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Suspect in Elmo robbery arrested
Monitor Staff Reports
KAUFMAN–Elmo area resident Kenneth Stamper, 43, was
arrested on a “blue warrant” from the Texas Pardon and Parole Board
March 29.
Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Bryan Francis said
Stamper was arrested without incident.
Stamper is being held without bond in the Kaufman County Law Enforcement
Center.
In addition to the state warrant, Stamper was also being sought in
connection with a robbery-shooting that took place in the wee hours of
March 28 at the Elmo Food Store on U.S. Highway 80.
The robber entered the store and demanded money from the clerk.
When she refused, the robber left the store and returned with a weapon,
shooting the clerk in the head.
The clerk called 911 at 3:49 a.m. to report the shooting.
She was later released from Baylor Hospital in Dallas after being
treated for what was described as a “glancing gunshot wound to the
head.”
Francis said investigators are still seeking the victim’s 1994 white
Toyota Corrola sedan, which bears South Dakota personalized license
plates “RAVI.”
“If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of this
vehicle, they are asked to contact the Kaufman County Sheriff’s
Department Criminal Investigation Division at (972) 932-4337, or their
local law enforcement agency,” Francis said.
Runoff election set for
Tuesday
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Republican voters will go to the polls Tuesday to
select a single candidate for Henderson County Sheriff.
Former Texas Ranger Ray Nutt and Henderson County Sheriff’s Department
Assistant Chief Deputy Tony Allison face off in a runoff election April
8.
The winner will face Democrat Bill Casey in November.
Tuesday, Democrats will also go to the polls to select a nominee for
railroad commissioner.
The choices are Mark Thompson and Dale Henry.
The Republican sheriff runoff became necessary when no candidate gained
at least 50 percent of the vote in the March 4 primary.
Nutt led all candidates with 46.9 percent of the vote, with Allison
behind him with 27.2 percent. A third candidate, Mitch Baker, received
25.7 percent of the vote and was eliminated from the race.
Nutt came to Henderson County in 1988 as a Texas Ranger and made it his
home, later serving as an investigator in the District Attorney’s Office
and with the sheriff’s department.
Allison has been with the sheriff’s department since 1990. He became
jail administrator in 1993 and was promoted to his current position in
2001. Allison is endorsed by retiring Sheriff Ronny Brownlow and his
predecessor, H.B. “Slick” Alfred.
Those who voted in the primary election will get to vote again in the
party they voted for previously. Those who didn’t vote, but are
registered to vote, may choose Democrat or Republican elections.
There will be four consolidated polling placed for the runoff election:
Malakoff City Hall, Payne Springs Community Center, Brownsboro Community
Center and the Cain Center in Athens.
Those living in Precinct 1 will cast votes on election day, Tuesday,
April 8, at Malakoff City Hall, except for voters in Seven Points. Those
voters will cast votes at the Payne Springs Community Center along with
other Precinct 2 voters from Gun Barrel City and Eustace.
Those casting votes at Brownsboro Community Center would normally poll
at the Chandler Community Center (3C), Westside Vol. Fire Department (SWS),
Murchison School (3B), Berryville Civic Center (4BV), Coffee City
Hall/Fire Dept. (4CC), Moore Station Community Center (4MS), New York
Baptist Church (4NY) and Fincastle Community Church (4F).
Those casting votes at the Cain Center would normally poll at Athens
School Admin. Bldg. (4A), United Pentecostal Church (2), Henderson Co.
Justice Center (3), Bethel Christian Church (3N), Larue Community Center
(4LR), Poynor City Hall (4P), Lake Athens Baptist Church (4LA), New
Abundant Harvest Church (4S), Baxter Baptist Church (4SE) and Shady Oaks
Fire Station (4W).
Ready to switch traffic in
Seven Points soon
Median strip planned to limit turns into
Pritchett
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
SEVEN POINTS–Seven Points/Tool Chamber Branch members got some good news
about the highway construction project through Seven Points Wednesday.
Weather permitting, RK Hall, the road contractor, will be ready to
switch the traffic on State Highway 274 to the newly prepared road
surface.
A traffic switch for SH 334 is assured to occur before the Memorial Day
weekend.
“We never switch the traffic on a Monday or a Friday,” RK Hall spokesman
Chad Ingram explained. Those days are generally the worst days to ask
motorists to change the way they drive.
Ingram was one of the speakers during the chamber branch meeting held at
the Dairy Queen in Seven Points at 8 a.m. the first Wednesday of the
month. About 30 were in attendance for the breakfast gathering.
Ingram also answered complaints about traffic turning into and from
Pritchett Lane.
“There was nearly a fist fight there last week,” Danny Hampel noted.
A median strip is to be installed preventing left turns into Pritchett
Lane and directing traffic out of the road to a right turn only, Ingram
said.
Access to Pritchett Lane from the east will be permitted. Access to
Pritchett from the west will be directed to John Thomas by the bank, he
said.
Road widening work on SH 198 in Mabank is due to begin and the Caney
Creek Bridge project starts next month, he added.
Tool School Principal Bill Morgan also addressed the group, introducing
two staff members, Lori Coia and Christal Northcutt.
He thanked Hampel for providing DQ awards for high performance to the
students every six weeks, and reminded all to visit the restaurant on
Tuesday afternoons, where Morgan waits tables and a portion of every
order is donated to the school.
The PTO is holding a Spring Fling carnival Friday, April 11, with games
and cake walks, refreshments and prizes.
“It will be lots of fun. I hope many of you will attend with your
children or grandchildren,” Morgan said.
Malakoff school superintendent Dr. Robert Spies will explain the
upcoming $7 million bond election during a PTO meeting at the school at
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15. The community is encouraged to come and get
their questions answered.
The campus’ first TAKS testing “went really well,” Morgan said. Though
tests have their place, Morgan said the teachers there are all about
teaching every kid every day, whether there is a test to prepare for or
not.
“Schools should not be about testing, they should be about learning
every single day from the first day a child enrolls until his last day,”
he said.
Northcutt attested to this attitude, guiding the school when four
children from out of state registered the week before the TAKS test.
“I was feeling very anxious about this situation, but Bill said, ‘It’s
OK. We’ll get through this. Don’t worry,’” Northcutt said.
Morgan complemented office secretary Coia and explained that she was
hired as an ISS teacher to help the kids who can’t behave, but had to
start as the receptionist, and then when the secretary broke her hip in
February, switched to secretary, all without any formal training.
“She’s doing a great job. She’s very positive and always has a smile,”
Morgan said.
“It is very stressful, but I’m doing my best. That’s all I can say,”
Coia responded.
New member Judge Dale Blaylock was welcomed as well as new Chamber
employee Linda Hacker.
Candidates for the Malakoff school board, Payne Springs resident Jan
Shelton and Tool resident Ed Wood, were given an opportunity to speak.
“We’re going to take care of business,” Wood said. That includes keeping
and hiring good people like Morgan, Wood added.
Seven Points city council candidate Richard “Yankee” Smith also
introduced himself.
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