Weekend briefing for June 20, 2008

Special to the Tribune
Published: June 20, 2008

Eufaula natives join U.S. Army
Eufaula natives Matthew B. Houston and Kimberly D. Peterson have joined the United States Army under the Delayed Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the opportunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year. The enlistment gives the new soldier the option to learn a new skill, travel and become eligible to receive as much as $50,000 toward a college education.  After completion of basic military training, soldiers receive advanced individual training in their career job specialty prior to being assigned to their first permanent duty station.
Houston, a 2008 graduate of Eufaula High School, has reported to Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla., for basic training. He is the son of Christopher and Deborah Houston of Clayton.
Peterson has reported to Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C., for basic training. She is the daughter of Diane Peterson and Christopher G. McCoy of Eufaula.

City will make more bio-diesel
The City of Eufaula is not producing bio-diesel right now.
That’s a good thing, according to Eufaula Mayor Jay Jaxon. He reported at Monday’s city council meeting that the city is actually modifying equipment to double the production of bio-diesel fuel.
Jaxon joked that the city is “increasing the size of the still,” referring to crude looking equipment used to produce the fuel.
“We will be able to make 375 gallons a batch,” the mayor said. “The upgrade is not expensive.”
The city currently uses the fuel to power their dump trucks, garbage trucks, backhoes, street sweepers and some pick-up trucks. That allows the city to keep machinery operating even during times when fuel is expensive or scarce.
Jaxon said the city is now saving $1 to $1.50 per gallon when compared to current diesel costs. Regular bio-diesel is made from recycled chicken fat or soybean oil that the city collects from area restaurants and industries.

Qualifying fees set for election
The Eufaula City Council recently voted to set the qualification fee for upcoming municipal elections at $50 for both city council and mayoral candidates.
Qualifying will be July 1-15, and the election will be held Aug. 26. If needed, a runoff will be held Oct. 7.
Those seeking to run for public office this year are asked to contact The Tribune to announce their candidacy. For more information, call 687-3506 or e-mail or .

Reunion on tap
The Baker Hill School Reunion for graduating classes from 1925-1965 will be held Saturday, June 28, at the Eufaula Community Center (Malcolm McNab Reeves Recreation Complex, 14 Community Drive, Eufaula).
Registration begins at 10 a.m. and lunch is at 12 p.m.
For more information or reservations, call Mitchell Jernigan at 334-775-3248 or Gwen H. DaGian at 334-585-1394.

Saddle club plans Fun Day Saturday
The Barbour County Saddle Club is hosting a Fun Day at the Clayton Farm Center tomorrow (Saturday, June 21,) at 1 p.m.
The Clayton Farm Center is located on Hwy. 239.
The event is open to the public.
There will be an admission charge of $2 per person and children under 12 will be admitted free of charge.
Concessions will include hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, candy, blow pops, popsicles, canned drinks and bottled water.
There will be vendors with items to purchase and face painting for the children.
The non-horse events will be an egg toss, a sack race, a stick-horse race, calf and goat scrabble and musical chairs on stick horses.
Horseback games will include musical chairs, the bloomer race and timed events such as pole bending, barrel racing, an arena race, an obstacle course, a keyhole race and team penning.
Events designed for gaited horses include egg in the spoon, favorite gait and water in the glass.
Registration for the events will be $10 per individual and $20 per family. Prizes will be awarded for all events.
In the evening after the Fun Day there will be a jackpot barrel race and a jackpot team-penning event.
This is a family event with old-fashioned fun for children of all ages.

47 sentenced to pretrial diversion
During the spring term of criminal court in Eufaula there were 36 people who pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison terms, according to District Attorney Ben Reeves, Jr. Those individuals are listed to the right of this article.
There were also 47 individuals who pleaded guilty, including seven as youthful offenders which were sentenced to the pretrial diversion program. Those individuals were listed in the midweek edition of The Tribune. They will not have to serve prison sentences if they complete the diversion program. They could take part in community service or substance abuse treatment while in the program.
“We had another successful term of court in Eufaula with 83 defendants convicted for various crimes, including more than 40 first-time offenders that qualified for the pretrial diversion program,” Reeves said in a press release.
“I would like to thank the Eufaula Police Department and all law enforcement who presented cases this term for their professionalism and hard work in putting the cases together and for their dedication to solving crime in our community. They do a great job.”