Rangers beat Athletics

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Paint theTown Pink

© 2014 Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune

See Obituaries page 3A

• Elvin Allen• Charles Milton Tuck

Sports

Local News

Obituaries

In recognition of October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Breast & Diagnostic Health Center at Titus Regional Medical Center and the City of Mount Pleasant would like to invite the community to participate in the 7th Annual Paint the Town Pink campaign.

Participate in Paint the Town Pink week, Monday, October 6th through Friday, October 11th

Decorate your business and show your support of breast cancer survivors Winners for Best Theme, Most Creative and Community Spirit. For more information, contact 903-577-6299.

First Glance

Daily TribuneMount Pleasant, Texas www.dailytribune.net 140th Year, No. 191 1 Section, 8 Pages Friday, September 26, 2014 75¢

Meals areavailable

Mount Pleasant Habitat for Humanity has scheduled two work days for the 912 E. 9th Street property, on Friday, Sept. 26, starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 12:00 noon, and on Saturday, starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m.. Water and Gatorade will be provided.

HabitatWork day

For individuals who are 60+ and homebound, home delivered meals are available in Titus County.

TRMC planshealth fair

Titus Regional Medical Center & the Mount Pleasant United Methodist churches will host the Mount Pleasant Community Health Fair. The fair will be held Saturday, October 11th, 8am-12 noon. The annual health fair is located in the Tennison Memorial Activity Center on the corner of Third & Church Street. Free screenings to include blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, PSA, vision, hearing & spinal screenings. Please fast for the cholesterol and blood sugar screenings. Flu Vaccines offered pending availability to adults 18 & older, Medicare recipients bring card.

Door prizes and a complimentary lunch included. Carter BloodCare mobile unit will be on site, potential donors should be 18 & older and should bring ID and eat before donating.

For more information about this event, contact 903-577-6299 or 903-572-5341.

Jail RoundupThe Titus County jail

had 96 inmates Thursday morning, 17 females and 79 males. There were seven arrests in the previous 24 hours, one for a minor in possession, four for theft and two for driving while license suspended.

Please call 1-800-372-4464 for information.”

“Para individuos que son mayores de 60 y confinados, comidas entregadas casa están disponibles en el Condado de Titus. Por favor llame al 1-800-372-4464 para obtener información.”

GARY BORDERS/Daily Tribune

It’s hard workShelby Roberts, a Mount Pleasant High student, catches some shuteye Thursday afternoon in the livestock arena at the Titus County Fair.

County proposes smaller tax hike

By LOU ANTONELLIManaging Editor

Thanks to the settlement agreement earlier this week between the Luminant power company and the Titus County Appraisal District, the county has reduced its proposed tax rate for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The commissioners court held the second of two required hearings Thursday night in preparation for

finalizing the budget and tax rate Monday.

On Sept. 8th commissioners proposed a tax rate of 43.96 cents per $100 of valuation, an increase of 2.44 cents over the current rate of 41.52 cents.

“The primary contributing factor of this increase was a $227 million reduction in the rendered value of the Luminant power plant,” said County Judge Brian Lee. “It wasn't wasteful spending

or a carefree attitude of the members of this court. The proposed rate was set to bring in approximately the same amount of tax dollars as the current year. If value goes down, the rate goes up.”

“On Tuesday, Sept 23, we learned that a settlement value of $350 million had been reached between the TCAD and Luminant. Not as good as this year’s $459 or as bad as Luminant’s original

See County, Pg. 3A

LOU ANTONELLI/Daily Tribune

Shannon Deloney wheels a load up the ramp and into the moving truck parked at the back of the east Franklin Courthouse annex Thursday.

Franklin County offices on the moveBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

MOUNT VERNON - It’s been a moving experience all this week as Franklin County offices move back to the courthouse on the square.

County Clerk Betty Crane pointed out it has been almost four full years since the restoration of the historic circa-1912 courthouse began. Her office, as well as those of all the other courthouse offices, moved after the general election was held in the first week of November 2010.

The courthouse

restoration was finalized with a celebration and ribbon cutting last Saturday.

The offices in the courthouse east extension were essentially closed starting Wednesday until the end of the week as the offices temporarily housed there were being moved. They include the county clerk, county auditor, county judge, county treasurer, justice of the peace, and the on-site sewage inspector.

The east courthouse annex on Hwy. 67 was a bustle of activity Thursday as employees packed up boxes, filing cabinets and other

furniture to be hauled away in full-size moving trucks. Crane said they were on their second truck by noon, with much left to pack up.

Crane said they were still trying to answer the phone and be helpful as possible while in the process of moving.

“We’re doing the best we can, but the office is really closed,” she said.

The county extension agent will remain behind in the building.

Crane said they hope to be back open for business Monday morning. She said

See Franklin, Pg. 3A

Constable applicants to be interviewedBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

County commissioners will begin interviewing applicants Monday morning to replace the late Precinct 2 Constable Cleve Johnson.

Johnson’s death in a one-vehicle accident Aug. 28 was too close to the Nov. 4 general election for his replacement to be put to a vote. It was the consensus of commissioners to make an interim appointment until

the 2016 election.County Judge Brian

Lee said there are three applicants: Bobby Joe Spearman, currently a deputy constable in Pcts. 1, 3 and 4; Mount Pleasant Police Sergeant Ray Barrett; and former game warden Skip McBride. The applicants will be interviewed behind closed doors in executive session. Sheriff Tim Ingram, Constable Chris Durant and JPs Kay McNutt and Paul Dyke will be invited to the

meeting.The specially called

meeting will start at 9 a.m. Afterward commissioners will reconvene in open meeting to make a decision. The term shall run until December 31, 2016

Lee said commissioners have to also consider who to appoint as county mental health officer, a post that was filled by Johnson. It was Johnson – or his deputy Lisa Toland – who were responsible to transporting

mental health patients.Lee said commissioners

have to discuss who will formally handle mental health transports and how they will be done in the future.

Both Toland and Deputy Constable Jewell Lee have been transferred to the office of Constable Chris Durant until Johnson’s post is filled

Lou Antonelli is managing editor of the Daily Tribune.

Email: lou@dailytribune.net

Courtesy Photo

A scene from last year’s Gold Star Luminary event held at the Titus County Courthouse.

MOM invites Gold Star families to luminary eventFrom Staff Reports

For military families, pride in their loved ones’ service in the U.S. Military is easy. However, the grief in losing that loved one is especially painful.

A special community reaches out to those Gold Star families to offer comfort and to remember their loved ones’ sacrifice each year. The Gold Star Luminary Initiative is held on the last Sunday of September. M.O.M. (Ministering Our

Military), a non-profit organization based in Mount Pleasant, will join communities around the nation in hosting a luminary event this Sunday, Sept. 28.

The special ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Titus County Courthouse. The group is inviting Gold Star families to be special guests at the event, which will honor those families by lighting a luminary in memory of their loved one.

The group will also sell

luminaries to be placed around the courthouse square to honor active duty military members. The event will feature speakers and special music to commemorate Gold Star Family Day. The special day, originally designated as Gold Star Mother’s Day in 1936, lets families that have lost a military member know they don’t stand alone.

M.O.M. is a group of military family members who come together to support and minister to

those who have loved ones currently in the military, serving our country. The group will be selling luminaries for military families at their booth at the Titus County Fair. Gold Star families are asked to contact the group so the group can honor their loved one at the Gold Star Luminary event.

For more information please visit their Facebook page (M.O.M. Ministering Our Military), call 903-884-8413 or email mommp2013@gmail.com.

Mustang, which was built with the assistance of the NTCC Shelby program. Both the build team and drivers will be in attendance.

“It has been a great experience for our students to get hands-on-experience working on the Pan Americana racer. Not many

students can say they’ve had an opportunity like this and we are thrilled to have been part of the process,” Keith Fennimore, Director of the Shelby Automotive Technology program, said. “We are expecting participants from all over the country and we hope our

local community will come out to join in the fun.”

There will be live music provided by the Rodney Whatley Band. The NTCC Welder’s Association will sell hot Carroll Shelby Chili and cold drinks. For more information, contact Fennimore at 903-434-8159.

it together.” Ratliff said the class also

decided to start a pink-out event.

“During October a lot of football teams do a pink-out game, where athletes and fans wear pink to support breast cancer. Well, we don’t have a football team, so we decided to have the event during a home basketball

game,” Ratliff said. “This way, we could also present the check to Sally’s Hope from the T-shirt sales.”

Ratliff said the first event in 2011 was a huge success, with the class donating $600 to the Sally’s Hope in November.

“Each year we continued the tradition of the pink-out

By LOU ANTONELLIManaging Editor

A Mount Pleasant couple filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in Texarkana on Sept. 11 alleging their Constitutional rights were violated by the Titus County Sheriff ’s Office “by unlawfully detaining them, physically assaulting them, and totally humiliating them in their own home.”

The suit alleges nine TCSO members executed a narcotics search warrant in

the 400 block of West 7th on Sept. 12, 2012. “Without knocking and with weapons drawn, the individual defendants broke down the front door of the residence” of Ruben Izquierdo and Maria Cordova Bastista, it states.

“Plaintiffs, who speak very little English, emerged… at which time the individual defendants immediately began an assault on both plaintiffs…with no provocation,” the suit states.

Cordova who was at the time battling cancer and

undergoing chemotherapy, was tackled, and when Izquierdo attempted to help his wife, he was repeatedly assaulted by” numerous methods”, the suit alleges.

The suit alleges Izquierdo was Tazered three times, beaten with a metal flashlight on his arms, shoulder, and head, and also with a police baton.

“Neither Izquierdo nor Cordova ever attempted in any way to resist arrest,” the lawsuit states. “Neither Izquierdo nor Cordova attempted to in any way

fight with the individual defendants.”

The individual members of the department cited in the suit are Chris Bragg, Brent Smith, Aaron Baxter, Kenneth Wilson, Tracy Hayes, Wayne Minor, Marcus Carlock and John Livington.

Deputy Toby Bunow is cited as a participant in the raid but not named as a defendant.

“No narcotics were found at the residence,” the suit continues. “As a result of the assault on him, Izquierdo

was taken to the Titus Regional Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with, among other things, multiple fractures of the shoulder and ribs, numerous contusions, dizziness caused by concussion, shortness of breath, headache, tenderness of the vertebrae, and subconjunctive hemorrhaging. Cordova was diagnosed with facial swelling and other contusions”

The lawsuit contends the conduct of individual defendants, acting

pursuant to department’s policies, violated plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (a violation of Plaintiffs’ liberty interest in their bodily integrity), as well as under the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures.

County Judge Brian Lee said he didn’t know of the lawsuit until he was sent a copy earlier this week. He said the county has legal

Tigers lose toGreenvilleSee Page 13A

Democratsmeet Oct. 2

Luminaryceremony

Safety fairplanned

JailRoundup

Chickenspaghetti

© 2014 Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune

See Obituaries page 4A

•Lucille Allen• Louie Newsome• Morris Hatten• James Arthur Martin• Harold Terry

Sheriff’s office sued for civil rights violations

Chapel Hill alums donate class funds

Austin seeksLine of Dutyexpansion

Sports

Local News

Obituaries

From NTCC Reports

The Carroll Shelby Automotive Program at Northeast Texas Community College will host the Three Shelbys and a Corvette Racer Car Show on Saturday, Oct. 11. The event will kick off at 10 a.m. at the Shelby Automotive Technology building on the main NTCC campus. The public is invited to attend.

All makes and models are welcome to enter the car show. In addition to the car show, the day will feature appearances by legendary Corvette Panamericana racer Delmo Johnson; Bill Neale, renowned automobile artist and personal friend of Carroll Shelby; and Scot McMillan, hot rod builder and star of television’s Fast N Loud and Fired Up Garage.

There will be an unveiling of the 2015 Panamericana

The next meeting of the Titus County Democratic Club will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Catfish King restaurant. Dinner is Dutch treat.

The guest speaker for the evening will be Dr. Brad Johnson, president of Northeast Texas Community College.

M.O.M. (Ministering Our Military) will join communities around the nation in hosting a Gold Star luminary event this Sunday, Sept. 28.

The special ceremony will begin at 7:45 p.m. at the Titus County Courthouse (not 6:30 p.m as previously announced). The group is inviting Gold Star families to be special guests at the event, which will honor those families by lighting a luminary in

The Titus County jail had 90 inmates Friday morning, 12 females and 78 males. There was one arrest in the previous 24 hours for criminal trespass.

Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC) and the TRMC Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is hosting a Harvest Safety Fair 2014 from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Calvary Chapel in Mount Pleasant.

For more information, call Gloria Cooper at 903-577-6079, or email: Gloria.cooper@titusregional.com

The Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant will host its Annual Chicken

Benefits Sally’s Hope First Glance

See LAWSUIT, Pg. 5A

See HOPE, Pg. 5A

See EXPANSION, Pg. 4A

Daily Tribune

Courtesy photo

NTCC Courtesy photo

The 2015 Panamericana Mustang is pictured. Students in the NTCC Shelby Automotive program were on the build team for the racer.

Stacy Ratliff, right, and Kathi Burney, Chapel Hill High School assistant principal, left, present April Welch, center, with the final check on behalf of the 2014 class. The class raised $2,400 for Sally’s Hope, a local non-profit organization.

By LOU ANTONELLIManaging Editor

Titus County Veterans Service Officer Steve Austin has kicked off Phase II for the Line of Duty memorial.

The memorial honoring those who gave their lives while serving Titus County was dedicated on the east lawn of the Titus County Courthouse Sept. 11. It recognizes a Mount Pleasant firefighter, a Texas Forest Service firefighter, and a Mount Pleasant police officer, as well as two constables – the second of which, Cleve Johnson, was added at the last minute following his death in a one-vehicle accident Aug. 28.

Austin said an expansion of the memorial will allow space for future honorees, as well as the addition of two Mount Pleasant natives who died while serving in another city.

Brothers Theodore Alonzo Tedford and Alexander White Tedford both died in the service of the Dallas Police Department, in separate incidents 15 years apart – Theodore in 1912 and Alexander in 1927.

Austin said the story of the Tedford Brothers was not brought to his attention until after the memorial was designed, and their names were not included.

Austin said the Phase II

By ANNETTE WHITE Tribune Staff Writer

Since 2011, the Chapel Hill graduating class of 2014 has been actively involved in awareness campaigns and fundraising for Sally’s Hope, a local non-profit organization benefitting victims of breast cancer with wigs, prosthetic devices, and other necessary supplies that families may not be able to afford.

“In September of their sophomore year, Mason May, the class president, and the other officers met to discuss fundraising ideas for their class account,” Stacy Ratliff, a sponsor for the 2014 class and Spanish teacher at Chapel Hill High School, said. “They decided they wanted to give back to the community in some way, and the following month was Breast Cancer Awareness month, so they were trying to find a way to tie breast cancer awareness in and create a fundraiser

within our own community of Chapel Hill.”

Ratliff said the class officers decided create a T-shirt and sell it within the community.

“We approached Dr. Cuenca with Northeast Texas Oncologic and Reconstructive Surgery here in Mount Pleasant, and she was more than happy to put up some seed money and invest in the project,” Ratliff said. “From there, the class decided that 20 percent of the proceeds would go to Sally’s Hope, making it local and educating people at the same time.”

Mason May, the class president, said the group wanted to give back to the community and create a local connection.

“Our decision to donate to Sally’s Hope and working with Dr. Cuenca was a local tie, not only to Mount Pleasant, but to Chapel Hill,” May said. “Dr. Cuenca is our classmate Gordon Downie’s mom, so it all tied

Good times!Youngsters get a thrill riding the Super Shot at the carnival during the Titus County Fair.

GARY BORDERS/Daily Tribune

Mount Pleasant, Texas Www.Tribune.net 140th Year, No. 192 3 Sections, 32 Pages Saturday & Sunday, September 27-28, 2014 $2.00

Weekend Edition • Tiger Football on 13A

NTCC Shelby program to host car show

Spaghetti Scholarship Supper this Friday night, October 3, at the Mount Pleasant High School cafeteria beginning at 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Tickets are adults $7, children 10 and under $5 and quarts-to-go are available for just $10. And since it is Teacher Appreciation night at the Tiger football game, all teachers will receive $2 off their meal.

For more information check out Rotary’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/ mprotaryclub or website at www.mprotary.org call 903-466-1248.