July 9, 2008

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Morrison to step down

By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor

Gladewater ISD’s superintendent announced last week he will retire in December.

Mike Morrison, who has led the district since January 2006, announced his decision and tendered his resignation to the school board June 30, during a budget meeting.

Morrison said Tuesday morning that he will have spent 32 years in education by the time he retires and he looks forward to pursing other options.

The 54-year-old plans to stay in town and said his wife Jan will continue teaching fifth grade math at Weldon Intermediate. He added he will continue serving as choir director at First United Methodist Church.

“Gladewater is a good school system,” Morrison said. “I’ve enjoyed working with the people, and the board is very solid. The school system is good and the community is good.” He said it was a difficult decision, one made after much prayer and contemplation.

GISD School Board President Garth Cockerell said Monday morning that Morrison’s resignation is effective Dec. 19. The superintendent told the board he wants to spend more time with his family.

Cockerell said trustees accepted Morrison’s resignation...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

Motorcyclist killed, passenger hurt in crash

A White Oak man was killed and his passenger remains hospitalized following a car-motorcycle accident July Fourth that occurred just south of town. The driver of the car, Darvin Lavel Jackson of Tyler, was arrested and charged at the scene with intoxication manslaughter.

Dan Mack Spivey, 71, was pronounced dead at the scene Friday night by a Smith County justice of the peace. He was driving a Harley-Davidson and Jackson was driving a Honda car when Jackson reportedly rear-ended the bike as both drove southbound, about a mile outside of the city limits.

The accident occurred around 10 p.m.

Cheryl Carper Dehring, 53, also of White Oak, is reported in critical condition at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. The investigating trooper reported neither of the motorcyclists was wearing a helmet.

Other charges pending against Jackson include outstanding county warrants for driving without insurance, failure to appear in court and speeding. He remains in the Smith County Jail pending $250,000 bond on the manslaughter charge.

The county’s judicial Web site indicates Jackson had previous convictions...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

Sanders Street home damaged in fire

By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor

A Sanders Street residence sustained heavy smoke and water damage in a fire that ruined a portion of the seven-bedroom home Monday afternoon in north Gladewater.

Firemen responded to a call that came in at 12:56 p.m. Monday and found portions of the roof over the frame part of the home fully involved. Another part of the house, constructed of Austin stone in the 1930s, did not burn but its interior sustained smoke damage.

Aaron Bradley was alone when the fire broke out. His father Alton was at work in Longview and his mother Lind was shopping when their residence at 1113-1/2 Sanders caught fire.

The blaze began in the area of a porch on the north side of the wooden part of the home, which at one time housed the Sandbox Daycare Center owned by Melody Taylor.

Ms. Taylor, who still lives next door and operates a new daycare, said Tuesday morning that her neighbors were devastated but counting their blessings that nobody was seriously injured in the blaze.

One firefighter, Lt. Kyle Moore, was temporarily overcome by heat and was treated by EMTs at the scene. He was later taken by private vehicle to a Longview hospital ER, where he was treated for dehydration and a possible shoulder injury. He was released Monday night.

The temperature—and humidity—were overbearing Monday afternoon...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

25 indicted by Upshur Grand Jury

By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent

GILMER—The Upshur County Grand Jury returned 25 indictments, eight of them sealed, and no-billed one case on July 1, said District Attorney Billy Byrd’s office.

The open indictments, including amounts of bonds, are as follows:

*Joshua Lee Presley, 48, of Big Sandy, aggravated sexual assault of a child on Nov. 23, 2007. Presley is under $100,000 bond in county jail.

*Michael David Grooms, 21, of Gladewater, theft of property of the value of $1,500 or more but less than $20,000 on May 1, $5,000

*Spencer Lee Smith, 35, of Harleton, harassment by persons in certain correctional facilities on April 15, 2007, $5,000

*Robert Wayne Shaw, 49, of Gilmer, driving while intoxicated; subsequent offense on Jan. 14, $5,000

*David Randel Cook, 51, of Gilmer, aggravated assault/threaten with deadly weapon on May 11, $25,000

*Michael Joel Black, 30, of Gilmer, was named in two separate indictments on charges of “aggravated assault/threaten with deadly weapon” and “tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.” He is charged with committing both offenses May 11. Bond was set at $25,000 on the aggravated assault charge, $5,000 on the other charge.

*Lanny Don Langford, 54, of Diana, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence on May 11, $5,000

*Christian William Smith, 17, of Big Sandy, aggravated assault with deadly weapon on May 2. Smith is under $50,000 bond in county jail.

*Donnie Charles Evans, 17, of Duncanville, burglary of a building on April 10, $5,000

*Chad Marvin Sikes, 17, of Gilmer, burglary of a building on April 10, $10,000...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

Republican Women to meet

LONGVIEW—The Republican Women of Gregg County will meet at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, at Johnny Cace’s restaurant.

Speaker Mary Tipps, executive director of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, will speak about proposed legislation for the 2009 session.

For more information contact Marty Johnson, president, at 903-746-0281.

Second Recycle Day is Saturday

Gladewater’s second Recycle Day kicks off bright and early Saturday and organizers hope more people will take part this time.

Last month, 96 vehicles were counted during the four-hour collection time at City Hall. This Saturday, organizer Judy Burlison hopes to break that record and keep even more recyclable items out of the area landfill.

Allied Waste Services rep Gene Keenon said he would have considered it successful if 75 vehicles brought recyclable goods, especially considering there was a bit of scattered rainfall on the morning of the first collection.

Recycle Day will be held the second Saturday of each month, from 8 a.m. to noon at City Hall. The volunteer-driven program, which works in conjunction with the city’s waste disposal company (Allied Waste), is on six months’ probation. If Gladeites participate, recycling days will continue indefinitely; if not, citizens can continue to fill landfills with their recyclable trash, Ms. Burlison said.

Recyclers learned in June they don’t have to sort their recyclables...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

Upshur Commissioners Court News

By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent 

GILMER— Upshur County Commissioners Court on June 30 approved an interlocal agreement with Kilgore College to assess and collect taxes for the school. 

Only the portion of the county lying in Gladewater ISD pays taxes to the college. County Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Smith presented the proposed agreement to the court. 

In other business, the court approved consolidating the Lafayette community voting box into the Ewell voting box, and authorized County Clerk Peggy Lagrone to seek the U.S. Department of Justice’s clearance for the action. 

Precinct 2 Commissioner Joe “Buddy” Ferguson proposed the move, saying it will save the county “quite a bit of money.” Ferguson said the county was having trouble finding election workers for the Lafayette voting box, which he said has a very small voting turnout. 

Lafayette voters would vote at the Union Ridge Community Center under the consolidation.

In other business, commissioners approved Ms. Lagrone’s proposed Record Archives Plan after she summarized it during a brief public hearing preceding their regular meeting. 

No members of the public commented on the plan. Ms. Lagrone said it had changed substantially from the plan approved last year...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

Genealogists meet July 12

TYLER—Carolyn Earle Billingsley, Ph. D., noted research consultant and lecturer, will be the featured speaker at the East Texas Genealogical Society’s meeting on Saturday, July 12, at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Auditorium at the Tyler Public Library. The title of her lecture is “The Reality of Researching Your Indian Ancestors.”

Refreshments will be served. ETGS meetings are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.etgs.org or contact June Everheart at 1stvp@etgs.org or (903)877-4501.

Upshur Demos nominate Griffith for JP

By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent

GILMER—A committee from the Upshur County Democratic Party on Thursday unanimously chose Michele Griffith as the party’s nominee for Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace in a special Nov. 4 election.

Ms. Griffith, 38, of Diana, was selected from five applicants, four of whom were interviewed by the committee in the presence of a representative of The Mirror. The fifth didn’t attend.

The nominee, who will face Republican Wyone Manes in November, is chief deputy clerk for Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Lyle Potter’s office in Gilmer. She has worked there nearly six years.

Ms. Griffith and Ms. Manes will vie for the unexpired term of Tim Cariker, who resigned effective May 31 rather than face potential criminal charges stemming from his alleged conduct in office. Ms. Manes, 55, was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the office in the 2006 general election, losing to Cariker, a Republican.

Cariker misused his county office staff to perform work for his private law practice, and reimbursed the county $2,000 before leaving office, said Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd. County commissioners appointed H. Deloyd Bailey to replace Cariker with the understanding Bailey wouldn’t run in the November election.

Winner of the special election will take office as soon as the votes are canvassed to begin serving the nearly 26 months which will remain on Cariker’s 4-year term. Voting boxes in the precinct are southeast Gilmer, Diana, Union Grove, East Mountain, West Mountain, and Glenwood.

Besides Mrs. Griffith, applicants for the Democratic nomination who appeared before the 4-member committee Thursday were George (Lon) Cox, Ray Stroman, and Ken Stephens.

The other applicant, Paula Gentry, was considered but didn’t attend Thursday’s meeting...

...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.

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