Bass pleads guilty

Angelina Beautiful/Clean and Diboll Beautiful/Clean presented a beautification award last week to the T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library in honor of the work done on the library grounds during the recent expansion and renovation project. Library officials and some of the contractors who worked on the grounds gathered for the presentation. From left are Fred Walker, Kerry Little, Mike Sandlin, Amanda Anderson with AB/C, library Director Brenda Russell, Mike Ecker, Billie Willmon of DB/C, Mark Shepherd and library Board Chairman Kathy Sample. The co-defendant of Diboll City Councilman Gary Jones has pleaded guilty to a charge against him and agreed to testify against Jones, District Attorney Clyde Herrington said last week.

Lane Bass, a former street superintendent for the city of Diboll, was charged last fall along with Jones with four counts of misuse of official information. Bass pleaded guilty Wednesday to one of those counts.

The case against Jones is unchanged, Herrington said. A trial date has yet to be set, but the DA speculated that late this month or sometime in June were possibilities. Jury selection in the case was scheduled for last month but Herrington said a jury has not been picked.

Bass was sentenced to probation and a fine, Herrington said.

Jones and Bass were accused of improperly sharing information about bids received by the city from other contractors. The alleged offenses occurred in 2006, on Feb. 1, May 7, June 7 and Sept. 24.

Jones was elected to the council in May 2008. He also was elected in May 2007, but resigned the post to seek the street superintendent's job after Bass left to work for Angelina County. He was hired for the job but left to make his bid for the council last year.