CAMERON—There was action on two fronts during the past week in the continuing saga of a declared junkyard at 1328 East Cameron Avenue (US 79).
On Thursday in 20th District Court, Judge John Youngblood granted the county a temporary restraining order forbidding Ira Richard (Richie) Thrasher II from removing any property or personal effects from the land.
The judge also found Thrasher, 43, in contempt of court and assessed him $600 in court costs.
On Monday, both the Milam County Commissioners Court and City of Rock-dale adopted an inter-local agreement designed to change the focus of efforts to clean up the property from “junk” to “public health” and “nuisance.”
SAGA—The City of Rock-dale has for years been seeking a cleanup of the property.
In March, Thrasher was found guilty of 13 counts of keeping a junkyard.
In June he was arrested and placed in the Milam County Jail on 13 counts of bond surrender.
During the June session of the Milam County Grand Jury, he was indicted for bail jumping and failure to appear. The city approached Milam County about helping to resolve the situation.
County Judge Steve Young said that county’s plan had been to sell scrap from the site to raised money to clean it up, but noted later that even that strategy probably would not recover all the funds needed for a cleanup.
INJUNCTION—Additionally, Young said, he believed someone was moving scrap from the site to what the judge characterized as “an illegal dump” on a 22-acre tract on County Road 323.
A hearing on a permanent injunction is set for July 17.
The judge granted the temporary restraining order, enjoining Thrasher “from removing any property, any personal effects or anything from the property at issue, 1328 East Cameron, Rock-dale, Texas, until such further order of the court.”
Youngblood found the defendant in contempt of court, noting that Thrasher had been in court June 28 and was advised of Thursday’s hearing.
COUNTY—Young also handed down a temporary injunction against William Hairston over the property on County Road 323 where officials believe items from the East Cameron site had been taken.
A permanent injunction will be sought in a July 22 hearing in the county courthouse.
Hairston was also assessed court and attorney costs as part of the injunction.
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