GABRIELA MUÑOZNEWS-SUN

If University of the Southwest stu-dent Dakota Rice has it her way, shewill be working at a churro standthis summer.

But it won’t just be any churrostand, it will be at a churro stand at“The Most Magical Place on Earth”— Walt Disney World in Florida.

Rice, was selected to participate inan internship through the DisneyCollege Program. During the intern-ship, she will complete college creditcourses which focus on personal andcareer development. The internshipwill extend for two semesters — sum-mer and fall.

Price ChangeSpot $101.58 - .09Posted $97.75 - .50Sour $91.55 - .50N. Gas $4.371 - .114

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Obituaries ...........................2Lottery.................................2Mark the date ....................3Fun & Games ......................5Weather ..............................6Sports ..................................7Classifieds..........................10TV ......................................12

Community News

Hobbs High School hasa BLOOD DRIVEscheduled for todayand Wednesday at theschool. The event isopen to the public.Students who are atleast 16 years of agecan donate withparental permission,while those 17 yearsand older do not needpermission. Walk-insare welcome, butdonors are encour-aged to make anappointment. Forappointments or moreinformation, callStefanie Shoults, HHSnurse, 433-0204.

The Hobbs Parks andRecreationDepartment is offeringa BE AQUA FIT classfrom 5-5:45 a.m.,Monday-Thursday atthe Hobbs High SchoolPool, 800 NorthJefferson. The class feeis $30 per month or $5per session. The work-out involves intensecardio work, intervaltraining and plyomet-rics in the water.Participants can regis-ter online or call theparks and recreationdepartment at 397-9291.

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HOBBS SCHOOLS PHOTOS

Curriculum comes to lifeHobbs High School juniors who have been studying the Great Depression in U.S. History and the Great Gatsby inEnglish combined curriculums and brought history to life recently. Invited to a 1920s Speak Easy, students had toknow the password to enter - razzmatazz - then got their flapper glam on by dancing the Charleston and LindyHop. Above, Myka Mosley, AnnaMarie Pena, Paxton Nikkila, Kayelynn Macbeth and Brady Spears take a selfie onthe dance floor – something that didn’t exist in the 1920s. Below left, Alexis Wright and Mireah Lopez add a lit-tle zing to their fox trot. Below right, Destiny Reimers and Ashton Hayes practice their Charleston moves.

TODD BAILEYNEWS-SUN

Anyone who knew Lea CountyCommissioner Tom Pierce consideredhim a friend.

Anyone who didn’t know Piercecould consider him a friend as well.

“He never met a stranger,” saidPierce’s daughter, Masey Doss,Monday. “He at least knew someoneeverywhere we went.”

In the early morning hours Monday,with his wife, Leah, and Doss by hisside, Pierce passed away from renalfailure and complications from dia-betes at Covenant Medical Center in

Lubbock. He was 58years old.

Pierce, the ownerof Pierce PipeTesting andOgallala, LLC, waselected to the LeaC o u n t yCommission inNovember 2012 andmade a name forhimself with thecommunity as thecommissioner who held the town hallmeetings.

However before he was a county

commissioner, Pierce was best knownfor being a coach of whatever sporthis children were playing.

“Anything that I wanted to try hewas there for me,” said Pierce’s son,Tyson. “Whether it was showing ani-mals with FFA or playing baseball.”

Doss said the reach of influence herfather had was seen through thenumerous posts made to herFacebook page. She said anyone whosaid that they remembered her fatherremember him as man who caredabout others first and himself second.

“They’d say, ‘He would always yell at

me to play better and to pay atten-tion,’” Doss said. “That was the onething he taught me that I remembermost, to always try your hardest andgiving it your all and to always payattention. He’d tell us, ‘If you’d payattention, you’d be doing what you aresuppose to do.’”

Lea County Manager MikeGallagher said the loss of Pierce ishuge for the county.

“This is a tragic loss for LeaCounty,” Gallagher said. “Tom wasvery good to work with, and I am

Lea commissioner Pierce dies

Pierce

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURTNEWS-SUN

The Hobbs PoliceDepartment is investigatinga fight Friday that left threepeople with stab wounds.

“There was an incidentthat happened at La PraderaApartments,” HPD ChiefChris McCall said Monday.“There was not a murderinvolved. We had three vic-tims that were involved.”

According to a HPD pressrelease, officers respondedto the La PraderaApartments located at 1023E. Glorietta in reference to astabbing.

Upon their arrival, officerslocated two victims on scenewho suffered from stabwounds. A third victim whoalso suffered stab woundshad already been transport-ed by a personal vehicle toLea Regional MedicalCenter.

The victims were identi-fied as Roderick Franklin,age 29, Sammy Espinoza, 22and Eduardo Espinoza 20.

Franklin was treated andreleased from LRMC.Sammy and EduardoEspinoza were sent toUniversity Medical Centerin Lubbock, where theywere also treated andreleased.

Detectives investigatingthe incident determinedthat a fight ensued betweenthe three victims after anargument over moneyallegedly being stolen.During the fight, all threereceived stab wounds. Afterthe fight, it was reportedthere were two gun shots;however, no one was report-ed to have been shot.

The report stated that dueto the uncooperative natureof the victims no charges areable to be filed at this time.

Christian Betancourt can bereached at courts@hobbsnews.comor 391-5446.

Stabbingincidentprobed

DENISE MARQUEZNEWS-SUN

From picking cotton at the age of eight, to witnessing aniconic American moment during World War II, to spend-ing years of his life serving his fellow Eunice neighbors,William McCasland isn’t some-one who will just be missed, butmay never be forgotten insoutheast New Mexico.

McCasland, 93, of Eunice diedlast Friday in Lubbock.

Jill Yarbrough, McCasland’sdaughter, said her father wasalways willing to lend a helpinghand, especially at his church.

“Dad was foremost aChristian and he alwaysbelieved in helping others anddoing (good) for others,” shesaid. “He always wanted tomake other people’s lives better. If they needed somethinghe wanted to see that they had it. He was just a very com-passionate and caring person.”

McCasland rememberedfor leadership in EuniceUSW student to

get credits for‘magical’ job

William McCaslandSUBMITTED PHOTO

USW student Dakota Rice, left, poses with herfavorite Disney character Goofy and her sister, ParkRice during a trip to Walt Disney World. Dakota willbe interning at the theme park this summer. SEE McCASLAND, Page 4

� DISNEY INTERN

SEE DISNEY, Page 4

SEE PIERCE, Page 4