People, Places & Events

Bloodhounds find fleeing suspect
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Constable C.B. Wiley sent two bloodhound tracking teams north of Cedar Creek Lake off U.S. Highway 175, west of Mabank High School, in search of a fleeing juvenile last week.
Travis County Child Protection Services had picked up the 17-year-old female from the Mabank High School area, and was transporting her back to Austin when she jumped out of the vehicle and ran into a heavily wooded area, Wiley reported.
The Van Zandt County Bloodhound tracking team – handlers Orbin Smith with T-Bone and Cash Wiley with Constable – conducted the search.
Deputies on horseback and ATVs, along with concerned citizens and other police officers, formed a perimeter around the area while the search was underway.
Deteriorating weather conditions were a concern for the searchers, as a storm was blowing into the area, Wiley reported.
Cash Wiley and Constable found the tired teenager in the far north corner of the wooded area after about two hours.
EMS was called to check her out for scratches and a barbed wire cut on her arm. She was released to her mother and CPS officials.
The Van Zandt Bloodhound Team is a nonprofit organization whose mission is search and rescue on missing persons, children, adults and fugitives.
It assists law enforcement in searches for evidence at no charge and works on donations only.
The team is need of volunteers and equipment, including radios, flashlights and ATVs. The team meets to train at 4 p.m. each Tuesday at Wiley’s Gun Shop, just north of State Highway 243 west of Canton.
For more information, contact C.B. Wiley at (903) 880-5955.

TVCC participates in
Intensive Summer Program
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) will again be participating in the Intensive Summer Program (ISP) this year.
Thanks to a $130,500 grant, the college has been selected by the Texas Higher Education Board to participate in the program through 2011.
Through the ISP, students can take either developmental math or developmental reading.
The program allows students to complete a series of classes which normally take three full semesters in 10 weeks.
In order to attend college, students in Texas are required to pass the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test.
Those who don’t pass the exam can still take credit courses, but they must also enroll in developmental classes.
The ISP allows a student to enroll in developmental classes over the summer, thus getting their required coursework done in a third of the time.
This is the second year TVCC has participated in the ISP.
In the first year last summer, 31 students participated. This year, the college expects to serve 50 students.
According to Dr. Jeremy P. McMillen, associate vice president for academic education, the first year of the program was a success.
“It’s very intensive; students have to work really hard,” McMillen said. “It’s a very vigorous program, but we ran this last summer and had phenomenal success.
“We have monitored their progress, and most of the students who took math last summer have now passed College Algebra,” McMillen said. “Usually, they wouldn’t even be in the last stage of developmental math (by this point),” McMillen added.
McMillen also said the reading program was also successful.
“We were very pleased with our overall results last year,” McMillen said. “Students got through our program and have been successful.”
While this will be the second year for ISP at TVCC, it will be the first year College Algebra has been a part of the program, and also the first time Developmental Math is being offered on the Palestine campus.
Tuition and book scholarships are available for students interested in the Math programs.
“ISP is not just for high school graduates. It is for anyone not college ready (haven’t passed all areas of THEA test – in this case, math or reading) and not already having 30 hours of college credit,” McMillen said.
“The program serves the whole adult population, and not just recent high school graduates,” McMillen said. “(All ages) are certainly welcome to apply.”
During the program, students participating in developmental math or reading will attend class from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday.
The College Algebra class is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
In addition to students completing their development requirements, they also earn three hours of college credit for Psychology 1300.
Students are required to take a Learning Frameworks Class, which will help them develop study skills, according to McMillen.
He also said Learning Frameworks helps students figure out how to learn and establish study techniques that will be effective.
The ISP is split into three tracks, two for math and one for reading. Students who have already had some developmental classes can still enroll in the program.
Registration is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, during Summer I registration. Late registration is scheduled for June 1.
Students can complete the application for the program on-line at htpp://www.tvcc.edu/AIM.
For additional information, contact (903) 675-6238 or e-mail at AIM@tvcc.edu.

Motorcyclist leads high-speed chase
Monitor Staff Reports
ATHENS–A high-speed chase on U.S. 175 early Tuesday ended in Palestine with the arrest of a 27-year-old Mesquite man.
Robert Wayne Dehaven was taken to the Henderson County Jail and charged with operating an unregistered vehicle, driving without a license, driving without liability insurance and violation of a promise to appear in court.
More charges are expected, including evading arrest.
Eustace police officer John Dixon said his department was made aware of the motorcycle around 6 a.m. when a Mabank officer clocked it heading east at more than 100 mph.
Eustace PD pursued the motorcycle toward Athens.
“At one point, we had his speed at 170 mph,” Dixon said.
Several sheriff’s deputies joined the chase when the motorcycle turned east on Loop 7. However the chase was called off due to traffic and school buses.
Officers lost sight of the motorcycle near Murchison Ranch.
Another turn of events renewed hope of catching the speeder when an anonymous phone tip said Dehaven was at his workplace in Palestine.
Eustace police officers arrested him near the worksite with the help of the Palestine Police Department and state troopers.
Dehaven is being held on warrants out of Athens until charges of evading arrest can be made, Dixon said.