Wills wins recount in sheriff election Thursday, November 20, 2008 Imagine that you’re playing Monopoly™, and toward the end of the game the rules suddenly change and you no longer receive $200 for passing “Go.” “Wait a minute,” you scream… “You can’t change the rules in the middle of a game!” But that’s what appears to have happened in Thursday’s recount of the Bailey County Sheriff’s race. Although the outcome wasn’t changed, incumbent Richard Wills was once again ruled the winner with a landslide total, with only two votes changing candidates and 10 votes that weren’t counted earlier being added to individual totals. What was at issue were the instructions voters received at both the time they received their ballots, and which were posted in writing at the ballot booths, for individuals wishing to cast their ballot for write-in candidates to clearly mark the oval indicating their desire in order that the electronic voting machine would tally their vote and divert the ballot into a special holding section within the machine for the write-in to be examined and awarded to the appropriate candidate. Sounds simple, but as the recount committee that worked continually from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday could testify the inability of some voters to follow the instructions could have lead to debates as intense as Florida’s “hanging chad” situation of four years ago because of instructions reportedly received from the Texas Secretary of State’s election personnel. Full Story

Not this time! Thursday, November 20, 2008 The Mules may have gotten off to a rough start during Friday’s game against the Bushland Falcons, but the game turned around and Muleshoe’s team carried the night. Pictured above, Mule Lane Wood makes first contact for a crucial fourth down stop on a “fake punt” that turned the game around for Muleshoe. Full Story

Commissioners court learns agent to leave Thursday, November 20, 2008 County Judge Sherri Harrison passed along a bit of sad news to the Bailey County Commissioners’ Court Friday, Nov. 14, referring to the decision Mandi Seaton, county extension agent, has made to leave her current position and take a similar post at Lamb County. Since taking the position in Bailey County, Seaton has become well-known for her hard work with local 4-H students, the Alzheimer’s Disease Support Group, and diabetic’s. “I was just devastated,” the judge said about Seaton’s decision. “She has done the best in the position of anyone I know.” Harrison said Seaton has shown Bailey County students that 4-H is more than “showing animals.” “I’d take her back anytime,” the judge said. Full Story

MISD’s abstinence program goes beyond just saying ‘No’ Thursday, November 20, 2008 Instructors from Muleshoe High School and Watson Junior High described the sex education program which was presented to students this year, entitled “Worth the Wait,” as worth the time and effort. During Monday’s regular meeting of the local school board, Tom Boutell, Brenda Black, and Kara Jeffers talked about the abstinence-based program that was presented to junior high students and a portion of the high school students. “It’s an honest, realistic program that gives them the facts,” Boutell said, noting that the program went beyond sex education and covered other abstinence issues, such as alcohol, drug, and tobacco use and abuse. “Both Brenda (Black) and I think the program is really worth it,” Boutell said. “This program was well designed, and we’ll do it again.” Full Story