Commissioners to meet Monday, will consider Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution

Red River County Commissioners will have their last regular meeting of 2019 on Monday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m. at the courthouse annex.

The agenda is as follows:

1) Call the Commissioners Court Meeting to Order.

2) Call the roll.

3) Consider for approval minutes from the previous meeting of the Commissioners Court.

4) Public Comments.

5) Consider for approval Order Setting Terms of the Constitutional County Court for 2020.

6) Consider for approval Order Designating Day of the Week Commissioners Court will meet.

7) Consider for approval Resolution to Declare Red River County a Second Amendment Sanctuary. The resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States is the Supreme Law of our Nation. The Second Amendment to the Constitution states “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”; andWHEREAS, the Texas Constitution, Article 1, Section 23, states “Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State.”  Due to dual sovereignty structure of the Constitution, the Federal Government has no authority to enforce State laws and the states cannot be compelled to endorse Federal laws; and
WHEREAS, the last protectors of the U.S. Constitution are the County Sheriffs and “We the People of the United States of America”, and our ability to fulfill that role successfully rests on our Second Amendment rights. We, the People of Red River County, Texas, through this Resolution, hereby declare our rights, our freedom and our liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America, andWHEREAS, it is the desire of the Red River County Commissioners Court to declare its support of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution protecting citizens inalienable and individual right to keep and bear arms. The members of the Red River County Commissioners Court took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution, the Constitution of the State of Texas, and the laws of the State of Texas, insofar as they are constitutional; andTHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Commissioners of Red River County, by the authority granted to the Commissioners by the laws of the State of Texas, and the people of Red River County, Texas, to stand and defend their rights and liberties, which are guaranteed by the United States and Texas Constitutions, are hereby declared
RED RIVER COUNTY A SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY COUNTY
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Commissioners Court affirms its support for the duly elected Sheriff of Red River County, Texas in the exercise of his discretion, affirms his resolve to support decisions by our Sheriff to uphold the laws of the State of Texas and to uphold the Constitution of the State of Texas and the United States.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Commissioners Court will not authorize or appropriate government funds, resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, detention centers, or offices for the purpose of enforcing laws that have been found to unconstitutionally infringe of the rights of the citizens of Red River in the State of Texas.APPROVED by the Red River County Commissioners Court on this, the 23rd day of December, 2019.L.D. Williamson, County Judge

8) Consider for approval Resolution for Joint Primary Election to be held on March 3, 2020, and if necessary, the Primary Runoff Election on May 26, 2020.

9) Consider for approval moving Box #2 from St. Paul Methodist Church, 403 W. Pierce Street to the First Baptist Church, located at 1501 US Hwy 82 Bypass, Clarksville.

10) Consider for approval Resolution for Appointment of Mac Varley to a new two-year term on the Red River Appraisal Board of Directors to begin January 1, 2020.

11) Consider for approval accepting Request for Proposal for Administrative Services for the TDHCA HOME Program.

12) Consider for approval renewal of bond for County Auditor Camille Hines.

13) Consider for approval accepting donations to Pct. #2, as follows: - $2,000 from James Easley for rock on CR 2221. - $1,000 from Charley Louie for rock on CR 2221.

14) Read into the minutes Certificate of Completion of Participation at the 2019 School for County Tax Assessor-Collectors for Tonya Martin.

15) Consider for approval line item transfers.

16) Consider for approval budget amendments.

17) Consider for approval all valid claims.

18) Adjourn.

Rep. Ratcliffe statement on vote against Trump impeachment

WASHINGTON – Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) issued the following statement on his vote against the impeachment of President Trump:

“In a betrayal of the Constitution, Democrats finally got what they’ve been gunning for since the very day President Trump was duly elected to serve in the Oval Office. Despite failing miserably in their prolonged, desperate campaign to frame him for crimes he didn’t commit, they moved forward with a vote to remove a sitting president from office based on nothing more than their personal and political opposition.

“This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen – rooted in a congratulatory phone call where there are no crimes alleged, where there is no victim, and where Democrats themselves could never decide what to even accuse the president of doing wrong. The Founders intended impeachment to be used for actions so extraordinary that it would happen only three times in almost 2 1/2 centuries. Alexander Hamilton warned of impeachment being used politically by the party that had the most votes. Today’s impeachment is the Founders’ worst nightmare.

“When voters go to the polls next November, I hope they’ll hold Democrats accountable for wasting countless hours and taxpayer dollars on this disgraceful impeachment hoax that was designed to control the outcome of the 2020 election.”

Christmas on Main Street is Saturday

Clarksville’s gala Christmas on Main Street will be held from 3:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. It will include a free outdoor showing of “The Polar Express” with free popcorn and hot chocolate, with the movie to start at 6 p.m. sponsored by Peek Insurance. Oncor has agreed to temporarily dim nearby street lights for better viewing conditions. 

There will be wagon rides starting at 5:30 p.m., and an-other fun downtown scavenger hunt will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Correct entries will be eligible for prize money donated by Clarksville PRIDE.

The drawing for the Scavenger Hunt, as well as the $500 gift card and the two turkeys, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Entry forms have been printed in the Clarksville Times (see Page 2) and may be filled out and dropped off at any of these participating businesses:

Vintaj Cowgirl, High Cotton Boutique, Victoria’s Antiques, 101 Mercantile, Clarksville PRIDE, Red River County Historical Society, Clarksville Main Street, Carriage House-Clarksville, Two Rivers Antiques, G’s Farmhouse Finds, Radio Shack, Cheryl’s Fashions, Penny’s Christmas Creations at Italian Bistro, Clarksville Florist, and Simply Southern.

Downtown businesses will be open until late for shoppers, until 7 p.m., on Thursdays Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. There will be special activities each of these Thursday nights. There will be a paint party at Simply Southern.

On Dec. 12 there will be a magic show from 5-6 p.m. and then a visit from the Grinch from 6-7 p.m. in the building Pride’s Corner in the southeast corner of the square. The Clarksville Community Choir will sing on the square at 6 p.m. on Dec. 19. There will also be another visit from Santa Claus.

Three dead following Johntown explosion

Red River County Press Release

On 10/13/2019 at approximately 1:35 pm The Red River County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Private Road in the rule area of Johntown. The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call advising a residential structure had exploded which possibly had three people inside.

It was believed that the explosion happened on 10/12/2019 at approximately 7:00pm and First Responders were notified when a family member went to check on a love one that they were not able to get ahold of since the previous day. It is unknown at this time what the cause was for the explosion and the bodies of three individuals have been recovered.  The names of the deceased are not being released at this time due to it still being an ongoing investigation.

Multiple Agencies assisted the Red River County Sheriff’s Office including the Bogata Fire Department, The Talco Fire Department, The Paris Fire Department, The Longview Fire Department, The Bogata Police Department, DPS, The State Fire Marshall’s, The Highway Department, and many more.

Sheriff Jimmy Caldwell would like to thank all of the different Agencies that responded and assisted with this tragic accident.

The fair from the air!

This week's paper has extensive coverage of the Red River County Fair held last weekend. This is an aerial photo of the fairgrounds taken last Saturday from overhead by Tom Trissell.

Coming this week!

This is the aftermath of a deadline - I like to make printouts of the pages before I send the paper to the press to see it in hard copy first. This week's paper has 12 pages, including 20 photos from the county fair or parade.

Opinion

Time to invest in Clarksville’s future

By LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

Nobody likes to pay taxes, but most people also know taxes are an investment in your community.

If it weren’t for taxes, we wouldn’t have paved streets, running water or public education. Perhaps we have become too comfortable with such things.

Remember a few weeks ago when an eight-inch water main blew out downtown and much of the city lacked water all day? Pretty inconvenient, wasn’t it? Billions of people live in countries where the norm is that you have to fetch water every day and bring it to your home. How would you like to have to walk to Langford Lake every morning to get your daily water for cooking and bathing?

People complain about potholes but seldom notice how many miles there are without potholes. In many countries muddy tracks are all that pass for roads.

Nobody likes to waste money, but when you stop and think how money is applied by government you realize a lot more is accomplished than we think.

Free public education is the keystone of a civil society. There may be flaws in the system, and not everybody uses the system as they should, but can you imagine what it would be like if there were no schools, and children were allowed to grow up unsupervised and uneducated?

There are countries around the world where millions have no paved roads and no public water system – but children still don uniforms and report to a school house every morning.

Our children and our future are pretty important, and I think the request by the Clarksville ISD for a small tax increase is very reasonable.

I’m not a Clarksville native, which is good sometimes because I feel I can look at things without prior opinions or family associations getting in the way.

Clarksville’s schoolchildren are respectful, hard working and well-educated. It’s amazing to see how well they represent themselves, to the community as well as others when they travel out-of-town for events.

The money invested in their education will send out ripples into the future. We will all benefit, both as individuals and businesses.

This is no time to engage in the usual small-town negative gossip and back-biting. Let’s allow out better natures to come forward, and show our children as well as others around us that Clarksville cares.

School trustees meet Monday

There is a very important special called meeting of the school trustees Monday night. Please read the agenda and attend!

Cheatham Reunion

Clarksville Times Photo by Bruce E. Williams

Class of 1969 members gather for a group picture as the Cheatham Reunion banquet comes to a close at the Clarksville High School cafetorium on this past Saturday night. For the complete story and many more photos, see this week's Clarksville Times

Monday was one of the worst days in my life

By LOU ANTONELLI
Managing Editor

I’m 62 years old, and after such a long period I’ve had many bad days in my lifetime. But Monday was one of the worst.

Now, I can accept bad times somewhat better when it’s simply fate and bad luck that conspires against you. But rotten days are harder to swallow when they’re caused by people who are ignorant, incompetent, and won’t do their job.

Patricia has been going through some hard times with illness recently. It all stems from her suffering from acid reflux disease. A few months ago she had an attack so bad she developed asthma from aspirating acid, and was prescribed an inhaler.

At the start of last week she was having some symptoms which seem to be related to this ongoing problem. Wednesday she went to the doctor, who prescribed more inhalers and medicine.

Her recovery has been slow, and this Monday she was concerned she really wasn’t getting any better, so we called the doctor’s office again.

As you probably know, once a doctor has done all they think they can, if you continue to present symptoms, they will advise you to go to a hospital emergency room. Which we did.

Now the hospitals in Paris and Mount Pleasant are both closer, but since our health insurance is with the Christus/St. Michael’s system, we decided to go to that hospital in Texarkana.

Big mistake. Very big mistake.

Despite having health insurance and paying hundreds of dollars for a co-pay, we were treated like scum at Christus St. Michael’s. We arrived at 1 p.m. and finally walked away at 8 p.m. Patricia never got a report or a consult with a doctor. It was a waste of time and worse, a rip-off, because they took our money under false pretenses.

They claimed she would get treated, and she wasn’t. Worse than medical malpractice, they are guilty of business fraud.

Now, scam artists are used to being yelled at by people who they rip off, so while I did have some choice words for these fakers, it produced no reaction rather than a stony reptilian face of unconcern. However , I do have the unique satisfaction of getting my pound of flesh by lambasting these crooks in print, so here is a record of what they did, plus you can enjoy my invective.

The emergency room at Christus St. Micheals looked and sounds like the waiting room for hell. It is small and stuff with cheap seats. Its size only makes the groans and crying of its inhabitants reverberate all the more. Not all the crying is by children.

When we arrived, Patricia was taken to “triage”, and later sent to have x-rays, a cardiogram and blood drawn, so there was some work done. What it all meant, I have no idea, since we received no report.

By 5 p.m., after sitting in that anteroom of hell that’s the emergency waiting area all afternoon, we were ready to leave and try something else. I asked for a refund of our money, but they said once you see a doctor you don’t get a refund – and a doctor was present at triage.

Ah-hah, that’s how you run that flim-flam. Run people quickly into triage so you can legally justify ripping them off, they make them wait forever, and hope they go away.

Like we ultimately did.

The staff tried to justify their malfeasance by saying they were really busy. Well then, they need to stop checking people in if they can’t provide services.

At approximately 7 p.m. they called for Patricia. We hoped she would finally see a doctor, but instead they said – get this, now – that because her blood sample was over three hours old, they had to take another one.

At this point, I told them in some choice language that was caused by them making us wait all day. By the time I was done they called a security guard.

I shut up and they made all sort of false apologies and stupid justifications, and said she would be able to see a doctor soon. At 8 p.m. we gave up, walked out and drove home.

We learned a few lessons from this. First, it’s probably smarter to visit another health care provider and get a second opinion than to go to an emergency room.

Second, never, ever go to the Christus St. Michael’s emergency room. I had a positive opinion of the system because of our health insurance. Perhaps worse than being ripped off, I feel betrayed.

Patricia seems to be recovering after all. Maybe the shock of her mistreatment at the hands of the callous crooks at St. Michael’s had some positive effect.

I hope some day each of the uncaring, incompetent and inept people we dealt with Monday at Christus St. Michael’s is in the same position we were – sick, afraid and frustrated, staring at people doing to them what they did to us.

In the meantime, my only satisfaction is that they fell into the trap of picking on someone who buys his ink by the barrel and his paper by the ton.

Commissioner cleans up roadsides

Clarksville Times Photo by Lou Antonelli A tractor hauls the blade vertically and trims along the right of way on Taylor Street Monday morning.

By LOU ANTONELLIManaging Editor Residents in the southwest corner of Clarksville have been hearing loud buzzing sounds on the breeze for the past few weeks. That’s because Precinct 3 Commissioner Jeff Moore has been using his public works equipment to trim tree limbs and branches overhanging roads and sidewalks. The City of Clarksville, always struggling to keep up with clean up efforts, got a great boost from Moore when he recently volunteered to have his employees to the trimming in the parts of the city in his precinct. That includes the southwest and northeast parts of the city, which are connected on the map by a strip running through downtown and including the square. Mayor Ann Rushing says the city is grateful Moore volunteered to help. "This has been a great benefit to us,” she said. Moore is using a mower blade on a boom which can be elevated at any angle. It’s usually used to clear out ditches. The city has agreed to do the clean-up, following after his cutting with a backhoe to scrape up the limbs and branches. By mid-week Moore was planning to trim along Donohoo, which may require lanes be blocked for a while..

Boil Water Notice for Community Public Water Systems June 22, 2019

City Utility Director Matt McAdoo uses a backhoe to start tearing off the pavement.

Due to a water main break at the intersection of Church and Locust, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the City of Clarksville public water system to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).

 You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Matt McAdoo with the City of Clarksville at 903-427-3834.

The Clarksville Public Works Department is currently making repairs to the water line and should have the water restored soon to the residents that are affected. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience while we repair the water line that is affected. The public water system customers and the executive director shall be able to reach the public water system at one of the numbers listed in this notice.

If a customer, individual, or employee wishes to contact the executive director, please call (512) 239-4691.

Three sought on drug charges

 The Red River County Sheriff’s Office needs your help locating the people in these photographs.

Nathan Ray Champ Thomas of Red River County is wanted for Multiple Counts of Manufacture or Delivery of Substances in Penalty Group 1 which are Felony Warrants. Nathan Thomas is 29 years old and is described to be 6’08” tall, 180lbs, with brown hair and green eyes.

Jackson

Thomas

Burns

Arlo Docion Burns of Red River County is wanted for Multiple Counts of Manufacture or Delivery of Substances in Penalty Group 1 which are Felony Warrants. Arlo Burns is 45 years old and is described to be 6’06” tall, 160lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.

Jacquelyn Nichol Jackson of Red River County is wanted for Manufacture or Delivery of Substances in Penalty Group 1which is a Felony Warrant. Jacquelyn Jackson is 31 years old and is described to be 5’03” tall, 240lbs, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

If you have any information that might lead to the arrest of any of these people, you remain anonymous, and if your information leads to his arrest you become eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

There are multiple ways to leave a tip:

• www.785tips.com or www.427tips,com
• 903-785-TIPS or 903-427-TIPS
• www.P3Tips.com
• Smartphone app P3 Tips

Lamar and Red River County Crime Stoppers will not pay rewards for information provided through any source other than calls to its program. Calls may be made to Lamar County Crime Stoppers by any method mentioned above.

Times takes four awards in annual press competition

The North and East Texas Press Association held its annual convention April 4-6 in Tyler. The award winners in the Better Newspaper Contest were announced at a luncheon Saturday.

The Clarksville Times took four awards in the Medium-sized weekly newspaper category.

Ed Pryor won second place for Column Writing. Lou Antonelli won two writing awards, third place for News and third place for Features. The Times took 4th place in Headline Writing.

Operation Big Red Culminates in nine Arrests in Red River County

Approximately 100 law enforcement officers from across Texas converged on Clarksville, Texas, this morning to arrest nine men and women who now face federal and state drug charges, U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced today.

The operation today involved approximately 100 law enforcement officers. Seven entry teams, including four SWAT teams, executed search and arrest warrants throughout the Clarksville area. This operation comes at the culmination of a multi-year investigation that has already led to the arrest and prosecution of four federal defendants - Brian Bradley Beers, Kevin Wayne Guess, James Wayne Johnson, and Billy Carl Webb, Jr. - and two state defendants. The investigation also led to the identification, arrest, and conviction of Marvin Earl Baty for a murder he committed in Oklahoma.

The following agencies were involved in the operation today: Texas Department of Public Safety, including the Special Response Team, Special Weapons and Tactics Team, Criminal Investigation Division, Aircraft Operations Division, Highway Patrol Division, Victim Services, and Communications Services; Red River County Sheriff’s Office; Clarksville Police Department; Mt. Pleasant Police Department SWAT team; Texas Parks and Wildlife; Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Marshals Service; and Texas Child Protective Services.

U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown also announced today that seven Clarksville, Texas, men have been charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine. Marvin Earl Baty, a 44-year-old man, Jacory Dewayne Coulter, a 33-year-old man, Gregory Lamont Dillard, a 48-year-old man, Victor Gonzales, a 44-year-old man, Miguel Angel Hernandez, a 57-year-old man, and Neopholis Dontray Scales, a 33-year-old man, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on February 20, 2019. Four defendants have been arrested and will appear today before Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas.

According to the indictment, beginning in or before January 2016, Baty, Coulter, Dillard, Gonzales, Hernandez, and Scales conspired to possess with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine. Additionally, the indictment alleges that during that time each defendant possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

If convicted, Baty, Coulter, Dillard, Gonzales, Hernandez, and Scales, face a minimum of ten years and as much as life in federal prison.

This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Red River County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.

The Red River County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with Operation Big Red has so far obtained State Indictments for Manufacture or Delivery of Substances in Penalty Group 1 on twelve defendants. George Edward Proby Jr., a 43-year-old man, Evelyn Jean Owens Proby, a 51-year-old woman, Sarah Elizabeth Teas, a 33-year-old woman, Delbert Bernett King III, a 39-year-old man, Krystal Shantell Forte, a 38-year-old woman, Wiley Joe Bates, a 41-year-old man, and Edward Ellis Taylor, a 56-year-old man. All defendants are from the Red River County area. This is an on-going investigation which may result in additional charges and arrests.

These cases are also being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Red River County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Red River County Attorney Val Varley.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Former Clarksville Postmaster Jerry Lester passes away

Jerry Ray Lester, age 81, of Clarksville, passed away, Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at his residence. Jerry was born, January 1, 1938, in Terrell to Edgar P. and Willie Nichols Lester. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Betty Aslin. Jerry retired after thirty-five years with the U.S. Postal Service and was Postmaster for the City of Clarksville. He served in the U.S. Navy and was an avid sports fan. Jerry was an exceptional softball pitcher and pitched for the U.S. Navy Softball Team. He brought his talents back home and struck out many a batter in the summer softball leagues. Jerry also coached several youth baseball teams through the years.

Graveside services are scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at Aikin Grove Cemetery with Rev. James Brown officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Clarksville Funeral Home.

Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Mildred Barger Lester of Clarksville; one son, Justin Lester of Clarksville; two daughters, Janette Braden of Clarksville and Lorri Olglesby and husband, Donnie of New Boston; cousins, Roby Johnson of Kaufman, Leon Lester of Wills Point and Stephen Johnson of Lubbock, eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.clarksvillefuneralhome.com.

New tourism promotion

Painting of the first quilt blocks to promote the Historic Red River County Barn Quilt Trail began on Tuesday, April 2, at the DrillTech facility.  DrillTech owners Gary and Julie Davidson have donated the space for the project. Here, Julie Davidson shows off a work in progress. Painting the durable signs will take many days and many coats of paint. Planning for the Historic Red River County Barn Quilt Trail began last spring and is a project sponsored by the Clarksville Main Street Board.

Red River Revue presents comedy

The Red River Revue Center will be presenting a "world premiere" play by a Texas playwright, Michael Jordan. The play is "An Afternoon In Central Park" - a short comedy in one act, with three scenes. The play will be presented at the Detroit Community Center on Friday, March 22nd at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 23rd, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

This is a free, and family friendly event – The Revue accepts donations only. Concessions will be available for purchase.

City urges residents to use convenience station

By LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

If you want to do some spring cleaning, the City of Clarksville urges you to take advantage of the Convenience Station, which is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Located at the city barn, if you live inside the city limits of Clarksville or Red River County and can show proof of residency – such as with a driver’s license or utility bill – you may dump free of charge.

This service is free for residents only; businesses can still dump but must pay a fee, proportionate to the size of the load.

The fee is between $20 and $40 for six to eight foot trailers stacked up to three feet high, or a pick-up truck bed stacked one to three feet above the edge.

Nine to 12 foot trailers stacked three feet high will be charged between $50 and $80. The cost for 13 to 16 foot trailers stacked three feet high is between $90 and $120.

Asphalt or fiberglass roof shingles will be charged and additional weight feet for each six feet length of load.

Appliances can be dumped, but if they contain CFCs – which is sold by the brand name of Freon – they must be “red tagged”, indicating they have been properly drained of such chemicals by a certified technician, before they can be accepted. This usually includes air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers.

Items not accepted at the convenience station include batteries, tires, paint, hazardous materials, trees and brush.

If you have any question about using the Convenience station, call the City of Clarksville at 903-427-3834.

Black History Celebration Parade is Saturday

The 2019 Red River County Black History Celebration Parade will be held Saturday, March 9. The line-up will be at 3:00 p.m. on Industrial Blvd, same as last year. You must be there at 3:00 if you want to be considered during the judging. Divisions will be Youth, Largest Riding Club, Best Dressed Cowgirl, 1, 2 and 3rd place floats, Best Decorated Vehicle, 1, 2nd and 3rd.

The theme this year is “Black History You All.” The parade will start promptly at 3:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend or participate.

Deadline passes for spring election ballot

The deadline passed Friday at 5 p.m. for anyone interested in running for the local city council or school trustee. There will be a school trustee election in Clarksville and a city council election in Avery.

In the case of the Clarksville City Council, incumbents Charlie Wright (Ward 1) Juanita Moore (Ward 2) W.F. “Babe” Higgins (Ward 3) and Chrissy Witmer (Ward 4) all filed again and drew no opponents, so the city will be able to forego an election.

On the other hand, the Clarksville ISD Board of Trustees has two positions open. Incumbents Lanetta Roberts and John McPeters did not run again.

Five candidates will compete for the at-large positions: Michael Turner, Patricia Antonelli, Sterling Dockins, Latreece Hobbs, and Gabby Lewis.

In Avery, there are four seats up for election on the city council and three will have contests.
The Place 1 seat is vacant because of the resignation of Vickie Roseberry. Connie Kedrowski and Lewis “Bud” Callaway have filed to run for that seat.

Kedrowski is currently the council member in Place 3, but she filed to run again in Place 1.
Thomas Chesshire (Place 2) being opposed by Tracey Lambert. Doug Gortney and Peggy Strickland are running for the Place 3 seat Kderowski vacated. Elaine Belt (Place 5) is unopposed.

In the case of the Avery ISD, trustees whose terms are up this year are Brody Baird, John Murphy and Nancy Hendley. All three have signed up for another term and drew no opponents, so the district should be able to cancel the election.

Wanted Person

The Red River County Sheriff’s Office needs your help locating the man in the photograph.

Luther Don Whitaker of Bowie County is wanted for Burglary of a Habitation, which is a Felony Warrant. Luther Whitaker is 39 years old and is described to be 6’1 inches tall, 210 lbs, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

If you have any information that might lead to arrest of Luther Don Whitaker, contact Lamar and Red River County Crime Stoppers. You remain anonymous, and if your information leads to his arrestyou become eligible for a CASH reward of up to $1,000.

• www.785tips.com or www.427tips,com
• 903-785-TIPS or 903-427-TIPS
• www.P3Tips.com
• Smartphone app P3 Tips

Lamar and Red River County Crime Stoppers will not pay rewards for information provided through any source other than calls to its program. Calls may be made to Lamar County Crime Stoppers by any method mentioned above.

Friday is deadline for election sign-ups

By LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

The deadline comes at the end of this week for anyone interested in running for local city council or school trustee.

Per the Secretary of State Election Calendar, Jan. 16, 2019 was the first day to file an application for a place on the ballot and the last day to file is Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.

It’s been very quiet in Clarksville. Four seats are up for election on the Clarksville City Council. They are currently held by Charlie Wright (Ward 1) Juanita Moore (Ward 2) W.F. “Babe” Higgins (Ward 3) and Chrissy Witmer (Ward 4).

City Secretary Tammy Quick said that as of Tuesday afternoon only Moore and Witmer had signed up.

City council seats have two-year terms Applications for city council seats are available at city hall, 800 Main St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, telephone 903-427-3834.

The Clarksville ISD Board of Trustees will have two positions open on the May 4, 2019 election day. Incumbents Lanetta Roberts and John McPeters are currently serving on three-year terms which will expire in May 2019.

As of Tuesday afternoon no one had signed up for either seat. Application packets will be available at the Clarksville ISD Administration Office located at 1500 West Main Street, Clarksville, Texas. 

Interested applicants may call 903-427-3891, ext 771 and have an application mailed to them.

In Avery, there are four seats up for election on the city council. The Place 1 seat is vacant as a result of the recent resignation of Vickie Roseberry. Lewis “Bud” Callaway has filed to run for that seat.

The other office holders are Thomas Chesshire (Place 2), who is being opposed by Tracey Lambert; Connie Kedrowski (Place 3), who is opposed by Doug Gortney and Peggy Strickland ; and Elaine Belt (Place 5). Terms are for two years each.

Anyone interested in the Avery City Council can sign up at City Hall, 250 Business Hwy. 82, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

In the case of the Avery ISD, trustees whose terms are up this year are Brody Baird, John Murphy and Nancy Hendley. All three have signed up for another term and no one else has. The seats are elected at-large for three year terms.

Anyone interested in signing up for Avery school trustee can go by the administration office during normal business hours, at 150 San Antonio St.

According to state law, qualifications for local office are as follows:

1. Must be at least 18 years of age.

2. Residence – One year in the state and six months in the district prior to filing deadline.

3. Must be a registered voter at time of election.

Hub hosts community baby shower collection

The Hub Community Center, with the Red River County Pregnancy Care Center, is working together in Clarksville to share a Connection of Kindness with a Community Baby Shower.

This Community Baby Shower will be a community-wide event to collect essential baby items that help soon-to-be mothers by providing them with basic supplies and support needed to give their babies a healthy start, which is critical to the baby's continued health and development.

Shares of Kindness may be dropped off at The Hub Community Center, located at 501 West Broadway, Clarksville, February 1st-28^th Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Donation items include feeding items, baby bath care items, pacifiers, burp cloths, teething rings, receiving blankets, bottles, diapers, baby wipes, crib sheets, diaper bags, soft washcloths, bottle brush, and bibs.

For more information, contact Catana Yarnell at 903-427-4929 or Casey Weyland at 903-428-0862

Grief, frustration and gossip can destroy a town

By LOU ANTONELLI
Managing Editor
Family members tend to be very protective of one another. Small town social circles thrive on gossip. Families facing grief and loss lash out at others. When all these factors collide, it can be ugly.
Patricia and I attended the Texas Press Association’s (TPA) annual convention and trade show this past weekend. It was held in Denton.
The president of the TPA is Laurie Ezzell-Brown, publisher of The Canadian Record, a weekly newspaper in the Panhandle. She had to help run and lead the convention while back home, rumors, gossip and Facebook are trying to burn her city down.
Let me explain. In 2016 a teenager disappeared in the city. In December the boy’s remains were finally discovered in a rural area.  A week after the discovery, a long-time local teacher committed suicide.
It’s not clear at all how and why these things are related, although Ezzell-Brown said she believes they are. The family of the dead teenager has openly accused the sheriff of being responsible for the boy’s death, and hired a private detective.
Needless to say, I’m sure you can imagine how serious the gossip and recriminations are, and it’s all being aggravated by Facebook.
This kind of small-town blow-up over an unsolved crime is common enough that it was the crux of a 2017 movie, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. The mother of a young woman who was raped and murdered buys billboard space to attack the local sheriff’s office over the lack of progress in solving her daughter’s death.
The movie makes some good points, the first of which is that small town law enforcement agencies usually do not have the staff and training to deal with and solve such serious crimes. As far as a bitterly grieving parent is concerned, the entire staff and all the resources of local law enforcement should be devoted to bringing the killer to justice, and they are egged on by troublemakers and fools on Facebook.
But no one wants to raise taxes to increase the resources that would benefit investigations, and trust me, behind the backs of grieving family members there are people who would resent one case or incident usurping the so much of the time and effort of local law enforcement.
“Three Billboards” also brings out another important point, which is that you don’t know what is going on in people’s lives that may affect such an investigation. The grieving mother, who was played by Frances McDormand, doesn’t know the sheriff is dying of pancreatic cancer.
By mid-way through the movie, the sheriff commits suicide rather than face a long slow death by cancer, the billboards have been torched, and Molotov cocktails are thrown at the police station by the mother.
I won’t spoil the movie by giving away any more of the plot, but my point – which is well-made by the movie – is that grief, frustration and gossip can lead to many bad things in a small town.
Everyone needs to stop and think before pointing a finger, shaking a fist, or hitting “post” and making unproven accusations on Facebook.
Facebook is too easy to use and abuse. I’m not sure people realize they can start a discussion that – if carried to its logical conclusion – should end up with a lynch mob or revenge killing.
You may say, “It will never get to that?” How do you that someone who is weak-minded or drunk won’t carry this kind of hate-mongering to its logical conclusion?
Is this what we want for Clarksville? Then please exert a little self-control before you pass along dangerous gossip, on Facebook and elsewhere.

Statement by Clarksville Police Chief Jarrett Ehlinger

On January 24, 2019 at approximately 8:52 pm Clarksville Police, Fire, Red River County Sheriffs Office and Life Net responded to a 911 call in the 400 block of East Broadway Street, Clarksville, Texas.

First Responders found an individual in an unknown type of medical distress. Medical personnel made every attempt on the individual to sustain life; however, first responders were unsuccessful on the individual. The individual did not survive.

At this time there is an ongoing investigation of an unknown / unexplained death. No more information at this time is available.

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The Clarksville Times will have a complete and up-to-date story in Thursday's paper.

Cypress Basin Hospice Awarded CHAP Accreditation

Community Health Accreditation Partner, Inc., (CHAP) has announced that Cypress Basin Hospice has been awarded CHAP Accreditation under the CHAP Hospice Standards of Excellence. By achieving CHAP Accreditation. Cypress Basin Hospice has also been deemed to meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation and is certified . a Medicare provider.

CHAP Accreditation demonstrates that Cypress Basin Hospice meets the industry's highest nationally recognized standards. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function. quality of services and products. human and financial resources and long term viability.

Sirnply stated, adherence to CHAP, standards leads to better quality care. By achieving CHAP Accreditation, Cypress Basin Hospice has shown a commitment to excellence; said Karen Collishaw, CHAP President & CEO. "This is the third time Cypress Basin Hospice has achieved CHAP Accreditation, and we are excited to continue our partnership by offering support in its commitrnent to providing quality care and continuous improvement."

Cypress Basin Hospice has been a CHAP accredited agency since 2012 and provides a variety of hospice services to patients and their families in Mount Pleasant, Paris, Sulphur Springs and the 16 county surrounding area of Northeast Texas.

CHAP is an independent, not-for-profit, accrediting body for community-based health care organizations. Created in 1969, CHAP was the first to recognize the need and value for accreditation in community-based care. CHAP is the oldest national, community-based accrediting body with rnore than 9,000 agencies currently accredited nationwide.

For more information about the CHAP Accreditation process. please visit the CHAP website at www.chapinc.org.

For additional information about Cypress B.in Hospice, please contact Niki Haynes at 903-577-1510.

Sydney the kangaroo hops into the sunset

Courtesy Photo

Cookie and William Sampson with their adopted daughter, Sydney

By LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

One of Clarksville’s cutest – and most unusual – residents, Sydney the kangaroo, passed away last Friday, Jan. 4, 2019.

Her mom, Cookie Sampson, reported Sydney, 17, died of old age and cancer. The average age of a kangaroo is 15.

Sydney Ruth Sampson lived in Clarksville since November 2002, when she was adopted by Cookie and William Sampson. She was well-known over the years as a visitor to schools, day care centers, and nursing homes.

Cookie said adopting the Australian Red Kangaroo was the fulfillment of a dream she held since childhood. “I always wanted one, for as long as I can remember,” she said.

Sydney was named for the Australian city where her ancestors came from, but she was born in the U.S. and sold to the Sampsons by a Texas veterinarian licensed to sell exotic animals.

Cookie said her middle name, Ruth, was taken from the Biblical figure because the name means friend or companion.

Over the years Sydney met many people and made many friends in Clarksville. Cookie said when the kangaroo was new in town, she was quite the novelty.

“The police department asked The Clarksville Times to do a story about her,” said Cookie. “People saw me walking with Sydney on a leash and thought they were seeing things!”

Sexual assault suspect sought

The Red River County Sheriff’s Office needs your help locating the man in the photograph. Jacob Mckindle Benson of Red River County is wanted for Aggravated Sexual Assault, which is a felony. Jacob Benson is 30 years old and is described to be 5’7 inches tall, 165 lbs, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Lamar County/Red River County Crime Stoppers wants to pay you for the information that leads to the arrest of this man. If you can lead investigators to this man, and wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Lamar/Red River County Crime Stoppers. If the information that you provide to Crime Stoppers leads to the arrest of this person, you could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 and you will remain anonymous.

Persons with information about this, or any other felony crime can contact Crime Stoppers four different ways, 24 hours a day- 7 days a week and remain anonymous.

1. By phone at (903) 427-TIPS (8477).

2. By going online and logging onto www.785-tips.com and submitting a tip. There, persons can also get more information about other featured crimes.

3. By logging on to www.p3tips.com

4.  And with a smart phone by downloading the mobile app;“P3 Tips”.

Visit the Crime Stoppers website for details.

Crime Stoppers will not pay rewards for information provided through any source other than calls to its program. Tips may be made to Crime Stoppers by any methods mentioned above

Constable cleared of charge following arrest

By LOU ANTONELLI
Managing Editor

Red River County Constable Barnaby Resendiz will not face any charges as a result of his New Year’s Day arrest for deadly conduct.

District Attorney Val Varley said he decided to drop the charge after going over all the reports and statements related to the incident.

Resendiz was arrested after shooting a gun indoors, but Varley said his determination was that it was an “accidental discharge.”

“He didn’t commit a crime,” said Varley. “It’s not an offense to accidentally discharge a gun indoors.”
While the Red River County Sheriff’s Office may have had probable cause for the deadly conduct arrest – a Class A misdemeanor - it is the District Attorney’s decision whether to pursue charges, said Varley.

The crucial point is that for there to be deadly conduct, someone has to be “in imminent danger of serious bodily injury, and that didn’t happen here,” said Varley. “There was no reckless behavior.”

The arrest and dismissal should have no effect on the status of Resendiz’s peace officer certifications, he added.

Varley said he was “infuriated” by gossip, on Facebook and elsewhere, that Resendiz received preferential treatment.

“I don’t treat law enforcement and peace officers different than anyone else,” he said, adding that he’s prosecuted many people in law enforcement over the years and sent some of them to jail.