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Waco Tribune-Herald
119 years serving the Heart of Texas

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011

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Grand jury indicts Skeen

Tax assessor can stay in elected post
By Regina Dennis
Tribune-Herald staff writer

Official arrested for vehicle purchase

By Tommy Witherspoon and Michael W. Shapiro
Tribune-Herald staff writers

McLennan County Tax Assessor-Collector Buddy Skeen still will be able to lead the tax office despite two felony indictments issued against him Wednesday, as long as he maintains the required bond insurance to hold office.
n Skeen remains in race for re-election/1B

County Judge Jim Lewis said because Skeen is an elected official, he cannot be forced to resign from office and can opt to keep his position while he fights charges of theft by a public servant and false name, false information and forgery. But Lewis said the tax assessor-collector is required by state law to have an official bond with both the state and the county to serve in office. The bond insures the money the tax office collects for local governments such as the county and area cities, in the event of an error or mismanagement. Lewis said if Skeens bonding company pulls his bond because of the indictments, Skeen would not be able to continue serving as tax assessor-collector. If that happens, Lewis said, the commissioners court would appoint a replacement See TAXES, Page 4A McLennan County Tax Assessor-Collector Buddy Skeen was booked at the county jail Wednesday on

Staff photo Rod Aydelotte

McLennan County Tax Assessor-Collector Buddy Skeen was indicted and arrested Wednesday on charges that he improperly profited from the sale of a county vehicle. A McLennan County grand jury returned two indictments against the 69-year-old elected official for theft by a public servant and false name, false information and forgery. Two Texas Rangers left the McLennan County Courthouse on Wednesday after the indictments were handed down and took Skeen into custody about 11 a.m. at his office in the County Records Building across the street. Skeen spent about 2 hours in jail waiting to be booked and then posted bonds totaling $27,500. Its a good day in the neighborhood, Skeen said seconds after walking out of the county jail. Dressed in jeans and a brown leather jacket, he smiled as reporters followed him to bail bondsman John Mabrys car. Skeen declined to discuss the charges and said the new developments would have no See SKEEN, Page 4A

charges of theft by a public servant and false name, false information and forgery.

Blagojevich gets 14-year sentence

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison, one of the longest terms in the states history for political Blagojevich corruption. He said that he made a terrible mistake when he tried to sell a U.S. Senate appointment. See story, Page 2A

Pearl Harbor vet dies on anniversary

Wacos Frank Curre spent years telling students about his experiences in WWII
By Regina Dennis
Tribune-Herald staff writer

Local World War II veteran Frank Curre died Wednesday, exactly 70 years after surviving the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Curre, who served in the Navy, died Wednesday morning after battling mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, for more than a year. The Waco native was 88 years old.

Curre was a mess cook aboard the USS Tennessee at Pearl Harbor when the naval base was bombarded. Curre later was assigned to the USS Petrof Bay during the war and he participated in attacks at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Its like he held on for today, which is his special day, said Curres daughter, Linda Lee. He was very much a family man. He taught us family values, patriotism and love for our country. Lee said Curre was exposed to asbestos as the ships were bombed and set ablaze, spreading the harmful See CURRE, Page 4A

World War II and Pearl Harbor veteran Frank Curre died Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of the attack, after a battle with cancer.
Staff photo Rod Aydelotte, file

INSIDE, 2A
Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was unable to post bail, as two more accusers came forward.

Sales tax rebate spurred by workers, low fuel costs

By Mike Copeland
Tribune-Herald staff writer

n Dow Jones edges higher as investors await Europe news/7A

INDEX
Access Waco 1D Business 7A Classieds 5B Comics 4,5D Horoscope 6B Local & Texas 1B Lottery Obituaries Opinion Sports TV listings Weather 4A 2,3B 6A 1C 3D 2A

TODAY
Staff photo Rod Aydelotte, file

High: 53 Low: 34

Waco officials said the Heart O Texas Fair & Rodeo in October attracted visitors to the city, helping boost the sales tax rebate. The rebate was 10 percent higher this month than in December 2010.

Waco hit the jackpot Wednesday, receiving a sales tax rebate 10 percent higher than December 2010. The check from State Comptroller Susan Combs was for $2.15 million, or about $198,000 more than it received last year. That money goes into the citys general fund. City budget officer June Skerik said $80,000 of the increase represents adjustments to previous rebates that were not as high as they should have been. Still, the check excited her. This really, really is a very good one, Skerik said. Rebates received in December reflect October sales reported to the State Comptrollers Office in November. Wacos first three checks for the

fiscal year that began Oct. 1 are $315,000 more than those during the same period last year and $467,000 more than the city had budgeted for the first three months. My feelings are that unemployment figures and the (lower) price of fuel have played a big part in that, Skerik said. Wacos unemployment rate dropped to 7.6 percent in October from 8 percent in September. And the number of people employed rose by 900 in October, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Working people have more money See SALES, Page 2A

4A

WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Dozens of SF protesters taken into custody

Associated Press

TAXES
From Page 1A
to continue running the tax office. But Skeens local bonding agent, Jamie Irvin of Merchants Bonding Co., said she did not think there are any situations in which the official bond can be canceled, other than the official leaving office. Irvin said if Skeen eventually was convicted on the charges, the district attorneys office then could request that the amount owed be paid out of the bond. In Skeens case, that amount would be $1,375 in vehicle tax credits that Texas Rangers allege he improperly claimed from a county vehicle trade-in to purchase a personal pickup truck. And Irvin said the bond still would not be canceled if that happened. Tom Chase, CEO of Insurors of Texas in Waco, said official bonds can include cancellation clauses that allow insurers to revoke coverage. But that provision is not standard. It depends on the bond form itself, Chase said. You would have to look at his bond form to know if its cancelable. But generally, yes, they can be canceled. Chase said that clause likely would require a 30-day notice of the cancellation, and the bond would be pulled at the end of that

SAN FRANCISCO At least 85 people were arrested as police cleared San Franciscos Occupy encampment early Wednesday, police said. Most were cited and released shortly after the day-

break raid, Officer Albie Esparza said. About 15 people who were arrested on a variety of charges, ranging from resisting arrest to assault with a deadly weapon, were in custody, he said. More than 100 officers carried out the raid, Esparza Curre rode in the front seat of a convertible a car dealership donated for the event, but he wasnt in good health. At least hes gone on to a better place, because with his condition, he was in a lot of pain, Alston said, adding that he considered Curre like family. They couldnt operate on him, so he had to tough it out, and they just kept increasing his pain medication as he got worse. Robert Carter is commander of the William B. Moody Memorial VFW Post 2034, where Curre was a member. Carter had been visiting Curre in recent days as his health declined. He said Curre was bedridden for about five days and by Monday could only nod or shake his head to acknowledge people.

said. Afteward, officers blocked access to the former camp site as trash crews raked up paper and plastic bottles, removed chairs and other belongings that had accumulated there over the past two months, and pressurewashed the sidewalks. school year, and Dutys class presented him with a plaque. Two students created posters of Curre to march in the most recent Veterans Day parade. Duty said she will take the artwork to Curres two daughters to keep. He was funny at times, but he would tell very serious stories, Duty said. He had a gift as a storyteller, he would lean into them and talk to them in a manner that made them want to listen. He told kids that every day after Pearl Harbor was like a gift, because he should have died that day, and when he didnt, every day for the next 70 years was from God. In 2009, Curre was featured in an oral history interview with the city of Waco. The video already was scheduled to run Wednesday night because of the Pearl Harbor anniversary. City spokesman Larry Holze said the city added a tribute to the end of the video acknowledging Curres death and noting that he proudly told the stories of those who lost their lives serving our country. He often wondered why the boys standing on each side of him died and the boys in the back of him died, and he was just standing there, Lee said. Maybe God sent him back to be a messenger, because he had some purpose and plan for bringing him back. Funeral arrangements for Curre are pending.
rdennis@wacotrib.com 757-5755

We just have to sit back and watch the judicial system work and let it play out like it normally does.
Judge Jim Lewis, county commissioner
period. Lewis noted that while an elected official getting arrested is an unusual situation, the county has faced this issue before. Former Precinct 8 Constable Felix J. Suarez was indicted in 2005 while in office after loaning a county-issued cellphone to a friend for three months and lying about the phones usage on governmental expense reports. Suarez resigned six months after he was indicted and was sentenced to a year of probation for abuse of official capacity. The court appointed Salvador Romero to finish Suarezs term. Lewis said it is important

CURRE
From Page 1A
chemical into the air. Lee and her sister, Peggy Hunt, had been Curres caregivers for the past year. After leaving the military, Curre worked as a pressman for the Waco Times-Herald, now the Tribune-Herald, for 42 years. He continued to work part time for the paper for another 18 years. Curre was the president of the local Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. He has returned to Pearl Harbor four times with group members, most recently last year for the 69th anniversary of the attack. Theres a lot of stuff I dont remember much in my old age. But that day? Everything that happened that day is tattooed on your soul, Curre told the Tribune-Herald in a November 2010 interview, a month before the trip. It never leaves you. You carry it with you the rest of your life. The three remaining members currently are in Hawaii for the 70th anniversary with other Pearl Harbor survivors. J.C. Alston, vice president of the chapter, said the tour bus pulled over and held a moment of silence for Curre after learning of his death. Alston said the Veterans Day parade last month was one of the last times the group was all together. Alston said

not to make premature conclusions about Skeens guilt or innocence. We just have to sit back and watch the judicial system work and let it play out like it normally does, Lewis said. County Commissioner Lester Gibson, who is the courts liaison for the tax office, also said Skeen should be presumed innocent until the charges are resolved. Gibson said regardless of whether Skeen leaves office, the tax office still should be able to function smoothly. They have a well-functioning staff in that office, Gibson said. The staff is very efficient and theyve been doing it for a long time. With or without Mr. Skeen, the countys taxes will still be taken care of because there are good employees there.
rdennis@wacotrib.com 757-5755

Plantation Shutters

The Shutterman

Greg Swartz
752-1857

Visiting schools
Carter said he and Curre would visit local schools like Rapoport Academy and talk to students about World War II. Carter said Curre also loved to go to the McDonalds on North 19th Street to drink coffee with fellow veterans and a police officer he knew. Frank was quite a guy, Carter said. He loved America, and he loved his uniform, and he couldnt stand for anybody to talk bad about it. He would be the first one to tell you to shut up if you did. Mary Duty, a history teacher at Tennyson Middle School, said Curre was a frequent guest speaker in her class. The school named their Hall of Honor after Curre last The theft by a public servant indictment alleges that Skeen removed truck accessories valued at more than $500 but less than $1,500 from the county-owned truck before he traded it in. While the indictment does not specify the accessories, a source close to the investigation said Skeen reportedly removed a truck bed liner and running boards from the county truck to use on the truck he bought for himself. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation also is investigating a complaint that Skeen failed to publicly disclose financial interests in three Woodway properties he bought in the past two years, a violation of an agency rule. Under the criminal guidelines, there are certain charges, where if a person is found guilty theyd lose their licenses, but at this point we cant say what would happen, Susan Stanford, a TDLR spokeswoman, said Wednesday. Stanford described the agencys investigation of Skeen as open and ongoing. Skeen announced in mid-October that he will run for reelection. He had not filed as a candidate as of Wednesday. On Dec. 1, he filed a campaign treasurers report a prerequisite for campaigning and collecting money. Skeens previous treasurer, Jim Hawkins, had said he couldnt continue in that role given the seriousness of the allegations made against Skeen. Skeens new treasurer is his wife, Lynda. Skeen has drawn three challengers for the March Republican primary: Jeff Nickell, Randy Riggs and Bill Vannatta, who entered the race Tuesday. This is not the first time that Skeen has been the subject of investigations and grand jury sessions. In 1995, a McLennan County grand jury no-billed Skeen af-

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SKEEN
From Page 1A
bearing on his decision to seek re-election. Skeen has been in office since 1989. He previously has denied wrongdoing. He has been the subject of a Texas Ranger investigation since July, when Rangers seized 31 boxes of records from his office. Included among those items were records pertaining to a vehicle inventory tax fund Skeen controls, real estate transactions, personal checks and love letters. The Rangers investigation was triggered when County Auditor Stan Chambers reported that Skeen traded in a county-owned vehicle and claimed the trade-in value as credit for a truck he bought for himself in February. The indictment for false name, false information and forgery alleges Skeen did knowingly provide false or incorrect information on an application for a certificate of title, claiming a trade-in amount of $22,000 when the true trade-in amount was $0. The trade-in claim allowed Skeen to reduce the sales tax on the purchase of his personal truck by $1,375, according to a report Chambers gave to McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna. The citizens of McLennan County deserve to know that their elected officials are working in the best interests of the community, Reyna said Wednesday in a prepared statement. If these allegations prove to be true, Mr. Skeen will be held to the same level of justice that all who prey on the trusting people of McLennan County have come to expect from my administration. Reyna declined additional comment on Skeens indictments.

ter an investigation into a variety of alleged misdeeds, including alleged irregularities in travel, lodging and meal vouchers submitted by Skeen and his staff. Skeen and an assistant attorney general, who presented the case to the grand jury, declined then to discuss the secret proceedings. But Skeens attorney at the time, Bill Dunnam, said part of the grand jury probe involved allegations that Skeen failed to pay or pay in a timely manner sales taxes after transferring autos he bought for family members. If convicted on the new indictments, Skeen faces up to 10 years in prison on the false information count and up to two years in a state jail on the theft count.
twitherspoon@wacotrib.com 757-5737 mshapiro@wacotrib.com 757-5707

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