I didn’t do nothin’...and it won’t happen again!
 I had a boyhood friend named Roger who was adept at getting himself into trouble. More times than not, he would take me with him and we would end up trying to explain ourselves to our second grade teacher.
We were sort of like a two-man syndicate. Roger was the brains of the outfit. I was the enabler.
Not that we ever did anything more dastardly than hiding a handful of earthworms in Kay Holmes’ pencil box, or blowing up ant mounds with firecrackers.
County officials pleased with state’s promise of financial aid
The State of Texas will pick up the full tab for the April 3rd raid at the YFZ Ranch, according to Schleicher County Judge Johnny Griffin who met Monday with state officials in Austin.
“They have already cut us a check for more than $68,000 that we sent them a bill for,” Judge Griffin stated. “There is going to be a lot more, including the costs of guardians and attorneys ad litem. The state says it will pay that, too.”
Griffin was joined in Austin by Commissioner Matt Brown, Sheriff David Doran, County Clerk Peggy Williams and Treasurer Karen Henderson. Also making the trip were Chief Deputy George Arispe, judge candidate Charlie Bradley and attorney Clint Griffin, representing the West Texas Rural Counties Association’s insurance pool.
Governor Perry weighs in on raid at the YFZ Ranch
 Texas Governor Rick Perry left little room for doubt last Friday when reporters asked his views on the raid at the YFZ Ranch. Perry accepted personal blame if state “stepped across some legal line,” when it removed more than 400 children from the ranch and placed them in temporary state custody.
The Texas Supreme Court eventually would order the children returned to their parents, but allowed 51st District Judge Barbara Walther the latitude to set conditions.
The Dallas Morning News reported on Saturday that Perry said, “I still think that the state of Texas has an obligation to young women who are forced into marriage and underage sex – to protect them. That’s my bottom line on this.”
|
Early Mormons Came to Texas Seeking Zion
In 1845 Mormon, Apostle Lyman Wight known as the “Wild Ram of the Mountain” led 150 followers out of Illinois in search of a divine revelation in Texas.
Wight had broken off from the Mormons in Illinois after Brigham Young took over leadership of the group. Joseph Smith Jr., former prophet/leader had been slain by a mob.
Wight called his Texas journey a search for the new Mormon Zion. The group spent their first winter in abandoned Fort Johnson near the area referred to as Georgetown in Grayson County in north Texas.
The sect later settled two hundred forty miles south near Austin where they settled and call their community Mormon Springs and set up their first mill. Wight then took a contract with Travis County and built Austin’s first jail for $1,800. Mormon Springs location was brief due to the stream drying up. The year was 1847. Wright sent an exploration committee who found a location on the Pedernales River.
Grand jury slated for first look at YFZ criminal probe
The Success has learned that Schleicher County grand jurors are slated to meet next week to hear the first evidence in criminal cases resulting from the April 3, 2008 raid at the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado.
Neither state nor local officials will confirm the upcoming grand jury meeting or exactly what day it will be held.
“Grand Jury proceedings are secret by law and we will not comment on a grand jury in any jurisdiction,” Attorney General of Texas spokesman Jerry Strickland said on Tuesday.
The Success has also learned that the Attorney General’s office has taken over as prosecutor in the YFZ investigation, replacing acting District Attorney Allison Palmer. However, Strickland declined to identify the state’s lead prosecutor in the case.
Feds take interest in Texas YFZ investigation
Assistant Deputy U.S. Attorney Joe Lodge from Flagstaff, Arizona was in Texas this week where he met with state and local officials connected with the ongoing criminal investigation stemming from the April 3rd raid at the YFZ Ranch.
Arizona Assistant Attorney General Timothy Linnins accompanied Lodge to Texas.
The Success has learned that the men met with representatives of the Texas Attorney General’s office, as well as Texas Rangers, DPS investigators, and Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran.
Contacted for comment on Tuesday, Lodge declined to say who he was meeting with or how his office might be involved. He did, however, confirm having met with Sheriff Doran who he praised for his role in the raid and the subsequent investigation.
|
|
|
|
Page 6 of 12 |
