Tuesday June 21, 2011

EAST LIQUOR STORE ROBBED

(CAMERON) At around 7PM last night, a Young Male possible in his early 20's walked in East Liquor Store with a pistol in one hand, and a bandanna covering his face, demanding a undetermined amount of money. Once he received the money he told the clerk to go into the restroom, don't come out and then fled. But according to neighbors in the area, he possibly could have left in a Black SUV.


PERRY SAYS DEAN IS IMMINENT THREAT

(Austin, TX) -- Texas Governor Rick Perry is declaring Hurricane Dean an imminent threat. He has initiated state hurricane preparedness efforts and activated state resources, including search and rescue teams. The National Weather Service projections show Hurricane Dean could impact the Texas coast by the middle of next week. Perry says with the potential of another major storm entering the Gulf and threatening the Texas coast, it's time to mobilize state resources and implement a plan to ensure an orderly response before landfall. The governor adds that the state is preparing to deploy resources, manpower and equipment to ensure the safety of Texas residents.

Perry has ordered the potential deployment of up to ten-thousand Texas Military Forces soldiers. The Texas fuel industry has begun surging fuel loads to all coastal counties, and TxDOT has also begun pre-positioning resources and preparing for extra evacuation lanes and contra-flow. Perry says it is imperative that Texans living along the coast pay close attention to threatening weather conditions and heed local warnings.


ACCIDENTS

(MILAM CO) At 5:52 this morning on US 190 at the Y intersection, There was a 2 Vehicle accident. No injuries were reported.

(MILAM CO) At 7:40 PM yesterday there was a 1 vehicle accident on CR 342, No injuries were reported.

(MILAM CO) Just after Midnight there was a 1 Vehicle Rollover at FM 1712, The driver was lifeflighted.

(MILAM CO) At 1:48 this morning there was another 1 vehicle rollover at CR 205, the driver was transported by AMR.


CALVERT MURDER FIRST IN YEARS

(CALVERT) When Willie Jean Williams died Sunday morning from a gunshot wound to the chest, her death became Calvert's first homicide in years.

Violence in the 500 block of West Garrett Street, where the shooting occurred, is nothing new, however. The area, which is home to two bars and a few homes, has been plagued by violence and drug activity for years, according to Police Chief Joe Cheathem.

He said some kind of violent crime happens in the area at least three times a month. That violence culminated Sunday morning.

According to police, Williams, who was in her mid-50s, was sitting in her front yard at 505 W. Garrett St. with her boyfriend. A woman and a man walked into the yard, and an argument began.

Cheathem said the argument escalated and the man, Clydell Morgan, 61, pulled a gun and shot Williams in the chest.

Calvert police arrived minutes later to find Williams' boyfriend wrestling with Morgan for the gun, Cheathem said. Morgan was arrested, charged with murder, and remains in the Robertson County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Williams was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Health Center in Bryan, where she died at 2:34 a.m.

Cheathem said the shooting happened in an area known for drugs. As many as 200 people gather on the street on any given night.

The police chief blames the block's two bars, the West-End-Bar and Broadway Too, for most of the violence in the area.

Cheathem said the department has been working with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to bring the area under control.

Randy Field, a TABC agent, said he has heard several complaints about the businesses, but has never had problems during his visits.

Field said Wednesday that the agency did not have information that made it seem clear that the bars should be shut down.


CEDC TO MEET

(CAMERON) The Cameron Economic Development Corporation will be held on Wednesday beginning at 10 AM in the Cameron City Hall at 100 S. Houston Avenue in Cameron.


CAMERON TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD TO MEET

(CAMERON) The Cameron Tourism Advisory Board will meet next week at the Cameron Chamber Meeting Room, The board will discuss the financial report, and discuss old and new business. Next weeks meeting will begin Wednesday at 5:30 PM at the Cameron Chamber Meeting Room.


CAMERON CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD REGULAR MEETING

(CAMERON) The Cameron City Council will hold a regular meeting Monday in The City Council Chambers at 100 South Houston Avenue in Cameron. The Council will discuss and Take action on Milam County Historical Society Needs, and Consider and Approve the use of the Downtown Square for the 34th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair on October 6th. Mondays meeting will begin at 5:30 Pm.


TEXAS SALES TAX HOLIDAY WEEKEND: AUG 17-19

AUSTIN — Shoppers wanting a tax break on some items can look forward to this weekend in Texas. Today and Sunday are the dates for the state's annual tax holiday, as students get ready to return to school.

The Texas comptroller's office says the law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under 100
dollars from sales and use taxes.

This year backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students -- are also exempt. Other sales tax-exempt items range from coats and dresses to gym suits and uniforms. Also on the exempt list are pants, trousers, suits, slacks, jackets, work clothes and swimsuits.

For a complete list, check out the Texas comptroller's Web site. For a link, you can log on to our website and find this story in Today's Local News.

On the Net:

http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_490/tx98_490.html


TXDOT RELEASES LIST OF DEFICIENT BRIDGES

(TEXAS) Responding to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's request for a complete inventory of "structurally deficient" bridges, the Texas Department of Transportation on Thursday released a list of 2,024 such Texas bridges.

The agency at the same time released a broadside, sending Dewhurst a five-page letter that included several paragraphs outlining how the Legislature has failed to provide it the necessary funds to take on bridge maintenance and other state transportation challenges.

"In each of the recent legislative sessions, TxDOT and its regional partners have been asked to do more with less," the letter from Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson says.

It goes on to outline how the Legislature took more transportation money for other needs and limited the agency's ability to tap the private sector for roads. "(T)he net result of legislative action was to scale back resources," Williamson said in the letter.

Dewhurst had asked for the report in an Aug. 3 letter to the department, two days after an Interstate 35 bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

"I read with relief your statement that 'all of the bridges on Texas' public roads are safe,' " Dewhurst said in his letter, "but the Minnesota highway department, I assume, thought that was true for their state, too."

The Transportation Department's county-by-county list includes a federal "sufficiency rating" between one and 100 for each of the 2,024 bridges, as well as a categorization of how soon bridges might be repaired or replaced.

The agency said 282 bridges are currently being repaired or rehabilitated, 1,303 are in its 10-year plan for remedial work and 439 are not on any list for repair or funding.

A bridge is deemed structurally deficient, the agency said Thursday, "if significant elements of the bridge are deteriorating or damaged, (if there is) extreme restriction of load carrying capacity or the adequacy of the waterway opening under the bridge is extremely inadequate. A structurally deficient bridge should not be confused with an unsafe bridge."


HEARNE MAN ON TRIAL FOR THREATENING COUNCILMAN

(HEARNE) A Hearne man is on trial accused of threatening a city councilwoman.

Tommy Leon Jones is charged with making a terroristic threat against Councilwoman Maxine Vaughn. Following a city council meeting back in May, Jones allegedly told Vaughn she was dead.

Jones claims he meant politically dead. He had recently filed a petition in June to have another councilmember removed. Shortly after, Jones was arrested on a terroristic threat charge.

Those backing the defendant, including Hearne's mayor Milton Johnson, say the timing is questionable, making this case appear to be politically motivated.

"This man filed this petition, and it's my duty as mayor to make sure this guy is given every opportunity that anyone else has," Johnson said.

Jones is currently on parole for burglary, and a conviction in this case could send him to jail. Several city councilmember's were in attendance at Thursday's proceedings, causing city officials to call the gathering a quorum.


HIGHWAY 36 PROJECT NEARING COMPLETION

(CAMERON) TxDOT's contractor, James Construction Group of Temple, will begin the final phase of concrete paving in Cameron next week weather permitting. The main paving will take two to three weeks to complete and will then be followed by the street intersections and driveways which will take another two to three weeks.

The signalized intersections at Travis St. and Fannin St. will remain open to traffic until everything else is complete and then they will be paved.

Driveways and intersecting streets may be closed at various times during this construction.

The majority of the work will be done starting very early in the morning, possibly around 2 AM, and will last until about noon to allow the concrete to be placed during the cooler part of the day to achieve a better product.

This work will be followed by miscellaneous work left to complete the project including curb, sidewalk, striping and traffic signals that will take approximately three months. The $28 million project is expected to be completed before the end of the year.


TAYLOR POLICE ON WATCH

(TAYLOR) As the Summer of 2007 nears an end, many would like to celebrate with a few drinks, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. For the next two weeks, Taylor police will be looking out for drunk drivers. "We are lucky here; it's not a big bar town where everyone goes out to party and all that," Captain David Clawson said, "but any drunks driving in traffic puts someone else in danger, and we want to put a stop to that." Last year during the same time, Taylor police arrested five people for driving while intoxicated. Two of which were felonies- one for having a child in the car, and the other for the third of more conviction. "Unfortunately, Labor Day is one of those holidays that drinking gets thrown in, a last summer fling kind of thing." Clawson said. Sponsored by Buckle Up Texas, which also runs the Click it or Ticket campaign, agencies that put a special emphasis on drunk driving enforcement are entered into a regional draw for $4,000. The Taylor Police Dept. won that amount during Click it or Ticket for materials for traffic safety education, and Clawson said he would hope that they would do the same this year.


YOEMEN SCRIMMAGE ROBINSON

(CAMERON) The Cameron Yoemen will get their first look at an opponent Today when they host a controlled scrimmage at Yoe Stadium against the Robinson Rockets. The Freshmen will scrimmage at 8 a.m. followed by the JV at 9 and the varsity at 10.

Meanwhile, tickets for the 2007 Cameron Yoemen football season go on sale Monday, August 20th for season ticket holders. If you held season tickets last year, you can purchase those seats from 8am-12 noon and 1-3 p.m. daily next week.


VOLLEYBALL IN CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

(CAMERON) The Lady Yoe Volleyball team is off to a good start to the year after they advanced to the Championship Bracket in their tournament Thursday. The ladies outlasted LaVega, Jarrell and Granger in pool play, to advance.
Championship games begin Today at 10AM. Rogers-Jarrell and Taylor-Salado will each be played first. Cameron plays Thorndale at 11AM. Also playing at 11 are Academy and Florence.
In consolation play, area teams Robinson and Milano will be playing each other at 9AM Today.


POLICE REPORT
 
(CAMERON) Cameron Police reported an Aggravated Robbery at East Liquor at 7PM last night by a male in his early 20's with a pistol in one hand and and bandanna covering his face, demanding an undetermined amount of money, and told the clerk to go in the restroom and don't come out. According to neighbors in the area, the suspect could have fled in a Black SUV.

(ROCKDALE) Rockdale Police reported 7:44 am CR 457 to a 1 Vehicle Rollover, 3 EMS calls,

CR 342 a vehicle swerved off the road into a pasture,

Another accident at the old Wal-Mart parking lot involving drivers:
RIchard Inman of Rockdale,

Debra Biehle of Thorndale, no injuries were reported.

On FM 1712 off of HWY 77 RFD, Milam County Sheriffs Office responded to a major rollover the driver was lifeflighted.

(MILAM CO) The Milam County Sheriff's Department reported 5 arrests, and 4 new Accidents:

--Donald Johnson, 36 of Cameron was arrested on Sexual Assault.

--Theodore Larison, 28 also of Cameron was arrested last night on County Commitment.

--Sarah Scruggs, 26 of Caldwell is being housed for Lee County.

--Deborah Shivers, 21 of Rockdale was arrested on Violation of Probation and is being held on a $20,000 bond.

--Joseph Vega, 25 of Buckholts was arrested last night on Attorney General Capias.

At 5:52 this morning on US 190 at the Y intersection, There was a 2 Vehicle accident. No injuries were reported.

At 7:40 PM yesterday there was a 1 vehicle accident on CR 342, No injuries were reported.

Just after Midnight there was a 1 Vehicle Rollover at FM 1712, The driver was life flighted.

At 1:48 this morning there was another 1 vehicle rollover at CR 205, the driver was transported by AMR.

There are 112 prisoners in the Milam County Jail, 84 from Milam County, 12 from Bell and 16 held for Lee County.