KELI From Inkwell, this is the Amarillo News Drop. I'm Keli, with Hast.
HAST A Randall County jury sentenced a man to life in prison this week for continuous sexual abuse of a child. John Jacob Wilson, 42, was found guilty by the jury in the 47th District Court. Judge Dee Johnson imposed a life sentence to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The jury deliberated just over 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdict.
KELI The structural read here is that high-profile child abuse cases in Randall County move through the 47th District Court docket fast once they reach trial — jury time under an hour tells you the evidence package was clean and presented without ambiguity. What we'll watch in coming weeks is whether the DA's office uses this conviction as a template for similar cases already in the pipeline. Jury speed like that often signals other victims or witnesses are cooperating, which means more charges could follow.
HAST Crime Stoppers in Amarillo is also asking the public for help identifying suspects in a copper theft. About 50,000 dollars' worth of copper was stolen. Police have been tracking a white 2024 Dodge 350 with Texas plate WSZ7709 near Loop 335 and South Coulter Street. The truck has "TEXPRO" on the driver's door. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400 or use the P3 Tips app to submit anonymously.
KELI Sticking with state business. The Texas Ethics Commission tabled a proposal this week to increase the daily per diem for state lawmakers. The raise had been on the agenda but was postponed, with no timeline announced for when or if it will resurface. Per diem payments go to legislators on top of their base salary to cover expenses during the session.
HAST On a different front, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday in cases challenging Texas A&M's drag performance ban. The university implemented the restriction in recent years, and lawsuits challenging its constitutionality have been working through federal court. Arguments were heard Wednesday; no ruling date has been set.
KELI At the state level, top Texas Republicans knew Railroad Commission candidate Bo French had posted racist comments online before they backed him. The Texas Tribune reports French made a post showing college students celebrating a football victory with a caption saying the image showed "how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners." Republican leaders in the state have not withdrawn their support despite the comments surfacing.
HAST Before we close, a history note. On this day in 1944, the U.S. Army Air Forces lost more bombers in the Kassel Mission over Germany than any other mission in the entire war.
KELI That's the Amarillo News Drop. Full script and sources at inkwell.wiki/news/amarillo.
KELI Before we close, a word from Inkwell. This drop comes from the same workshop as Gil's Intelligent Version — the Bible, re-ordered into the sequence events actually happened, and retranslated from the original languages.
HAST Its rule is simple: no author, only method. The full archive is at inkwell dot wiki, slash giv.
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