TAFT LIBRARY ARCHIVES GOING ONLINE ... PAGE 2 "No government ought to be without censors & where the press is free, no one ever will!" – Thomas Jefferson, 1792
Vol. 107 • No. 28
75¢
– THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF SAN PATRICIO COUNTY SINCE 1908 –
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Aleman admits neglect
PLAYFUL PEN PALS
Plea deal accepted before horse torture trial could begin By Jason Clay Jansky News Editor
SINTON – A man accused of stabbing a horse accepted a plea deal from the district attorney’s office just before jury selection began at his felony animal cruelty trial. Arturo Aleman had twice previously refused plea deals, but District Attorney Michael Welborn said he agreed to plea to misdemeanor charges. Jason Clay Jansky photo
Zane Taylor of St. Cloud, Florida (left), goofs around while taking part in Sinton Public Library arts and crafts activities Wednesday alongside Sinton residents Jaclyn Flores and Luke Villarreal. Taylor is in Sinton visiting his father for the summer. The Sinton Public Library hosts regular weekly activities and events. See Page 10 for more information.
‘Country music saved my life’ Local singer’s tunes go from Sinton to L.A.
By Jason Clay Jansky News Editor
SINTON – A local country music singer is getting national attention after a song of his made an appearance in an award-winning independent documentary. Patrick Wayne has been content playing small oneman shows at the Butter Churn, but a rodeo came through town back in February, and Wayne’s music was discovered by the star of a film that was in development. “Man in the Can” follows the life of rodeo clown Ronald Burton as he travels and performs across the nation. He just happened to run into Wayne by chance when the rodeo came through Sinton early this year. “I sang him a few songs. Then he showed me this trailer for ‘Man in the Can.’ I thought it was awesome, and he asked me if I could write a song about it,”
Wayne said. “A few days later, these words just came to mind. I sung it to a buddy of mine, and we came up with some ideas.” Wayne put together a demo, gave it to Burton and was soon speaking to movie executives from Los Angeles. “He was astounded. He gave the video to the movie director and next thing you know, I’ve got a phone call from the director, and she said she wanted to do a music video for the movie,” Wayne said. For him, music has been not only a hobby and a way to make a little spending money, it’s also been his refuge from the storms in life. He lost both his parents at the age of 17 before he ever picked up a guitar or graduated high school. “Country music saved my life. After my parents Contributed photo died, I felt like I wanted Sinton country music singer Patrick Wayne performs in his music to fall apart,” he said. “It’s video for “Man in the Can,” a song he wrote for an award-winning documentary about a rodeo clown. (See Country, 3)
Aleman also will be responsible for paying restitution to caretakers that incurred veterinary expenses on behalf of the injured horse. The court will determine in a hearing Friday the amount of restitution owed. Restitution in a previously-proposed plea deal was set at $7,000; it is unknown if the court will set a similar amount. Welborn said his office plans to submit all the veterinarian bills Rockport Horse Rescue incurred after they took custody of a horse belonging to Aleman. Horse rescuers named her Yanaha and attempted to mend the stab wound, which had been inflicted in the genital area. Aleman was later charged with felony animal cruelty but maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal. His charges were bumped down to Class A misdemeanor animal neglect as part of the plea agreement. Aleman continues to maintain that he did not stab the horse. The plea agreement required him to sign an admission of guilt, but references to intentional assault or torture of Yanaha were removed and replaced with less incriminating language. The new affidavit has Aleman admitting he tortured the horse “by failing to seek and provide necessary care.” The previous agreement Aleman refused to sign would have implicated him in the injury itself. Welborn said he’s satisfied with the outcome of the case. “We just kind of stuck to our guns, and he finally decided he was going to admit his guilt, and that’s the main thing I wanted him to do,” he said. “We’ll have some recommendations about conditions of probation.” Some of those conditions, he said, will include his office asking the presiding judge to restrict Aleman from animal ownership for the duration of his probation.
Crops good, but harvest could be in trouble got good yields coming ... but this year the sorghum Harvesting has kicked is still in the 20 percent off on some area farms (moisture range). Grain with grain sorghum and corn coming in, e normally but many area farmlike to harers are left waiting for their fields to dry out vest all the sorthanks to a wet winghum and go to ter. By Jason Clay Jansky News Editor
‘W
the corn, but this
Plenty of fields are dry enough for equip- year’s going to be ment to get in, but the entirely different.’ problem with the har— Charles Ring San Patricio County farmer vest comes down to the plant’s internal moisture system, according sorghum needs to be at 14 to San Patricio County to deliver.” farmer Charles Ring. That means a few “We’re in an area that’s prayers, crossing some fingers and watching the skies hoping they stay clear and sunny. Ring said his corn Jason Clay Jansky photo actually is drier than A harvester makes its way through a field of grain sorghum north of Taft Monday. Some farmers are in full harvest mode, but an extremely wet winter has delayed the maturity of other crop fields in the county. (See Cotton, 11)