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Freestone County
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Vol. 14 No. 7
PUBLISHED IN THE FREESTONE COUNTY SEAT, FAIRFIELD, TEXAS
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Bomb Threat Empties Courtroom Third Instance - An Unwelcomed Pattern A
n emptying of the Freestone County Courthouse and surrounding County buildings, due to a bomb threat, is getting to be a habit that Freestone County Sheriff Don Anderson is intent on stopping. The third, recent threat occurred on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, around 12:45 p.m. Each time the caller has been male, with two of the three calls placed to the County Probation Office; the last one was called into the County Clerk’s Office. The messages are very brief, either saying a bomb has been planted in the Courthouse, the Probation Office, or both. “There is a bomb in the Courthouse and a bomb in the Probation Office; get out,” was the phone message on February 11th. On Wednesday, Motion to Revoke Probation (MRP) Court was being held on the third floor, necessitating the evacuation of more individuals than usual. Department of Public Safety troopers blocked off traffic, and the Fairfield Fire Department was on hand to handle an emergency, should one arise. As with the first two calls, Sheriff Anderson recruited
a bomb sniffing dog from Bryan, Texas. This service is provided at no cost to the County.
An “all clear” was called just before 4:00 p.m. “We are narrowing the list of suspects. We will find
the person and have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” promises Sheriff Anderson.
February 27- March 1 Enjoy Indoor & Outdoor Shopping at the historic
Limited Vendors: Fri. 12 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ALL Vendors Open: Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Vendor Inquires Welcome: 903-388-9845 903-389-2633 cedarcmc@hotmail.com RV Hookups Available
Calendar Fairfield
Youth Open Mic Night Feb. 20th - 8 a.m. 127 South Mount Street $5 admission
Inside
Four Sections Classifieds...........Pages 3 & 4-D Viewpoints.................Page 4-A Oil & Gas...................Page 2-D Obituaries..................Page 2-A Real Estate.................Page 3-D
Council Joins School for May Election
VFDs Express Concern e were caught off guard. In the future, you should communicate this better so it does not cause anxiety,” says a Volunteer Fire Fighter from Dew, Texas, regarding being notified that the Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD) in Freestone County will be required to sign a contract with the County, in lieu of the usual Interlocal Agreement. These comments came during the regular meeting of Freestone County Commissioner’s Court on February 16, 2015. The Fireman also said that he felt the VFDs should have been included in any discussions held about the matter. Judge Linda Grant explained that this is the first meeting about the change. She indicted that Attorney Jim Allison had dictated the contract. The gentleman from Dew stated that this action made them contractors and not part of the County. “You’re not now,” Judge
Market Days
W.L. Moody Reunion Grounds 839 E. Hwy. 84, Fairfield
Signing County Contracts “W
Reported by Mary McDonald ____________________
Fairfield
Welcome to a New Year of
Grant said. However, she explained that nothing had changed between the County and VFDs. The County would still provide funding, pay for liability insurance, workman’s comp insurance, and maintain insurance on fire trucks. In addition, the contract has a clause, added by Judge Grant, that allocated funds could be used to assist in building maintenance and upgrading equipment. The VFDs will have an Association Meeting on March 12th in the Fairfield Conference Center at 7:00p.m. Judge Grant will be on hand to explain the dynamics between the County and the VFDs and the necessity to change from an Interlocal Agreement to a legal Contract. In other matters, law enforcement’s 207(k) plan, for determining comp time, still requires some clarification
-ConcernPage 4-A
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THS Names Mr. & Mrs. MR. AND MISS THS WERE NAMED during the Teague Lions’ home game against the Whitney Wildcats on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. Congratulations to Robbie West and Alie Watson! (Photo courtesy of Monte Calame of mcalamephotography)
he City of Fairfield will conduct a joint election with Fairfield Independent School District (FISD) May 9, 2015 at City Hall. Fairfield City Council Place III, currently occupied by David Steward; Place IV – Jerry Don Sanders; and Place V – Kenneth Hughes will be voted on. Two FISD trustee positions, held by President Blake Robinson and Secretary Eric Chavers, will be listed on the ballot. The school board may also seek voter approval for school building bonds. City Manager Jeff Looney presented the council with a cost projection submitted by Hayter Engineering, Inc. of Paris, Texas, providers of engineering services for the City’s future water and wastewater improvements projects. The project is proposed in two phases. Phase One will address the water line from the new water tower on the west side of Interstate 45 South to the tie-in point on
the grounds of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Boyd Unit. Phase Two will deal with modifications to the Boyd Unit’s waste water treatment plant to better meet the needs of TDCJ and the City. Council expressed their approval of the proposal and instructed the company to prepare a contract for review by the City Attorney. Brent Ballard, President of Fairfield Industrial Development Corporation (FIDC), received the council’s approval to extend the term of the FIDC Board’s vicechairman, Andy Awalt for another three years. A contract between the City and the newly formed Fairfield Soccer Association detailing the Association’s use of the Moody Bradley Reunion Ground Fields was reviewed and agreed upon for the 2015 season. Following executive session, council announced the employment of Kevin Bailey, Jr. as police officer. Megan Hempel reporting