NEWS

JANUARY 2010       

FEBRUARY 2010

MARCH 2010

    PRIMARY ELECTION TOMORROW

03/01/2010

TEXANS GO TO THE POLLS TOMORROW IN THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTY PRIMARY ELECTIONS WITH VOTING IN LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL RACES, INCLUDING THE TEXAS GOVERNOR’S RACE. IN LIBERTY COUNTY, THERE ARE MORE CONTESTED RACES IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY THAN EVER. AMONG THOSE IS THE THREE-WAY RACE FOR LIBERTY COUNTY JUDGE BETWEEN JAY KNIGHT, STEVE STEPHENS AND CRAIG MCNAIR. WITH THREE CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS NO CANDIDATE WILL RECEIVE MORE THAN 50 % OF THE VOTE WHICH IS REQUIRED AND A RUN OFF ELECTION WOULD BE NEEDED. REGARDLESS, THE WINNER OF THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR COUNTY JUDGE GOES ON TO FACE THE WINNER OF TOMORROW’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BETWEEN INCUMBENT PHIL FITZGERALD AND HIS DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER, KENNETH MORRISON. BOTH LIBERTY COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS ON THE BALLOT THIS TIME ARE CONTESTED IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. THE RACE FOR PRECINCT #2 COMMISSIONER IS BETWEEN MARCUS BRAND, CHARLOTTE WARNER AND TIM WELLS. THE WINNER THERE FACES THE DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT LEE GROCE. HE HAS NO PRIMARY OPPONENT. THE GOP WINNER AND GROCE FACE OFF IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION. THE RACE FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT #4 HAS INCUMBENT NORMAN BROWN – MAKING THE SWITCH FROM THE DEMOCRATIC TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND OPPOSED ON THE GOP BALLOT BY PAUL KELLY. LEROY HANEL IS THE LONE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRECINCT #4 COMMISSIONER. THERE ARE ALSO TWO CONTESTED GOP RACES FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE POSTS AND MORE RUNOFFS MAY BE NECESSARY. FOR JP #4, IN THE DAYTON AREA JOHN HEADRICK, BARRY GRAVES AND LARRY WILBURN ARE VYING FOR THAT GOP NOMINATION. INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT GLENN PRUITT IS UNOPPOSED TUESDAY. THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RACE FOR JP #5 THAT’S IN THE TARKINGTON AREA IS BETWEEN DAVID MARTIN, WADE BROWN AND BERNADINE RINGAWALD. ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE OF JP #5 PRIMARY RACE APPOINTED INCUMBENT JOE MCANALLY IS OPPOSED BY CHALLENGER LINDA CHAPMAN. WE REPORTED SOMETIME AGO LONGTIME 253^RD DISTRICT JUDGE CHAP CAIN HAS CHANGED PARTIES TO RUN AS A REPUBLICAN FOR RE-ELECTION. HE IS OPPOSED IN THE GOP PRIMARY BY MICHELLE MANGUM MERENDINO. THERE IS NO DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR 253^RD DISTRICT JUDGE SO THAT RACE WILL BE DECIDED IN VOTING TOMORROW. THE FINAL CONTESTED PRIMARY RACE IS FOR REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR – THAT IS BETWEEN INCUMBENT LESTER RAY WISEGERBER OF DAYTON AND CHALLENGER ANDY MCCREIGHT OF THE DAISETTA AREA. THOSE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES WHO HAVE NO OPPOSITION IN THIS MARCH 2^ND PRIMARY ARE INCUMBENTS BOBBY RADER – JP #1 AND KIM HARRIS- LIBERTY COUNTY TREASURER. BOBBY RADER HAS NO OPPONENTS FOR RE-ELECTION AT ALL AND MRS. HARRIS HAS A SINGLE DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION, DAVID MCCULLOGH. GOP CANDIDATES PAULETTE WILLIAMS IS RUNNING FOR COUNTY CLERK AND DONNA BROWN HAS FILED TO RUN FOR DISTRICT CLERK, BOTH AS REPUBLICANS. THEY HAVE NO OPPOSITION IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION. THE DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS – DELIA SELLERS AND MELODY GILMORE ARE RUNNING FOR REELECTION, ALSO WITHOUT PRIMARY OPPOSITION. MONTY ODOM IS THE SOLE GOP CANDIDATE FOR PRECINCT #6 JP IN THE CLEVELAND AREA. HIS OPPONENT IN NOVEMBER WILL BE INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT PEGGY DUNN, ALSO UNOPPOSED TOMORROW. ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY TOMMY CHAMBERS IS RUNNING FOR COUNTY COURT AT-LAW JUDGE SWITCHING TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO DO THAT. HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT IN NOVEMBER WILL BE ZACK ZBRANEK. INCUMBENT DON TAYLOR DID NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM. LONGTIME LIBERTY ATTORNEY MARK MOREFIELD IS ON THE GOP BALLOT FOR 75^TH DISTRICT COURT JUDGE. DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT C. T. "RUSTY" HIGHT IS SEEKING REELECTION, BUT HAS NO PRIMARY OPPOSITION. DISTRICT #18 STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN OTTO HAS ALSO FILED TO RUN AGAIN. HE HAS NO POSITION IN THE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ELECTION, BUT WILL FACE A LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE IN NOVEMBER’S GENERAL ELECTION. THERE IS ALSO A CONTESTED DEMOCRATIC RACE TOMORROW FOR PRECINCT #2 CONSTABLE. APPOINTED INCUMBENT WES HULSEY IS CHALLENGED BY JUAN ALFARO IN FILLING OUT THE UN-EXPIRED TERM OF THE LATE RUSSELL PIERCE. TWO DEMOCRATIC JP’S ARE SEEKING NEW TERMS WITHOUT OPPOSITION. THEY ARE RONNIE DAVIS PRECINCT #2 AND CODY PARRISH PRECINCT #3. TOMORROW’S REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT WILL ALSO INCLUDE FIVE NONE BINDING PROPOSITIONS SEEKING VOTERS OPINIONS THAT COULD RESULT IN LEGISLATION IN THE FUTURE. POLLS ARE OPEN

TOMORROW FROM 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. KSHN RADIO WILL HAVE LIVE ELECTION RETURNS HAS SOON THE RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE TOMORROW NIGHT.

    lisd bond election

02.27.10

liberty isd trustees will consider calling an $18.27 mILLION bond election during a special meeting tomorrow at 12:15 in the board room of the administration BUILDING. IF IT ALL COMES TOGETHER AND IS APPROVED BY VOTERS, the money would be used to fund renovations to the district’s aging facilities plus BUILD a new administration building. Kshn previously reported that a lisd facilities task force - composed of local citizens, teachers, and parents - recommended that bond package after touring all the district’s FACILITIES. in order to hold a bond election in may, the liberty school board must CALL AN ELECTION this week. also on the agenda TOMORROW is consideration and possible action for selection of an architect or architects for district projects. during the past two lisd board meetings, trustees have interviewed three ARCHITECTURAL firms concerning their possible INVOLVEMENT in bond-funded projects. representatives from all three firms ALSO DISCUSSED ways they could provide the district assistance to MAKE THE CASE WITH voters if a BOND election is called. with that in mind, lisd trustees have set a special called meeting tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. to consider approval of an order calling for a bond ELECTION totaling $18.27 million. it will be held in the administration building – 1600 grand AVENUE.

primary numbers

03.01.10

EARLY VOTING IN THE DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES ENDED FRIDAY, AND LOCAL TURNOUT WAS STRONG. DURING THE TEN-DAY EARLY VOTING PERIOD – 2,483 EARLY BALLOTS WERE CAST IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY WITH A TOTAL OF 769 DEMOCRAT BALLOTS. THE TREND TOWARD THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY HAVING A LARGER NUMBER OF EARLY VOTING HELD TRUE ACROSS THE FOUR LIBERTY COUNTY VOTING LOCATIONS. AS REPORTED EARLIER IN THE NEWSCAST, TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY WITH POLLS OPEN FROM 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

WEEKEND RECAP

03.01.10

KSHN REPORTED OVER THE WEEKEND ON AN ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION THURSDAY NIGHT AROUND 7:45 P.M. NEAR HULL-DAISETTA HIGH SCHOOL. CONSTABLE PRECINCT 2 LES HULSEY SAID A 9-YEAR-OLD WAS PLAYING WITH TWO OTHER GIRLS ON THE FOOTBALL STADIUM TRACK WHEN SHE WAS ATTACKED BY A MAN. HE REPORTEDLY KNOCKED HER TO THE GROUND AND ATTEMPTED TO DRAG HER AWAY. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTABLE, THE GIRL FOUGHT HER WAY FREE AND RAN HOME. CONSTABLE HULSEY APPREHENDED A MAN IN HIS 20S WHO FIT THE WITNESS’ DESCRIPTION OF HER ATTACKER. ARRESTED WAS 29-YEAR-OLD JASON PERKINS, WITH A LIBERTY ADDRESS. PERKINS IS CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT, A STATE-JAIL FELONY, AND IS BEING HELD IN LIBERTY COUNTY JAIL. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE BOBBY RADER SET BOND AT $10,000. ALSO ON SATURDAY, KSHN REPORTED sales tax allocations SHOW december wasn’t good for area retailers. this month’s sales tax dollars DELIVERED to cities in liberty county were down 22.92 percent compared to the same month last year. sales taxes collected by retailers in december are sent to the state in january and arrive at cities and counties in february. these revenues are then used by the GOVERNMENTAL entities in their budgets. taking a look statewide, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs reports RECEIPTS across TEXAS were down 14.2 percent FOR THE 12^TH STRAIGHT MONTH OF DECLINES. kshn ALSO took a look back at allocations from previous years for COMPARISON. in the city of liberty, this month’s sales tax receipts were $258,173 –significantly less than the 2009 payment of $387,113. however, it is also less than payments for the same month in 2006, 2007 and 2008. in fact, you have to go back to FEBRUARY 2005 to find a lower sales tax INCOME to the city of liberty for the same month. in dayton, this year’s february allocation was $142,881 – that is also less than payments for the same month in 2009, 2008 and 2007. in cleveland, you have to go back to 2007 to find a lower payment for february as compared to this year’s payment.

LITTLE CHANCELLOR AT UT

03.01.10

we reported on this earlier, and last week it became officials. A TIP OF THE HAT GOES TO liberty’s JONATHAN MARK LITTLE HONORED FOR HIS ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW. DURING A February 24^th CEREMONY, 17 STUDENTS WERE INDUCTED INTO what IS KNOWN AS CHANCELLORS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS HONOR SOCIETY. Chancellors was organized in 1912. Each year, the sixteen law students with the highest grade-point averages at the end of their first two years of study are inducted into the honor society. In the case of a tie in grade-point average, as happened this year, more than sixteen students can become Chancellors. THE FOUR U.T. LAW STUDENTS WITH THE HIGHEST GRADE-POINT AVERAGES ARE NAMED OFFICERS, WITH THE TOP STUDENT GETTING THE TITLE GRAND CHANCELLOR. THIS YEAR, THAT most PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LAW SCHOOL HONOR WAS PRESENTED TO liberty high school graduate mark LITTLE, SON OF MIKE AND LISA LITTLE OF LIBERTY.