Hedley Owls recognized with All-District honors
High-speed chase goes through Hedley
A Memphis man remains in custody in the Hall County Jail this week after he led officers on a high speed chase in two counties before being shot and eventually captured in Donley County last Wednesday, November 24.
Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said his office received a call at 10 a.m. that the Hall County Sheriff’s Department and Memphis Police were pursuing a white four-door car into Donley County on US 287.
The subject, Terry James Mackie of Memphis, had fled from officers at the Hall County Courthouse as he was being arrested on a warrant to revoke his probation for burglary, Blackburn said. Mackie reportedly assaulted a Hall County Deputy before fleeing in the car. He led officers on a chase around Memphis before leaving town on SH 256.
Blackburn said Mackie then came back into Memphis, got on US 287 toward Donley County, and rammed the Hall County sheriff’s truck at a blocked intersection.
Donley County Deputy Mike Spier tried to stop the subject at County Road 26 on US 287 by shooting the suspect’s tires. Mackie was hit by one round in the low back, the sheriff said, but he continued to flee into Hedley.
The sheriff said his officer was justified in shooting at the suspect.
“The subject had already committed aggravated assault on a peace officer, and he was disregarding public safety, running at speeds over 100 miles per hour,” Blackburn said. “We did not want him entering a populated area, and we were not going to let him into Clarendon due to the fact that we did not want an innocent bystander getting killed.”
Blackburn and State Trooper Chad Simpson were set to intercept the subject west of Hedley, but Mackie turned north on SH 203 toward Wellington. About one mile outside of the McKnight community, Blackburn said Mackie’s car was rammed and knocked off the roadway by Memphis Police. The subject then took off on foot across some CRP land where he was apprehended by officers from the Hall and Donley County sheriff departments.
Mackie was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo where he was treated before being returned to the Hall County Jail.
Blackburn said Mackie is now facing charges of Assault on a Peace Officer, Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, and Evading.
Merchants to give out prizes this Saturday
Clarendon merchants are standing ready to assist shoppers with their holiday purchases as they kick off three weeks of giveaways and promotions this Saturday.
More than $2,000 in prizes will be given away over the next three Saturdays, December 4, 11, and 18, and shoppers can register for a chance to win in the Clarendon Gold promotion at participating merchants.
Winners will be announced each Saturday downtown at 2 p.m.
Also on Saturdays, Santa Claus will be taking pictures with the kiddoes in the old JAMZ building at Third and Kearney from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Bar H Dude Ranch will be serving barbecue sandwiches in the same location from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Late Night Shopping tradition will also continue on Thursday nights through Christmas with downtown merchants staying open late those evenings for your shopping convenience.
Local merchants and banks are also still offering the Christmas Cash program as a way to finance your Christmas purchases. Fifteen local businesses are participating in Christmas Cash, which is now in its 16th season. Anyone can make application for a loan up to $3,000 interest free with Pilgrim Bank, the Donley County State Bank, or Herring Bank.
Participating Christmas Cash merchants this year are: Stavenhagen Video, Every Nook & Cranny, Henson’s, Osburn Appliance, Clarendon Outpost, Mike’s Pharmacy, Country Bloomers, Clarendon Veterinary Hospital, Cornell’s Country Store, Floyd’s Automotive Supply, J&W Lumber, The Clarendon Enterprise, Lowe’s Family Center, Saye’s, and McKinney Motor Co.
Local sales tax revenue falls
Clarendon’s sales tax revenue for the month of November dipped nearly nine percent, but the city is still running ahead for the year-to-date according to figures released by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.
The city’s sales tax rebate this month totaled $34,500.38, which is down 8.7 percent from the same period one year ago; but Clarendon’s sales tax revenue for the calendar year is now $289,154.97, which is an increase of 1.44 percent.
Howardwick and Hedley also were down for the month but ahead for the year.
Howardwick was down 27.64 percent at $943.13 for November but was still 12.93 percent ahead for the year-to-date with $7,040.42.
Hedley sales tax revenue for November was down 25.66 percent at $1,167.33 but the year-to-date figure was up 4.06 percent at $12,460.92.
Combs said state sales tax revenue in October was $1.62 billion, up 6.6 percent compared to October 2009.
“Total sales tax collections have now exceeded year ago amounts for a seventh consecutive month,” said Combs. “Once again growth was posted in major sectors like the oil and gas industry, retail trade and construction. We will need to keep monitoring revenue from these and other sectors to see if tax collections maintain an upward trend.”
Combs sent Texas cities $367.2 million in sales tax allocations, up 7.2 percent compared to November 2009. So far this calendar year, city sales tax allocations are down 0.2 percent compared to the same time period last year.
November sales tax allocations to local governments represent September sales reported to the Comptroller in October by monthly tax filers and July, August and September sales reported to the Comptroller in October by quarterly tax filers.
The Comptroller’s December local sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, Dec. 10.
Henry Carroll “Boopie” Massingill
Henry Carroll “Boopie” Massingill, 67, died Tuesday, November 23, 2010, in Clarendon.
Services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 27, 2010, in the First Assembly of God in Clarendon with Rev. Matthew Stidham, Pastor, and Rev. Chris Ford, Associate Pastor, officiating. Interment followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Boopie was born November 8, 1943, in Clarendon to Henry Allen and Julia Grace Holman Massingill. He married Cherry Lou Pickering on May 29, 1964, in Memphis. He had been a lifelong resident of Clarendon.
He loved hunting, fishing, making bird houses, working in the outdoors, and helping other people. He was a member of the First Assembly of God in Clarendon.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister, Louise Fetters by 20 hours on November 23, 2010.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Cherry Massingill of Clarendon; three daughters, Rhonda Howell and husband Joe of Clarendon, Theresa Houck of Amarillo, and Kelly Tuttle and husband Brent of Clarendon; two brothers, Les Thompson of Summerville, South Carolina and Hal Massingill of Bakersfield, California; one sister, Alana Moreland of Bakersfield, California; six grandchildren, Lindsey Robertson and husband Chuck of Clarendon, Abbie Massingill of Canyon, Glen Houck of Amarillo, Amanda Reynolds of Memphis, Amber Houck of Amarillo, and Tyler Tuttle of Clarendon; two great grandchildren, Jaxon Robertson and Brayley Taylor; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family request memorials be to Donley County Sr. Citizens or a favorite charity.
Bobby Eugene Parker, Jr.
Bobby Eugene Parker, Jr., 61, died Monday, November 22, 2010, in Salina, Kansas.
Private family graveside services were held in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Bobby was born on May 26, 1949, in Pampa to Georgia and Robert E. Parker, Sr.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Georgia Ella Mathes Hill in 2003.
Survivors include his father, Robert E. Parker of Kansas; a son, Bobby Parker of California; his sisters, June Parker of Lincoln, Kansas, Carol Cocke of Clarendon, Ellen Hightower of Kilgore, Beverly Jane Porter of Lockhart, Patricia Allbright of Jacksonville, Sherry Parker of Nacogdoches, and Michaela Longacre of Whitehouse.
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Court hears pleas in several local cases
The 100th Judicial District Court heard two pleas resulting in deferred adjudications last Tuesday, November 16, in Clarendon.
District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.
A total of $5,000 in fines was assessed, and the defendants were also required to pay a total of $1,072 in court costs.
April Nichole Ballard Randall was placed on probation for a period of two years for the third degree felony offense of retaliation. Randall pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.
Randall was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place July 17, 2010, and was later indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on October 27, 2010.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Randall is required to pay a $2,000 fine to Donley County, and is also required to pay $473 in court costs. If Randall violates probation, she could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
Jacob Israel Brashears was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of injury to a child. Brashears pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.
Brashears was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place October 31, 2009, and was later indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on October 27, 2010.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Brashears is required to pay a $3,000 fine to Donley County, and is also required to pay $599 in court costs. If Brashears violates probation, he could face up to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
Also last week, the court met in Panhandle on Monday and heard seven pleas from across the district which resulted in six convictions and one deferred adjudication.
Out of the six convictions, five defendants were sent to the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Three of those defendants were locals to the Texas Panhandle.
A total of $16,500 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on November 15. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $2,522 in court costs and $420 restitution.
Mark Allan Linley was convicted and sentenced to six and one-half years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Linley was sentenced for the third degree felony offense of abandoning a child.
Linley, 52-year-old resident of Howardwick, was arrested in Collingsworth County by Deputy Vincent Marasco for the offense that took place on June 18, 2010.
“Deputy Marasco is a full-time deputy for Donley County and also assists Collingsworth County on a part-time basis,” said Inman. “Marasco provides both counties with exceptional service.”
Linley was indicted by the Collingsworth Grand Jury on November 1, 2010.
After being indicted, Linley picked up another felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony offense, which was taken into consideration pursuant to his plea of guilty to the third degree endangering offense, according to Inman.
In addition to the sentence, Linley is also required to pay $376 in court costs, and a $1,000 fine to Collingsworth County.
Wade William Langenbacher was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Langenbacher was sentenced for the second degree felony offense of possession of certain chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance.
Langenbacher, 25-year-old resident of Channing, Texas, was arrested with three other individuals in Carson County by Panhandle Police Assistant Chief Taner Blackburn for the offense that took place on September 24, 2009.
“Taner [Blackburn] does excellent criminal interdiction work on our local highways,” said Inman. “This is one of several cases that Taner has made on Highway 60 where local drug dealers and traffickers, as well as local methamphetamine cooks, have been taken off the streets and out of the community.”
The driver, Joshua Mullen, is currently serving shock probation in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ. The front-seat passenger, Christina Ann Mullen, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2010 and received six years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ. Christi Thryselius-English, the back-seat passenger next to Lagenbacher, is also currently serving in the Institutional Division of TDCJ for shock probation.
Langenbacher was indicted by the Carson Grand Jury on October 29, 2010.
Langenbacher’s case was not presented to the Carson County Grand Jury until October 29, 2010, due to the drug laboratory report not being finalized until September 21, 2010, according to Inman.
Langenbacher was the last of four defendants charged with possession of certain chemicals on the night of September 24, 2009, all three of which have done penitentiary time pursuant to pleas to an information.
In addition to the sentence, Langenbacher is also required to pay $355 in court costs, and a $2,500 fine to Carson County.
Jeffrey Joe Fisher pleaded true to the allegation listed in the State’s Motion to Revoke Community Supervision of Defendant and was convicted and sentenced to five years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Gene Maurice Massey was convicted and sentenced to six years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and eighteen months in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
David Allen Wade was convicted and sentenced to twelve years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Wade was sentenced for the first degree felony offense of delivery of a controlled substance.
Steven Fitzgerald Streib was placed on probation for a period of five years for the first degree felony offense of possession of controlled substance. Streib pleaded guilty for the offense that took place on April 29, 2009 and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.
Hearing draws no comments
CHILDRESS – A public hearing was held Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Childress Fair Park Auditorium, regarding the proposed plan for construction projects in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Childress District.
TxDOT invited residents and local officials in Wheeler, Collingsworth, Childress, Hall, Donley, Briscoe, Dickens, King, Knox, Foard, Motley, Cottle and Hardeman counties to make public comments pertaining to the Childress District FY 2011-2014 Rural Transportation Improvement Plan.
No comments were made at Tuesday’s meeting, which Director of Transportation Planning and Development Marty Smith said isn’t unusual.
“We usually have a very small group, if any,” Smith said. “I think people don’t feel as if they have any input on the rural plans.”
A copy of the plan can also be found at txdot.gov/business/governments/stips.htm. The document includes details for seal coating and overlay projects on state highways in Donley County and replacement of two bridges in Clarendon – one on Seventh Street at the City Park and another on Rosenfield Street.
“All projects have funds obligated to cover the cost from the state and federal levels, and most of these projects are for preservation sake,” Smith said. “With our limited funds, we’re just trying to hold the system together.”
Written comments about the Transportation Improvement Plan can be made until 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 and can be submitted to Marty Smith at: TxDOT Childress District, 7599 US 287, Childress, TX 79201 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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