Happy Thanksgiving from the Peltons and SantaAnnaNews.com!
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Friday Rambling
I hope all of you had as good a Thanksgiving as I did.
Friday is my birthday.
As I get older I am thankful that most of my body is not worn out yet. But I am glad to know that modern medicine gets better all the time. Especially if my knees wear out from climbing up and down the ladder with those shingles!
Speaking of knees... how about this: You might be from Santa Anna if you schedule your double knee replacment around the Mountaineers' playoff games!
As I get older and more forgetful there are some things that I will never forget. Like beating Goldthwaite for District my Junior year. There are those things that you want to forget but can't... like losing to Meridian coached by David Horner the next week by one point in Comanche.
If I could say one thing to the Mountaineers before their game Friday it would be to play with your heart and win or lose you will have done your best.
I was driving down Bowie early Thanksgiving Day. It was one of the most beautiful days I have seen this year. I was headed to Grandma Robinett's to get some potatoes for lunch.
The Mountaineers were on the field at Mountaineer Stadium practicing for the big game on Friday. I wanted to honk and yell something crazy out the window but I didn't want to break their concentration.
I slowed and looked to see if Coach Ramos was on the field. I heard he was undergoing some chemotherapy treatments and wasn't sure he would be here this week or not. I didn't see him. If I could have one wish for my birthday it would be for Coach to be OK. He is such a nice guy. I have visited with him on several occasions about football, and his high school and college days. Did you know that he is a State Champion? He ran on the winning 4x400 meter relay team from Stamford in the Class 2A State Track meet in 1997. He wears a nice State Champion ring. In my eyes he is a Champion for the way that he coaches our Mountaineers and the fine example that he sets. Please remember Coach Arthur Ramos and his family in your prayers.
We were having a bunch over for Thanksgiving and Cindy had started cooking the night before. She made turkey and dressing, two kinds of gravy, rolls, green beans, yams, mashed potatoes, and some of her awesome deviled eggs! We had twenty or so from the Robinett clan for lunch with a few joining us later for leftovers. It was all good as I sat with my father-in-law, Jimmy, outside on the patio where we ate.
I am thankful that all of our families are healthy. It has been a crazy year and I will be glad when the next one starts. We have so much to be thankful for... our family has grown this year with a new son-in-law, Patrick, and two new grand babies, Luke and Jolie. Cindy got a new job that she really likes and I still have mine. Crystal went back to work at the Coleman Hospital and is really enjoying it.
There are some things that make me proud too. I am proud of all my kids but heard a story about Crystal the other day that especially makes me proud of her. I haven't got to ask her about it yet but I heard she went to Allsup's early one morning a couple of weeks ago to use the ATM machine and found two hundred dollars in it. She turned it and the reciept into the store clerk. I think it was my old buddy Baker Rudolph. I don't think they thought she was for real. That is just the way she is and the way I would want her to be.
I know too that there are some that are missing loved ones too. That is always harder this time of year. Please remember the families that have lost loved ones this year especially of Carmen Donham and Liz Merkley who both passed away earlier this month.
Thanks for coming by SantaAnnaNews.com!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Directions to Gatesville Playoff Stadium
Several have asked for directions to the stadium in Gatesville.
I should say that I have never been to a game there but I have driven past it no less than 100 times the last 25 years going to my Mother-in-Laws in Waco.
Anytime I am going somewhere unfamiliar I always Google it and I have found the Google Maps to be pretty good. Here is a link to the Google Map for Gatesville. Once you open it, if you want you can get directions from your address to the stadium. I like clicking on the Hybrid button which overlays the street map with a satellite image so that you can actually see where you are going. The address for the stadium is 205 S Lovers Lane but in the Hybrid map you can see that the stadium is a little to the right on the map and East of Lovers Lane and West of South 26th Street. It also appears that there is an entrance from Hwy 84 for the stadium but I am not sure about that.
Here are my personal directions from Santa Anna:
* From Santa Anna head East towards Bangs, who we used to play in preseason football in the good old days, and then on to Brownwood on US Hwy 84 which is also US Hwy 67
*Go straight through Brownwood and into Early, who we used to play scrimmages against, and then past the Mall
*Just past the big new Cousins Exxon Convenience Store and before the Early Elementary, US Hwy 84 splits from US Hwy 67 and you want to turn right at the light and continue on US Hwy 84 towards Zephyr, Mullin, and Goldthwaite
*As you go through Goldthwaite, my work away from home, look for me on the side of the road and if it is getting close to game time be sure and pick me up!
*After picking me up, continue on through Star, the home of one of my old High School Football coaches... Barry Miles... He was an assistant here in Santa Anna when we beat Goldthwaite in 1980 for Bi-District
*I remember one time we were headed to a game in Evant I think and our bus broke down just past Star and we borrowed one their buses I think to get to the game. It was at the Star Store that Coach Miles introduced us to Pepsi returnable bottles with Tom's peanuts in the bottle.
*Anyhow continue on US Hwy 84 through Evant, where I once videoed a game for Coach Robinett from high above the field in the "Crow's Nest"...
*You will finally come to Gatesville... just keep going towards Waco on US Hwy 84 past their beautiful Coryell County Courthouse, past Business Hwy 36, and the Walmart, start looking for the stadium lights... all on the right or South side of the road.
*There should be some signs for the stadium which is McKamie Stadium - Home of the Fighting Hornets... noted as behind the high school which is on S Lovers Lane also.
If you get to the State Hwy 36 overpass in Gatesville, or to McGregor, or Waco, then you've gone too far! The overpass looks like one for an Interstate and there are a couple of convenience stores past the overpass where you can turn around if you need to. There are also a couple of places in McGregor. If you made it to Waco you might as well go to the Mall because you won't get to see much of the game!
Have a safe trip and oh, just in case I am too busy holding my granddaughter, Jolie, who just came home... and I don't have time for the News on Wednesday or Thursday... Happy Thanksgiving!
More Lights
In six man football playoff action of interest the Brookesmith Mustangs fell to Calvert 77-54 in a game played in Gatesville. Santa Anna will face Calvert for the Area Championship in Gatesville this Friday at 7:30 PM. Calvert is favored to win by 17 points by SixManFootball.com
Who 10-1 Calvert has played and how they have done:
Lost to Valley 34-36
Beat Coolidge 50-0 (Santa Anna beat Coolidge 60-12)
Beat Greenville Christian 56-8
Beat Trinidad 28-14
Beat The Woodlands Christian 45-0
Beat Prairie Lea 45-0
Beat Humble Christian Life 64-14
Beat Cherokee 56-6
Beat Lometa 31-0
Beat BuckHolts 51-6
Beat Brookesmith 77-54 (Santa Anna beat Brookesmith 78-67)
Next in line for the winner of this game will be the winner of the Richland Springs and May game to be played Friday in Comanche at 7:30 PM.
May had a bye and Richland Springs had their hands full with Lometa last week. Richland Springs led Lometa 8-0 at halftime. Richland's All State back Tyler Etheridge was not suited up for the first half due to a hand injury that required 16-20 staples from the week before in the game against Rochelle. Etheridge suited up for the second half to play offense only and lead the Coyotes to a 40-16 bi-district win.
4-H Photography Club
The 4 Leaf Photo Club met on Tuesday, November 14 at 6:30PM. Some discussion was held on how to recruit new members. It was decided that flyers would be posted in the area schools to let the youth of the area know what was going on.
The group decided to go with the club name chosen at the previous meeting – “4 Leaf Photo Club”. The club is sanctioned by the local 4H, but a youth does not have to be a member of 4H to be part of the group.
After business part of the meeting, Tex Wright brought out several cameras. The oldest was a 1913 Kodak. He also had on display Kodak cameras from the 1920’s, 30’s and some 1950 era Brownies with flash units and flash bulbs. The members were fascinated by the flash unit and bulbs that had to be replaced after each shot.
Different types of cameras were shown, that were used for different types of pictures. And lens up to 2000 mm (1000mm with a doubler)
Although the group was small all enjoyed the program.
It was decided that due to the heavy load during December, the next meeting would be held in Santa Anna on Tuesday Jan. 9th at 6:30 PM
If you have any Questions contact the County Extension Office at 325-625-4519 or one of the officers.
ATTORNEY GENERAL ABBOTT HAILS LENGTHY SENTENCE HANDED DOWN AGAINST EX-ATTORNEY IN ESTATE THEFT CASE
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| CORPUS CHRISTI - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott hailed a jury’s 45-year sentence handed down today in a Nueces County criminal fraud case against Colin Kaufman, 59, a disbarred attorney. He was found guilty last week of a first-degree felony for cleaning out much of the estate of elderly coma victim Col. Arthur Wilson Carothers. Kaufman and accomplice Andrew Huffmeyer, 56, who pleaded guilty last week to misapplication of fiduciary property, conspired to divert about $400,000 from Carothers’ estate, which was valued at about $960,000. The jury today also fined Kaufman $10,000.
“We are grateful this jury is sending a strong message that financial abuse of the elderly is a serious crime and will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Abbott. “This defendant showed nothing but cold, calculated resolve as he worked to clean out the trust fund of this elderly client who died not long after falling into a coma.” Huffmeyer will serve five years in prison for the crime but also testified in last week’s trial against co-conspirator Kaufman. Visiting District Judge Joaquin Villarreal III presided over the trial. Carothers, who had been a client of Huffmeyer’s before 2002, was hit by a truck and fell into a coma. As a result of the accident, Carothers also had to have a leg amputated. An attorney who drafted Carothers’ will and trust testified for the state that fees for the services the two purported to provide should not have exceeded $17,000. The two conspired with others to defraud Carothers and his estate, running up exorbitant expenses. As part of this scheme, the two billed the estate $49,000 for a trip to the northeast to change a signature card for estate management purposes, typically a simple and inexpensive legality. They also worked with others to charge Carothers’ estate more than $260,000 for conferences that were usually held at Corpus Christi restaurants. Evidence presented during the trial proved that Kaufman was disbarred by the State Bar of Texas due to his unethical and illegal actions in a federal bankruptcy case. Kaufman was ordered to pay back $214,000 to the trust in this bankruptcy and later was ordered to pay the State Bar more than $40,000 in restitution for the cost of litigating his law license. Indiana University Foundation and the United Methodist Church of Mulberry, Ind., were to be the primary beneficiaries of Carothers’ estate. Assistant Attorneys General David Glickler and Shane Attaway prosecuted this case, with assistance from Nueces County Assistant District Attorney George Schimmel. The Attorney General took the case at the request of Nueces County District Attorney Carlos Valdez. |
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ATTORNEY GENERAL ABBOTT OBTAINS PLEA, VERDICT AGAINST ACCOUNTANT, ATTORNEY IN MAJOR ESTATE THEFT
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| CORPUS CHRISTI - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott applauded a guilty verdict handed down today in a Nueces County criminal fraud case that involved two men who diverted $400,000 from a dying man’s estate. A former accountant and attorney conspired to drain the estate of elderly coma victim Col. Arthur Wilson Carothers. His estate was valued at about $960,000. The victim had previously designated a church and university as the primary beneficiaries of his estate. “The scope of this white-collar crime is unconscionable,” said Attorney General Abbott. “These men worked together to clean out the trust fund of their own elderly client while he was in a coma following a pedestrian accident.”
“I am pleased we are exposing the depths to which both of these men would stoop to enrich themselves, and the justice that is being served upon them because of this crime.” Colin Kaufman, 59, a disbarred attorney, was found guilty of first-degree felony misapplication of fiduciary property and faces up to 99 years to life in prison. The sentencing phase of the trial continues today before visiting District Judge Joaquin Villarreal III. As the case headed to trial this week, Andrew Huffmeyer, 56 , a former certified public accountant, chose to plead guilty Monday to the identical charge in his role of helping Kaufman expend approximately $400,000 from the victim’s trust accounts. Huffmeyer will serve five years in prison for the crime but also testified in this week’s trial against co-conspirator Kaufman. Both men have since lost their professional licenses. Carothers, who had been a client of Huffmeyer’s before 2002, was hit by a truck and fell into a coma. As a result of the accident, Carothers also had to have a leg amputated. An attorney who drafted Carothers’ will and trust testified for the state that fees for the services the two purported to provide should not have exceeded $17,000. The two conspired with others to blatantly defraud Carothers and his estate, running up exorbitant expenses. As part of this scheme, the two billed the estate $49,000 for a trip to the northeast to change a signature card for estate management purposes, typically a simple and inexpensive legality. They also worked with others to charge Carothers’ estate more than $260,000 for conferences that were usually held at Corpus Christi restaurants. Evidence presented during the trial proved that Kaufman was disbarred by the State Bar of Texas due to his unethical and illegal actions in a federal bankruptcy case. Kaufman was ordered to pay back $214,000 to the trust in this bankruptcy and later was ordered to pay the State Bar more than $40,000 in restitution for the cost of litigating his law license. Indiana University Foundation and the United Methodist Church of Mulberry, Ind., were to be the primary beneficiaries of Carothers’ estate. Assistant Attorneys General David Glickler and Shane Attaway prosecuted this case, with assistance from Nueces County Assistant District Attorney George Schimmel. The Attorney General took the case at the request of Nueces County District Attorney Carlos Valdez. |
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ATTORNEY GENERAL ABBOTT RESOLVES TWO PRICE GOUGING CASES IN HOUSTON, MARSHALL
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| AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today announced the conclusion of two price-gouging cases involving a motel operator in Marshall and a retail merchant in Houston who took advantage of consumers fleeing hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “Texans won well-deserved praise for extending open arms to evacuees during the 2005 hurricane season,” said Attorney General Abbott. “The few unscrupulous profiteers who took advantage of evacuees have been held accountable for their actions, sending a clear message that Texas will not tolerate those who exploit victims of natural disasters.”
Quality Inn & Suites in Marshall, operated by Rambhai and Jaswantiben Patel, entered into an agreed final judgment and permanent injunction today after a lengthy dispute with the Attorney General and local authorities. The Attorney General identified more than 100 consumers harmed by inflated rates during and after both hurricanes. As a result, the hotel owners agreed to pay $150,000 in restitution to these and other consumers harmed, $200,000 in attorneys’ fees and $50,000 in civil penalties to the state. Choice Hotels International, the franchisor, also revoked Quality Inn & Suites’ franchise to operate because of this conduct. In this case, numerous consumers fleeing the hurricanes had secured reservations at the motel in advance, but upon arrival, they were told the rates had increased sharply. The defendants refused to give some lodgers itemized statements reflecting true charges, and some consumers later realized a number of unauthorized charges and fees were added to their credit card bills without their consent, and some were even charged additional days beyond their actual stay. The Attorney General quickly froze $500,000 of the defendants’ bank account assets in October 2005 after it was discovered that Rambhai Patel had already wired $740,000 to the United Kingdom. Hollywood Food & Cigar store in Houston and owner Tuyen Quang Dang cooperated with the Attorney General and entered into an assurance of voluntary compliance to settle liabilities it created during and after Hurricane Rita. The store sold ice, batteries and milk at excessively marked-up prices during a few days in September 2005. The owner explained that higher labor costs were involved in moving merchandise from one store to another, which he said warranted the higher prices. Nonetheless, the operator cooperated and gave truthful statements to the Attorney General. Hollywood Food & Cigar agreed to pay $15,000 in civil penalties and $5,000 in attorneys’ fees to the state. Both cases stem from the Attorney General’s authority to enforce against businesses that price-gouge consumers for lodging, fuel, groceries or other necessities sought during and after a disaster declared by the Governor. |
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ATTORNEY GENERAL ABBOTT’S MEDICAID FRAUD INVESTIGATORS ARREST TWO RUSK COUNTY NURSING HOME EMPLOYEES
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| HENDERSON - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit officers arrested two Rusk County nursing home employees this week who work at separate facilities, charging them with residential trust fund theft and acquiring pain killing prescription drugs meant for patients. “Our investigators are tirelessly pursuing those who would exploit nursing home residents for gain or divert needed prescriptions for their personal use,” said Attorney General Abbott. “Senior Texans deserve the highest quality of care our state’s system can provide.”
Lola B. Stewart, 46, of Kilgore, former business manager at Overton Healthcare Center Nursing Home in Overton, has been charged with third-degree felony theft for a number of schemes resulting in over $72,000 diverted to her personally or to relatives. She was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 8 and bond was set at $15,000. As office manager, Stewart maintained the trust fund pool for all residents, including her grandmother, and had responsibility for accounting for royalty, retirement and other checks payable to specific residents. However, the Attorney General alleges she diverted more than $31,000 from these checks meant for other residents into her grandmother’s account. In other schemes, she allegedly forged corporate payroll checks of former employees and deposited these into her own account, wrote trust fund checks and made these payable to her daughter, which depleted the accounts belonging to specific residents. She also is alleged to have manipulated the facility’s petty cash account, supposedly replenishing the account as it drew down, but actually pocketing the replenishment amount and making up the difference from residents’ trust fund balances. In a separate case, Christopher W. Ferguson, 32, of Henderson, worked as a licensed vocational nurse at Southwood Nursing Home when his alleged offenses occurred. He is charged with a third-degree felony – fraudulent possession of a controlled substance. During March of this year, he systematically diverted numerous prescription pain medications from patients whose physicians had prescribed them. He was indicted Nov. 8 and bond was set at $7,500. Rusk County District Attorney Michael Jimmerson’s prosecutors will handle these cases. The cases against Stewart and Ferguson reflect Attorney General Abbott’s ongoing commitment to crack down on those who defraud Medicaid across the state. To obtain more information about the Attorney General’s efforts to fight Medicaid fraud, access the agency’s Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us. |
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Thursday and Friday Night Lights
Coach Dick Smith's Defending State Champion Wimberley Texans beat Marion 56-20 in a Thursday night bi-district game in New Braunfels. The Texans and Coach Smith's Code Red Defense will take on Medina Valley.
The Wylie Bulldogs and Three Amigos which includes Connie Culpepper Massey's son, Cody Williams, won their game over Decatur. The Bulldogs kicked a last minute 39-yard field goal to win 36-35 over Decatur in the Region I-3A Bi-District playoff game on Friday at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Wylie will face Canyon at Lowrey Field in Lubbock at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Another game to see would have been Coach Rusty Buzzard's Coleman Bluecats versus the undefeated Haskelll Indians. The game went into triple overtime and the Bluecats won 48-42. They will take on the Ozona Lions in a cat fight for the Area Championship in San Angelo this Friday at 7 PM.
Coach Buddy Hardin's second straight trip to the playoff's ended Friday at Shotwell Stadium. His Hawley Bearcats fell 41-6 to the Early Longhorns.
Congrats to all the teams that made it to the playoffs and to the Bi District Champion Texans and Bluecats!
Coleman County Stockshow Committee
The Coleman County Stockshow Committee will meet on Monday, November 20th at 6:00 pm at the Bill Franklin Community Center at the Coleman Rodeo Grounds. Committee assignments and details for the January show will be discussed. For more information contact Sarah Beal, stockshow superintendent at 785-4291.
Major Stock Show Entries
Tuesday, November 14th or Monday, November 20th, 2006
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Coleman County Extension Office
SPECIAL NOTE: During the absence of an Ag Agent at this time, Brown County Extension Agents will assist us with our major stock show entries. They have asked us to only take entries on these two nights so that they might answer any questions you might have. Forms are available at the Coleman County Extension Office. Please feel free to pick up these forms in advance and have them signed and ready.
All 4-H Exhibitors planning to show livestock in a major shows for 2007 need to come by the County Extension Office to enter on Tuesday, November 14th or Monday, November 20th . These include: Odessa, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Houston, San Angelo, and Austin. Please make arrangements to sign up during these dates. ALSO - Bring all necessary information (i.e., parents and 4-Hers' signatures, SS# and payment) that will need to be completed on these forms.
We have printed our books from the internet (there are no books are being mailed out this year except Ft. Worth). If you wish to look up further information, you may access this on-line at the following web sites:
Odessa (Sand Hills Stock Show & Rodeo) www.sandhillsstockshowandrodeo.com
Ft. Worth (Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show) www.fwssr.com
San Antonio Livestock Exposition www.sarodeo.com
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo www.hlsr.com or www.rodeohouston.com
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo www.sanangelorodeo.com
Star of Texas (Austin) www.staroftexas.org
If you have any questions concerning these stock shows, contact the Coleman County Extension Office 325-625-4519.
Santa Anna Yearbook Staff Selling Poinsettias
The Santa Anna Yearbook Staff will be selling poinsettias again this year starting around the middle of October. They will be the same price as last year ($12.50) with foiled covers and a bow. This money is used to help fund our yearbook and purchase photography equipment when needed. Yearbook staff members will be coming around to check and see if you would like to order or you may send an e-mail to becky.martin@netxv to order. They appreciate your support in the activities that they do.
Coleman 4H Club to Sell Poinsettias
The Coleman 4H club will be selling poinsettias from now through October 10th. The cost will be $10.00 per plant. The colors that will be available are red, pink or white. The profits that are made will be used to purchase toys for Coleman's Citywide Toy Drive. What a beautiful way to decorate for Christmas!
You may purchase poinsettias from any Coleman 4Her or call the Coleman County Agriculture Extension office at 625-4519. The plants will be delivered to the Bill Franklin Center (at the rodeo grounds) on December 2nd. You may pick them up there or make arrangements with the 4Her you bought them from to deliver them. Payment is due when the plants are picked up.
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