Our Annual Livestock Show SaluteServing:

Saluting all the participants in the Gonzales, Nixon-Smiley, Waelder, Luling, Moulton and Shiner livestock shows

Gonzales Nixon Smiley Moulton Shiner Waelder Yoakum Luling Flatonia Hallettsville Cuero Lockhart and More

Vol. 3- Issue 26

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Relay event dedicated to Kuempelnewseditor@gonzalescannon.com

Gathering evidence

Cannon News Services

The 2012 Relay For Life of Gonzales County committee is pleased to announce that this years event is dedicated to the memory of Edmund Kuempel. Having served many years as a Texas State Representative, Mr. Kuempel enjoyed visiting his constituents at aRelay for Life Salute, Section D

Water district plans to oppose landfill projectBy DAVE MUNDYmanager@gonzalescannon.com

variety of venues. One of his favorites was Relay For Life. As a cancer survivor he understood the importance of this event and its mission to educate, provide patient services, promote h e a lt hy l i f e styles, and fund research The late State projects. Rep. Edmund Kuempel He and his wife Birdie, also a cancer survivor, attended the first Relay For Life of Gonzales County in 2003 and faithfully attended for many years until his untimely death. Because Edmund Kuempel was TENacious about the Fight for many years, the tenth annual Relay For RELAY, Page A7

The ride-along:

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Inside This Week:Business.............................. B1 Arts/Entertainment...... C3 Oil & Gas............................. B3 Classifieds.......................... B4 Comics................................ C6 Crime Beat........................ A2 Faith & Family................... A9 In Our View........................ A4 In Your View...................... A5 Obituaries.......................... A10 Puzzle Page...................... C5 Regional............................. A3 Sports.................................. C1

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Come and Hear It! Tune in to radio station KCTI 1450 AM at 8 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Tuesday for weekly updates from Gonzales Cannon news editor Cedric Iglehart and General manager Dave Mundy with KCTI personality Egon Barthels.

The Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation Districts board of directors on Monday passed a resolution stating its opposition to the proposed Post Oak Clean Green Inc. Landfill in Guadalupe County, saying the development poses a potential risk to the Gonzales County aquifers the district oversees. The meeting was rescheduled from last week after a quorum of members could Waelder police chief Jim Taylor (kneeling) does inventory on evidence seized not attend the March 13 during a search warrant service last Friday in rural Gonzales County. Also pic- meeting. Board president Emmet tured are Lt. Austin Harper and Cpl. K.B. Hallmark. (Photo by Cedric Iglehart) Baker Jr. told the directors that the district had received an e-mailed request from the developers of the site asking them to postpone their vote until that group can present its side of the issue at the April meeting, but director Bruce Patteson said, Why wait? in making the motion to approve the resolution. The vote was 4-0. County resident Wayne Austin Harper and Sgt. Billy Bob Moore, LePori spoke briefly in faBy CEDRIC IGLEHART we rode caravan-style up to a residence in vor of the resolution and newseditor@gonzalescannon.com the Cost area. The home was thought to be presented the directors with As a veteran of community newspapers, where Corey Hunt, who had turned him- copies of a 2003 study by the Ive done my share of ride-alongs with the self in the previous day after being charged U.S. Geological Survey of a local police departments. Most of the time with sexual assault of a child, had been liv- similarly-designed landfill theyre extremely structured and very re- ing. strictive with rules that limit where you The officers, outfitted with their customcan be and what you can shoot. ary vests and firearms, walked towards the So when I was invited to embed with house where the Waelder Police Department as they they showed executed a search warrant on a suspected their search sexual predator, I didnt get terribly ex- warrant to cited until I learned that I would be given a gentlecomplete and totally unfettered access and man who the only rule I would have to follow was a was tending simple one just dont get in the way. to the yard. Following months of He identicourt battles, the Supreme fied himself Court has finally ruled on as the homthe redistricting maps for Opinion and interpretation eowner and the State of Texas. of the reporter included quickly gave Gonzales County expeCorey Hunt As I drove to the designated rendezvous them conrienced changes across the spot to meet with Chief Jim Taylor and his sent to look around. board in Senate, Congressquad, I began running through scenarios While I remained outside with Taylor, sional and State School in my mind of what I would be witnessing the other officers went inside and in rather Board districts, as well as in the next few minutes. short order, they emerged with several local changes made by the Would I see cops kicking in doors with items. City of Gonzales, Gonzatheir guns out as people try to scurry We went into a bedroom that was filled les County Underground screaming in fear? Would I find myself with a lot of clothes and other miscel- Water District and GISD. in a corner of a room trying to maintain laneous things, said Harper. We were The Elections office for the my composure while hell is breaking loose looking for things like cell phones, digital county is working hard to around me? media storage, USB drives, and memory input all the new informaObviously Ive seen one too many epi- cards. Anything that could possibly con- tion so that voters will be sodes of Southland and Law & Order tain evidence to the crime he is accused voting in the correct prebecause fortunately what I witnessed was of. cincts in the upcoming nothing like that. What I got to see was a Hunt is alleged to have made sexual May 12 General Election as group of professionals do a solid job with- contact with a 12-year old Waelder girl well as in the Primary. New out all of the glorified Hollywood drama. that began with conversations on the In- Voter Registration cards I sat in the back of a police car driven ternet and text messaging. During the will be mailed as soon as all by Cpl. K.B. Hallmark as Chief Taylor rode search, WPD found and seized about half the changes are made. We shotgun. That term would prove to be very a dozen cell phones and other assorted anticipate completion of appropriate when I would later see the fire- digital media. this and delivery of the new power WPD brought to the party. It was We think weve found what we were cards by April 1. clear these guys were taking no chances. looking for, said Harper. We will do more For the upcoming May After a brief conference between Tay- of an investigative search on what we have 12 General Election, the lor and his crew, which also included Lt. RIDE-ALONG, Page A7 last day to register to vote

Reporter gets first-hand view of small-town police in action

Registration now underway for May elections

in Norman, Okla., as well as a California study examining dry tomb landfills similar to the one proposed by Post Oak Clean Green. Both studies concluded that although approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agencys Subtitle D regulations, ...even the best liner and leachate collection system will ultimately fail due to natural deterioration... enabling residue fluids from the site to enter groundwater systems. The resolution passed by the Board of Directors notes the landfills proposed site sites atop the recharge zone for the Wilcox Aquifer and states the districts concern that the operation of the landfill could potentially threaten the quality of groundwater in the Wilcox Aquifer. During Mondays meeting, the board also approved the appointment of earlyvoting and election day officials for the scheduled May 12 elections in the district. Elections will be held for four of the five seats, with Patteson, the District 2 director, drawing no opponents. A drawing was also held for ballot positions for the remaining four races.

News Analysis

is April 12. Applications by ballot by mail can be made between March 13 and May 4. The first day of early voting for this election is April 30 and early voting ends on May 8. Gonzales County Commissioners Court will be considering a change of venue for the Precinct 2 polling location from Gonzales Elementary School to The American Legion Hall. Discussion will be held during the Commissioners Court meeting held in the County Courthouse on Monday, March 26 at 9 a.m. The change was requested by Gonzales Independent School District. The Texas Secretary of State has recently announced a May 29 date for the Presidential Primary. The last day to register to vote in the primary is April 30. The first day to apply for a ballot by mail will be ELECTIONS, Page A7Weather Sponsored by:

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For The RecordThe Cannon

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Today in Texas HistoryMarch 22, 1866 On this day in 1866, the Texas State Central Committee of Colored Men met in Austin. It was the first of at least ten such conventions held in Texas from Reconstruction through the 1890s to express the concerns of African Americans in an era before the existence of groups that focused upon the economic, political, and civil rights of minorities. Often these state meetings sent delegates to national conventions seeking the same goals. The Texas State Central Committee of Colored Men, with the Baptist minister Jacob Fontaine presiding, opposed a request by Episcopal bishop Alexander Gregg for funds which presumably would have benefited former slaves. The committee members did not trust Gregg, himself a former slaveholder and ardent supporter of secession, and expressed their preference for the work of the Freedmens Bureau.

Thought for the Day

The goal is to live a full, productive life even with all that ambiguity. No matter what happens, whether the cancer never flares up again or whether you die, the important thing is that the days that you have had you will have lived. Gilda Radner

Waelder PD nabs suspect in recent burglary spreeguilt because he was already on probation for two previous counts of burglary of a building. According to authorities, Frederick was interviewed and consequently signed a confession of guilt for the aforementioned crimes, but maintained he had nothing to do with the current slate of unsolved break-ins in the Waelder area, which include incidents at the County Barn and a couple of local residences. Hes one of the guys who is a suspect in those other crimes, said Waelder PD Sgt. Billy Bob Moore. However, he didnt admit

Gonzales Police ReportGonzales Police Department Report from March 12-20 March 12 Reported Disorderly Conduct At Wells St And Cavett St. March 13 Angela Marie Garza, 23 Of Gonzales, Arrested And Charged With Disorderly Conduct At St. Lawrence And St. James St. Reported Burglary Motor Vehicle At 1200 Blk St. Louis St. March 14 Reported Criminal Mischief At County Road 197. Reported Criminal Mischief At 900 Blk St. Andrew St. March 15 Reported Deadly Conduct At 400 Blk St. Matthew St. March 17 Reported Criminal Mischief At 600 Blk Jobe St. Reported Burglary Motor Vehicle At 2100 Blk Water St. March 18 Reported Criminal Mischief At 3300 Blk Sarah Dewitt Dr. Reported Criminal Mischief At 1700 Blk Waco St. Reported Theft At 1300 Blk Church St. Reported Unauthorized Use Motor Vehicle At 300 Blk St. George St. Reported Burglary Motor Vehicle At 1700 Blk Hamilton St. March 19 Reported Theft At 1000 Blk Robertson St. Reported Criminal Mischief At 1300 Blk St. Lawrence St. Reported Assault At 1000 Blk Henry St. March 20 Reported Criminal Mischief At 1700 Blk Waco St. Quentin Robinson, 23 Of Lamarque Arrested And Charged With Possession Of Marijuana At 300 Blk St. Joseph St.

A suspect in the recent rash of burglaries in Waelder has been taken into custody. Officers from the Waelder Police Department responded to a call of a suspicious person at the citys storage building across from the Waelder PD at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Friday, March 9. At the scene, they arrested Shane Dominick Frederick, 20 of Waelder. Frederick was charged with burglary of a building, a state jail felony; burglary of a vehicle, a Class A misdemeanor; and two counts of motion for adjudicating

to doing any of those. As of late Friday afternoon, Frederick was still in the Gonzales County Jail in lieu of $24,500 bond. The case is still under investigation.

Shane Frederick

Gonzales Co. Sheriffs Office ReportGonzales County Sheriffs Office Sheriffs Report for March 11-17: 03/11/12 Akins, Frank Eugene, Jr., 03/1980/Nixon. Local Warrant No Seatbelt Driver. Requires $198.00 Fine. Released on Order to Appear. 03/12/12 Walker, Belinda Carol, 08/1962, Gonzales, Local Warrant Theft Stolen Property >$1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500