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Sirens to be tested Monday |
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Written by Lorena Turnbow
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Sunday, 02 March 2008 |
The first test of the new siren system will be on Monday at around 11 a.m., fire chief Grant Madden told commissioners last week.
Since these are electronic sirens, Madden said, a wailing sound will be used to indicate imminent danger. The siren covers a spectrum of sounds, including Westminster Chimes for all clear, and he said everyone should be able to hear it.
Madden said recent fires had burned a total of 5,000 acres in the county, but added, “We’re primed and ready.”
In other business, Sweetwater High School teacher Jerry Byrd told commissioners a program in work ethics is being taught at this time.
Byrd said the program came about as a result of talking to employers and businesses in town and all over Nolan County. He said kids coming through school today leave school with a knowledge of what they have learned, but, “they haven’t got a clue about being an employee.”
“We need some help in order to be able to recruit a better employee and then be able to retain them,” Byrd said. “My purpose here today is to visit with you — one of those employers — and hear more about what it is that you find to be missing, and what I need to be teaching those kids.”
Byrd said he plans to use the knowledge gained from the local businesses to teach the students, enabling them not only to have a better chance of getting a job, but keeping it.
“We have what is called business partners,” Byrd said. Those partners include Buzzi Unicem USA, Lawrence Management, Sweetwater Electric, Nolan County, Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic Development, First National Bank, Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, Ludlum Measurements Inc., Sweetwater Indep-endent School District and Texas State Technical College.
“Most of you — like me — when you grew up your dad took you by the hand and made a very strong point of taking you to meet people. And you learned how to look people in the eyes, talk to them, be courteous, address them appropriately and show them that you had something between the ears,” Byrd said.
But most kids today do not get that kind of training at home and will go out into the job market without that knowledge, Byrd said. He also said kids that complete this course will receive a certificate of completion from the work ethics course. Also he said, students that have completed the course and apply for a job with one of the business partners are guaranteed an interview. “They are not guaranteed a job,” he said. “They may not be the appropriate person for the job. But they are guaranteed an interview.”
Also, sheriff Donnie Rannefeld gave a report on racial profiling to commissioners that included the following.
— In the calendar year 2007, deputies of the Nolan County sheriff’s office stopped a total of 356 people. Of these, 226 (63 percent) were white. The white population of Nolan County is 62.2 percent and the state population is 48.3 percent. Of the 226 white people stopped, there were eight searches with two of those being consensual, four contacts resulting in a custody arrest, and 163 traffic tickets were issued.
— 97 (27 percent) of these stopped were Hispanic. The county’s Hispanic population is 30.08 percent and state population is 35.7 percent. Of the 97 Hispanic people stopped, 12 were searched, with three being consensual, ten contacts resulted in a custody arrest, and 81 tickets were issued.
— One (0.3 percent) stopped was Asian. The county’s Asian population is 0.5 percent and state population is 3.4 percent. There were no searches or contacts resulting in a custody arrest, and a ticket was issued.
— One Native American (0.3 percent) was stopped with the county population being 0.7 percent, and state population 0.7 percent. There was no search, arrest or ticket issued.
— One Middle Easterner (0.3 percent) was stopped. There was no search, no arrest and no ticket issued.
In other business, commissioners approved hiring a temporary employee to cover a receptionist position for five weeks in the Texas Agrilife Extension Service office; and okayed a request from Gary Armstrong of the Roscoe Vol-unteer Fire Department for assistance in fire truck repairs. The truck was purchased from Blackwell several years earlier and the transfer case had recently gone out. Repair costs exceeded $5,700. Commissioners agreed to pay half of the cost with money coming from the miscellaneous funds.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 03 March 2008 )
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