On Friday the Marshall News Messenger reported:

“Harrison County Judge Wayne McWhorter said he believes a proposed industrial site at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge has failed because Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is not lending her support to the original concept.”

The article went on to say:

“McWhorter said Thursday that Hutchison told him in a December phone conversation she supported giving only 100 to 200 acres to the industrial site. “

"The big deal for me," McWhorter said, "is we were asking for 1,500 to 2,000 acres and the senator told me herself...'well Wayne, it was never going to be more than 100 or 200 acres.' “

"We (McWhorter, Moseley and Whaley) have all said the same thing to each other, that if we can't get 1,500 to 2,000 acres we don't want it."

The Sunday MNM article entitled “Judge’s comment disputed by senator’s office” includes more information from the judge.

“In fact, Hutchison spokesman Chris Paulitz said the industrial site could still be the original 1,500 to 2,000 acres first requested and blamed the delay in moving forward on McWhorter, who has not yet held the public hearing Sen. Hutchison said is key to the process.”

“If the judge wants to move forward, it’s simple: hold the public hearing.”