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Dad shoots daughter
S.W.A.T. called to scene
Monitor Staff Reports
CHEROKEE SHORES–An argument escalated beyond words to gunfire Saturday
in Cherokee Shores, a housing subdivision just outside Payne Springs.
Nicole Montano, 29, was shot in the foot by her father, Gary Payne, 59.
Montano was taken to the East Texas Medical Center-Cedar Creek Lake
emergency room in Gun Barrel City and then airlifted to Tyler, where she
was treated and later released from the hospital.
Monday, authorities still hadn’t learned what triggered the violent
response from her father.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting the
incident around 10:45 p.m., according to a press release.
Deputies Richard Miller, Ronny Snow and Josh Rickman, along with DA
investigator Baldemar Quintanilla, responded to the call.
Soon after arriving at the Kokomo Street address, officers located the
wounded Montana and got her out of the house.
However, it took another two hours to take Payne into custody.
Officers learned of the argument between the father and daughter. When
it had reached a certain point, Payne left his daughter’s residence and
went to his house next door.
He returned with a 12-gauge shotgun, shooting towards Montana, striking
her in the foot.
Officers repeatedly tried to get Payne to come out, calling him on the
phone and shouting to him.
When all on-site efforts failed to get Payne to come out, the sheriff’s
tactical team was called to the scene.
Once the team entered the house, around 12:30 p.m., it found Payne
asleep, and had no trouble taking him into custody, Maj. Kevin Hanes
told The Monitor.
Payne was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and
transported to the county jail.
Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Sue Tarrant set Payne’s bond at $75,000.
Supervising the on-scene activity were Sheriff Ray Nutt, Chief Deputy
Dan Parker, Hanes and Capt. Kay Langford.
Burns, Turner tie for
‘Rotarian of the Year’
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–The Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake heard there was a tie this year
for “Rotarian of the Year.”
Outgoing president Ted Ingersol announced the tie between Bob Burns and
Barbara Turner during the club’s annual installation banquet at the
Cedar Creek Country Club.
Paul Harris Fellows also were honored, naming Dean Fannin, Glenda
Holbrook and Ralph Turner as the newest members of the elite group.
Sally Rambo was named a two-time Paul Harris Fellow and Turner was named
a three-time PHF.
A certificate of appreciation was presented to members for their perfect
attendance. The biggest winner was Msgr. John Brennen, who hasn’t missed
a Rotary meeting in 39 years.
Ingersol noted projects the club completed during the past year,
including providing $500 scholarships to 30 Kemp, Mabank and Eustace
high school graduates, along with $500 scholarships for two adults
continuing their education.
Other projects included the annual Clothes for Kids project, held each
fall, and donating $1,000 to both The Library at Cedar Creek Lake and
the Tri-County Library..
Rotarians also provided $500 for each Gold Card Luncheon for Mabank High
School “A” students, hosting foreign exchange students and groups,
heading up the Make-A-Difference-Day community project and the annual
donation to Rotary International.
All of these programs are supported by fund-raisers, which include the
Celebrity Waiter dinner and the annual golf tournament.
“Our club continues to be the leading service club in the lake area,”
District 5830 assistant district governor (and local member) Lee
Montgomery said.
Montgomery performed the installation ceremony. Prior to the service he
delivered a short speech, describing the beginning of Rotary and its
purpose.
The club was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris. “Today there are 32,000
clubs with a membership totaling more than 1.2 million,” Montgomery
said.
The president of Rotary International is a Scotsman, John Kenney, the
first from his country to represent the national organization,
Montgomery said.
The new Rotary International theme is, “The Future of Rotary is in Your
Hands,” and the national credo is “Service above Self,” he added.
Incoming officers inducted were president Robert Blaase, president elect
Dale Molander, past president Ted Ingersol, secretary Barbara Turner and
treasurers Karen Kelso and Glenda Holbrook.
Board members inducted were literacy chair Bob Burns, club service chair
Peggy Price, fund-raising chair Robert Blaase and Bruce Easley, sergeant
at arms Karen Kelso and foundation chair Mike Groom.
Also included are membership chair Dee Ann Owens, bulletin chair Kathi
Nailling, community service chair Andrea Pickens, vocational services
chair Rebecca Smith, International chair Ted Ingersol, program chair
Mike Moore and PR chair Bruce Martin.
Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Newly inducted Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake president Robert Blaase
hangs
the banner with the coming year’s International Rotary theme, “The
Future of
Rotary is in Your Hands.”
Gun Barrel City seeks
bonds for new city hall
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The Gun Barrel City Council declared its intent to go
out for bond financing for the purchase and expansion of the former
Franklin Bank Building.
Plans call for relocating city hall and the court offices to the
purchased property, as well as developing council chambers and a
community meeting room, city manager Gerry Boren explained at the June
23 council meeting.
The real estate sale was set to close July 1.
Since the bond process is only just begun, the city will use its own
funds for the actual purchase of the 2½-acre site, and be refunded that
money when the bond note process is completed.
Monitor Photo/
Pearl Cantrell
AT RIGHT - Mayor Paul Eaton holds out the redesigned and recently
received Gun Barrel City flag during a dedication presentation June 23.
The financing-purchase and expansion are being done in two phases – the
actual purchase and then the expansion, city accountant Mickie Raney
explained.
This will be the first time the city has made a purchase using
tax-exempt financing. In the past, the city has either paid up front, or
entered into a lease-purchase agreement.
This type of buying has left the city without a credit rating, which
greatly hampers it, should it need to borrow truly large sums of money
in the future, Boren explained – such as for the purchase of a water and
wastewater system.
Boren feels the current project is well within the city’s reach and
hopes the 15-year bond financing will gain the city at least an AA-minus
rating.
“This is an easy note, and an easy way of doing what we’re wanting to
do,” he said.
The first bond amount would be $625,000 for the purchase. The $500,000
purchase price will serve as down payment on up to an $1.8 million note
to expand and renovate the building, Raney said.
In the meantime, a portion of the building will be under lease to the
FDIC for up to six months, paying $4,000 a month to the city.
During that time, architects and the city will be finalizing their plans
for the property, Boren said.
Once the city moves everything over to the new property, the council can
decide what’s best for the former property, to either develop it or sell
it.
The council also approved certain amendments to the city budget to
reflect current economic conditions.
“This was a very conservative budget,” Boren said. “Now, we can adjust
it to reflect more accurately the way things are now.”
The proposed changes compensate for lost revenue in the number of
general permits sought and adjusts salaries as certain employees are
shared between several departments.
It also reflects the city’s delayed purchase of a few vehicles, now that
the sales tax revenue has come in a higher amount than expected, Boren
explained.
Last year, the city carried a fund balance of about $200,000. The
council also approved moving $188,000 of the balance into investments
with TexPool.
In other business, council members:
• appointed Larry Spiegel, formerly the CEO of the second largest ad
agency in Dallas, to the unexpired term held by Dean Wright, who
resigned from the Economic Development Corporation.
• changed the city council meeting time from 7 p.m. on the second and
fourth Tuesday to 6 p.m. on those days.
• adopted a resolution to maintain the city’s present Public Funds
Investment Policy.
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