Courthouse old, but worth saving?
Published 11:14 am Saturday, March 2, 2019
Associated Press
CORPUS CHRISTI — A South Texas county is struggling to decide whether an abandoned, century-old courthouse is worth saving after receiving a bid to tear the building down.
Nueces County Commissioners recently received an offer from the Ed Rachal Foundation to pay $1.5 million in back taxes to demolish its 1914 courthouse, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported.
The old Nueces County Courthouse has been described as an eyesore, but questions over what to do with the ramshackle property are complicated by its listing as a historic landmark in Texas. The foundation’s offer is contingent on removing a state restriction that prohibits the building from being demolished before 2027 because of its historic status.
“I’m an advocate for trying to save worthwhile history, but it has to have an economic use,” said Bill McCord, an architect.
Red River extension eyed
TEXARKANA, Ark.— An Arkansas commission is examining whether to extend navigation of the Red River into the southwestern part of the state.
The Arkansas Red River Commission funded a study with the Army Corps of Engineers and Gulf Engineers & Consultants to determine how much could be saved by broadening river navigation to accommodate the shipments of goods that are currently transported by railroad. The commission is looking to extend navigation to the border of Little River and Miller counties in Arkansas and Bowie County in Texas, the Texarkana Gazette reported.
The study found that about 10 businesses and 25 unique shipment traffic flows could benefit from expanding navigation on the Red River, said Dan York, the commission’s chairman. Farming and nonmetallic minerals industries would also benefit from the plan, York said.
Death row inmate deemed innocent
HOUSTON — A review of a former Texas death row inmate’s case has determined he is innocent of fatally shooting a Houston police officer nearly 16 years ago, blaming his wrongful conviction on prosecutorial misconduct, a district attorney announced Friday.
A nine-month review by a special prosecutor has found that Alfred Dewayne Brown was not responsible for the April 2003 slaying of Officer Charles Clark during a robbery of a check-cashing store, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
“It does no justice to Officer Clark to convict the wrong person,” John Raley, the special prosecutor in the case, said at a news conference.
A store clerk, Alfredia Jones, 27, also was killed during the botched robbery and another man, Elijah Joubert, was sent to death row for her slaying.
Church shooting lawsuit filed
SAN ANTONIO — Family members of victims of a Texas church shooting are suing a sporting goods chain that sold the weapons used in the 2017 massacre.
The lawsuit filed in state district court in San Antonio alleges Academy Sports & Outdoors illegally sold the assault-style rifle, high-capacity magazine and ammunition to Devin Kelley. It argues Kelley shouldn’t have been able buy the firearm from the New Braunfels, Texas, store because he showed an ID from Colorado, which prohibits the sale of high-capacity weapons.
Kelley used the weapons to kill more than two dozen people at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Each family seeks $1 million in damages.
Execution: Family members arrested
HUNTSVILLE — Two men accused of lashing out in the witness room during the execution of a family member in Texas have each been released on $1,000 bond.
Gordon Wayne Coble and his 21-year-old son, Dalton Coble, were released Friday following their arrests Thursday on charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Authorities say Gordon Wayne Coble banged on the death chamber windowand shouted obscenities while his father, 70-year-old Billie Wayne Coble, was being put to death by lethal injection. They say the two defendants and Gordon Wayne Coble’s wife also lashed out at others witnessing the execution.
Billie Wayne Coble was convicted of killing his estranged wife’s parents and brother in 1989.