Drew Pearson to speak at Sherman Chamber
Former Dallas Cowboys receiver and current Allen Wranglers general manager Drew Pearson will speak in Sherman Friday at the Sherman Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Annual Awards Luncheon. The event starts at 11:45 a.m. in the Municipal Ballroom and tickets cost $20.
Those wishing to purchase tickets may do so by calling 903-893-1184 to RSVP.
A native of South River New Jersey, Pearson played with the Dallas Cowboys for 11 seasons starting in 1973 when he selected as a free agent by the team. He went on to play in three Super Bowls, X, XII, and XIII and was selected All Pro NFL in 1974, 1976 and 1977. He was also selected to the NFC Pro Bowl in 1974, 1976 and 1977. Pearson is included in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Pop Warner Football Hall of Fame, the South River High School Wall of Fame, the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Sports Writers Hall of Fame, the Tulsa University Hall of Fame and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.
Pearson’s broadcasting career currently includes the show “Out of Bounds Show with Newy Scruggs” on NBC 5 and his football career currently includes his position as general manager for the Allen Wranglers Arena Football League team. A motivational speaker and author of the books “Remembering Texas Stadium” and “Hail Mary — The Drew Pearson Story,” Pearson holds a long list of awards and recognitions.
The football great will be signing autographs after the luncheon so folks are encouraged to bring a football or other items for his to sign.
Corporate sponsorships for the event are still available. For $100 a company can decorate a table for the luncheon in any way it chooses. All seating is first come, first served, so those decorating tables will be doing so for other people to enjoy.
Grayson County Jail inmate found dead
A Grayson County Jail inmate was found dead inside his cell Monday night. Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rickey Wheeler, public information officer, said, “All indications are that (the inmate) took his own life.”
Grayson County Justice of the Peace Butch Morgan pronounced Refugio Medina Benitez dead after Sherman paramedics were called to the jail. The paramedics transported him to a local hospital’s emergency room, and that’s where Morgan made the pronouncement. Early Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office called the only number shown on Mr. Benitez’s book-in sheet as a contact, and later Tuesday, family members went to the Sheriff’s Office to make a positive identification.
Wheeler reported that Mr. Benitez had hanged himself.
Mr. Benitez, 39, from Houston, and another man, Marcos Omar Mancilla, 30, have been incarcerated since Dec. 1, each on two felony charges of manufacture-delivery of controlled substances. Mancilla has a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold placed on him, even after bail was set at $45,000. Bail on Mr. Benitez had been set at a total of $35,000. The report supplied at the time by Sherman police stated that an officer was monitoring northbound traffic when he saw a vehicle go by without a front license plate on it, but with a Texas license plate in the rear. The driver stopped the car for the cruiser’s overhead lights. The driver, it’s unknown which of the two men it was, gave permission to search the vehicle, and that search was conducted with a police dog. The K-9 alerted on the gas cap, and police found more than 46 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine there.
Grayson County Sheriff Keith Gary said that corrections officers had completed a required check of the inmate in his cell at 9:10 p.m. Then, while again checking on him 40 minutes later, at 9:50 p.m., the corrections officer making that check found him on the floor inside his cell, the telephone cord wrapped around his neck. She called for help, and the jail staff called Sherman paramedics at 9:54 p.m., records show. Those records add that an ambulance arrived at 10:06 p.m. Gary said that Morgan had Mr. Benitez’s body sent to the Dallas County Medical Examiner for autopsy, Gary added.
Gary said in a prepared statement, “We take every step possible to prevent these types of tragic incidents in the jail. Even though we go above and beyond the requirements set by (Texas Commission on) Jail Standards, we will still have people who will find ways to take their own life.” Wheeler explained further, saying that the Jail Commission requires that cells be checked every hour on the hour. “Grayson County jailers go one step above the requirements and check the cells once every 45 minutes,” he said. In this case, they exceeded the one-hour checking requirements by checking on Mr. Benitez within a 40-minute time frame, Gary said.
Mr. Benitez was in a separation cell at his own request. Gary said that the inmate had asked for that change several days ago, because there had been confrontations between him and some other inmates in his cell block. Book-in records show that Mr. Benitez was a 5-foot tall man.
Gary said that prisoners are entitled to have access to telephones and most cells have a telephone on the wall. The jail also has a portable telephone that the corrections officers can provide inmates who are housed in cells without a wall-mounted phone.
Grayson County investigators are working the case, and Gary said that they could ask another agency to take a second look at it.
Gary stated that Mr. Benitez had not given staff any problems while incarcerated.
“This has affected our whole staff, and had a profound effect on the female officer who found him,” Gary said.
“That whole shift is torn up about it.” He added that he has every confidence in the staff at the Grayson County Jail.
“To the Benitez family, we offer our prayers of comfort in dealing with their loss,” Gary said.
Fannin County Commissioners vote to fund courthouse repairs
BONHAM —The Fannin County Courthouse and the county’s East Annex building will be getting some roof repairs soon, necessary because of water leakage. The area rains are sending water down the insides of the historic courthouse building which was rebuilt in 1930 after fire heavily damaged an older courthouse structure.
The Fannin County Commissioners approved the funds to be spent on the repairs. They are hiring the same roofing contractor which repaired the county’s old jail previously. Commissioner Stan Barker commented that their work on that building has held up well. Commissioner David Whitlock motioned with his hand, about eight inches from the table, saying, “water has to sit this high” before it can reach the drainage valve. Whitlock offered to work with the contractor on the job.
After a short executive session, the Court approved unanimously to hire an attorney regarding litigation, without saying in open session what the litigation involved.
The Court also approved the appointment of Roy Riales to a seat on the Fannin Rural Rail District board. Riales gave an oral resume to the Court, saying he had moved to the county about 17 years ago after working in Dallas as a building contractor. He then worked for eight years with the prison system in Fannin County. His interest, he said, in being on the board reflects his interest in railroading and the county as a whole. “I want to see if there is an opportunity to resume rail service, which could get some idle land back into production and promote agriculture.” He said he realizes this all will take a series of steps to accomplish.
Judy Teller, president of the Heritage Day organization, spoke to the Court about the upcoming Fannin County Heritage Day celebration, scheduled this year for May 5. “We have had it the fourth Saturday in July, and it is just too hot then. So, the committee wants to move it to May 5,” Teller said. Some of the confirmed activities, she added, are vendors, a group of 14 reenactors, a talent show, and other items. The Court approved the committee’s request to use the Courthouse grounds, and recognized the May 5 date. For booth or vendor information on that event, contact Teller at 903-583-0302, or by E-mail at jteller41@gmail.com
Other items approved by the Court included:
• Bid to purchase heavy equipment for Precinct 4. This bid process is necessary, explained Purchasing Agent Jill Edwards, because the equipment costs more than $50,000, which makes it a legal requirement on the county to submit a bid.
• Moved $8,917 from the contingency fund to meet a 911 Emergency Service obligation the County has with the city of Bonham.
• Approved minutes of two previous meetings.
The Fannin County Commissioners Court meets at 10 a.m. every Monday inside the courthouse.