wills
Point Police Department.
Jones, who has served prison
time in Texas and California,
sometimes uses the alias
“Rusty Jones”, detectives say.
Anyone who might have in-
formation about this suspect is
asked to call the Texas Crime
Stoppers Advisory Council toll-
free at 1-800-252-8477 or their
local Crime Stoppers program.
In all cases, callers do not have
to reveal their identities.
Texas Most Wanted is a
cooperative program between
the Department of Public
Safety and Texas Crime
Stoppers.
Donna McKeithen
Receives BS Degree
From Sam Houston
Donna McKeithen received a
Bachelor of Science degree in
the field of criminology and
corrections, with a minor in
sociology, during the May com-
mencement exercises at Sam
Houston State University.
She was a member of the
(Sm Degree Sec. 1, Paget)
BY COMMISSIONERS
Overtime Ruling
Expected To Be
Discussed Monday
Hardin County Judge M.R.
‘Pete’ McKinney says he is
more confused now than he was
before attending a seminar in
Austin Tuesday on the question
of overtime pay for county and
other public officials.
“The one thing we did learn,”
McKinney said. "Is that when
the original case came up lor a
re hearing, overtime pay was
ruled to revert back to the
April 15 date, and not the date
the case was originally heard."
This would have put the
county on obligation to pay
overtime in back pay to some
time in February, the date the
original ruling from the Su-
preme Court came about.
“We also learned that we
don’t have to have any ex
penses beyond the current
budget," McKinney said. “But
if a county employee feels he
has been treated unfairly, he
could file a suit on his own and
the court would nave to pay.
McKinney also said there
was a thin dividing line on the
question of what constitutes
being on call.
“If the official is free to do
anything when he is away from
his office and subject to a
beeper, or other mens of con
tact,” McKinney said, “that is
not overtime. However, if he
has to stay by his telephone all
the time, or if he has to transfer
a prisoner from one place to
another, that constitutes over
time. But the employee will
have to certify his time. It will
just mean we will have to do a
whole lot more bookkeeping."
McKinney said the question
would probably come before
the court in Monday's regular
meeting. “It may be Friday,
but it will more likely be
Monday. I just wouldn’t have
time to get all this information
ready before then.”
Peddy Captures Silsbee
Tourney With A
Six Under Par 282
Terry Peddy shot rounds of
70 and 71 in the championship
flight Sunday to capture the
title in Silsbee Country Club’s
invitational Golf Tournament.
Going into Sunday’s rounds,
Peddy had a two-day total of
141, and he finished the tour
nament with a six under par
282.
Dennis Walsh finished se
cond with 285, and at one point
after the first 18 holes of the
day, actually had a one stroke
lead. He finished with a 285.
Peddy began the tournament
on Friday tied with Ralph
Arredondo for the lead with a
70.
The winners in the various
flights are as follows:
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
1. Terry Peddy
2. Dennis Walsh
3. Alan Courtney
4. Ronnie Gibbs
5. Billy Bruno
6. Matt Dinkle
7. Ralph Arredondo
8. Bill Bunte
9. Rick LaBove
PRESIDENTIAL FLIGHT
1. Lester Allen
2. Rodney Guy
3. Billy Cain
4. Mike Fama
FIRST FLIGHT
1. Jack Bryant
2. Dale Johnson
3. Mike Hobbs.
4. Alan Fama
SECOND FLIGHT
1. Paul Parker
2. Bob Hughes
3. Earl Stried
4. Ted Tate
THIRD FLIGHT
1. Ronnie Moye
2. J.R. Hopkins
3. Reggie Warren
4. B.W. Ross
FOURTH FLIGHT
1. Tommy Allison
2. A.E. Schmidt
3. Newton Hopkins
4. A1 Burleson
FIFTH FLIGHT
1. Mack Gibbs
2. Norman Golden
3. Dale Cummings
4. Newton Hopkins Jr.
SIXTH FLIGHT
1. Mike Martinson
2. Leon Crum
3. Kelly Broussard
4. Bob Dillard
SEVENTH FLIGHT
1. Louis Matthews
2. Joe O’Neal
3. Carroll Martin
4. Joe Watson.
Sheriff Reports On
Week's Activities
Hardin County Sheriffs
deputies have arrested two
men on charges of possession of
marijuana.
While on patrol. Deputy
Randy Martin reported he no
ticed two persons parked along
side the roadway on the Old
Silsbee Highway in Lumberton.
As he approached the vehicle,
the deputy said he saw one of
the occupants throw a package
of rolling papers into the floor
and he also observed a green
leafy substance that appeared
to be marijuana in the lap of the
person in the driver’s seat.
The deputy said he found
additional evidence on the pas-
senger.
Mark J. Bodine, 27 , 675
Fulton, Beaumont, and Timo-
thy H. Deshato, 21, 810 Long
Leaf, Lumberton, were arrest-
ed on charges of possession of
narcotic paraphernalia and pos-
session of marijuana.
Both were taken to Justice of
the Peace Gerald Loper’s court,
who set bond at $500 each on
the possession of marijuana
charge, and each were fined
$100 on the possession of nar
cotic paraphernalia charge.
Deputies also arrested Car-
olyn Ann Wright, 40, 145
Magnolia Trail, Lumberton, on
a charge of injury to an elderly
individual. She was taken be-
fore Justice of the Peace Rob-
ert Ward's court, who set bond
at $2,500.
In other unrelated action,
Robert G. Yates, Lumberton,
reported that someone had
taken a 25 horsepower out-
board motor from his boat.
Value of the missing motor is
$1,700.
George Glasspool, Old High-
way 96, Silsbee, reported
someone had broken into the
V.F.W. Post and had taken 12
cases of beer valued at $162.
Ray Beard, Rt. 6, box 83A,
Silsbee, reported someone had
broken into his residence and
stolen the following items; a
mans' wallet, a gold saddle
necklace with 14 diamonds, a
swivel nugget necklace with a
gold chain, a nugget ring with a
diamond, and a wedding band.
Total value of the missing items
was placed at $11,500.
Hardin County Sheriffs
deputies answered 44 calls,
worked two burglaries, two
thefts, five family disturban-
ces, nine disturbances, made 39
misdemeanor arrests and seven
feiony arrests. Total jail popu-
lation for the week is 23,
according to Sheriff H.R. ‘Mike’
Holzapfel.
Seven Persons Are
Indicted By Hardin
County Grand Jury
Hardin County Grand Jury
returned indictments against
seven persons last week. They
are:
Carl Lee Griffin, 23, P.O.
Box 521, Silsbee, two counts,
burglary of a budding and
sexual assault.
Daniel Collins, 29, 745 South
15th, SUsbee, burglary of a
budding.
Charles E. McDonald, 42,
Kountze, sexual asssault of a
chdd.
Horace Aden Simons Jr., 18,
Route One. Box 413, Kountze,
forgery by passing.
Dean Pinder, 24. 3538 27th
Street, Port Arthur, forgery by
passing.
Odis Wesley Tarver, 49, P.O.
(So* Grand Any Sat. I.Pegai)
1
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Read, R. L. The Silsbee Bee (Silsbee, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 20, 1985, newspaper, June 20, 1985; Silsbee, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth820782/m1/1/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Silsbee Public Library.