News

 By Robin Aaron

raaron@casscountynow.com

A 13-year-old juvenile pled guilty to two counts of capital murder Friday, January 9, 2015 in the 5th District Court. The boy will serve at least half of the maximum 40-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.

According to Cass County District Attorney Randal Lee, the details of the plea bargain were decided on before he took office Jan. 1. Members of the juvenile's family were reportedly on board with the deal. The boy plead guilty Friday. Members of the family gave victim impact statements at the hearing.

The defendant will serve his sentence with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) until the age of 18. At that point judge will decide. According to plea bargain will transfer to adult penitentiary

 A hearing in Austin Thursday was not good news to the Cass County area. What some had seen as a possibility to finally put the 72,000-acre auxiliary reservoir to bed, turned out to be another handout to the Dallas (Region C) water planners.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) voted to resolve the Interregional Conflict between the 2011 Region C and Region D Regional Water Plans. Representatives from both Region C and Region D were given 10 minutes to address the Board prior to the vote. The Board then asked additional questions of both regions before voting on the conflict. In a 3-0 vote, the Board voted in favor of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir Project remaining in the Region C Regional Water Plan. 

An Atlanta High School Sophomore died from gunshot wounds yesterday and a 13 year-old boy has been taken into custody as a result.

Atlanta Police Department continues to investigate the incident that occurred at 422 Thomas Street at approximately 1:56 p.m. Monday afternoon.

There were reportedly four juveniles at the residence at the time of the shooting. According to Police Chief Mike Dupree, the shooting is believed to have been accidental.

Atlanta EMS transported the victim to CHRISTUS St. Michaels where she was pronounced deceased at approx. 3:05 p.m.  Judge Bridgett Smith, Cass County Precinct 4, ordered an autopsy.  The male juvenile was taken into custody and charged with Criminally Negligent Homicide, a State Jail Felony.  He was transported to detention in Longview.

A detention hearing for the young man is scheduled for today, Nov.25. 

A downtown landmark is a total loss this morning after flames tore through the property on Hiram Street. 

Woods Furniture, a family owned and operated business that has been a part of Atlanta's downtown for decades, caught fire Wednesday evening. The fire is believed to have been started by faulty electrical work either in the back of the building or in the property next door to Woods Furniture. That building was once the Western Auto location but has been vacant until recent renovations began. Both properties burned in the fire. Minor damage was sustained to several adjacent buildings on Hiram Street as well. The official cause of the fire is under investigation and is yet to be determined. 

More on this story in our weekend edition of the Atlanta Citizens Journal.

Photo by Robin Aaron

GOP Sweeps Cass County Races

By Bobby Horn Jr.

Special to the Journal

Mirroring the Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate, the Cass County GOP swept three contested county races Tuesday. Five other Republicans were uncontested in county races.

According to unofficial returns, Randal Lee will become the county’s next criminal district attorney after beating current Assistant D.A. Tina M. Richardson 4,590 to 2,363. Lee is a former Cass County DA.

Lee built up a commanding lead in early voting taking 1,623 votes to Richardson’s 896. On Election Day he more than doubled her with 2,967 votes to 1,467.

Jamie A. O’Rand (R) unseated Incumbent Jannis Mitchell 3,985 to 2,963 to become the next county clerk. Mitchell actually held a lead during the early voting period 1,276 to 1,257. However, on Election Day O’Rand outpaced Mitchell by more than 1,000 votes.

The Big Bad Band From Rabbitland proves they have what it takes to make dreams a reality as they march their way into the top four at the Area UIL competition held Saturday, Oct. 25, in Longview. The band will travel to San Antonio to compete in the State UIL competition next week. See more photos on page 8.

By Bobby Horn Jr.

Special to the Journal

Construction of a $1.2 Million 24-bed mental health wing at CHRISTUS St. Michael- Atlanta is expected to be completed by mid-December.

The expansion is a joint project between Community Healthcore, which is the mental health and intellectual disability governing authority for Bowie, Cass, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Red River, Rusk and Upshur counties, and Christus St. Michael.

Community Healthcore Executive Director Inman White said that they have been waiting for a long time to bring a new level of mental health care to Cass and surrounding counties. “Years of planning have gone into it,” he said. “We started working on this seven years ago. We didn’t have the ability to get people into beds for observation and evaluation.”

 By Bobby Horn Jr.

Special to the Journal