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Prison escapee captured near Brazoria after three weeks Escaped prisoner Marlow Wayne Reynolds, 54, was recaptured around 5:30 p.m. Sunday hiding in the woods along the San Bernard River. Reynolds escaped from Stringfellow Prison Unit in Rosharon on Sept. 9. With Hurricane Ike headed ashore, many law enforcement personnel that would have been available to search for him were needed elsewhere. TDCJ Inspector General John Moriarty said Reynolds grew up in the West Brazos area and “knew the woods like the back of his hand.” He was spotted Saturday in Brazoria running into the woods near Fifth Street. According to Moriarty, Reynolds was actually approached that day by a Brazoria Police officer. Brazoria Police Chief Neal Longbotham said in a prepared statement that the officer stopped the subject at about 11:15 a.m. in the 200 block of Second Street and asked for identification. The suspect gave the officer a name and the officer “investigated but did not feel that the subject was the escapee.” However, a short time later investigators from Moriarty’s office reviewed the dashboard camera and decided that the man was Reynolds. Police, state troopers and several state prison system investigators swarmed the area with guns and dogs to search an old gas station, as well as in the woods. Two dog handlers found the fugitive Sunday hiding in what is believed to be an old dynamite hole in a heavily wooded area near the river, Moriarty said. He surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Reynolds was serving a 40-year-prison sentence after being convicted in 2004 of killing a drinking buddy, Leslie Ledford, 36, in Liberty County. He will face felony escape charges, which will bring additional prison time, as well as other possible charges. Traffic stop leads to drug arrest in Brazoria A traffic stop by Brazoria Police last Thursday resulted in the arrest of a West Columbia man on drug charges. Brazoria police officer Jason Ringo stopped a 2000 Honda Accord driven by Russell Scott Broussard, 26, of West Columbia in the 1000 block of South Highway 36 around 3:15 p.m. According to Brazoria Police, after conducting an inventory of the vehicle, the officer discovered several baggies of different sizes. Some of those baggies contained a white crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. A bong pipe as well as several other pipes were also discovered, as was a scale and over $2,000 in cash. Broussard was charged with possession of a controlled substance less than one gram and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with a traffic violation. He was jailed in lieu of a $15,000 bond. Possession of a controlled substance is a felony. The paraphernalia possession and traffic violation are both misdemeanors. Brazoria Police are also preparing paperwork to allow for the forfeiture of the vehicle and the cash. |
Vision committee working to inform voters about bonds Members of the Brazoria County Fairgrounds Vision Committee are hoping that the upcoming County Fair, Oct. 10-18, will remind voters of the need for new facilities, but at the same time, they want residents to understand that the annual Fair is only one piece of the equation. Committee member Bob Geer told Sweeny City Council last week that the word “Fairgrounds” is somewhat misleading. The new Fairgrounds and Expo Center voters are being asked to approve will be a county-owned facility, operated by a professional management company. The Brazoria County Fair Association will not own or control the facility; it will simply be one of the users of the facility. “There is no way a facility like this would be able to pay for itself for one event,” Geer said. But if the facility is approved, it will be flexible enough to allow the county to host events from gun shows and antique fairs to livestock shows and rodeo events. Geer said several livestock breeding associations have already heard about the new facility and are hoping to be able to host events here. The new main events building would be large enough to accommodate any rodeo or equestrian event, concert, etc. The banquet hall could seat 2,000 people and the exposition halls can house hundreds of vendors for trade shows, etc. The facility was designed with the input of citizens from every walk of life, he said, but always the main focus has been to provide something for the youth of the county. Brazoria County has one of the largest 4-H programs in the state, he said, and the new facilities could allow the county to host major 4-H events, which draw hundreds of participants. In Nueces County, which has a similar new facility, 4-H membership has doubled. People who only think of the Fairgrounds in terms of the once-a-year Fair may not understand the amount of money spent on other events at these types of facilities, he said. A single event, like a gun show, can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are always groups, even within the county, looking for a place large enough to host events, but the current facilities are not only too small but in poor condition. “Would any of you honestly be proud to host an event at the Fairgrounds we have now?” he asked. Geer said people who live in areas farther away from the Fairgrounds often don’t see that the additional revenue is helping their communities, but there are quality of life benefits that will help everyone in the county. Giving the youth a place they can be proud of, having a facility large enough for local corporations and associations to plan an event, and providing a variety of events for people to attend close to home are all important, he said. The larger of the two proposals on the ballot, $75 million, equates to about $31.20 per year or $2.60 per month on a house with a $100,000 valuation. A smaller proposal for $50 million does not include the main events arena. A detailed look at the proposals can be found at www.exponow2008.com. |
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