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Freestone County
Sports News (Page 1-C)
Honor Rolls (Page 2-C)
Independent News That Matters
One Dollar
Vol. 16 No. 3
PUBLISHED IN THE FREESTONE COUNTY SEAT, FAIRFIELD, TEXAS
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Judge Reverses Course ALL Criminal Cases Transferred to 77th District Courtroom A
LL criminal cases were removed from the 87th District Court in Freestone County last week by Judge Deborah Oakes Evans, following several weeks of protest by local attorneys in the form of official letters and formal Motions. At issue is the mother-son relationship between Judge Evans and newly elected County Attorney Brian Evans. A camera crew from KWTX Channel 10 News of Waco visited the county seat of Fairfield last week to investigate the matter. News reporter, Ke’Sha Lopez, interviewed one Fairfield attorney, but stated during the Tuesday evening broadcast that neither the judge, nor the county attorney, made themselves available to speak with her, on or off camera. (A link to the Channel 10 video broadcast is provided online at www.FreestoneCountyTimes.com with the Top Headlines article, “Judge Showered With Motions.”) As reported in last week’s Freestone County
Times edition, Groesbeck attorney David E. Moore filed one of the Motions to Recuse on behalf of one of his clients. Though, in his December 27th letter to Judge Evans, Moore relates consulting with every one of his Freestone County clients, stating that, “…not a single one of them believes it would be in their best interest to have their case presided over by the mother of the prosecutor trying to send them to prison. I don’t disagree with their belief.” The Motion filed by Moore requested that Judge Evans either recuse herself within three days, or forward the matter to Administrative District Judge Olin Underwood for a hearing on the matter. According to court documents, Judge Evans granted the recusal on January 9, 2017 without the need for an administrative hearing.
-Judge ReversesPage 3-A
Fairfield Attorney Chad Morgan had also filed Motions to Disqualify or Recuse Judge Evans on behalf of four of his clients. These were granted by the judge, as well. In fact, all of the eighteen criminal cases originally scheduled for Judge Evans’ court last week on Friday, January 13th were transferred to the court of 77th District Judge Patrick Simmons – even those cases that did not include a formal Motion to Recuse. According to the Channel 10 news report, legal experts say that a judge with such a close family relationship should have recused herself without attorneys being forced to file motions. Up until her actions last week, Judge Evans has maintained that the mother-son relationship was not a conflict, based on the alleged advice she says she received from the Judicial Ethics Commission. Initially, Judge Evans had proposed reducing her court’s criminal case load by presiding over State jail and 3rd degree felonies, with cases being presented
Indoor - Outdoor
SHOPPING
January 27 - 29, 2017
Fairfield Market Days Antiques, Collectibles, Tools, Toys, Produce, Arts & Crafts and more!
Come spend the day at the historic
W.L. Moody Reunion Grounds 839 E. Hwy. 84 in Fairfield, Texas Limited Vendors: Fri. 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. ALL Vendors Open: Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Vendor Inquires Welcome: 903-388-9845 903-389-2633 cedarcmc@hotmail.com RV Hookups Available
Next Stop: Teague, Texas Railroad Town a Treasure Hunter’s Paradise T
he coming of the railroad in 1906 turned a little village called Brewer into a fast-growing city with two banks, several hotels, a city park and an opera house. This bustling city quickly acquired electric lights and a telephone exchange that supported more businesses than you could count. While life in downtown Teague proceeds at a somewhat slower pace today, as the last passenger rail left town in the 1960’s, there is still a great deal of activity in this small town, for those who know where to look. Shopping for Treasures Perhaps one of the town’s best kept secrets is Bodine’s Place on South Fifth Street that houses a full block of second hand antiques, collectibles, and “junk” collected by the Fairfield’s Akeem Jackson goes up for two Eagle points late Jay Fain Bodine. For true in last week’s game against District rival, the Mexia Blackcats. junkies, this is the ultimate For more sports coverage, turn to page C-1. place to dig for those unique (Photo by Melissa Lee)
treasures. Teague is also home to several thrift stores and resale shops. That’s not all, as the downtown area has a gift shop, a vintage store and even an art gallery that hosts painting parties. At least once a year, the Chamber of Commerce hosts a Main Street Garage Sale. Residents set up their items on the sidewalk along the downtown strip. Historic Downtown Teague is known for its historic homes (often hosting a tour at Christmas time) and turn of the century buildings. The old train depot now serves as the B-RI Railroad
Museum, housing an extensive collection of artifacts and photographs. Nearby, the Teague Hotel has been an ongoing project for the Teague Historical Preservation Society. New windows were installed and the first floor renovations completed for the community to use. Annual Events Home to the largest amateur rodeo, the City of Teague pulls out all the stops for their annual July Fourth Rodeo. Prior to the three-day event, businesses decorate for Western Week, the Chamber of Commerce cook up tasty hamburgers and a patriotic parade kicks off the first night
of rodeo fun. Halloween is a big deal in this small town. Costumed kids, and their parents, trickor-treat from house to house, sometimes catching up with an impromptu hayride. Christmas brings the yearly Parade of Lights, along with visits with Santa (who typically arrives by train). Find Out More Check out our advertisers in this week’s edition, for more information about shopping and services in Teague and the surrounding area. Stay tuned next week as we highlight the Oil Boom town of Wortham along with the Streetman area. Karen Leidy reporting.
City Admin. Resigns Calendar Alderman Search to Fill Key Positions
T
he City of Teague begins 2017 searching for a new City Administrator, following the voluntary resignation of Judy Keally on Friday, January 6th. Keally, formerly Teague’s City Secretary, was appointed as Interim City Administrator in April of 2013 following the abrupt resignation of City Administrator Vince DiMaggio. Mrs. Keally was hired to the position in July of that year. Her letter of resignation was accepted by Aldermen during the City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 16th. Mayor Earnest Pack has appointed Theresa Prasil, the City’s bookkeeper, as Interim City Administrator until a qualified replacement can be found. Mayor Pack and Aldermen will now begin the search for a new City Administrator, in addition to their ongoing pursuit of a Public Works Director. Keep up with The “Times” for updates on the City’s efforts to fill these key positions. Megan Hempel reporting
Teague
Freestone Co. Art League
January 21 - 10am Church of Christ Fellowship Hall Oil Painting Demo
Fairfield Open House
January 24 - 4-6pm Freestone Medical Center Refreshments, Giveaways
Inside Four Sections Classifieds...........Pages 3 & 4-D Viewpoints.................Page 4-B Oil & Gas...................Page 2-B Obituaries..................Page 2-A Real Estate.................Page 4-D
Traffic Detoured by Fire FRIDAY THE 13TH was not without incident in Freestone County when an 18 wheeler caught fire, shutting down Highway 84 in Teague for most of the afternoon. According to Lieutenant DeWayne Philpott of the Teague Police Department, the driver of the truck noticed smoke while stopped at Teague Mart/Sonic on Loop 255. The driver attempted to battle the flames himself with a fire extinguisher but the blaze eventually consumed the cab of the truck. Fortunately the driver escaped injury. Teague Police and Fire Department, as well as Fairfield Fire Department responded to put out the fire. Traffic was restricted for a time afterwards as crews cleared debris, and removed oil and diesel from the roadway. (Photo submitted)
440 W. Interstate 45, Fairfield x 903-389-2764 x 888-509-5383 x MetalMarts.com