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JANUARY 2010       

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APRIL 2010

MERCY HOSPITAL MUST GO

LOCAL NEWS

03/31/2010

AN INCIDENT DURING THIS PAST WEEKEND’S LIBERTY JUBILEE HAS UNDERSCORED THE DANGERS PRESENTED BY THE OLD DILAPIDATED MERCY HOSPITAL BUILDING IN LIBERTY AND OFFICIALS ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO LIBERTY COUNTY JUDGE PHIL FITZGERALD, IT APPEARS SOME KIDS IN TOWN FOR THE JUBILEE STREET DANCE ENTERED THE OLD BUILDING ON TRAVIS STREET, REMOVED SOME OF THE DEBRIS TO BE FOUND INSIDE THE EMBARRASSING LOCAL EYESORE. THEN THEY SCATTERED IT AROUND OUTSIDE THE TRAVIS STREET BUILDING. JUDGE FITZGERALD SAID HE CONTACTED PRECINCT #1 COUNTY COMMISSIONER TODD FONTENOT ABOUT SECURING THE BUILDING AGAINST FUTURE INTRUSIONS. COMMISSIONER FONTENOT TOLD US HE DID A WALK-THROUGH OF THE BADLY RUNDOWN STRUCTURE TUESDAY MORNING. HE SAID IN ADDITION TO DEBRIS PILED EVERYWHERE INSIDE THE ROOF OF THE OLD HOSPITAL IS ALSO FALLING IN. COMMISSIONER FONTENOT SAID, IN SHORT, THE BUILDING PRESENTS A DANGER. WE HAVE REPORTED OWNERSHIP OF THE MERCY HOSPITAL BUILDING IS HELD IN A JOINT TAX LIEN BETWEEN LIBERTY COUNTY, THE CITY OF LIBERTY AND THE LIBERTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. COMMISSIONER FONTENOT SAID HE HAD SPOKEN TO LIBERTY MAYOR CARL PICKETT ABOUT A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BY ALL THREE ENTITIES TO DEMOLISH THE DILAPIDATED THREE- STORY STRUCTURE. IN THE MEANTIME, COMMISSIONER FONTENOT SAID THE COUNTY IS BOARDING UP THE DOORS AND WINDOWS WITH PLANS UNDERWAY TO PUT A GATED FENCE AROUND IT. PRECINCT #1 COMMISSIONER TODD FONTENOT TOLD US TEARING DOWN THE OLD BUILDING IS APT TO BE COSTLY, BUT IN HIS OPINION IT NEEDED TO BE DONE. COUNTY JUDGE PHIL FITZGERALD AGREED AND SAID HE EXPECTS COMMISSIONERS, LIBERTY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND LIBERTY SCHOOL TRUSTEES WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT ACTION IN THE DAYS AHEAD. WE HAVE HEARD MANY COMPLAINTS FROM THOSE LIVING NEAR THE OLD MERCY HOSPITAL. THE MOST RECENT THIS WEEK WHEN PERSONAL MEDICAL DOCUMENTS WERE FOUND BLOWING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

LOCAL NEWS

CLOSED FOR GOOD FRIDAY

03/31/2010

THE LIBERTY COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND ALL CITY OFFICES IN LIBERTY, DAYTON AND CLEVELAND WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY IN OBSERVANCE OF GOOD FRIDAY. WASTE MANAGEMENT GARBAGE SERVICE WILL RUN AS SCHEDULED FRIDAY IN ALL OF THREE MAJOR CITIES OF LIBERTY COUNTY. ALL BANKS AND POST OFFICES COUNTYWIDE WILL BE OPEN REGULAR HOURS ON FRIDAY.

NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT 90 & 160

LOCAL NEWS

03/31/2010

WE REPORTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO A WRECK ON HWY 90 AT FM 160 IN AMES RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT THAT INTERSECTION. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS AT THE TIME SAID IT WOULD BE MONTHS BEFORE THE SIGNAL SYSTEM COULD BE REPLACED AND THE BUSY INTERSECTION HAS BEEN A FOUR-WAY STOP SINCE THEN. NOW, ACCORDING TO TXDOT RESIDENT ENGINEER COREY TAYLOR, A NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL IS COMING SOON. HE SAID A REQUIRED TRAFFIC STUDY OF THE INTERSECTION BY THE STATE’S TRAFFIC CONTROL DIVISION HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM SHOULD BE GOING UP AT HWY 90 AND FM 160 IN THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS. TXDOT’S COREY TAYLOR SAID HE DID NOT HAVE THE EXACT COST FIGURES ON THIS PARTICULAR TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM, BUT SAID THE SYSTEMS GENERALLY RUN BETWEEN $150,000 AND $250,000.

liberty softball

news story

03.31.10

the liberty lady panthers softball team beat the SHEPHERD lady pirates 3-1 monday night. lady panther pitcher taylor kaderli went four innings, striking out six batters while allowing just three hits. kATHERINE mcadams finished the outing, striking out four without giving up a hit. offensively, liberty’s amanda leonard got two hits, including a double, with two runs batted in. taylor kaderli went 2 for 2 and scored a run. ariana potetz added a hit and an rbi. with that 3-1 victory over the shepherd lady pirates, the liberty lady panthers are now 3-3 in district play. the PANTHERS begin their second round of district action on thursday in tarkington versus the lady longhorns.

appliance rebate

news story

03.31.10

reservations for The Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program officially begin this coming Monday, April 5, at 7 a.m. that’s when texans can receive rebate forms for select ENERGY STAR appliances by visiting the online reservation system or calling a toll-free number. the state of texas plans to use about $23 million in federal stimulus funds for a mail-in rebate program for consumers who buy certain energy efficient household appliances during a 10-day period FROM APRIL 16 THROUGH APRIL 25. BEGINNING this coming monday, A TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBER AND AN ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM WILL BE operational FOR TEXANS TO claim an APPLIANCE REBATE. even WHEN ALL THE GUARANTEED REBATES ARE RESERVED, texans MAY CONTINUE TO SIGN UP on A WAITING LIST TO RECEIVE A REBATE, if any more become available, ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS. CONSUMERS MUST GIVE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND SPECIFY THE APPLIANCE TYPE THEY INTEND TO buy WHEN MAKING A RESERVATION. a qualifying appliance must be purchased between April 16 and April 25.  these Appliances can only be purchased by Texas residents at Texas stores. comptroller combs said flat rebates will be given on Energy Star certified refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioners, central air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, clothes washers and dishwashers. the rebates will range from a low of $45 for a room air conditioner to a high of $1,600 for certain heat pumps. there is an additional $75 rebate for recycling the old, functional appliance oF the same type. repeating, texans can begin making their reservations for an ENERGY star appliance rebate this coming monday. that website is www.TexasPowerfulSmart.org. just go to kshn.com and click on the ‘ENERGY EFFICIENCY" LOGO on our homepage. for those who prefer calling, the toll-free number for reservations is 1-877-780-3039. HELLO, I’M STEVE STEPHENS – CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR LIBERTY COUNTY JUDGE. WE CAME CLOSE TO ACCOMPLISHING OUR GOAL ON MARCH 2 WITH 42 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, WE CAN REACH OUR GOAL ON APRIL 13 TO MOVE OUR COUNTY FORWARD. I AM THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH A PROVEN PUBLIC SERVICE BACKGROUND AND WORK ETHIC YOU CAN RELY ON. LIBERTY COUNTY DESERVES A COUNTY JUDGE WHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND INTEGRITY NECESSARY TO HEAL THE WOUNDS AND BRING US TOGETHER, THE KIND OF COUNTY WHICH WILL PROSPER AND GROW TO SERVE ALL OUR NEEDS. IT IS IMPERATIVE WE BE ALL-INCLUSIVE. EACH COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AND RECOGNIZED AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE EQUATION. I INTEND TO MAKE THAT INVOLVEMENT A TOP PRIORITY. WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE MANNER TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THE CITIZENS OF LIBERTY COUNTY DESERVE. LIBERTY COUNTY CANNOT AFFORD THE YEARS OF "ON THE JOB TRAINING" IT WOULD TAKE MY OPPONENT TO ACQUIRE. YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN BY CASTING YOUR VOTE FOR THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS A PROVEN 20-YEAR TRACK RECORD OF "STANDING UP FOR THE CITIZENS". PLEASE VOTE FOR STEVE STEPHENS FOR LIBERTY COUNTY JUDGE.

ROAD AND BRIDGE ACCOUNTING

news story

03.31.10

LIBERTY COUNTY PCT. 2 COMMISSIONER LEE GROCE HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER THE LACK OF A UNIFIED SYSTEM THAT TIES EACH COMMISSIONER’s ROAD AND BRIDGE RECORDS TO THE COURTHOUSE’S ACCOUNTING SYSTEM. COMMISSIONER GROCE SAID THIS BECAME AN ISSUE RECENTLY WHEN AN AREA NEWSPAPER FILED A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST QUESTIONING THE USE OF COUNTY MATERIALS TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO A FACILITY USED BY LIBERTY COUNTY EMS.

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LEE GROCE SAID HE HAS IN FACT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT FROM LIBERTY COUNTY EMS FOR THOSE MATERIALS. ONCE IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR AND TWO OTHER TIMES BACK IN MARCH 2003 AND JUNE 2003 WHEN HE PROVIDED SIMILAR MATERIALS. THE PCT. 2 COMMISSIONER SAID FORTUNATELY HE HAD RECORDS BECAUSE THE COUNTY’S SYSTEM COULD NOT PRODUCE SPECIFIC DETAILS RELATED TO THOSE REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENTS TO THE COUNTY

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COMMISSIONER GROCE SAID A COMPANY CALLED NET-DATA PROMISED THE COUNTY A ROAD AND BRIDGE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM SOME YEARS AGO, BUT THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED.

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SO, DURING LAST WEEK’S COMMISSIONER’S COURT MEETING, PCT. 2 COMMISSIONER LEE GROCE URGED THE COURT TO FIND AN ACCOUNTING SYSTEM THAT TIES EACH COMMISSIONER’S ROAD AND BRIDGE RECORDS TO THE COUNTY’S SYSTEM USED BY THE AUDITOR AND TREASURER. HE SAID THIS WOULD PROVIDE A MORE CONSISTENT AND BETTER METHOD OF KEEPING UP WITH IMPORTANT RECORDS.