GRAPELAND - The Grapeland City Council met on Tuesday, May 10 in a meeting highlighted by the canvass of votes and the swearing in of the mayor and two council members. The call is coming from phone number 936-878-6218. Luken is believed to be the only suspect in this case. He told of spending Christmas at his fathers graveside, smoothing the soil around the marker, so it will be perfect in the way that he always wanted things for you. Crockett FFA Student Wins State Resource Management Award . The water loss was at four percent. As the meeting continued, the GISD Board of Trustees voted to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Grapeland to hire a School Resource Officer (SRO). A lot of people grew up with the same opportunities and challenges I had, and they didnt end up on death row.. AboutGrapeland Messenger. No one questioned his blackness. Napoleon began dealing crack, though he sold it seldom enough that word never got back to his family or friends. Her kids were affected. Detroit-area officer charged with assault after video shows him Before the mayor and council members were sworn in, out going Councilman Eddie Childress, who chose not to seek reelection, addressed those in attendance. Once school was over, it was understood that you went your separate waysyou didnt hang out with your white friends at night or on the weekends, says Maria. I just pray that God shows you the same compassion that you showed Vanessa, which is none.". Contact Us - The Messenger News Thirteen miles north of Crockett, Grapeland is a town of 1,451 people tucked away in rolling farmland, a lonely whistle-stop with one blinking yellow light, several mom-and-pop stores, and a farmers co-op where bags of seed lean against old tin sheds. To me you are my little sister and to those who know you, you are Nessa.". Hall said BrandyMosley had composed the statement after her sister's body had been found in early July of 2015. The high school has maintained its level of excellence. The Messenger | Grapeland TX Im down with that, he replied. Rose Cahalan is a senior editor who focuses primarily on stories about travel and the outdoors. Emotions ran so high in the courtroom at his sons arraignment, Ireland says, The feeling I got was that if someone had hollered, Lets get a rope, they would have hung him from the highest tree., Napoleon was taken to the Smith County jail as word traveled through Grapeland that he had been arrested for murder. Napoleon was a minor at the time of his crime, and his case inevitably raised the question of whether even a vicious killer can be too young to be sentenced to death. There was a moment where I couldve talked to Napoleon, but I was so devastated, I couldnt find the words, says Ireland. Copyright 2017 KTRE. GRAPELAND - There's a lot going on every summer in Houston County, with kids out of school and hibernating or going off to sports or other camps, adults trying to hide as much as possible from the sun (especially after the first bad sunburn of the season) and those sweet watermelons making their way from Grapeland to tables and bellies all over . He is a quiet, serious boy who harbors no dreams of athletic glory: Someday, he said, he wants to be an accountant. Ambition kindled resentment on the rutted roads south of Chestnut Street, where sagging frame houses have gone to seed and young men idle under shade trees and stray dogs root around for bones. I wanted to be accepted, so I did what I thought was necessary to fit in, he wrote. Im biased, he acknowledged. Our District Improvement Committee is meeting to see how and what we can do to remove this distraction. 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By Greg Ritchie Messenger Reporter CROCKETT - Crockett Police Department (CPD) placed 48-year-old Forlando Ordell Moten under arrest for murder after a bizarre incident resulting in the shooting death of 59-year-old Willie "Peter" Campbell Friday, June 9. As the case was weighed by the nations highest court, three justices with personal ties to Judge LuttigAntonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and David Souterrecused themselves from deliberations. Source: The Graceland, Milwaukee, WI crime data displayed above is derived from the FBI's uniform crime reports for the year of 2020. Were going to write about local topics that affect local people. Asked if there were changes ahead for the twice-weekly publication, the new owner explained one area of focus would be the promotion of Houston and southern Anderson County. You sit at Thanksgiving dinner, the dinner that your wife has prepared that at all other times would be a feast. Putting the crime data quality issue aside, DeSantis' claims about Florida's declining crime rates follow long-term national trends, and should not be a surprise to the public, according to Asher. Jackson recommended parents hold off on school shopping until the finished documents are published in early July. . Greg Ritchie can be reached at [emailprotected], Serving Houston and Southern Anderson Counties, Lovelady Finishes Tied for Ninth in Lone Star Cup Standings, Anderson County Livestock Exchange Holds Successful Horse Sale, Commissioners Approve Several Measures during Court Session. The captain of the football team, Jamaal can bench-press 375 pounds, though his big, broad-shouldered build belies his shyness. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in federal prison. 42-year-old Pittman (also known as Robin Hill) was sentenced to five years (60 months) in . Gen. Sydney Hernia, who heads the national Philippine police's anti-cybercrime unit, said . Will Johnson of the Grapeland Messenger provided the following report from the victim impact statements at the trial: The first person to speak was Sarah Hall, a friend of the Melson family. As he stepped out of the car, Bobbie heard him utter one wordNo!and then saw the flash of a gun muzzle. Crockett man gets 99 years for his part in Grapeland woman's kidnapping, death, AMBER Alert canceled after 2 missing girls from Athens found safe in Smith County, Crockett police investigating after dog dragged behind vehicle dies, Former East Texas Little League coach pleads guilty to sexually assaulting players. The Beazleys are among the Quarters most prominent citizens: Ireland was Grapelands first black city councilman, and their daughter, Maria, attended Rice University, an anomaly for this blue-collar town. I dont blame the judges, the lawyers, or the white man. I dont blame anybody for what happened but me. Now 25, he has the articulate, precise delivery of the debate team standout he once was at Grapeland High, and if not for his white prison uniform, he could be equally convincing on the other side of the visitation booth as a young lawyer conferring with a client. And so on April 19, 1994, Napoleon, Cedrick, and Fig would drive to Tyler with loaded guns. Mrs. Laura Goodson was the respected owner of the hotel, where sumptuous meals were served family style. Moore has been made aware of the calls and we have confirmed it is NOT him in question, Grapeland PD asserted. Serving Houston and Southern Anderson Counties, East Texas Country Music Festival Slated for July 4-6, Grapeland Takes Two of Three from West Sabine, Lovelady Lady Lions Serve Notice on the Hardwood. On April 19, 1994, the day that seventeen-year-old Napoleon Beazley committed cold-blooded murder, the high school senior came home from track practice, showered, and changed into a fresh pair of blue jeans. Wait till the sun goes down, and its cold. Im biased. Ratcliff, TX 8 days ago 2+ KETK / FOX51 News It was a good time for us. Napoleon had already bid goodbye to Ireland and Rena and was sitting a few feet from the death chamber, writing his last statement, when prison chaplain Jim Brazzil came to tell him the news. I believe small-town school boards and city councils are the most important elected positions in our country. He was a crack-cocaine dealer, and although he would be arrested in 1998 in a Drug Enforcement Administration sting, that was far too late to keep Napoleon out of trouble. Witnesses said they saw Mobley beating Melson up as well as shoot her up repeatedly with meth. . To win a death sentence in the punishment phase of the trial, the prosecutors had to prove that Napoleon was likely to commit future acts of violence. The Grapeland Police Department is working diligently to resolve the issue and bring this suspect to justice. Luken, who is from Houston, had been staying with Lewis the past several days. But if I get into other peoples business, Ill get into something I dont want to. A pair of Grapeland residents have been indicted in a murder-for-hire scheme, according to a statement from the United States Attorneys Office, Eastern District of Texas, released on Thursday, April 21. Were here to focus on the good things, he said. In May, leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed in a summit in Indonesia to tighten border controls and law enforcement and broaden public education to fight criminal syndicates that traffic workers to other nations, where they are made to participate in online fraud.. Brig. It is my recommendation that due to his age at the time of the offense that you consider carefully and grant his request that his sentence be commuted from the death sentence to a sentence of life imprisonment, she wrote. You dont need to worry. That fall he seemed too busy to get into mischief: He earned straight As, played football, worked on his uncles farm, and lifted weights for two grueling hours a day. Something we couldve seen? My duty is to uphold the law.. You sit there for hours. Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to murder for hire before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell Aug. 12, 2022. As for us, Vanessa's family and friends, this is a devastating part of our lives. Back then, even after Rena had barred her nephew from the house, he managed to slip Napoleon a few rocks of crack and schooled him in the ways of the street. Im not saying the rest of them (governmental entities) are not important, but the role we play locally . It was like a knife through the heart of this town, says Sandra Kerby, the editor of the Grapeland Messenger. Some of the duties will be: to coordinate the district safety plan; student interventions; relationship building; and being a presence at school events, whether at home or on the road. I believe all schools will put school safety and security at the top of the list. The school will assume part of the responsibility for the SROs salary while the city will also assume part of the salary. They will be housed at the high school but will have a presence on all campuses.. I dont want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.. They put a lot of pressure on him to be tougher, to be bold. Moffett sighs heavily, as if the weight of the past eight years were bearing down on him. Duren was booked into the Anderson County Jail for assault dating/family/household violence, possession of marijuana, (less than two ounces) possession of a controlled substance, (less than one gram) and violation of bond conditions.. Advanced Search Browse Newspapers No doubt John Luttig would have peacefully handed over the keys to his Mercedes, but he never had the chance. "To some," Hall continued, "you may be just a, body found in a shallow grave. But was death the appropriate punishment? At the time of her arrest, the Grapeland . Shortly after it was first published, the Grapeland Times and Farm Journal was sold to David McNaughton from Palestine. Napoleon Beazley was not just any murderer, and John Luttig was not just any victim. 2018 Better Newspaper Contest Award Winner 1st Place Page Design; 1st Place Advertising; 2nd Place Editorial; 4th Place News Photo; 4th Place Community Service. But for a light-skinned black teenager mocked by his black peers for acting too white, success was not always a blessing. Serving Houston and Southern Anderson Counties, Crockett Receives Green Light on Infrastructure Work, Medal of Honor Recipient Honored in Palestine. Now, according to the Grapeland Police Department, there is a recent scam coursing its way around the Grapeland and Houston County area. Cedrick Coleman was back in Grapeland by then, having dropped out of Navarro College in Corsicananot a Big Ten school, as he had hoped; his grades were too badand after an injury in the fall of 1993, he was no longer the football star he had once been. Grapeland Swears in Mayor, City Council Members - The Messenger News There are a lot of great things that go on in Houston and Anderson counties. Find it via the AmericanTowns Grapeland classifieds search or use one of the other free services we have collected to make your search easier, such as Craigslist Grapeland, eBay for Grapeland, Petfinder.com and many more! The strain showed: In photos from that time, he is often pictured standing off to the side, smiling weakly. He didnt have to prove anything to us.. In the media release, Featherston reported Campos discussed the intended murder with the undercover agent on multiple occasions over a period of several weeks. I was devastated, he says. Hours of Operation - 8:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. EAST TEXAS To be clear, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman arent involved in this. Phone: (936) 687-2424 Address: 119 N. Main St, Grapeland, TX 75844 STAFF CONTACTS Kelly Nicol EditorEmail: knicol@messenger-news.com Cheril Vernon Copy EditorEmail: news@messenger-news.com Greg Ritchie Senior ReporterEmail: greg@messenger-news.com Ansel Bradshaw Sales ManagerEmail: ansel.bradshaw@yahoo.com Upward mobility has exacted its price, however; in the Quarters they are viewed with equal parts admiration and jealousy. All rights reserved. GRAPELAND It was a busy night for the Grapeland Independent School District Board of Trustees when they met on Thursday evening, June 23 as the board took several steps in preparing for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. 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