Two arrested in Waller convenience store clerk slaying

By Brian Walzel
Editor

Police have arrested two Waller County residents for the murder of a convenience store clerk who was shot and killed on April 15.

Darryl Layne Norris, 26, and Mars Leslie-Angel Weidemann, 19, have each been charged with one count of capital murder in connection with the death of Anwar Sakeb Taher, 53.

Darryl Norris

Mars Weidemann

According to Waller County Sheriff Randy Smith, the two were arrested “during the execution of a search warrant.” The two lived on FM 1488 east of Hempstead.

The Sheriff’s Office also reported that the murder weapon has been recovered.

Smith did not release any further information regarding their apprehension.

Pct. 2 Justice of the Peach Delores Hargrave has denied bond for both individuals and both are currently incarcerated in Waller County Jail.

Norris is currently on parole for an aggravated robbery conviction in Harris County and is also being held on a parole warrant. Weidemann is currently on felony probation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Washington County. He is also being held on a probation violation warrant.

Pfc. Timothy Smith of Tomball pulls security for his platoon April 12 during Operation Gunslinger Shorebreak I, a mission focused at securing the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad. Smith serves as an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi–National Division – Baghdad. Submitted Photo

‘Kissing sailor,’ forensic artists discuss famous photo

By Brian Walzel
Editor

The world’s most successful forensic sketch artist and the country’s most famous sailor were guests at the Tomball Rotary Club’s weekly meeting April 23.

Lois Gibson (left) and Glenn McDuffie (right) pose with Alfred Eisenstadt’s famous photo, “V-J Day.” Gibson, a forensic artist, has identified McDuffie as the sailor in the photo.

Forensic sketch artist Lois Gibson and World War II veteran Glenn McDuffie were on hand to discuss how Gibson identified McDuffie as the “kissing sailor” in the famous photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on Aug. 14, 1945, in New York’s Time Square shortly after the announcement that World War II had ended.

Gibson, who has been declared “The World’s Most Successful Forensic Artist” by the Guinness Book of World Records, was approached by McDuffie to help end a half-century mystery about who the sailor in the photo was who planted the spontaneous kiss on a nurse.

“He came to me and said ‘I’m the kissing sailor and they won’t believe me’,” Gibson said.

Since the photo was published 41 years ago, more than 10 men have claimed to be the sailor.

Now, Gibson said her methods are undeniable proof that McDuffie is the mystery man. Among the claims is that McDuffie, now 80, knows why the sailor’s right hand in the photo is twisted the way it is.

”I bent my hand backwards so you can see the lady’s face,” he said.

Gibson also had McDuffie recreate his pose while holding a large pillow in place of the nurse. She used his original Navy cap as a reference point and measured his arms, hands, head, and other features to compare to the photo.

Gibson came out convinced the man was McDuffie.

Time Life magazine, which ceased operations in 2002, has since taken the official stance that the identities of both the sailor and the nurse are a mystery.

Last year, McDuffie and Gibson went on Good Morning America and were interviewed by Diane Sawyer. After the interview, McDuffie and Sawyer staged an impromptu kiss. “It was like watching Arnold Palmer hit a hole in one,” Gibson said.

Not only can McDuffie explain the positioning of the hand, he also knows the identities of the other sailors in the photo. The sailor in the white was Bob Little and in the blue was Jack Holmes, both of whom McDuffie served with.

That day McDuffie was exiting a New York subway on his way to meet a girl when a woman approached him.

“She said ‘I’m so happy for you,’” McDuffie said. “And I asked why, and she said, ‘Because the war is over and you can go home.’ I ran out into the street jumping and hollering.”

McDuffie said a nurse standing nearby put her arms out to him, he grabbed her, kissed her, and the lasting image went down in American history as not just a photo, but the feelings of an entire nation and its weary servicemen.

The photo was printed on Aug. 27, 1945, while McDuffie was onboard a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. He didn’t see the picture until years later.

A woman named Edith Shain later claimed to be the nurse in the photo and Eisenstaedt later backed up her claim.

Meanwhile, Gibson’s forensic sketches have helped solve more than 1,140 cases. Among the most recent was the Baby Grace case. Gibson’s sketches were seen on news outlets across the country as police sought her killers and helped identify the young girl as Riley Ann Sawyers. Kimberly Ann Trenor and Royce Clyde Zeigler have been charged with capital murder and are awaiting trial.

Tomball High School art students Laura Baker (front), Paige Anderson (left), and Olivia Gite (right) received medals at the Texas State Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). More than 17,000 students competed in VASE competitions across the state. Baker, Anderson, and Gite were among 1,700 art students who were invited to take part in the state contest.
Submitted Photo

Commercial business still finding Tomball attractive

Retail, dining development slows

By Brian Walzel
Editor

Even with the passing of a new zoning ordinance limiting the availability of potential land, businesses are still finding Tomball an attractive place to move.

A new Arby’s restaurant, to be located on FM 2920 near the Office Depot, is nearing completion and will open soon.

The City of Tomball has approved plans for at least four new office and light industrial buildings with two more large facilities currently under construction.

According to Tomball City Planner Kelly Violette, the city has recently approved plans for the construction of two medical offices, two commercial buildings, and a light industrial facility.

The Tomball Medical Offices, a 54,000 square foot, two-story facility, will be located at the intersection of Graham and School Streets and the Alma Office Park will include a pair of buildings on Alma Street, one 4,000 square feet and the other 4,900 square feet.

Also in the works is a 25,000 square foot commercial building on the corner of Lizzie Lane and Persimmon Street that Violett said will likely house light industrial businesses.

The new facilities will join Century Hydraulics and Devasco International on the Tomball business landscape.

Devasco, which specializes in custom welding solutions, is currently building a new 80,000 square foot facility on S. Cherry Street.

Century Hydraulics is also nearing completion of a new facility on Snook Lane. After receiving a $50,000 economic development grant from the Tomball EDC, Eagle Gasket will be constructing a 25,000 square foot building on Ulrich Street.

One of the projects Violette said the city is most excited about is a new private baseball academy set to be located at Hufsmith and Rudolph.

The 12,000 square foot facility will sit on eight acres and will house batting cages, pitching and training facilities, and two natural surface fields.

But while the commercial business scene is in full swing in Tomball, retail and restaurant development has slowed.

According to Violette, one of only two restaurants recently approved by the city is a new Arby’s fast food restaurant nearing completion at 14452 FM 2920. The Dairy Queen, currently located at 1000 W. Main St., will be relocating to a new 3,550 square foot building on FM 2920 near Harris County Smokehouse.

The other new restaurant, Wings, Pizza and Things, will soon be opening in the Tomball Marketplace shopping center.

Violette said part of the reason for the slowed retail development has been an increase in costs associated with building new establishments. Rising gas prices, increased construction costs, and building materials have delayed many planned developments, including many near the new Academy center.

A proposed high-end residential and retail development at the northwest corner of the FM 2978 and FM 2920 intersection has been in the works for more than a year, but numerous delays have pushed the construction date back. Violette said the city is waiting on word from the developers to see if the project is still a go.

Morley named Waller ISD Athletic Director, head football coach

On April 14, Waller ISD’s Board of Trustees unanimously named Jason Morley the school district’s new Athletic Director and Waller High School head football coach. Morley has been coaching at Waller High School since 1999. From 1999-2001, he was the quarterback coach and in 2001 was named Offensive Coordinator. His offense has been ranked in the Houston Chronicle top five in area class 4A several times in the last seven years. In 2007, the Bulldog was ranked number three in the state in total yards in class 4A by the Texas High School Coaches Association's Pressbox Services. Morley has been a part of six Waller Bulldog playoff appearances in the last nine years; five of those as offensive coordinator. In 2003, the team made its way to the Regional Semifinals and in 2007 to the Regional Finals. The Bulldog offense has averaged at least 400 yards and 38 points per game for five of Morley’s seven years as offensive coordinator.

Morley praised the job former head coach Jim Phillips did during his tenure.

“Coach Phillips did a great job of preparing me for this role, and he deserves most of the credit for my development as a coach. We have a great staff in place and I look forward to continuing our success,” Morley said.

Morley attended Sonora High School in West Texas and played for Bob Bellard. He went on to play two years of baseball and one year of football at Trinity University in San Antonio then finished his college education at Sam Houston State University before coming to work at Waller High School as an English teacher and coach in 1999. He is married to Brandi Morley, a native of Waller, and is father to daughter Joan Robertson and the late Richie Robertson.

Last week three Concordia Lutheran High School tennis players traveled to Waco to compete in the TAPPS state tennis tournament. Jack Murphy (left) and Michael Reimer (center) competed in the doubles tournament, while Justin Brewer (right) took part in the singles event. This year marks the first trip to the state tournament for both Murphy and Brewer. Last year, Reimer competed in the state doubles title, but the team was defeated by the eventual state champions. Results of this year’s tournament were unavailable at press time.
Photo by Brian Walzel

Tomball Intermediate School teacher Helen Phillips was surprised in her classroom when representatives from Office Max presented her with $1,200 in supplies for her students. Phillips was selected as a Day Made Better winner, an Office Max program that recognizes teachers for their dedication to the teaching profession. Phillips won a utility cart, printer, digital camera, laminator, pens, pencils, paper, and a chair for her desk.
Submitted Photo

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Magnolia soldier killed by small-arms fire in Iraq

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown, 29, was killed in action in the early hours of April 17 in Sama Village, Iraq. Brown was struck by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations. He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the Army.

Staff Sgt. Jason Brown of Magnolia was killed early April 17 by small-arms fire in Sama Village, Iraq.

Brown was in his second combat tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He is the third local military service member to be killed in the last two weeks, according to the Army Special Operations Command News Service.

Brown’s military records list his home as being in Magnolia. He volunteered for his military service and enlisted in the Army on March 25, 2003, as a Special Forces candidate. Brown was promoted to Green Beret in 2004.

His awards and decorations received during his five years in the Army include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and numerous awards for meritorious service.

Brown is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Gomez, of Cypress; mother, Rosemary, and father, James, of Cartwright, Okla.

According to the Department of Defense, a total of 4,046 soldiers have died in conjunction with Operation Iraqi Freedom.

More than 100 of those service members had close ties to the Houston area.

The Tomball Rotary Club held its 39th Annual Fish Fry April 18 at Juergens Park in Tomball. The annual fundraiser helps raise money for the club’s charitable efforts, which include providing scholarship money for local high school students. As part of the annual event, the Rotary club raffled off a 1987 Chevrolet Corvette. The winners of the car were the 12 members of the Rotary Club cooking team. Pictured, T.J. Tijerina fries a basket of fish during the event. See more Fish Fry photos on page (WHAT).
Photo by Brian Walzel

Magnolia candidates voice issues at elections forum

By Melanie Smith
Tribune Staff

Candidates for the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees and Magnolia City Council answered questions posed by audience members and spoke of their qualifications in an elections forum held April 22 in Magnolia’s City Council Chambers.

The forum was held so candidates could voice their opinions on several pertinent topics concerning Magnolia.

Candidates were each given five minutes to speak followed by questions from attendees. After answering questions, candidates were given one minute for closing remarks.

Candidates for the Magnolia ISD Board of Trustees went first. Incumbent Charlie Riley is running unopposed for position five in the election, while Incumbent Brent O’Neal is running against Mandy Smith for position four. Smith did not attend the forum.

“It’s been challenging but exciting these past three years,” Riley said. “I owe a lot to the city of Magnolia and want to continue to serve.”

O’Neal has been on the board for nine years. His goals are to have the best education for the children and be the best stewards for taxpayers’ money.

“The best part of serving on the board is being a part of something bigger than yourself or your family,” O’Neal said.

City election candidates include incumbent councilman Dave Sutherland and his opposition, Hank Wright. Sutherland and Wright are vying for council position two. Councilwoman Patsy Williams is running unopposed in the race for council position five. A former opponent, John Polk, resigned from the race two weeks ago.

Sutherland acknowledged the challenging growth issues Magnolia has faced, but says he looks forward to continuing to watch it grow.

“I’m here for the long haul,” Sutherland said. “Magnolia has been very good to my family and I want to give something back.”

Wright wants to see Magnolia grow and be a community where “people can stop, not just drive through.”

In order for that to happen, Wright said, Magnolia must “attract businesses with new buildings and roads.”

Williams views the council position as a chance to serve the community.

“We aren’t politicians, we’re servants,” Williams said. “And as servants, you must serve God, your family, and your community.”

Like Sutherland and Wright, Williams wants to see positive growth in the community over the next several years.

“I want a community where our children can go to our own park and play and our seniors can shop here as well,” Williams said. “Growth is inevitable, so we want to steer it in a way that each of us can enjoy.”

Williams has been on the council for eight terms.

The Public Improvement District for Magnolia Ridge, or PID, was also a hot topic of the evening. Williams was assured by Vinson and Elkins, an “established and well respected law firm,” that a PID was “not uncommon and that citizens should feel comfortable with a PID.”

A PID gives a developer the opportunity to build homes and bring value to the city.

“Currently Magnolia is worth about $60 million,” Mayor Jimmy Thornton said. “Magnolia Ridge, by itself, will be worth more than $400 million.”

Williams was assured by the law firm that “citizens of Magnolia will not be held responsible for paying for it if anything goes awry.”

Wright agreed with Williams on the issue.

Sutherland felt the “need to approach cautiously” with a PID.

“I’m in favor of growth, but not at any cost to citizens,” Sutherland said.

Incumbent Mayor Thornton and his opponent, Jo Anne Windham, were the final speakers of the evening. The two faced 17 questions from the audience.

Thornton voiced his want for Magnolia to grow in a way to attract children to stay in the city.

“We want our kids to not have to drive to Tomball or The Woodlands to have a good time,” Thornton said.

Windham believes that the mayor and city council need to have “complete harmony.”

“It’s healthy to have disagreements,” Windham said. “But you have to be able to really duke it out one minute and come to a reasonable agreement the next.”

In reference to the PID, Thornton was reassured by Thomas Sage, a lawyer from Vinson and Elkins, that citizens would not be required to pay for any of the work.

“We agreed on it,” Thornton said. “If it were to come back on the city, we would not support it. I’m for it 100 percent.”

Near the end of the forum, candidates were asked about qualifications they possess that make them a good candidate for mayor.

Thornton has experience in the mayor’s office, but he said that there’s more to being a mayor than what some may think.

“I’ve also worked to maintain a positive image of the city, schools, and people over the years,” Thornton said.

Windham has had experience in the city as tax assessor-collector, city secretary, and municipal count clerk.

“Well, I’ve never been mayor,” Windham responded to Thornton, “but I’ve trained a lot of mayors and I know the ins and outs of running a city. If elected, I’ll guide the city to the best of my ability.”

Howard Memorial Vet Tech Scholarship named endowment in 18 months

The Candace Grace Howard Memorial Scholarship at Lone Star College-Tomball has qualified as an endowment in record time, which is a testimony to the “wonderful person my daughter was and the importance of this scholarship to the community and the college,” Howard’s father, Bill, said.

Candace Howard

Howard was a first-year veterinary technology student at LSC-Tomball in 2006 when she died in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

“It was devastating to us all,” Director of the LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology program and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine George Younger said. “Although she was only in her second semester she made an incredible impact – one so great that her classmates in the Vet Tech Student Organization (VTSO) initially raised more than $5,000 to create a memorial scholarship in her honor.”

Younger and the VTSO had hoped that they would be able to raise the $15,000 necessary to meet the Lone Star College System’s criteria for an endowment within the seven years they were given. But they achieved their goal in just 18 months, which is the shortest period of time to reach any endowment for LSC-Tomball.

“The love for Candace and the generosity of our students, graduates, and area veterinarians and hospitals, as well as the community at large, has made this dream a reality,” Younger said. “Candace’s memory will live on while also providing an opportunity for our students to achieve their educational dreams and career goals.”

A native of Tomball, Candace attended Tomball High School, was a life-long fast pitch softball player, and was a devoted Aggie, Bill said. An avid horse rider, Howard “never met an animal she didn’t like, which is why she was drawn to the vet tech program.”

Chanda Shelton, now in her final semester of the vet tech program, was the first recipient of the Candace Grace Howard Memorial Scholarship in 2007 and says Howard’s memory certainly touched her life.

“It was an extreme honor to be the first person chosen for the scholarship,” Shelton said. “In addition to the financial help it provided me, it was comforting to know that I was a part of something very special.”

According to Younger, the scholarship currently funds $1,000 a year to first-year vet tech students and once funds raised exceed $30,000, will begin funding $2,000 in scholarships annually.

To be considered for a scholarship from the Candace Grace Howard Memorial Endowment, applicants must be admitted to LSC-Tomball and be a first-year student enrolled in the veterinary technology program; have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher; be a United States citizen; and plan on establishing a career as a registered veterinary technician.

For information on how to apply for a scholarship, visit the Lone Star College-Tomball Web site at http://tomball.lonestar.edu/, or call the financial aid office at 281-351-3300.

To donate, make checks payable to: The Candace Howard Memorial Endowment-Lone Star College System Foundation, 5000 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX, 77381-4399. Payments may also be made in person or sent in care of: Kathleen Diamond, RVT, LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology Program, 30555 Tomball Parkway, Tomball, TX, 77375. For more information, call 281-351-3358.

From the Book of Clifford

By Clifford Parker
Contributing Writer

Bumps, bruises, and battle scars. For some reason, I have been pondering my accident-filled boyhood of 55-plus years. Yes, I know I’m not a boy anymore, but I’ve been accused sometimes of acting like one. I must admit that I am still a risk taker when it comes to manual labor issues, but I have learned to act a little smarter. The truth is that my childhood injuries were really never my fault per se.

During my days as a teenager, I enjoyed mechanic work. My friends and I built several mechanical contraptions during our times. As a youngster, I became a fairly good mechanic. I had pulled the motor from my Chevrolet Bellaire and was doing a complete overhaul. I had the motor broken down and all that remained was the block.

This particular motor was a six cylinder called a straight six. I had just completed honing out the cylinder walls and had cleaned up the top of the block in order to begin putting it back together. For some reason, I had the block lying on the floor upside down and needed to roll it over. Of course, I felt I was strong enough to do this on my own, so I placed my hands around the block to pick it up. As I got it about halfway off the floor, the inside of my fingers were sliced from the sharp, smooth edge I had just created on top of the block. As I felt the pressure of the motor slice into my fingers, it left me with only one of two choices. Either drop the motor and probably crush my foot or take the pain and slowly lower the motor back onto the floor. I chose the latter.

Several stitches later and eight sliced up fingers near my palm, I remember wishing I would have asked for help. I carry those scars to this day.

Another scar I still carry is on my left hand, index finger. It was near Christmas in the 70’s and we had just placed our Christmas tree in the house. It seems like every time I get a tree, my eyes are taller than the room and I always get a tree that is too tall. This time, I had cut a tree that was only inches from fitting into the room. The top needed to be trimmed to leave room for the angel.

As usual, I was trying to cut corners, so instead of getting the proper tool such as a saw or clippers, I went to the kitchen drawer and pulled out a serrated knife. I stood precariously perched on a ladder trying to lean over the top of the tree. As I grabbed the top and began a vigorous sawing motion with the knife, it slipped and sliced a nice gash into my finger just below the nail. Once again, as with the other scars, I still can see it on my finger.

A scar I do not remember receiving is one on the back of my leg. According to my mom, I tried to sit on one of those pointy little oil cans as a child. The can was one of those kind seen in the “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy is oiling up the Tin Man. I have no idea why I thought I could sit on this can. I guess I was just tired and wanted to rest. The thing stuck in the top of my leg and my mom said the can stayed temporarily stuck in my leg as I stood up. It then just slipped out.

Unfortunately, I have many more stories to share of my injuries. I still carry the scars in my leg from several dog bites while working as a meter reader, another scar in my arm from throwing a throw line over handed and getting hooked in the arm while setting some fishing lines, and I also have a big toe that was cut so deep while swimming in Spring Creek that the muscle no longer functions.

Next week, I will share with you the story of all stories about my injuries. It will carry a warning, however, because it may be a little gross to some of you.

-- Clifford