Tomball Fire Department investigating possible arson at Lone Star College

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Tomball Fire Department, Fire Marshal Steve Chapman and arson investigators are looking into a possible arson case at Lone Star College-Tomball.

Video surveillance at Lone Star College-Tomball captured this image of the suspect investigators believe set multiple fires at the college.

Fire fighters responded to a call from college police at 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 16. According to Chapman, when they arrived, fire fighters saw light smoke in one of the buildings emitting from “multiple points of origin.”

The fires had been extinguished before fire fighters arrived on the scene.

The college and library were open, but were mostly vacant, Chapman said. No one was injured in incident.

The suspect is a white or Hispanic juvenile with dark hair, possibly between the ages of 14 to 16 years old and is likely not a student at the college.

The fires had not burned long once fire fighters arrived and the alarms sounded quickly.

“The building is very well protected,” Chapman said.

Arson is a second degree felony. Investigators are offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Tips may be made by calling the Tomball Fire Department at 281-351-7101 or CrimeStoppers at 713-222-8477.

Candidates face off in the race for Montgomery County DA

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The race for Montgomery County District Attorney is one of the hottest in the county. Brett Ligon and Gary Beauchamp are once again challenging the incumbent of 12 years, Michael A. McDougal.

At an election candidate forum held this month, the three candidates went head-to-head on the performance of the DA’s office. They fielded questions relative to case-disposal rates, staffing, experience and endorsements, much of which seemed to center on streamlining the prosecution process through a 24-hour intake program at the county jail and a direct file system for moving cases through the system.

On case-disposal
Q: What (will you do/have you done) to speed cases for the grand jury review?
Beauchamp: Increase law enforcement cooperation.
Ligon: Enhance the 24-hour DA Intake program with a Direct Intake Management System (DIMS).
McDougal: Increased grand jury meetings to twice weekly, funded DA Intake program.

Q: What is the one major change that you would make in the DA’s office?
B: Increase the use of internal investigators, increase 24-hour intake, think bigger and get control of the situation.
L: Establish full-time specialized prosecutors, streamline DIMS, and implement a public integrity unit to investigate corruption within the public sector.
M: Increase personnel for 24-hour DA Intake by earmarking $18,000 in forfeiture funds and implementing DIMS.

Gary Beauchamp

On staffing
Q: Do you have any plans to bring caseloads down?
B: Work harder, work smarter, improve the DA Intake program and get the grand jury working as hard as they can.
L: Move the county court to a daily criminal docket and brace financially for putting on more prosecuting attorneys.
M: I do that every year at Commissioner’s Court. The only way to do that is to add the people necessary to handle the cases.

Q: What is your source of funding for prosecutor pay raises?
B: I intend to do the best I can with what the commissioner’s provide.
L: I would like to see a creative use of the forfeiture funds.
M: I’ve already instituted that through the 24-hour DA Intake Program.

Brett Ligon

On experience
Q: What experience do you have and what makes you more qualified to manage the DA budget and personnel?
B: 25 years self-employed personal injury attorney, commissioned with Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
L: Nine years as an attorney for Houston Police Officers Union with a $2.1 million budget, and supervising attorney of 30 for the Harris County DA’s Office (HCDA).
M: 25 years as a defense lawyer, 12 years as the county DA, $4 million county budget with 76 employees, board certified criminal lawyer.

Q: How many first-degree felonies have you tried as a prosecutor?
B: I’ve never tried or defended a capital felony or murder case.
L: I couldn’t tell you. I left the HCDA’s office in 1999.
M: I’ve tried 84 cases, six in Montgomery County, four of which were capital murder trials.

Michael McDougal

On endorsement
Q: What does it mean to voters for a candidate to be endorsed by local law enforcement?
B: It is a tool the voters can use to make an assessment of the candidates, in addition to candidate Web sites to review the qualifications.
L: These people (Conroe Police Officers Association, Montgomery County Law Enforcement Association and the Houston Police Department) are educated, live here, work here and know what’s going on at the courthouse.
M: I’ve never been endorsed by the law enforcement agencies, but I have a 91 percent approval rating with the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Q: What do victim advocates think about your platform?
B: As any candidate can tell you, we can always do more. We need alternatives and I will work to find those.
L: I have specialized training in family violence as a family prosecutor, representing the victims of families of violence.
M: I think I have the endorsement of these people, the Montgomery County Women’s Center and Texans for Equal Justice.

From the Book of Clifford

By Clifford Parker
Contributing Writer

The diesel confessions keep coming in. I never realized so many people have made the same mistakes in life that I have!

I am very pleased to announce my new club called the Diesel Association Motor Club for Forgetful Old Men.

That guy that lives here in the area and has all those aliases, has just joined the club. I haven’t sent him a membership bill because I have had a hard time tracking him down. Some day I will find him and give him the club’s official window sticker and arm patch. It seems this guy has now run his diesel truck out of fuel on three occasions! It takes three times to enter my club and he is now an official member! If you know of other people who should be part of our two-man club, let me know.

You can call my office or call or write this newspaper. You’ll have to dig for the numbers because I don’t advertise my business through these stories.

How’d I find out about this guy? Well he has a lot of brothers in this world! Maybe one of them told me…hmm?

Now, I know that some folks are going to tell me that you have already read this next event from many years past. I have to re-tell this story and next week’s story to build up to a new story about someone in my family.

I'm a hard worker, I provide for my family, I love my wife and family, I love God, country and apple pie and, for some reason, people tend to love me. But they do everything they can to avoid letting me do things with my hands.

It's really difficult for me to understand why. I can still remember going into a major supply store when I was building my first house and the salesman asked me if I wanted left hand or right hand doors. I thought he was joking until he explained the difference. One Christmas many, many years ago, I received a brand new set of carpenter tools from my mom and dad for Christmas. I was proud of my tools and I built a brand new tool box as my first project.

I was about 16 and I had already begun my working career as an auto mechanic. I worked for Mr. Patzke in Hufsmith and then went to work for Johnny Reeves on Kuykendahl. Johnny had a lady friend who needed her house doors cut off at the bottom; she had bought new carpet for her home. I informed Johnny I would be glad to do this carpentry work; I had a new set of tools I wanted to try out.

I arrived at the lady’s home and promptly removed the door, took it outside and carefully cut off a quarter of an inch.

I re-hung the door and noticed it was still dragging. The door was an entry to her bathroom and was connected to a hallway, which made close working quarters for my job.

I took the door down again and carefully marked and removed another quarter of an inch. I re-hung the door and it still dragged the carpet!

I removed the door again and, knowing I had plenty of room for cutting, I then removed one inch. I carried the door back into the house and once again the door still dragged the floor!

The television show Candid Camera was real popular and I really began to wonder about this door. I slowly looked around several corners for a possible camera. I even considered the possibility of the home having a cracked foundation and was settling quite quickly.

Once again, I removed the door and promptly removed two inches, knowing full well this had to be enough regardless of how fast this home may be settling!

Carrying the door back in, I hung it in place and, well, you guessed it, it was still dragging!!!!

Falling against the wall in frustration, I rested my back and head against the sheetrock as my eyes scanned the three -plus inches of sunlight shining across the top of the door... Only then did I realize I had been cutting off the wrong end of the door!

The lady was real kind to me. As she tried to keep from laughing, her comment was, "I always wanted to look out the top of my door while in the bathroom!!!"

I picked up my tools and politely dismissed myself from her home.

-- Clifford

Home school softball squad gaining notoriety

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The Tomball community has yet another emerging softball team to add to its already impressive list of elite squads.

Ashley McPhail connects on a pitch during a recent Mustangs practice.

The Softball for Homeschool Educated (SHE) Mustangs is a three-year-old team made up exclusively of home schooled students in the Houston area. The Mustangs join the Concordia Lutheran Lady ’Saders, the Tomball Lady Cougars and the Magnolia Lady Bulldogs in an area already considered a hotbed for softball talent.

While the Mustangs are a relatively young team, still trying to get their collective feet on the ground, they are quickly turning heads and making area coaches take notice.

Oscar Zertuche is the Mustangs’ coach. He said not only is the quality of his team continuously improving, but so is the quality of their opponents.

At first, it was difficult for the team to schedule games, said Zertuche. Most established high school teams shied away from the Mustangs due to their unfamiliarity, and perhaps preconceived notions about a team made up solely of home schooled players.

But the Mustangs, the only home school team in the Houston area, have made an immediate impression on area coaches and now, rather than Zertuche calling coaches and trying to convince them his team is legitimate competition, those same coaches are too happy to let the Mustangs in.

“We turned some heads,” he said. “This is a team that has a lot of skilled players. We are a quality team and we will give you competition.”

Zertcuche said that when the Mustangs first began play, that there was a misconception that the team was not very skilled.

“But after the first year, people realized this a team that you want to play,” he said.

Teams such as the Duchesne Chargers know all too well about what sort of competition the Mustangs will give an opponent. In each team’s season opener Feb. 19, the Mustangs crushed the Chargers, 10-1.

Despite the lop-sided score, Zertuche said his team has a lot to work on, particularly on offense.

“Our hitting isn’t where it needs to be right now,” he said.

The Mustangs play their home games at Burroughs Park in Tomball. The team is made up of freshman to senior girls from all across the Houston area.

“We play anybody who is willing to play us, private schools, TAPPS schools, anybody,” Zertuche said.

The team follows American Softball Association TAPPS rules and is currently run as an independent team. However, Zertuche is in the process of getting the team affiliated with a district or division.

19th Annual Friendship Center Fish Fry benefits senior adult programs

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The 19th Annual Fish Fry, sponsored by The Friendship Center, will be held this year on March 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at three locations in Montgomery County.

Pct. 2 Commissioner Craig Doyal (left) and his cooking crew promote the 2006 Friendship Center Fish Fry benefiting The Friendship Center services to senior adults in Montgomery County.

This year’s event is in memory of Vernon Bowers, a man remembered well as one who committed his time and money each year to help raise funds to ensure that services to adult seniors never cease.

Congressman Kevin Brady will serve as the honorary chair of this year’s event.

“I have served countless meals over the years through the Annual Fish Fry,” said Brady, “and know personally of the impact The Friendship Center makes on the lives of our seniors.”

Residents can enjoy a fried catfish dinner for $12 that includes coleslaw, potato salad, hushpuppies and tomato relish. Meal delivery is available. Proceeds from the event benefit the Montgomery County Committee on Aging, Inc., or as it is more commonly known, The Friendship Center.

“Our goal is to serve over 2,100 meals this year,” said Nancy Harrington, president of The Friendship Center.

The three venues hosting the event include: 1202 Callahan in Conroe, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Event Tent and the county community center, located at 31355 Friendship Dr.

Advance orders are available by calling 936-756-5828, ext. 34, or in Magnolia by calling 281-252-3852. An order form is available by calling 936-539-2981, or 281-259-6646 in Magnolia.

Event sponsorship packages are available and include recognition in event advertising, as well as complimentary fish dinners for the sponsors. For more information, call Susan Bond at 936-756-5828, ext. 34, or e-mail sbond@thefriendshipcenter.com.

The Center provides a Meals-On-Wheels program, transportation services for seniors and the disabled, and five activity centers throughout the community that serve hot lunches.

Other agency projects include a volunteer-based wheelchair ramp program for seniors, a widely anticipated annual Senior Prom, field trips and outings, and information, referral, and educational programs for the community.

The Center is affiliated with Friendship Gardens, a community garden program for seniors, and the 60+ Dance Club, which organizes dances for seniors twice each month.

The Friendship Center is a United Way agency funded in part by a grant from the Community Development Block Grant Program of Montgomery County. For more information, call 936-756-5828 or 936-441-2982.

Tomball appoints Violette to City Planner/Community Development Coordinator

The City of Tomball announced recently the appointment of Kelly Violette as the City Planner/Community Development Coordinator effective March 3.

Kelly Violette

Violette served as an Associate Planner for two years in the City of Riverside, Calif. Since July of 2007, she has served as the Executive Assistant at the Tomball Economic Development Corporation.

Violette received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside, and has several years experience working for municipal governments.

Violette’s duties as the City Planner/Community Development Coordinator will include acting as a liaison between the city and developers, builders, engineers, and state and federal agencies. Other duties include assisting the public with policies and procedures, reviewing development and land proposals, and updating city regulations, ordinances, and maps.

Residents threatening fight as corridor issue heats up to national level

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

As the issue of the Trans Texas Corridor heats up, a larger issue seems to be evolving for residents, that of a proposed super corridor connecting a would-be North American Tribunal between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.

Mark Holmes protests at a TxDOT meeting on the TTC/I-69 corridor, held at Magnolia High School Feb. 19. He owns a 10-acre hay production farm in Grimes County.

“Confusion and secrecy have been the hallmark of this project,” said Robert Stell at a Feb. 19 TxDOT public hearing on the I-69 Trans Texas Corridor (TTC/I-69).

The Trans Texas Corridor is the first step in the so-called NAFTA freeway, said Stell, which is the first step to a North American Union (NAU). Stell believes the corridor “is the first step in erasing the U.S. borders.”

Regulations governing the public hearing process to receive comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement prevented TxDOT officials from responding to questions during the hearing. However, town hall meetings and TxDOT representatives have been made available for that purpose prior to the hearings.

The project is the state’s initiative to support Texas’ growing transportation needs. To date, 48 public meetings have been conducted and more than 5,000 comments have been submitted on the $184 billion development.

TxDOT has projected a 60 percent population increase for the state over the next 20 to 50 years. TTC/I-69 will require 584,000 acres of Texas land, providing 4,000 miles of roadway to improve the movement of people and goods in and through the state over the same time period.

However, despite TxDOT’s best efforts through a $9 million marketing campaign to educate and inform the residents in the corridor’s proposed path, TxDOT cannot seem to shake a reputation that depicts the agency us an untrustworthy opponent.

That much was evident by the applause that followed the reading by Alice McGuffey of Waller County, a poem entitled, “The Spider and the Fly,” in which TxDOT was compared to the “cunning” spider, while Texans were compared to the “foolish” fly.

More than 27 speakers, representing 115 in attendance from several counties within the corridor’s proposed pathway were at the meeting, none of which advocated the current path of the corridor. For many of these, the prospect of losing their sovereignty to a North American Union appears to be fighting words.

For local Texans who adamantly claim their Second Amendment rights, the issue of a corridor that starts in Laredo and exits at Texarkana is a militia issue.

Calling the corridor a “boondoggle,” Chris Zora of Montgomery said, “Texans are not going to let anyone take their land without a fight.”

Quoting General George Patton, Zora said that he “will not pay for the same real estate twice.”

The prevailing opinion was also evident in a letter that was read for the official record from a U.S. Marine.

Waller County resident and USMC Lance Cpl. Michael Mathis, who is currently serving in Hadifa, Iraq as an infantry rifleman, sent his comments via an emissary, which were read by Martha Estes, president of Working for Accountable Government.

“My home is on our family farm, which will not exist if this plan goes through,” stated Mathis. “I’m fighting for your, and everyone else’s freedom back home. Leave us the hell alone, we don’t want it.”

“I ask you this nicely,” his letter continued. “If not, there is nothing stronger than a United States Marine fighting for his home.”

Stell questioned the endorsement by Gov. Rick Perry and President George W. Bush of the (NAU), which “would erode the borders of the U.S. creating a North American Tribunal.”

Zora reminded TxDOT that the corridor has no connection to Oklahoma, which has already passed a “No Action Alternative” in regards to the North American Super Corridor (NASCO).

As a result, TxDOT planners realigned the TTC/I-69 corridor eastward toward Texarkana in an attempt to move the corridor through Arkansas.

For many residents the development of the corridor is a border security issue.

“At a time in our country when there are numerous ways for terrorists to penetrate our borders undetected,” said Brad Smith, “installation of a 1,200-foot wide corridor coming straight out of Mexico across our border seems to be nothing less than the epitome of carelessness.”

Smith read a lengthy statement, claiming that market value paid to individuals whose private land is taken through imminent domain law is notoriously lower than the actual fair market value of their property. Despite an available appeal process, Smith said, legal costs incurred by private citizens to fight the government in eminent domain cases historically exceeds the monetary benefit to the plaintiff.

As a result, it is believed by Smith that the TTC/I-69 is the most “egregious abuse of eminent domain law the government of this country has ever contemplated.”

Dist. 4 Senator Tommy Williams, author of SB 792, sent his district coordinator and legislative aide, Ryan LaRue, to read a letter on his behalf.

“We cannot allow huge amounts of pristine land to be taken from private landowners.” Williams stated.

Joyce Cloyd, whose family owns a 170-acre working farming farm in Grimes County, echoed those words.

“If you think foreign oil is tough to depend on, wait until you have to depend on foreign food,” she said.

Williams supports using existing lands adjacent to US 59 to reduce the number of landowners affected by the project and has called for a state audit to examine TxDOT’s financial picture and report its findings to the legislature.

“The TransTexas Corridor is a threat that hangs over our dreams,” said Torry Fausom, who owns 100 acres in Walker County. Fausom called for the issue to be put before the people of Texas for a vote.

Embattled utility company proposes near 200 percent increase in water rates

By Brian Walzel
Editor

An embattled utility company that has faced lawsuits and citizen unrest is proposing a near 200 percent increase in its water rates.

HHJ Inc., the utility company for the Decker Oaks Land Development Company, which filed for bankruptcy in August of 2007, is trying to raise its water rates. For the first 10,000 gallons of usage the company is proposing an increase from $27.75 a month to $48.78 a month. For 30,000 gallons of usage an increase is proposed from $50.75 per month to $94.58 per month.

By comparison, the City of Tomball charges approximately $27 per 10,000 gallons used, with an additional $10 per month base rate.

In response to the proposed rate increase, residents in the Village of Decker Oaks and Decker Oaks Estates have protested the hike to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

The TCEQ has scheduled an April 16th hearing.

According to Doug Holcomb, the manager of utilities for TCEQ, the judge will allow both parties to negotiate a settlement. If a settlement cannot be reached, the judge will set a discovery schedule and a date for an evidentiary hearing. At that hearing, Holcomb said, both parties will be able to provide witnesses and make arguments for their case.

Following that, the judge will make a decision on the proposed rate increase and turn it over to the TCEQ’s three commissioners, who will either vote to uphold the ruling or refuse it.

HHJ and the Decker Oaks Land Development Company are owned by Robert Weedn. Weedn did not return five calls to the Tribune for comment on this story as of press time last week.

This April’s hearing is the latest round of court battles HHJ and Weedn have endured. In 2004, a suit was brought against HHJ by the TCEQ after it found that HHJ violated Chapters 7 and 26 of the Texas Water Code and TCEQ rules and failed to comply with discharge permit limitations on numerous occasions, according to the court report.

HHJ was ordered to pay $75,000 in civil penalties and $15,000 in attorney's fees. The ruling also ordered HHJ to complete construction of a 0.40 million gallons per day wastewater treatment facility by January 9, 2006.

The facility was completed on time.

Not only has HHJ and Weedn landed in hot water with the TCEQ, but also with the Tomball Independent School District. According to Tomball ISD, the Decker Oaks Land Company tops the list of most delinquent tax accounts. Another tax account for Decker Oaks ranks 18th on the list.

The report states that Decker Oaks owes more than $74,000 in back school district taxes from 2003 to 2006. The district was ready to set the case for trial, but Decker Oaks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.

Magnolia family’s ‘Ron Paul House Painting Party’ posted to Web

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The home of Nannette Carley and Ramzi Boulos of Magnolia has become somewhat of a local phenomenon since mid-January, when the two had the house at 28903 Portsoy painted.

U.S. Congressman and presidential hopeful Ron Paul is the subject of murals painted on this Magnolia home.

Images on all four sides of the house depict Texas Dist. 14 U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, Republican and presidential hopeful, as well as the symbols for “No NAU” and “No TTC,” along with the state and nation’s patriotic symbols, such as the flags and bald eagle.

“We get honks and waives with people yelling out ‘Ron Paul Rocks!’” said Carley.

Helping to paint the images were more than 60 Paul supporters and several of Carley and Boulos’ friends, family and neighbors.

The home was completely painted with recycled paint provided by Billy Kindly. Mural artist and Paul supporter C.W. Burwell drew the images, and videographer Greg Johnson filmed the event.

Now widely known as “The Ron Paul House Painting Party,” the video as been posted to Youtube.com.

Carley and Boulos volunteered their home for the project because of what they say is a passionate support of their candidate.

Paul is the only presidential candidate from Texas, Carley said, but more than that, she believes he is the only candidate with voting integrity.

“Ron Paul supporters are very active,” Carley said. “For someone who thought there were no good candidates left, it makes me feel better to know that there is at least one.”

Boulos and Carley have lived in the Magnolia area for two years. They came from east Houston following Hurricane Rita as evacuees.

“We love the people of Magnolia and Tomball,” Carley said. “When we moved here people were so helpful. It’s not like that in the big city.”

Seniors helping seniors receive reimbursement for Meals-On-Wheels delivery

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

A new government program will offer Meals-On-Wheels mileage reimbursement for delivery volunteers over the age of 55 for participation in the program in Montgomery County.

George Clawson (left), a Friendship Center staff member, assists Meals-On-Wheels volunteer Judy Shepherd (right) as she prepares for her delivery route in the Conroe area.

The Friendship Center, a nonprofit organization serving senior adults in the county since 1973, administers a local Meals-On-Wheels (MOW) program.

“Right now we have about 40 seniors on waiting lists while we try and arrange for volunteers to take on these routes,” said Nancy Harrington, president of The Friendship Center.

A shortage of volunteers, partially due to the increasing costs of fuel involved in performing their MOW volunteer service, has left the local program in need of volunteers across the county.

More than 360 homebound seniors in the county rely on volunteers to deliver hot meals, daily nutrition, and a little tender loving care through the program, said Harrington.

In March, The Friendship Center will begin participating in a nation-wide program called RSVP, which was authorized in 1971 as part of the Older Americans Act. Locally, the Jewish Community Center in Houston administers it, but it is a regional effort over several counties.

Volunteers aged 55 and over working in the MOW program will be eligible to be paid mileage at 35 cents-per-mile for delivering meals to homebound seniors.

Harrington added that volunteers enrolled in the program qualify for an insurance policy, which covers them in the event that they have an accident while performing their volunteer duty.

“In return, all we are responsible for is the paperwork to enroll these volunteers and track their hours and mileage on a monthly basis,” she said.

For more information about volunteering in the program, call The Friendship Center at 936-756-5828 or 936-441-2982.

Members of Brownie Troop 14081 were guests at the Feb. 18 meeting of the Tomball City Council. The troop led the Pledge of Allegiance and the pledge to the Texas flag. Pictured, Troop 14081 along with Mayor Gretchen Fagan (back, left).
Photo by Brian Walzel

Animal Control program in future for Waller County

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

Waller County could well see an animal control program in its future due to the cooperation of neighboring law enforcement and county commissioners.

The project has been two years in the making and is a result of the combined efforts of Waller County Pct. 2 Constable Bill Bright, Pct. 2 Commissioner Terry Harrison, and Montgomery County Pct. 3 Constable Tim Holifield, who heads up Montgomery County’s Animal Control division.

Following the Feb. 26 Commissioner’s Court meeting at the Waller County Courthouse in Hempstead, Holifield will offer a presentation at 10 a.m. to discuss the logistics of the program.

While Waller County does not have an animal shelter, Montgomery County could house the Waller County animals that are seized.

The workshop will clarify how the county can recoup some of its costs for transportation, spay and neuter procedures, as well as shots and immunizations. In addition, Holifield will outline the state laws and regulations.

“It’s a blessing that they are taking us under their wing,” said Bright. “This will be a real asset for Waller County.”

Bright began discussing animal control with county commissioners in early 2006.

“The animal thing is out of control,” Bright said. “We have packs of dogs running loose, domestic animals being attacked and killed, people being bitten and children being terrorized.”

When Terry Harrison ran for Pct. 2 Commissioner, he did so on the platform of instituting animal control in Waller County. Harrison has been appointed as the Chairman of the Waller County Animal Control Committee.

March 4 primary to decide winners for Montgomery County

By Cari Herr
Tribune Staff

The March 4 primary in Montgomery County will decide much of the general election in November.

Pictured (left to right), Anne Sundquist, President of the Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce registers candidates at a Feb. 7 election forum, including Scott Golemon who is running for the 435th District Court, incumbent Steve McKeithen who is running for Chief Justice of the 9th Court of Appeals, and Janice Baldwin, one of five candidates for District Judge in the 418th Court.
Photo by Cari Herr

The District 9 Attorney and Judge, as well as the District 4 Senate seat will be decided since there are no Democratic candidates. In addition, the race for Chief Justice of the 9th Court of Appeals, as well as the bench for three new courts established by the 80th Legislature effective Sept. 1 of last year will be determined in the primary.

Running for Chief Justice of the 9th Court of Appeals is incumbent Steve McKeithan and attorney Jay Wright.

The incumbent to the District 9 bench, Judge Fred Edwards, has held that position in the county for 17 years and was instrumental in the establishment of three new courts for the county. His opponent, Keith Wayne Valigura, is a private practice attorney representing both civil and criminal cases.

While Gov. Rick Perry could have appointed a judge to the bench of the district courts, he did not exercise that authority, leaving the position open to the general election.

Competing for 418th District Judge are Janice Baldwin, Tracy A. Gilbert, Ron Overman, Elizabeth Payte and Robert Rosenquist.

Additionally, the Legislature established County Court at Law No. 5, for which no Democrat has filed. Keith Mills Stewert, Debra Ullrich Garcia, Nancy Hebert and Claudia Laird are vying for the seat.

Finally, the 435th Judicial District was established for the statewide civil commitment of sexual predators for which only three Republican candidates have filed. Those include Mike Seiler, JD Lambright and Scott Golemon.

Candidates for the District Attorney race are all Republican attorneys and include Gary Beauchamp, Brett Ligon and incumbent Michael McDougal. Since no Democrat filed for the position, the primary will decide that race, as well.

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