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E ye C are
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Date High Low Rain Oct. 21 75 54 Oct. 22 74 50 Oct. 23 81 48 2013 rainfall to date: 24.34 inches. Same date last year: 19.98 inches. Normal through this date: 26.89 inches. Data from the Lampasas Municipal Airport through the National Weather Service.
BRIEFLY LMS program Lampasas Middle School will hold its annual Veterans Day program and lunch Nov. 11. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. at the school cafeteria, and the program will be at 1:15 p.m. at Bozarth-Fowler Gym. All veterans and their families are invited.
Church fest Christ the Rock Church will hold its Fall Fun Festival Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the church, 2514 E. Highway 190. Events are free and include face painting, games, cake walk, candy, prizes, a hay ride and more. For information, phone 512-556-5185.
Squared Silly Vision Lampasas! is holding its annual Squared Silly Saturday from 5-7:30 p.m. on downtown Courtyard Square. There will be a costume contest, bounce house, photo boards, a mini-haunted house, candy stations and more. A new event this year is a haunted house for teens and adults from 8:30-11 p.m. Non-profit groups may qualify for a free vendor booth. For more information, e-mail info@visionlampasas.com.
Welcome The Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual Hunters Welcome is Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the HEB parking lot. Barbecue lunches will be served. They include a Texassize brisket sandwich with pickles and onion, chips, a cookie and a drink of choice. Sack lunches -- at $6 each -- may be delivered for orders of three or more by contacting the chamber at 512-556-5172 by Wednesday.
Cemetery Oak Hill Cemetery’s gates will close at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST
AWARD WINNER 2013
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Volume 108 — Number 86
WEATHER
ST OP
Jim HoffpAuir CHevroLet BuiCK CAdiLLAC
502 S. Key Ave. Lampasas
Friday, October 25, 2013
75 Cents
Congressman: Default on debt not imminent
First of four murder trials set Monday
By JIM LOWE Staff Writer
By LISA CARNLEY Staff Writer One of four suspects in the January murder of 43-year-old Copperas Cove resident Curtis Lee Shed is expected to be on trial Monday in 27th District Court. A pretrial hearing for Frank James Muns, 31, is set today. Muns was arrested Jan. 27 in connection with Shed’s murder. The Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office has said Shed and two other persons traveled to County Road 3300 in Kempner, where they got into an altercation with a group of individuals shortly after midnight on Jan. 27. Gunshots were fired, and Shed was struck, along with Muns, said Sheriff David Whitis. Shed’s companions fled to Copperas Cove in a vehicle, where Shed’s body later was discovered. The suspects left the area prior to the arrival of law See MURDER, page 8A
Three Sections
Salute to veterans
PHOTO BY LISA CARNLEY
Keystone Square Museum’s newest exhibit, “Duty, Honor, Country: Saluting Fort Hood and Our Veterans” is open for viewing. A number of military- and war-related artifacts are on display. Here, Robert Mattson, curator for the exhibit, shows an original 1860 model U.S. light Cavalry sword from the Mr. and Mrs. Bill Fannin collection. The exhibit continues through Nov. 23, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Veterans Day Nov. 11. Additional photos of the special salute can be found on page 3A in today’s edition.
U.S. Rep. Roger Williams – in town earlier this week before he headed back to Washington, D.C. – said Congress has “got to balance the books.” A partial governmental shutdown, extension of the federal debt ceiling and continued debate on the Affordable Care Act – or “Obamacare” – has dominated the news in recent weeks. The Weatherford Republican said America’s national debt, now more than $17 trillion, “has got to be addressed.” Last week, the U.S. Senate and House voted to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. But the bill gave no specific dollar amount for the debt limit, Williams said. Lawmakers agreed to readdress the issue next February, he noted. But he disputes the notion that a default is imminent. “It’s not a cash-flow problem,” he said. “It’s a spending problem.” Projections show the government will collect more
Roger Williams than $3 trillion in revenue through the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, he indicated. Interest on the U.S. debt amounts to about $250 billion, Williams said. The cash flow cited by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is enough to pay the military and service the U.S. debt, Williams said. “We’re not going to default,” the North Texas car dealer and rancher said. Bondholders want the federal government to pay on Please see U.S., page 8A
Not too late for flu shot, hospital official says By LISA CARNLEY Staff Writer An official from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported that more than 200,000 Americans land in the hospital each year because of influenza, and anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 die annually of complications from the flu. Adults age 65 and older are particularly vulnerable to influenza and its consequences, said the health department official. They account for 60 percent of flu-
related hospitalizations and 90 percent of the deaths. While the ideal time to get a flu shot is October, people are encouraged to get a vaccination anytime through March, said Ashley Underwood, Rollins Brook Community Hospital’s director of nurses. “The key is to keep the flu from spreading, and the more people who get vaccinated, the fewer people who get sick in our community,” Mrs. Underwood said. It takes two weeks for protection to develop after receiving a flu shot, and the shot provides protection for up to a year, the Rollins Brook nurse said.
This year’s vaccine is designed to fight the same strains that were prevalent the previous flu season, she said. “The shot is targeting influenza A, influenza B and the H1N1 virus [swine flu],” Mrs. Underwood said. Manufacturers likely will produce 135 million to 139 million doses of flu vaccine this year – down from 140 million last year, but up from the 133 million two years ago. “A shortage of flu vaccine is not expected to be an issue this year,” Mrs. Underwood said. The CDC urges everyone six months of age and Please see VACCINE, page 8A
Sales tax growth continues across area By GAIL LOWE Staff Writer Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has announced that state sales tax revenues continue to grow at a moderate pace, reflecting an increase now for 42 consecutive months. Growth in the most recent reporting period was led by collections from the construction, telecommunications and retail sectors, Mrs. Combs said. Although none of the cities in the immediate Central Texas region can boast of consecutive revenue increases for 42 months, local sales tax receipts for 2013 remain solid when compared to the comparable months of 2012. All but San Saba have recorded gains over last year in their cumulative sales taxes. Sales tax totals through October stand at $1.17 million for the city of Lampasas (up 4 percent for the year), $104,363 for Kempner (up 10 percent this year) and at $52,286 for Lometa (up 12 percent for 2013). Lampasas County has a 10-month cumulative total of $581,750 in sales tax receipts – up 18 percent from 2012. Monthly allocations this period also were good for most cities
COME SEE THE ALL NEW
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in the area. October rebates are based on sales made in August. While the October check to Lampasas fell $81 or 0.07 percent short of the $115,499 the city collected for the same month last year, the negligible drop was not enough to make a dent in the 2013 rate of growth thus far. Lampasas remains ahead of 2012 sales tax receipts by almost $45,000 with two months remaining. Kempner posted a 6 percent increase this period with its October payment of $11,041, while the city of Lometa recorded a 16 percent jump with its $6,531 rebate. Lampasas County also had a 6 percent gain in October, as its half-percent sales tax levy amounted to $53,436 for the month. The largest percentage increase this period among cities in the surrounding counties was noted by Goldthwaite. Its payment of $35,404 represents a 57 percent gain for October and follows a 37 percent rise in September. Those two months have been responsible for pulling Goldthwaite back into positive territory for 2013, as its sales tax rebates earlier in the year trailed Please see SALES, page 8A
First state Bank oF Burnet
PHOTO BY LISA CARNLEY
Hazmat drill
The Lampasas Fire Department -- under Capt. Joe Adams -- took the lead in a drill to test emergency responders’ readiness in the event of a hazardous waste leak in the community. Windsor Foods was the site of the drill Tuesday where response teams worked to contain a simulated anhydrous ammonia spill at the local food plant. Also assisting were Capital EMS personnel and volunteer emergency medical technicians from surrounding communities. A dummy was employed in a chemical decontamination and cleansing demonstration that involved a number of Rollins Brook Commuity Hospital personnel. The drill was staged by Hazmat Specialties Unlimited of Belton, which provides consultations and education for Hazmat responders. See related photos, page 10B.
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