Thursday, July 8, 2010

There Must Be a Punch Line Here Somewhere ...


From the Odessa American:



KERMIT Not since two nurses were fired and prosecuted for reporting a doctor to the state medical board has Winkler County been more abuzz with gossip over a possible scandal.

But since a Kermit police officer abruptly turned in his badge last month, the details of a Texas Rangers investigation into his supposed indiscretions have been guarded like a state secret.

What authorities have confirmed is that Cpl. James W. Slayton, a seven-year member of the force, was placed on administrative leave after an incident at the Daylight Donuts on West Austin Street. Slayton resigned June 15, saying in e-mail to Kermit Police Chief Scott Williams that he was departing “to take care of my family.”

Like so many others here, the Texas Rangers are curious about what happened in the doughnut shop. They’ve opened a criminal investigation, but Slayton has not been charged with a crime.

Authorities have refused to discuss what Slayton is alleged to have done, and employees at the shop said they were admonished not to speak to the media.

The newly minted Ranger Phillip J. Breeding confirmed his investigation into the incident, but he declined to release Slayton’s name as the subject. Chief Williams, meanwhile, would only say that Slayton committed “a violation of city policy” and declined to be interviewed.

“I don’t know why they’re being that closed about it,” said one civic leader who described the mood in Kermit. “It’s not like we have this sort of thing happen all the time. Nobody knows anything.”

According to one source familiar with the case, Slayton is accused of walking into the doughnut shop before it opened one morning last month and performing a lewd act in the presence of a female employee. Slayton was on duty at the time.

The owner of the shop, Bill J. Beckham, has not returned messages seeking comment. Slayton’s wife, Brandy, answered the door Wednesday at her house in Kermit and said Slayton “no longer lives here.”

“We don’t have any comments,” she said, closing the door.

Slayton’s personnel file contains a number of commendations but no mention of any doughnut shop incident or administrative leave. Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request, city attorney Steve Taliaferro said the city withheld “a letter of dismissal” from the personnel file pending a state attorney general’s opinion.

“Because there is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers, the city believes that the letter of dismissal contained in the file has information that could hinder the investigation and could prejudice the potential jury pool if it were released,” Taliaferro said in a letter explaining why the dismissal letter was withheld.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Granny J

I'm sad to report that Granny J, a great photographer and blogger, passed from this life on Monday May 24. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.


You can view her genius at Walking Prescott.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Going Batty in Austin

Last July, Liz was privileged to go to Austin for a teacher conference. Robert and I tagged along and saw stuff. One of the many things we got to see was the bat flight from the Ann Richards Bridge.

I quote Wikipedia because I be lazy: "Austin's Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, over Lady Bird Lake, boasts the largest urban bat colony in the world. Mexican free-tailed bats live underneath it. The bats reside beneath the road deck in gaps between the concrete component structures.

They are migratory, spending their summers in Austin and the winters in Mexico."

We are migratory too, and chose to see the bats from the vantage point of T.G.I.Friday's by the river.

Wikipedia continueth: "The nightly emergence of the bats from underneath the bridge at dusk, and their flight across Lady Bird Lake primarily to the east, to feed themselves, attracts as many as 100,000 tourists annually. Tourists can see the bats from the bridge, from the sides of the river and even from special boats."

These boats are covered for a reason.

"According to Bat Conservation International, between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats reside underneath the bridge each summer. Since Austin's human population is about 750,000, there are more bats than people in Austin during the summer."

The restaurant told us exactly when to expect the bats.


Sure enough, the bats appeared right on time.




(Last two photos from Wikipedia as well. Now really!)

Friday, May 7, 2010

Cowboy Dan

Dan Harrell is a man of great faith, wisdom, courage and strength.

Many years ago we used to go to the same church.

Now he has a national TV show called Cowboy Dan's Frontier (check here for schedule).

It's for the young, as well as the young at heart.

His story will touch your heart ... and check out his show!


Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter



"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"

Luke 24:5b-6a
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...