Senior Citizen Program Hosting Casino Extravaganza and Plans Trip to Paragon Casino

Friendswood, TX – July 9, 2009 – The Friendswood Senior Citizen Program will be traveling to the Paragon Casino in Marksville Louisiana on Wednesday and Thursday, August 12 and 13, 2009 and will later be hosting a Casino Extravaganza on Friday, August 28, 2009 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For those seniors interested in taking a trip to the Paragon Casino, the bus will depart from the Friendswood Activity Building located at 416 Morningside Dr. at 8 a.m. on August 12 and return at approximately 8 p.m. the next day. The cost for the trip is $50 per person (based on a double occupancy room). The package includes transportation, room, a $10 food coupon to use at the Casino restaurant, and a $20 cash perk for gambling.

The Casino Extravaganza, held at the Friendswood Activity Building on August 28 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., is a free event and all area seniors are welcome to attend. This three hour party will feature casino games, dancing, and music by musician Peter Hoth. Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and Poker will be available, all manned by professional dealers. Refreshments will also be provided.

Those with questions or who wish to RSVP for either of these events are asked to call Genie Balderaz with the Friendswood Senior Program at 281-482-8441.

Friendswood Man Arrested On Heroin Charges

FRIENDSWOOD - Friendswood Police, serving a probation violation warrant, found a quantity of narcotics and steroids in the violator's home.

Police served the warrant Tuesday at a residence in the 1500 block of Windsor Drive in Regency Estates. The violator, Joseph David Bender, 23, was searched incident to arrest and found to be in possession of a vial of liquid heroin and a dozen Vicodin pills.

During a safety sweep of the house, officers observed in plain view, another vial, which later tested positive for heroin.

The homeowner signed a consent to search allowing officers to perform a more thorough search of the residence. The subsequent search turned up approximately $3,000 in cash, several vials of liquid steroids and six grams of black tar heroin.

Bender was jailed on a charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. The charge is a second degree felony with a $150,000 bond. The probation violation warrant carried no bond.

Bender was convicted in Harris County District Court in January 2009 for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Friendswood Police arrested him May 6, 2009 when he was found to be in possession of more than 77 grams of black tar heroin. The probation violation warrant was linked to his May 6 arrest.

Pearland Man Arrested for Indecent Exposure

Pearland man charged with indecent exposure at Friendswood Public Library
10:44 AM CDT on Friday, July 10, 2009
KHOU.com staff report
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas—A Pearland man was in custody Friday after police said he was caught masturbating at the Friendswood Public Library.


Friendswood PD

Thomas Whitmarsh
Police were called to the library, located at 416 S. Friendswood, around 7:20 p.m. Thursday.

A library employee reported seeing Thomas Whitmarsh, 68, exposing himself and masturbating in an open area of the library.

Whitmarsh told police he’d recently been caught doing the same thing by officers in Pearland.

He said he was not cited in that incident.

Friendswood police have not yet confirmed that with Pearland authorities.

Friendswood library personnel had consulted with police twice before in June, expressing conern about Whitmarsh’s suspicious behavior.

Whitmarsh was charged with indecent exposure and issued a criminal trespass warming.

He’s currently being held in the Friendswood Municipal Jail on $1,000 bond.