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Drought costs local ag producers millions

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–The value of agricultural production in Bastrop County last year fell more than $20 million from 2008, a drop blamed on severe drought conditions which extended back to 2007, according to a report delivered to Bastrop County commissioners on March 8.

The report by Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent Rachel Bauer estimated total production in the county at $46.9 million for 2008. That total fell to $26.2 million in 2009, she said.

In 2006, before the onset of a multi-year drought, the total production was valued at $63.2 million.

Bastrop County’s biggest products, hay and cattle, also took the biggest hits, according to Bauer’s figures. Hay production, valued at $5.7 million in 2006, sank to $2.3 million last year.

Beef cattle production, which reached some $34 million in 2006, fell to an estimated $24.9 million in 2008 and sank to $16.7 million in 2009 as producers thinned or sold off herds while grass and water disappeared during the dry period.

Pecan production, which topped $3 million in 2007, dipped to less than $1 million in 2009. Vegetables were valued at $1.9 million in 2007 but fell to $837,000 last year.

A few minor production categories showed increases, however. Bauer estimated the value of hogs in 2006 at $45,000, a number which had more than doubled to $99,000 by 2009. Hunting, recreation and timber production also either held steady or showed small gains since 2007, according to the report.

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Local Republicans flood polls to pick candidates

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–GOP voters swamped polling places in Bastrop County today in party primary elections to select nominees for local, state and federal offices, delaying the final tally to name winners, losers and runoff hopefuls.

Democratic ballots were fully counted and winners determined by about 10:30 p.m., with party voters favoring the two incumbents who had primary opponents.

Republican poll watchers were still waiting for the final ballots to be counted at 11 p.m. Some GOP polling places ran out of printed ballots and voters were forced to fill out makeshift ballots which were then transferred to a form which could be counted by an optical scanner, officials said.

Incumbent GOP County Commissioner Clara Beckett in Pct. 2 seemed headed to an easy renomination over challenger Adam Meuth. With some votes still out, Beckett held a 1047 to 431 vote lead.

The race was much closer between Republican Pct. 4 Commissioner candidates seeking to challenge Democrat Lee Dildy in the November general election. David “Rocky” Palmquist held a narrow 342 to 321 lead over rival Ron Jay, with results from one voting box still to be reported. The winner will face the veteran Democrat in November.

Dildy overcame a challenge from Michael Flowers for the Democratic nomination, 502 to 444, with all ballots counted.

In the contest which has drawn the most candidate interest this year–for Pct. 1 justice of the Peace–Democratic incumbent Bill Weddle turned back challenger Dickie Henderson, 503 to 325.

On the Republican side in Pct. 1, Justice of the Peace hopeful Donna VanGilder apparently won a four-way race without a runoff. With one voting box still to be reported, Van Gilder had 708 votes (54.7 percent) with a large lead over other GOP candidates including Vann Pressley with 279, J.W. Snell with 221 and Sue Fruge with 84.

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Child sex abuse suspect freed on bail Friday

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering had barely finished briefing the media Friday on the arrest of a top-ranking department officer when the suspect, charged with a series of sexual offenses involving a nine-year-old girl, posted bail and was released from jail.

Lt. Eddie L. Matthews, 45, was taken into custody about 8:45 a.m. Friday and ordered held under $100,000 bail. Jail records show that Matthews was released at 3:21 p.m. after a local bail bond company posted a bond the same day.

Pickering scheduled a media briefing on the case for 2 p.m. Friday, but the session did not begin until almost 2:30 p.m. It lasted about 30 minutes.

Matthews, a 16-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, was in charge of the patrol division prior to his arrest. He was immediately suspended from duty pending an internal departmental probe, said Pickering. Matthews is accused of repeated assaults on the girl beginning last year.

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Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. jailed on child sex charge

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–A veteran Bastrop County Sheriff’s Department supervisor was jailed today on charges he sexually molested a nine-year-old girl repeatedly since October 2009.

Lt. Eddie L. Matthews, 45, was arrested at 8:45 a.m. Friday and ordered held in the Bastrop County Jail under $100,000 bail, according to public records and a statement by Sheriff Terry Pickering. A 16-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, Matthews was also suspended with pay pending an internal sheriff’s department investigation, said Pickering. Matthews had been in charge of the sheriff’s department uniformed services sections, including the patrol division, according to the sheriff.

The investigation began Feb. 25 when an Elgin police detective contacted Texas Ranger Brent Barina about child sexual assault allegations against Matthews, according to a court document. Barina subsequently met with state Child Protective Services officials, interviewed the girl’s mother and arranged for the child to be interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Bastrop. Matthews was also interviewed and denied any inappropriate conduct, according to Barina.

The child said she had been repeatedly molested and assaulted by Matthews since October 2009, according to a sworn statement by Barina.

In a press statement Friday, Sheriff Pickering said the alleged offenses did not arise from the officer’s law enforcement duties, and the alleged victim “was not a stranger” to Matthews.

The formal charge against Matthews is “Continuing Sexual Abuse of a Child,” an offense which carries a penalty, upon conviction, of 25 years to life in prison without parole.

Bastrop County employment records show that Matthews worked for the sheriff’s department from January 1993 to July 2004, then was rehired in January 2005. Pickering said Matthews had received a number of commendations for his job performance during his time with the department.

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Early voters flood party primary election polls

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County election officials were shipping additional ballots to busy voting places this afternoon because of heavy turnout in both Republican and Democratic races for party nominations to the November general election for county, state and federal offices.

In a dramatic turnaround from recent polling patterns, voters in the Republican primary are outnumbering their Democratic counterparts by a margin of almost two to one. Through Feb. 25, 1495 ballots in Bastrop County had been cast in the GOP primary. Through the same period only 844 votes had been cast in the Democratic primary.

Today was the last day for early voting in the primaries. Election day is Tuesday, March 2.

Four years ago, when Texas staged its last election for governor, Bastrop County’s early voting primary turnout reached only 611 Republican ballots and 832 on the Democratic side.

GOP primary interest is centered on a heated contested for the governorship as well as contests for the party’s nomination for county commissioners in Pct. 2 and Pct. 4, not to mention four Republicans seeking to challenge the incumbent Democrat, Bill Weddle, for the Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace bench.

Weddle also has a Democratic opponent, Dickie Henderson, and Pct. 4 Commissioner Lee Dildy is facing a Democratic Party challenger, Michael Flowers, as well.

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Rain, sleet, snow raise road worries in Bastrop

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–An unusual late winter storm dropped a mix of rain, frozen rain and snow across Bastrop County beginning early today, putting school, city and emergency management officials on alert for worsening conditions through the afternoon.

Bastrop school officials said all events scheduled for Tuesday evening have been called off. They will monitor conditions overnight and decide early Wednesday whether or not to cancel classes for the day, said BISD communications director Donald Williams.

By mid afternoon Tuesday some roads in northern Bastrop County, including U.S. 290, had begun icing over in places, forcing some lane closures, said Peter Hicks in the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management. The chief worry, however, is what happens overnight as temperatures fall, possibly into the upper 20s, said Hicks.

Some forecasts hint that overnight lows could reach 28 degrees F, cold enough to freeze moisture on bridges and roadways after a rainy day, said Hicks. Anyone considering a drive late Tuesday or early Wednesday should take notice of overnight temperatures and the possibility of icy roads, he added.

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Mistrial declared in murder case

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–A juror fell ill and was unable to continue after lunch on Tuesday, forcing 423rd District Judge Chris Duggan to declare a mistrial in the murder trial of Bryan Teague for the 2008 beating death of a Cedar Creek man, Larry Jones.

The 12-member jury was selected Jan. 8, and prosecution testimony in the case began the next morning.

A mistrial ruling means that a new trial must be scheduled and a new jury seated to hear the case. Duggan did not immediately set a new trial date.

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Murder trial in 2008 death begins in Bastrop

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Jury selection began today in the August 2008 beating death of a Cedar Creek man. The accused, homeless 39-year-old Bryan Teague, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.

State District Judge Chris Duggan is presiding over the trial in 423rd District Court. Larry Jones died from injuries sustained following a drug-related confrontation, including wounds inflicted by a pick ax, according to sheriff’s department investigators. The dispute began in a rural wooded area west of Bastrop frequented by transients and other homeless persons, officials believe.

Among the panel of potential jurors was Pct. 4 County Commissioner Lee Dildy, who did not attend a meeting of county commissioners Monday as a result of his jury service.

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Bastrop sheriff seeks new patrol car video, tech equipment

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County commissioners today encouraged Sheriff Terry Pickering to negotiate a deal worth almost $600,000 to put more advanced Panasonic video and wireless equipment into 45 patrol cars this year.

The sheriff said his current budget can absorb the first year’s lease or lease/purchase payment of some $170,000, but he told commissioners he needs their agreement to fund the final three years of a payment plan contract. Pct. 2 Commissioner Clara Beckett urged Pickering to work with County Auditor Lisa Smith on current year budget revisions to allow the initial year’s payment.

The sheriff said the new in-car video equipment linked to laptop computers will make patrol operations more efficient and effective. The scanty video equipment now in use is outdated, he said.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Willie Pina and Pct. 4 Commissioner Lee Dildy did not attend Monday’s meeting.

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Early Bastrop County environmental activist dead 26 years, murder still remains unsolved

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–This week marks the 26th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Bastrop County environmental activist Vicky Wharton, 31. Her body, with two dozen or so stab wounds, was found beside a rural road off FM 1704 south of Elgin on Feb. 6, 1984. Investigators at the time believed she died sometime the previous night.

Despite a flurry of publicity and investigation over the following weeks, no one has ever been charged, arrested or tried for the crime. Wharton was a leading organizer in efforts to stymie lignite strip mining plans first at Camp Swift, in Fayette County and later at the Steiner Ranch north of Bastrop. She was a founding member of the Central Texas Lignite Watch, the mother or grandmother of subsequent environmental organizations in Bastrop and neighboring counties. She was also a founding member of the Sayersville Historical Association focused on the rural community where she lived between Bastrop and Elgin on the banks of Big Sandy Creek.

The initial investigation into the murder was hampered by inter-agency rivalries during the 1984 primary election race for Bastrop County sheriff. In the late 1980s former sheriff Con Kiersey occasionally talked about reviving the investigation, but nothing occurred as a result. Still later Chief Deputy Sheriff Ronnie Duncan did reopen the case, but the only result was to clear a few possible suspects who had been the subject of early interest.

When Chief Deputy Charlie Littleton replaced Duncan in the sheriff’s department last year, he promised to look into the Wharton murder again. Littleton said recently that the only ongoing effort to solve the case is a regular check of DNA evidence preserved at the time against a growing data base of similar evidence gathered by law enforcement agencies in the years since. A Texas Ranger remains assigned to follow any new information, said Littleton.

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