Fairfield Recorder

DALLAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport seized over 65 pounds of liquid methamphetamine with an estimated value of $297,000, Jan. 2. The narcotic was shipped from China to Memphis, Tenn. and destined for Fort Worth. “Intercepting illegal drugs from entering our country is a top priority for CBP,” said Dallas Area Port Director Cleatus P. Hunt, Jr. “CBP officers targeted and seized a large amount of dangerous narcotics, preventing those drugs from ending up in the hands of our community.” Two boxes of unlabeled bottles were shipped and manifested as “printing ink” with a declared value of $90.

The Lady Eagles softball team was named champions in the Small School Division of the 19th Annual Round Rock Invitational pre-season tournament last weekend. Competing high schools included Burnet, Dripping Springs, Frenship, Gateway, Grandview, Lake Travis, Lubbock Coronado, and Round Rock. The Lady Eagles played five games on Saturday, Jan. 6, including two pool games, and then two games on Sunday, Jan. 7. The team won all bracket games, affording them the opportunity to continue playing into the championship. This pre-season team is coached by Craig Dunlap and Brent Judd, both of which have daughters currrently playing.

Photo by Shae Garcia

A local family lost their home in a fire Wednesday, Jan. 3, and have since set up a GoFundMe campaign for their needs. Brittney and Tim Hall, of Fairfield, and their children lost their home and belongings. The fire reportedly began under the entertainment center. Requested items include clothing and gift cards to help purchase basic items. According to information found on the donation website, most of the family's belongings were either burned, smoke damaged, or a total loss.

Needed items include:

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The Liberty voting box – used for precinct 1 voters in the Oakwood area – will be moved to a local church after a September discussion showed just how bad the condition of the building had gotten. Pct. 1 Commissioner Andy Bonner discussed the move with Democrat chair Opal Oliver and commissioners agreed. Voters will now head over to Lone Star Baptist Church on County Road 280 to cast their ballot.

“It's a good place to move it,” said Bonner. “Opal's a member of that church.”

Voters will have electricity, restrooms, and parking areas at the church. The current building has no electricity, no restroom or air conditioning, and the floor is rotting.

Commissioners voted to enter the agreement with The Beckham Group regarding opioid litigation. County Attorney Brian Evans suggested commissioners go ahead with the proposed opioid litigation after reviewing the agreement, which was presented by Dallas-based attorney Patrick McShan at the court's Dec. 20 meeting.

A gift box containing Bibles was thought to be a bomb by a DPS Trooper early Tuesday morning on the courthouse square resulting in the closing of surrounding offices and Mount Street entrances. 

A press release issued by Freestone County Sheriff Jeremy Shipley said a trooper discovered the box on a bench on the west side of the courthouse at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9.

An investigation ensued with McLennan County Bomb Squad leading the way.

A card left inside the package explained the Bibles were for Fairfield police and the person referred to police as “Impoverished Smurfs.”

Shipley said in the press release:

“At approximately 2:30 a.m. a Freestone County DPS officer, while coming to the DPS office in the courthouse, observed a box that was sitting on a bench on the west side of the courthouse.

“At that time, an investigation ensued and as further information developed it was determined that the

Raymond Earl Peters

December 26, 1933

December 20, 2017

At the beginning of each new year, The Fairfield Recorder combs through out archives from January through October to bring you a recap of the biggest news headlines.

January 2017

January 5 – Change is coming to Freestone County – Nine candidates were pictured at the swearing-in ceremony at the courthouse. Five were newly elected, while four were re-elected.

January 5 – New beginnings for local hospital – Freestone Medical Center officially began the new year Jan. 1 after transitioning from ETMC.

January 12 – Breaking ground on new pantry – River of Life Family Worship Center broke ground on a new site for their food pantry.

January 19 – Library seeks to modernize space, services – After hiring Gary Wiggins as library director, board member Tammy Gawryszewski applied and was awarded a grant for remodeling the library.

Two more Fairfield businesses were robbed by a knife-wielding man - fitting the same description of the Family Dollar robber - over the weekend. The Exxon gas station and Fred's Dollar Store were both hit after dark. According to reports, Fairfield Police Department received a 911 call at 9:44 p.m. Friday night, Sept. 8, of a robbery.

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A masked man got away with an unknown amount of cash over the weekend after robbing the Family Dollar at knifepoint. Fairfield Police Department responded to a 911 call at approximately 9:56 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, that a 6-foot black male dressed in black had held the store clerk at knifepoint while ordering her to empty the register. Clerk Miranda Townsend reported to police that she was sitting in the manager’s office after the last customer of the night had. Townsend said a man in his 20’s walked in wearing a black hoodie pulled up over his head, a black bandana wrapped around his face, black and red gloves, work boots, and glasses. Reportedly the man took Townsend to the register where she opened it, he grabbed the money, and left the store heading east on Main Street towards the Barn Stop. A search of the area brought up no signs of the man.

For the first time in this writer's more than half a century of playing, watching, studying, and writing about high school football, there will be no infamous 2-a-days practices! The UIL's new guidelines now call for only one practice a day meaning the varsity and junior varsity teams will practice three hours a day, while the freshmen will be at it about two hours a day with each group broken into two time segments. Most of the practices will start at 3:30 p.m. except for this Friday, Aug. 11, which will be at 9 a.m.

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