News

A 53-year-old Rockdale man will spend 50 years in prison for a murder in Cameron last springa.
Ricardo Cruz Munoz was sentenced by 20th Judicial District Court Judge John Youngblood on Wednesday, according to District Attorney Bill Torrey.
Torrey said Munoz pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in court on Wednesday.
The court found that a firearm was involved and under the current Texas Parole guidelines, Munoz will be required to serve a minimum of 25 years before becoming eligible for parole, Torrey said.
Munoz was indicted April 16, 2015 for a shooting March 29 in Cameron when one man was killed and two other people were injured. The incident occurred at a residence in the 1000 block of South College where family members were gathered. Witnesses told police the suspect drove up to the property and began firing into the group of people, killing Francisco Avila, 41, of Buckholts and injuring Gabriel Rangel, 38, and an eight-year old boy.

The Milam County Commissioners Court’s last meeting of 2015 was of special importance to those families living off private roads in Milam County.
Over the last four months, it became evident to the commissioners court that the procedure for assigning 911 numbers to private roads had to be fixed. The importance of a 911 address is that it allows ambulance drivers, law enforcement officials, and firefighters to find your home as quickly as possible.
Ever since the 911 emergency network was enhanced for rural Texas in 2000, the Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) has been responsible for assigning 911 addresses to Milam County private roads that served three or more homes if requested by those living on that road. CTCOG would assign the number and request the commissioners court’s approval. Up to the last four months, the commissioners court’s approval was almost automatic.

As the New Year approaches, Citizens National Bank staff is saying good bye to two longtime employees who are retiring this week.
Banking officers Carol Schneider and Janice Reinders – two familiar faces at the bank for more than 30 years – are looking forward to new experiences in retirement.

For details, see this week's print or digital edition.

Milam County offices and Cameron City Hall are closed for the Christmas holidays. Trash collection this week will be delayed one day.
For the New Year’s Day holiday next week, local government offices will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1, only.
While many state and federal offices and agencies may also be observing two days off at Christmas, the U.S. Post Office is closed on Christmas Day only with no mail delivery. Delivery service will resume on Saturday. The same schedule will be in effect next week.
Many stores and shopping venues will be open Saturday for “after Christmas” sales.
Central Texas Newspapers, LP, is also closed this afternoon and Friday, along with many other private businesses.
Deadlines for the Dec. 31 edition of The Cameron Herald are not affected by the holiday next week. Normal deadlines for classifieds and retail advertising at 5 p.m. Monday and news copy at 2 p.m. Tuesday will be in effect next week.

Thousands of Yoe fans are packing the seats at NRG Stadium in Houston where at halftime, the score is Yoe 20, Brock 6.

One Yoe player was hurt and taken from the field by EMS.

The population of Cameron will drop this afternoon as hundreds head to Houston for the Class 3A Division 1 UIL state foootball championship when the Yomen will face the Brock Eagles at NRG Stadium.

A send off pep rally for the football team wil be held at 10:30 a.m. at the highs school as players load buses for the trip tp Houston.

Cameron ISD will have early dismissal at noon today to allow students and parents to travel to the game. A teacher work day originally scheduled Jan. 4 has been rescheduled this Friday and students will start the Christmas holiday early. However, students will report for classes one day earlier, on Jan. 4.

Cameron City Hall, other government agencies and many local business are also closing at noon today to allow employees time to travel to the game.

For a game preview, playoff statistics and other highlights, check out this week's print or digital edition.

Stephen F. Austin State University, known for its programs in education since its founding in 1924 as a “state teachers college” has tapped CISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. George Willey for its Department of Educational Leadership faculty.
Willey announced earlier this month that he had accepted the position with the university serving some 12,000 students located in Nacogdoches, in East Texas. In his new position, as a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, he will work primarily with aspiring principals.
Having taught in Carthage, also in East Texas, and being from Shreveport, La., Willey said he is familiar with Nacogdoches and looks forward to moving his family there.
Hired in 2009 when Rodney Fausett was superintendent, Willey was appointed acting superintendent just one year later when Fausett left. Willey handled both his own duties and those of superintendent for eight months until Collin Clark took over in the spring of 2011.

Grace Price (center) and other family members coming to honor lost loved ones  gathered around the Tree of Angels Tuesday evening at the annual program held at the Milam County Museum. The District Attorney’s office annually sponsors the event in memory and in honor of victims of crime and in honor of members of the military killed in action. Price placed an angel on the tree in honor of her son, Master Sgt. Charles L. Price, III, a decorated career soldier and Yoe graduate who was killed in action Aug. 12, 2011 while serving with the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

By Curtis Chubb

As the final week of candidate filing approaches, Milam County Sheriff David Greene has drawn a primary opponent.
Former Constable Herbie Vaughan, who challenged Greene in 2012, filed as a candidate again in the March 1 Republican Primrary, according to county party chairman Bill Whitmire.
In 2012, Greene was also opposed in the primary by former Greg Kouba, a former chief deputy. With Greene garnering just under 50 percent of the vote in the three-way 2012 primary, the race went into a runoff between Greene and Kouba with Greene ultimately winning with 57 percent.
Candidate filing for the March 1 party primaries ends Monday, Dec. 14.
Another potentially contested race was the race for tax assessor-collector. Incumbent Kolette Morgan had announced she would seek reelection and drew a primary opponent the first weekend of filing. However she resigned from office effective Friday following a district court hearing. (See related story.)