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Police chase down
mobile drug lab
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Reports
PAYNE SPRINGS–Police found a mobile drug lab in the form of a 1988 blue Ford Bronco
Feb. 21.
The vehicle was carrying a 35-gallon white propane tank containing anhydrous ammonia, said
Payne Springs police chief Chris Meyer.
According to the police report, the Bronco is registered to James Huddleston of 209 Grand
Ave., apartment 36, in Mabank
While traveling north on State Highway 198 shortly after midnight, Payne Springs police
officer Mark Boyett noticed the Bronco with its right turn signal on making a left turn
onto CR 2515.
By the time Boyett had turned around and followed the Bronco, the vehicle was already
halfway down the road.
Boyett had almost caught up to it, when the vehicle failed to stop before turning right
onto Crawfish Ranch Road.
The driver obviously could tell the patrol officer was interested in him because he
slammed on his brakes and turned into a muddy field, where the Bronco got stuck in the
mud.
While Boyett called for backup and waited for Log Cabin officers to arrive, the driver
must have vacated the vehicle, because when the officers got to the Bronco, no one was
there.
They searched the field and were unable to locate the operator.
Upon returning to the Bronco, the officers found the 35-gallon tank with a blue valve and
a hose attached to it.
The Henderson County Drug Enforcement Unit was called. Deputy Roger Cullum arrived with a
thermal camera for use during a second search of the field, still without success.
County narcotics investigator David Faught determined that the tank contained anhydrous
ammonia. Faught took the tank for disposal and Boyett completed an inventory of the
vehicle around 3:25 a.m.
The Bronco was towed to Billy Oats Wrecker.
63 longhorn cattle seized
for cruelty at Van Zandt ranch
By Donna Limberger
Monitor Staff Writer
CANTON–Feb. 26, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Texas, seized 63 head of Longhorn
cattle and three donkeys from a property located off Farm-to-Market 47.
Monitor Photo/Donna Limberger
The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, along with the SPCA of Texas, seized 63
longhorns and three donkeys from property off Farm-to-Market 47 Feb. 26. The animals were
in very poor health, and officials also found more than 50 dead animals on the property.
In addition, dead cows were found across the property.
During a hearing before Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Ronnie Daniell Tuesday, the SPCA
was awarded custody. The owner can appeal the decision.
“We counted 50 (dead animals), but there could have been more that – we just
didn’t see,” Investigator Jerry Cato said. “There were dead animals in
barns, in and around an abandoned house and calves that had been trampled in the
mud.”
According to a statement released by the SPCA, this did not happen overnight. It took
months. Many were lethargic and dangerously underweight.
The animals did not have access to food, and their water source became contaminated by
dead cattle.
Cato said the sheriff’s office ran an unrelated search warrant at the property Feb.
25. Upon discovery of the animals, an SPCA of Texas investigator met officers at the
property.
“We obtained a seizure warrant, and the animals were picked up by the SPCA as soon as
possible,” Cato said. “The animals’ owner told us that he had been out of
town and had been paying someone to take care of the animals.”
The animals were transported to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney.
Should the animals remain in the custody of the SPCA, they will be individually evaluated
for potential adoption or placement on a case-by-case basis.
Cato said arrests are pending in the case.
July 4th concert in works
New Gun Barrel City hall layout approved
Monitor Staff Reports
GUN BARREL CITY–The Gun Barrel City Council has decided to again use its Hotel/Motel
Fund to promote the city’s annual Fourth of July Festival.
Council members agreed to earmark $30,000 for the festival during a regular meeting Feb.
23.
ABOVE: Plans to renovate and add on to former Prosperity Bank Building
include a council chamber, visitor center, post office and offices for the Economic
Development Corporation.
ABOVE: Gun Barrel City hopes to transform the Harbor Point Road and Main
Street corner into new city hall.
Half that amount would be set aside for radio advertising, targeting a Dallas market.
“None of the money will be spent on fireworks,” city manager Gerry Boren said.
“We already set aside money for the fireworks in the (FY 2010) budget.”
City treasurer Micki Raney said she has been casting about for a big-name act to perform
for the festival.
“We were thinking what can we do to make people stay in our town,” Raney said.
So, staff came up with a “Concert in the Park” event, ending with a fireworks
show.
“We thought we could start small and grow it into a weekend event,” she added.
Though she didn’t have anyone committed yet, Raney said she was confident of getting
someone who would be a draw for the city.
“We don’t know if it’s enough, but we’re asking for it ($30,000) now
until we can get more information,” Boren said.
Building a stage and equipping it for sound was also discussed, as well as charging
admission.
“We gotta go big,” Boren said.
Tuesday, city staff were meeting on the progress being made on their festival plans.
Council members also approved a floor plan for the new city hall. The former bank
building, across Harbor Point Road from the current offices, is to be renovated for the
new city hall.
When completed, plans call for 4,588 square feet of new construction and 3,185 square feet
to be renovated, for a total of 7,773 square feet of space, plus 43 parking spaces.
The new construction will enclose all of the existing bank drive-thru lanes.
Inside the square building will be a lobby, visitor center (with a room designated for a
post office), a council chamber with 45 seats, two conference rooms, a map room and
assorted city offices, including something called the “war room.”
The plans also include two rooms for the Economic Development Corporation, which currently
leases space in a strip center across Main Street from the city hall.
The approved floor plan is in the hands of the architects, while Boren pursues different
avenues of financing available to the city. The project is expected to come in at around
$1.2 million, Boren said.
Though a construction start date was not given, Boren expects plans to be ready for the
bid process by July.
Boren reported he expects the city’s new fire department tanker to arrive in mid-May.
The council authorized him to spend up to $200,000 for the tanker and related equipment. A
Texas Forestry grant is expected to reimburse the city up to $155,000, he said.
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