253^rd District Judge Chap Cain has ruled in favor of State Representative Zeb Zbranek in his lawsuit against Richard and Carolyn Boase of Kountze. As reported, the couple had initially filed suit against Mr. Zbranek alleging fraudulent conduct and violations of the state deceptive practices act. Judge Cain ruled yesterday that the Boases suit was frivolous and brought in bad faith as an attempt to discredit the longtime state official politically and personally during his campaign for re-election last year. No damages were awarded, but Mr. Zbranek said he was glad to be publicly vindicated, pointing out that the court record showed, as he had maintained that their was heavy local Republican party involvement in the couple’s accusations.

After nearly an hour of debate, the Liberty City Council voted Tuesday night to raise the city’s tax rate to 57 cents per $100 of appraised property value. Councilman Bruce Wright, proponent for leaving the tax rate at 54.15 cents, pointed at the city’s $3 million reserve fund balance as reason to do so. The majority of council disagreed, voting 5 to 2 in favor of the tax increase. Councilman Dennis Odell proposed a compromise, by making a motion for a smaller increase that would set the tax rate at 55.68 cents, but no one seconded that motion. Councilman Michael Mark voted with Bruce Wright against the higher tax rate.

On the first Sunday in October, Dr. Charles Greene will assume his duties as the new pastor of the 1^st United Methodist Church in Liberty. Dr. Greene replaces Dr. Bill Newcomb he will be the new pastor of the Gesthemane Methodist Church in Houston. Dr. Greene was born in Liberty and has received many prestigious honors for his work in Europe and around the world.

The Liberty Panthers have the week off to prepare for their homecoming game against Coldspring next week, but the Dayton Broncos open district play tomorrow in Conroe against Caney Creek. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. and our live broadcast of Dayton Broncos Football begins with the pre-game at 7:20. On Saturday, the U. T. Longhorns take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders with a 6 p.m. kick off. Tune in to All Nine Sports at 5 p.m. for the Longhorns pre-game show Saturday and the Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m., the pre-game begins at 7 here on All Nine Radio.

Testimony began yesterday in the 253^rd District Court in a lawsuit filed by State Representative Zeb Zbranek against Robert and Carolyn Boase of Kountze alleging a suit filed by the couple against Zbranek during his re-election campaign last year was frivolous and damaging. The couple had filed a suit, later dropped, accusing the incumbent democratic representative of fraud and deceptive practices, accusations that later fueled political advertising run by Zbranek’s opponent in the District 20 State Representative race. The trial is expected to resume today and among those witnesses scheduled to testify are Liberty County Republican Party Chair Richard Pegues and former Republican candidate for state representative Eddie Shauberger.

Liberty County Commissioners met in workshop session yesterday with representatives from Corrections Corporation of America to dispute a difference in legal opinion over extending the county’s contract with the private corrections firm to continue day-to-day operations of the county jail. The current contract expires on November 25^th and Assistant County Attorney Michael Pinchison told commissioners the local government code dictated the county would have to re-bid the jail contract. CCA Vice-President James C. Ball argued that the law would allow a reworking of the current contract. Commissioners agreed to consult with their attorney in executive session before making any sort of contract extension offer.

Local computer experts agree that the "nimda" computer virus is still running rampant with affected computers still being discovered and only mixed success in combating it with anti-virus programs. Until a total answer to the virus is found, p/c owners are advised to use new anti-virus programs available on line or over the counter in computer stores. Most updates are available at no charge to anti-virus program subscribers.

Advance tickets are still available for the TVE Kick-Off Dance this Saturday night at the TVE Arena on FM 563 in Liberty. The dance begins at 9 p.m. and continues until 1 a.m. and features local country music favorite Carl Manchaca. Advance tickets are $8 each at Bricks Cleaners in Liberty, Dayton and Anahauc, Dayton Muffler in Dayton and Vandeventer Real Estate in Liberty. To reserve a table for ten call 336-2261.

Art Musgrove, 36, of Dayton, formerly of Liberty, was arrested last week on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child in a complaint filed by a juvenile before Precinct #4 J.P. Glenn Pruitt. Musgrove is already under indictment for one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated deadly conduct stemming from an incident reported in February of last year. Initially charged with the aggravated kidnapping of a woman and her two children, a jury in the 75^th District Court found Musgrove guilty instead of a lesser charge and sentenced him to one year in jail. This latest charge is alleged to have occurred in 1997 and Art Musgrove has been released on a $2,500 bond set by District Judge J.C. Zbranek.

According to Liberty County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy George Ellington, a Nederland man whose name has not been released, was westbound on Hwy 90 in Ames Saturday night when a white Ford Expedition began following closely behind his vehicle. The man reported hearing a loud pop before the rear window of his vehicle shattered. Evidence indicates a gunshot was fired through the window and deputies located a vehicle fitting the witness’ description with a shotgun in the backseat. Chief Deputy Ellington said that vehicle’s owner has been questioned but no charges have been filed in the incident.

The 10^th Annual Trinity Valley Exposition Trail Ride is set to begin Thursday October 4^th and continue through Sunday October 7^th. Sign up is the first day of the ride at the Raywood Livestock Auction and the cost to enter is $10 per rider. Raffle tickets are also available for a 16-inch saddle. For more information or to purchase raffle tickets, call 936-298-2484.

The Liberty County Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni Association will host a program by Robert Walcutt, Executive Director of the Laura Recovery Center Thursday at 7 p.m. at 1^st Liberty National Bank. Mr. Walcutt has participated in more than 60 ground searches for missing children and adults as well as more than 650 abduction prevention programs. The program will focus on the center’s operation and the services it provides.

9/25 FUNERAL: Vernon Cessna, 96, formerly of Liberty, Services at 2 p.m. Friday 1^st Baptist Church in Liberty.

VOLUME 17 NO 190, FRIDAY, SEPT 21, 2001

The Liberty County Commissioners will meet in a special workshop meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the future of the Corrections Corporation of America and their involvement with the Liberty County Jail. CCA runs the day to day operations of the jail, and their contract with the county ends at the end of November. Liberty County Judge Lloyd Kirkham told the Commissioners earlier this year that CCA was looking for a large raise in the new contract. This meeting tomorrow will be the first time CCA Officials have met with all of the Commissioners to discuss the new contract.

Jay Schultz, the son-in-law of local Liberty Attorney’s Barbara and Ron Norwood remains in critical condition in a medically induced coma in a Chicago Hospital. The Navy pilot was attacked by a group of muggers and suffered substantial brain injuries. Lamar Iverson, the sister of Barbara Norwood, said that this past week has been full of ups and downs.

According to Reverend Jimmy Clemmons, the North Main Baptist Church in Liberty will be erecting a flag on the north end of town like the one on the East Side of Liberty by Highway 90. The cost of the new flag will be $14,000 which is being provided by the church. The North Main Baptist Church has already ordered the flag and the pole and is expecting to have a flag raising ceremony in late October. A plaque at the base of the new flag will read "God Under One Nation. For All of Those who Have Served."

9/24 Funerals:

George Warren Hiroms, 69 of Devers. Services will be tomorrow at 2pm at the 1^st Bapt in Devers.

Robert Dwaine Hoff, 54 of Beach City. Services will be tomorrow at 2pm at the Sterling Funeral Home in Dayton.

Steve Jones, 49 of Dayton. Services will be today at 12:30pm at the Houston National Cemetery.

Johnnie Aubrey Minx, 72 of Cleveland. Servicves will be today at 2pm at the Sterling Funeral Home in Dayton.

Bertha Lee Smith, 85 of Huffman. Services will be today at 2pm at the Lake Houston Methodist Church.

Julian Frances Stelly, 29 of Raywood. Services will be today at 10am at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Raywood.

Clay Elwood Autrey 63, of Moss Hill, Services were held Sunday.

VOLUME 17 NO 190, FRIDAY, SEPT 21, 2001

According to Assistant District Attorney Michael Mark, 26 yr old Nathan Lee Wenzell of Cleveland plead guilty Wednesday to the charge of escape. Mr. Wenzell was on a work detention program for Liberty County in early August when he left and allegedly stole a car. He was captured 2 days later near Corpus Christi in Nueces County. After pleading guilty, 75^th District Judge J.C. Zeke Zbranek sentenced the Cleveland man to 5 years in the Texas Department of Corrections.

A fix has been devised for the devastating NIMDA virus that struck computers Tuesday. If you already subscribe to an anti-virus program, just go to their website and most of them offer an upgrade free of charge. If you do not use anti-virus software on your computer, you can purchase one at the local computer software dealers or you can download one on the Internet. We are told the virus was targeted to attack corporate computer systems, and home users are not being hurt as much.

Cable television users in the Cleveland area are about to get 2 new channels. R.T. Lowe who operated the only Cleveland cable channel for 11 years, is going to be the manager of the 2 new stations. The first one Channel 4 CISD TV went on the air yesterday The Cleveland Independent School District is the Lessor, and Mr. Lowe serves as the station manager. The other new channel that will be on Tri-City Cable, will be Channel 53 and it is going to be the City of Cleveland’s station. It is not yet known when programming will begin on the second station.

The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations gave the Liberty Dayton Hospital a 94 out of 100 possible points on a recent survey. The JCAHO is the accrediting company for virtually all hospitals in the country, and also many healthcare companies. Sean Stricker, Administrator for the local Hospital said the high ratings for Liberty Dayton Hospital were due to hard work between the hospital staff, physicians, and corporate level personnel.

The Valley Players will presenting the play "Tevya and his Daughters" this weekend at the Humphrey’s Cultural Center in Liberty. This is the play "Fiddler on the Roof" was based on. There will be 2 performances, Saturday night at 8pm and Sunday Afternoon at 2pm. For tickets call 336-6699.

VOLUME 17 NO 189, THURSDAY, SEPT 20, 2001

Liberty County was granted party status yesterday in opposition to a chemical waste landfill in Chambers County. In the report written by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, Liberty, Chambers and Harris Counties as well as the Cities of Baytown and Beach City were granted status because "volatile organic compounds emitted by the proposed project could possibly effect the ozone non-attainment status of that region." Liberty County must now appoint a representative by October 5^th.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, Philip Respress, of the Cleveland area, was shot Monday in an altercation at another man’s residence. The other man, Brian Doller, reported the incident to the police. A personal vehicle took Mr. Respress to the Cleveland Regional Medical Center. An Official with the LCSO said the incident is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed.

In a story on Yesterday’s Radiogram, it was reported that the Dayton City Council approved the annexation of 12 parcels of land at Monday Night’s meeting. The Dayton City Council actually only annexed 6 of the 11 parcels of land. According to City Secretary Terri Dryden, the city was getting close to going over the total amount of square miles it is allowed to annex in a year. And that is why only 6 parcels were accepted. KSHN apologizes for the error.

All Nine Sports has another big weekend of High School Football. The Liberty Panthers will take on the Kelly Bulldogs tomorrow night at War Memorial Stadium, and the Dayton Broncos Travel to Nederland to take on the Bulldogs. You can here both games live on our exclusive Split Channel Sports. Kick off for both games ins 7:30pm tomorrow.

According to Dayton Chamber of Commerce President Rick Sparks, the 1^st Annual Cedar Power Project Golf Tournament last weekend was a huge success. 38 teams of 2 came out to participate and have a good time. Rick Sparks said the Cedar Power Project Team was unable to attend because of the shutdown of all air traffic in the country.

9-20 Funerals: Dorothy Belle Pennell, 97 of Huffman. Services have already been held

VOLUME 17 NO. 188, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2001

District #4 State Senator David Bernsen publicly announced he would be seeking the statewide office of Texas Land Commissioner. The first term Democrat said he has prepared his family for the travel that he will be undergoing to get his name known across the state. Senator Bernsen said the Land Commissioner has a great deal to do with the protection of water rights, and he looks to bring his "Greater Vision" of Texas water to people all over the state.

A potentially devastating virus has attacked computers worldwide. According to Randy Meche of Computer Solutions in Liberty, the virus known as NIMDA, has been attacking computers through email since early yesterday morning. Computer experts have even recommended not getting onto the internet until a solution can be devised.

Monday night, the Dayton City Council approved the final annexations of 12 parcels of land around Hwy 146. This is the second major series of annexations the city council has made this year. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved the Teen Team City to paint more Bronco horseshoes along Main, Houston and Cleveland Streets leading up to Bronco Stadium.

A local restaurant gets a new home. For the past year, The Country Emporium has been located in a small building north of the bypass in Liberty. The new location will be at the corner of Highway 90 across from the Liberty Flag. Owner Janice Guedry negotiated the purchase the old Hunan Garden building and the employees have spent quite a bit of time redecorating.

Last night, the Liberty ISD Board of Trustees voted 6 to 1 in favor of setting the tax rate at $1.4352 cents. Dr. Allen Griffin, the lone dissenting voter thought the rate should be closer to the current one, so they may not need to go through a large increase after next year’s budget.

9/19 Funerals: 

Dorothy Jean Moseley, 86 of Liberty. Services will be Friday at 11am at the Sterling Funeral Home in Dayton

Arthur Randile Jr, 68 of Liberty. Wake Service will be tomorrow from 6pm until 9pm at the St. Miles Baptist Church in Ames.

According to Bill Holder, the Director of the Trinity River Authority at the Lake Livingston Dam, engineers will be inspecting portions of the water route, and the releases will fluctuate throughout the day today. Normal releases take anywhere from 2 and a half to 3 days to reach the Trinity River in Liberty, so late this week, there should be some minor changes in the river levels. Mr. Holder said the studies will only go on today, and should not endanger any land or homes.

State Senator David Bernsen, whose District #4 includes both Liberty and Chambers Counties, will hold a press conference today to announce his future plans. There has been a lot of speculation over the last several weeks that Senator Bernsen will be seeking the statewide office of Land Commissioner. Sources inside Senator Bernsen’s Office, indicated that the first term State Senator will be seeking the statewide office.

Both the Liberty Panthers Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams came in 3^rd last weekend at the Jasper Bulldogs Invitational meet. For the Liberty Boys, Tyler Robbins placed 3^rd overall, and for the girls, Alysia Lachapelle, finished 10^th. Both teams will compete this weekend in the Huntsville Regional Tune-up.

The Liberty Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce will have their monthly Luncheon tomorrow at noon at the Liberty City Hall Auditorium. The guest speakers will be a panel, including, DA Mike Little, Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur, DPS Corporal Donnie Smith, Assistant County Attorney Mark Beousilau, and J.P. Precinct #1 Bobby Rader. They will be discussing the new laws passed by 77^th State Legislature, For more information call The Liberty Dayton Area Chamber office at 336-5736.

9/18 FUNERALS: 

Joey Glenn Batten, 40 of Houston. Graveside services at 2 PM at the Brookside Memorial Park.

Robert Wesley "Butch" Litt, Sr., 57. Funeral Services will be tomorrow at 2 PM at the Sterling White Chapel in the Highlands. 

Dan Levi Lucas, 75 of Old Snake River. Graveside services will be tomorrow at 11 AM at the Houston National Veterans Affairs Cemetery. 

Lucille Smith, 87 of Orange. Graveside services will be today at 2 PM at the Cooke Cemetery in Liberty.

-VOLUME 17 NO.186, MONDAY, SEPT. 17, 2001-

Shortly before 4 PM yesterday, the City of Liberty Police Department received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration asking officers to intercept the pilot of a small plane which FAA radar indicated was in the air over Liberty County. City Police Officers as well as Sheriff’s Department Deputies scoured landing areas but could not find the plane. The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC last week have made everyone a little edgy when it comes to air travel. It is our understanding from informed sources that if the plane did not land, there were f-16 pilots who had orders to shoot down the plane. The search was called off around 4:50 PM yesterday.

The U.S. Armed Forces are approved to call up to 50,000 reservists to active duty following the terrorist attacks last week. Liberty County Tax Assessor/Collector Mark McClelland, who is also a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, said as of Friday he has not heard if he would be called up, but this is part of the obligation of being in the reserves. Mr. McClelland went on to say he could not speculate if reservists would be used to help clean up, or they would be some part of a military attack.

A Daisetta man, Otis Kyle Spivey, 36, flown to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Beaumont after a 2-vehicle accident in Hardin Friday afternoon was treated and released. According to DPS Trooper Glenn Foley, Mr. Spivey rear-ended another vehicle on Hwy 146 in front of Hardin Automotive. Liberty County EMS took the driver of the other vehicle, Warren Davie, 27 of Hardin, to Liberty-Dayton Hospital as a precaution.

The Dayton Broncos beat the Channelview Falcons Friday night 43 to 9 for their first win of the season. The Liberty Panthers lost to the Lumberton Raiders 20 to 9. Friday night, the Panthers are at home to take on the Kelly Bulldogs, while the Broncos travel to Nederland to take on the Bulldogs.

9/17 FUNERALS:

Robert Keith Gordon, 84 of Huffman. Funeral services will be today at 11 AM at the Huffman Baptist Church.

Hollis Ballie Hunt, 78 of Hull. Funeral Services will be today at 2 PM at the Batson Prairie Baptist Church.

Robert Patrick Sughrue II, 38. Graveside Services will be today at 2 PM at the White Cemetery in Highlands.

**LAKE RELEASE: 13,000 CFS * LIBERTY BRIDGE: 18.17 ASL**

President George W. Bush has declared today a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance and the U.S. Congress has passed a resolution asking all Americans to fly the American flag for the next 30 days in memory of those who died in the East Coast terrorist attacks this week. The Liberty Wal-mart reported being sold out of American flags yesterday but hope to have more soon and People’s Building Center in Dayton said they have a few remaining in stock. Also, the Hardin Lions Club has a limited supply and will place a flag in front of your home or business though their flag program. To subscribe, call 298-2752.

The NFL has cancelled all of this Sunday’s games including the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions game scheduled for live broadcast here on All Nine Sports. All high school football games are being played as scheduled tonight.

The Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon is this coming Wednesday at noon in the Liberty City Hall Auditorium. Guest speakers this month will be District Attorney Mike Little, Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur, DPS Corporal Donnie Smith and Precinct #1 J.P. Bobby Rader who will talk about new laws passed by the 77^th Legislature. Lunch will be barbecue brisket and tickets are $6. For reservations, call the Liberty-Dayton Chamber Office at 336-5795.

Officials for the Liberty County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee have decided to postpone the ceremony to rename Commerce Street in Liberty for the late civil rights leader. That ceremony was originally set for tomorrow. A rescheduled date for the event has not yet been announced.

The 13^th Annual Texas Gatorfest begins today and continues through Sunday at Fort Anahuac Park in Anahauc. The popular festival features lots of food booths, arts and crafts booths, four stages of live entertainment, airboat and riverboat rides, artisans, the Great Alligator Round Up and lots more. Parking is free. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and admission is free for children under five. From Liberty, Fort Anahuac Park is located 25 miles south of Hwy 90 on FM 563. For more information on Gatorfest 2001, call 409-267-4190 or visit their web site at www.texasgatorfest.com  

Unverified reports that gas prices will skyrocket following Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. have prompted Governor Rick Perry to declare a statewide emergency and the Texas Attorney General’s Office has established toll free number to report anyone illegally taking advantage of this disaster. To report anyone charging exorbitant prices for gasoline, food, medicine or any other necessary item, call 1-800-337-3928. So far, there are no reports of this type of price gauging having occurred locally.

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is scheduling a series of local blood drives this coming week. The first is at Liberty-Dayton Hospital from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. There will be another blood drive on Wednesday at 1^st Baptist Church in Liberty from noon until 7:45 p.m. and another is set for Saturday September 22^nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Liberty Wal-Mart.

The Liberty City Council opened their Tuesday night meeting with a lively public hearing on the new budget and tax rate. It was councilman Bruce Wright who argued the tax rate should remain at 54.15 cents per $100 value, while councilman Dennis Odell argued for the 57 cent tax rate proposed by City Manager Kerry Lacy. Wright said he felt the city could get by without a tax increase. Council took no action other than to set Tuesday Sept. 25^th as the date for a public vote on the new tax rate.

The Liberty-Dayton Hospital staff members are organizing a county wide memorial service for the victims of the East Coast terrorist attacks. The service is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Liberty City Park and all area churches and community members are invited. For more information or to help out with the service, call 536-6489 or 536-6200.

Both the Liberty Panthers and the Dayton Broncos are hoping to bounce back from their separate defeats last week tomorrow night. The Panthers are on the road against the Lumberton Raiders and the Broncos are at home against Channelview. You can hear both games live on All Nine Split Channel Sports. Turn the balance control of your stereo radio all the way to the left for the Liberty game or all the way to the right for the Dayton game. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m. Our broadcast begins around 7:20.

The effects of yesterday’s East Coast terrorist attacks continue to be felt across the nation. According to local officials, extra precautions are being taken with security again today. While both the Liberty County Courthouse and the Liberty City Hall will be open for regular business hours today, only one entrance door will remain open to the public. Those entering and leaving the courthouse will have to do so by way of the West Side entrance across from city hall. Access to the Liberty City Hall will be through the Sam Houston Street entrance only.

Americans across the nation are being asked to donate blood to aid the victims of yesterday’s terrorist bombings. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center President Bill Teague said there is a special blood drive today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Another opportunity to donate blood is at the Conroe Blood Center on Loop 336 West today though Friday. Call 936-760-3345 for more information.

Liberty County Commissioners met yesterday and voted to deny Precinct #2 Constable Jimmy Belt’s request for video equipment to be installed in his patrol vehicles. The constable’s request was prompted by a new state law requiring law enforcement to extensively document all traffic stops. After the county’s denial of funds, Constable Belt can now request funds for the equipment from the Department of Public Safety.

State Senator for District #4 David Bernsen has scheduled a press conference in Beaumont on Friday to announce whether or not he will enter the statewide race for Texas Land Commissioner. There has been much speculation on whether the first-term senator whose district includes both Liberty and Chambers Counties would seek another term as senator or run to replace David Dewhurst. Bernsen has made no secret of his displeasure over the senatorial redistricting plan for his district, but speaking in Beaumont last Thursday said he had not yet made up his mind about his future plans.

9/12 FUNERALS: 

Jeannie Lynn Norman, 39, of Hankamer, Graveside services at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Linney Cemetery in Dayton.

James P. "Jimmy" Bean, 37, of Athens, Graveside services at 2 p.m. Friday at the Anahauc Cemetery.

The Dayton City Council met last night and, as expected, voted unanimously to appoint longtime Dayton Police Sgt. Pete Douzat to succeed the retiring Buddy Bean as Dayton’s Chief of Police. Chief Bean, as reported, is set to retire at the end of this month along with Dayton Police Sgt. L.L. Walker.

Liberty Attorney C. Bruce Stratton has become the first to publicly declare his candidacy for the 75^th District Judgeship. Longtime incumbent J.C. "Zeke"Zbranek will retire at the end of his current term. C. Bruce Stratton is a past president and director of both the Liberty Rotary Club and the Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as past president of the Liberty County Bar Association, is a co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Mediation for the Texas Supreme Court.

Armando Jaime Ortiz a former salesman for Oakwood Mobile Homes in Mont Belvieu has pled guilty to a 2^nd degree charge of felony theft in receiving and selling stolen manufactured homes. You may recall that former Chief Deputy for the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department Wesley King, Liberty-Chambers County Navigation District Superintendent Wayne Morris and a third man, Charles Drake of Anahuac, were cleared of any wrongdoing in purchasing the stolen homes. The case received lots of public attention prior to the November General Election in which King was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for county sheriff. Ed Leick, the attorney for King, Morris and Drake said Ortiz has been ordered by the court to pay the three men a total of $33,000 as part of his plea bargain agreement.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2001 TVE Kickoff Dance on Saturday September 29^th at the TVE Arena with local country star Carl Manchaca. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 in advance. Advance tickets are available at Bricks Cleaners in Liberty, Dayton and Anahuac, Dayton Muffler and Vandeventer Real Estate in Liberty. To reserve a table for ten people for $100, call Vandeventer Real Estate at 336-2261.

9/11 FUNERALS: Edward R. Green, 97, of Dayton, Services at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Sterling Funeral Home in Dayton.

Jerry Wyley Shoemake, 60, of Channelview, Services at tomorrow at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton. 

**LAKE RELEASE: 16,000 CFS * LIBERTY BRIDGE: 15.56 ASL**

Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur announced at a meeting of officers and deputies yesterday the promotion of George Ellington to the position of Chief Deputy. That post has been vacant for several months following the retirement of Ken DeFoor, and Sheriff Arthur said Chief Ellington had already been responsible for many of the duties that would normally fall to the second-in-command. Sheriff Arthur also announced the promotion of Deputy Leon Moulton to the rank of corporal.

According to information from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Department, Joseph Lloyd Reece Jr. of Winnie and two unnamed juveniles have been arrested and charged in a series of burglaries of Winnie area businesses over the past several months. Chambers County Sheriff Monroe Kruezer said most of the stolen property in those burglaries has been recovered and investigators believe more arrests will be made in the case soon.

First day attendance totals in the Liberty ISD are very close to the total for the last day of school earlier this year. Total attendance is at 2,267 students, a slight decrease from last year and LISD Business Manager Mike Baldree said that drop is to be expected on the first day of the new school year.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2001 TVE Miss Rodeo Contest on October 13^th and 14^th. Women ages 14 through 23 are eligible to compete in the pageant and participate in the TVE Rodeo Activities. The winner will go on to compete in the Miss Texas Rodeo Competition. Entry fee is $50 and applications will need to be filled out and returned by Saturday September 22^nd. Call 409-267-6583 to request an application.

Tomorrow is the second Saturday of this month and so, La Bahia returns to the courthouse square in Liberty from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The popular monthly event features local vendors with homemade foods, handmade crafts, homegrown fruits and vegetables, some antiques and more. The cost to become a vendor at La Bahia is only $5. For more information, call the Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce at 336-5795.

9/7 FUNERAL: Daisy Lee Randolph, 73, of Liberty, Services at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Mount Rose Baptist Church in Liberty.

The DPS reports that Troopers Brad Crone and Chris Estes pulled over a vehicle driven by Anthony Williams of Houston on I-10 in Chambers County Saturday evening and smelling a suspicious odor in the vehicle, obtained consent to search it. About a half-pound of a substance believed to be marijuana was found, but as Williams and his passenger, Lacey Ray Conner, 26, were being placed under arrest, Conner broke and ran. The handcuffed Houston man reportedly ran into the westbound lane of I-10 and was hit by a vehicle driven by Richard Carter of Mauriceville. Lacy Conner was pronounced dead at the scene.

Former Liberty Panther Reggie White was released by the New York Jets during final NFL roster cuts earlier this week only to be signed by the Tennessee Titans, the former Houston Oilers, as part of their practice squad yesterday. While not eligible to play in weekly games, a practice squad member runs each week’s opponents’ plays against the Titans roster team.

The Dayton City Council met Tuesday night and voted 4 to 0 to approve a new employee health insurance plan from Humana, represented locally by Hall-Rader and Associates. The plan is very similar to the one currently provided by Aetna with a premium that is about one percent less then the current plan. Council decided to re-bid the package after Aetna announced a rate increase of 43% was scheduled to take effect in September.

All Nine Sports begins another season of Split Channel Sports Broadcasts of high school football tomorrow night. Turn the balance control of your stereo radio all the way to the left for Liberty vs. Bridge City or all the way to right for Dayton vs. Waller. You can also hear both games live at our web site kshnfm.com. Kick off for both games is 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

In yesterday’s Shine All Nine Radiogram we mistakenly reported a Liberty man’s name as Rocky "Burton". The man’s name is actually Rocky Butler. We regret the error.

9/6 FUNERALS: Thelma Epperson, 93, of Dayton, Services at 10 a.m. today at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton. ** Laurence Lowery, 70, of Liberty, Services at 10 a.m. today at Allison Funeral Service in Liberty

According to Rocky Burton of Liberty he was attempting to start a neighbor’s truck that he had towed to a rented lot at R & L Salvage on FM 563 in Liberty yesterday when a large fireball erupted from the vehicle’s engine. Liberty firefighters arrived to find the truck fully involved in flames and used a mixture of water and a new type of foam to extinguish the blazing vehicle. A nearby building was undamaged and no one was injured.

According to a report in the Beaumont Enterprise newspaper last week, State Senator David Bernsen is considering a run for the office of Texas Land Commissioner since incumbent David Dewhurst has announced he will not be seeking re-election. Kyle Garrison, campaign manager for Senator Bernsen is reported as saying the senator was not ready to announce his decision. The first-term senator for District #4 has been very vocal about his displeasure over the planned redrawing of his district approved by the Legislative Redistricting Board in late July.

The Chambers County Sheriff’s Department reports that 42-year-old Vernon Coates was arrested Monday night on charges of driving while intoxicated, attempting to evade arrest in motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license and other traffic violations. You may recall the Anahuac man, charged with attempted capitol murder for allegedly trying to run over a Chambers County Sheriff’s Deputy earlier this year. A flurry of racial profiling and civil rights violation charges were launched at the Chambers County Sheriff’s Dept. following that arrest. Coates still has not been indicted on that charge. Coate’s attorney Ed Leick said these latest charges are 100% false.

Even with last month’s sales tax holiday, the Sales and Use Tax Report from the State Comptroller’s Office for August shows an increase in Liberty County. Year to date sales tax figures in both Liberty and Dayton showed an increase over totals from this same period last year. Countywide, sales tax figures are up 10.49 % over year-to-date totals from last year.

9/5 FUNERALS: 

Woodrow Scott, 85, of Cleveland, Services at 2 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Cleveland.

Patricia Ann Bussey, 49, of Cleveland, Services at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Sterling Funeral Home in Dayton.

Dayton Fire Chief Terry Boyett said by the time volunteer firefighters arrived at a double wide manufactured home on CR #1613 off FM 1960 Sunday morning, flames were coming through the roof. Chief Boyett said the fire in the home of the Meak family started in the kitchen where the family’s grandmother was cooking breakfast. Though several family members living there escaped unharmed, the attractive, late model home and most of its contents were destroyed.

Only a month after accepting the job of President of the Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Carole Taylor has resigned that position. The veteran economic development expert informed search committee members who recommended her for the job that she had been suffering from blurred vision and reduced coordination, symptoms of health problems that she feared may mean prolonged medical care. Chamber Board Chair Winn Skidmore said the decision came so quickly that no plan has yet been formulated for replacing Mrs. Taylor.

Former Liberty County Sheriff O.J. Stewart has announced his Candidacy for Precinct #4 Liberty County Commissioner in the March Democratic Primary. A Dayton resident since 1960, Stewart’s DPS career spanned 28 years and he served as county sheriff for 12 years, until he retired from the office just last year. Formal filing for the primary elections begins in January.

DPS Trooper Brent Henry said Roy Barnes, 62, of Santa Fe was southbound on Hwy 146 near the Liberty-Chambers County Line yesterday afternoon when traffic slowed in front of him. Mr. Barnes’s vehicle crossed into the northbound lane and struck a vehicle driven by Ginger Madira, 32, of Baytown. Mr. Barnes and his wife, Jackie Barnes, 61, were taken for precautionary reasons to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown.

Donald Ray Cecil, 67, of Moss Bluff, Services at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Allison Funeral Service in Liberty.

Sam D. Taylor, 91, of Anahuac, Graveside services at 10 a.m. at the Anahuac Cemetery.

Willie J. Hargrave, 84, of Huffman, Services at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Huffman Church.

Ellis Leon McKay, 78, of Moss Hill, Services at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Allison Funeral Service in Liberty.

**LAKE RELEASE: 5,420 CFS * LIBERTY BRIDGE: 10.87 ASL**