BrownwoodNews.com

The 2009 Brown County Relay for Life was recently presented with an income award for increasing the amount of money raised by $32,982 over the previous year's Relay.  Accepting the award from an American Cancer Society representative (far right) are Jolyn Knight Relay Planning Committee member and Margaret Carter 2009 Relay for Life Co-Chair.

The award was presented in Odessa at the West TexasRelay Summit.  The funds raised for the fight against cancer by the Brown County Relay have steadily increased over the past several years.

The Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for one of its newest members, Dubco Solar.  Now based out of Brown County, Dubco Solar specializes in the installation of solar panels on homes and businesses (large or small). They have a wide variety of opportunities to help use the planet's renewable energy.

Owner, Ty Nall, said that his company can service any location in the state of Texas and Southern Oklahoma. They offer the finest quality in solar power, and can order kits to install solar mounts or can build everything to specific requirements to reach full potential and receive total charge from the sun.

The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a red flag warning for Brownwood and much of central Texas which is in effect from 11 am to 6 pm CST Wednesday.

A strong upper level system will move across the Texas Panhandle Wednesday. As this system passes, the pressure gradient will tighten at the surface. This will cause west winds to increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts around 45 mph across west central Texas. At the same time relative humidity values will drop to less than 20 percent. These factors, as well as high fire danger rating will result in critical fire weather conditions across the area on Wednesday.

District Attorney, Michael Murray said today that Phylecia Humphries had her probation revoked and was sent to the penitentiary for eight years.

Humphries was indicted in 2008 for sexually assaulting two of her foster sons.  During one of her sexual assaults, Humphries was impregnated by her then thirteen-year-old foster child and later DNA tests proved the foster child to be the father of the defendant’s baby.  The foster child testified in the December 2008 jury trial of Humphries that the relationship had been continuous while he was in the home.  Both teens testified as to the sexual abuse they underwent while living in the Humphries’ home as foster kids.  The jury assessed a ten year sentence against the defendant and fined her $10,000 and recommended probation to the judge.

The Brown County Water Improvement District’s (BCWID) Board of Directors met Tuesday night and was briefed on a Lake Brownwood hydrology analysis that they are hopeful will help maintain the Lake’s current flood elevation level.

Hydrologist Ron Morrison recently completed a historical analysis of Lake Brownwood and compiled the maximum lake flood elevations for the past 77 years using historical data provided by the BCWID.

“This analysis essentially is a graph analysis of the history of Lake Brownwood floods,” said BCWID General Manager Dennis Spinks.

Spinks said that 1435.6 mean sea level was the flood elevation that this new historical study of Lake Brownwood showed.  The current base flood elevation of Lake Brownwood is 1435.

The Brownwood City Council ratified an economic development incentive on Tuesday that was recently approved by the Brownwood Economic Development Corporation.

This incentive will not exceed $100,000 and will be paid over a five year period beginning March 1, 2011.  Performance Pipe, a division of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP recently outlined various improvements and upgrades to the plant’s facilities and manufacturing equipment.  The modernization of the plant and its manufacturing equipment will allow for additional production capacity.  The Brownwood plant will also increase its full time employment with the addition of 9 new employees.  The plant currently has 59 full time employees.

In the incentive, Performance Pipe will be reimbursed for the new full time jobs created, over the base number of 59, annually in an amount not to exceed $20,000.  The annual reimbursement will be calculated by the total number of new full time jobs in excess of the base number times $2000 per full time job.  The company has indicated that the financial incentive will be utilized for workforce training.

The Brownwood City Council approved the appointment of Officer James Fuller as Interim Police Chief effective March 25th.  This appointment comes as a result of the announced retirement of Police Chief Virgil Cowin and Assistant Chief Garry Page which will take effect on March 24th.  Fuller will serve in the capacity of Interim Chief until a permanent Police Chief is hired.

Officer Fuller has been a member of the Brownwood Police Department since December 2000.  Before coming to the Brownwood Police Department, Fuller served in the US Army from 1990-1999 where he was a member of the Military Police and served as a Narcotic/Explosive Dog Handler.  He has received Intermediate, Advanced and Masters Peace Officer Certifications and currently serves in Brownwood’s Criminal Investigation Division.  He received the Brownwood Police Department Medal of Valor Commendation Award in 2006 and is serving as the President of the Brownwood Municipal Police Association.

“Officer Fuller is a ‘common sense’ individual and an effective communicator,” said City Manager Bobby Rountree, “I am confident in his ability to serve as Brownwood’s Interim Police Chief until such time as a permanent Chief assumes the duties.”

District Attorney Michael Murray said that Pamela Sue Belveal plead guilty today to the charge of intoxication manslaughter, a second degree felony.

Belveal was indicted for an August 20th incident last year where Belveal ran over Robert Wayne LeBlanc with a pickup truck. LaBlanc was a former boyfriend of Belveal.

Murray said tests showed that at the time of the incident, Belveal had a blood alcohol concentration of .29 grams per 100ml of blood, which was 3.5 times the legal limit.  In addition, blood test showed that Belveal was also under the influence of Lorazepam and carisoprodol, drugs with known sedative affect.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, 34 other states and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today resolved their investigation of a leading provider of identity theft protection services.

Under the terms of today’s agreement, Arizona-based LifeLock Inc. agreed to more accurately describe its ID theft protection services and provide $11 million in restitution to eligible customers. The joint investigation by the states and the FTC revealed that LifeLock unlawfully exaggerated its range of services and ability to prevent ID theft.  To view the final Texas court judgement against LifeLock, Inc., click here.

LifeLock claimed its services were guaranteed to protect customers’ personal information and prevent criminals from using that sensitive information to open accounts. Thus, customers were given the impression that identity thieves would be absolutely prevented from stealing LifeLock customers’ identifying information.

With a heart to help others and a generous spirit, Joe and Linda Wingo founded Angel Food Ministries in 1994 to provide food for friends and neighbors who were struggling financially. Today the Angel Food program now is helping provide food relief to more than 500,000 families each month.

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 44 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

One item on Monday's Brown County Commissioner’s Court agenda has a special place in many people’s hearts, Veterans’ assistance.  Billy Murphey with Brown County Veterans Services briefed the court regarding a grant proposal for the Veteran’s Assistance Fund. 

This grant is awarded to charitable organizations, Veterans Service Organizations or local government agencies in order to address nine areas of concern for veterans and their families.  These areas are transportation to medical facilities, counseling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), housing, assistance for homeless veterans, and family and child services.  The grant is mainly funded by a Texas Lottery Scratch-off game, Veteran’s Cash.  The game was introduced November 11, 2009 and its sales have provided over $4 million to the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance.