Cove man to put name in for commissioners race

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

The time to file for the 2016 election might be four months away, but Samuel Thorpe, Jr. already has his eyes on a goal: to gain the seat of Coryell County commissioner for precinct 1. Thorpe is a 20-year veteran of the United States armed forces, having served eight years in the Marines followed by 12 years in the Army as a non-commissioned officer, with four tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. A Copperas Cove resident, Thorpe originally hails from Ohio, and has lived in the city since 2007, along with his wife, Melissa, and two kids, Nicole and Joshua. He said he’s always had an interest in politics during his earlier years in the military. Upon his recent retirement from the Army, Thorpe enrolled at Central Texas College where he is studying Homeland Security. Thorpe said he and his family decided to make Copperas Cove and Coryell County their permanent residence because it’s “uniquely small, but wanting to grow.” As the county grows, Thorpe said it’s important the right kinds of development come to the area, like light industry, but he believes it’s also important to improve public safety services county wide. “We need to expand it,” Thorpe said. “It can take emergency services as long as 27 minutes to reach certain parts of the county, and after that it’s at last a 27-minute ride to the hospital.” He is also in favor of increased pay for the sheriff’s department in order to keep employees from leaving for higher- paying areas. As the population grows, he said, more services will be needed. Like commissioner Jack Wall, who currently holds the position of commissioner for precinct 1, Thorpe sees the need for more water sources for the county and is in favor of the off-channelreservoir, which could provide more water for the southwestern  part of the county. Thorpe has what he calls a lofty vision for the county, in terms of helping veterans. He would someday like to see a VA facility within the county, to help service the number of veterans locally. Even with the first day to file months away, Thorpe has already been studying up on grants available for public safety services. Thorpe has been making the rounds to different entities in the city of Copperas Cove, as well as in Gatesville and in the county. One thing he would like to see is better communication between the different cities and groups within the county. At the most recent meeting of the county commissioners court, Thorp was appointed to the Central Texas Aging, Disability and Veterans Advisory Committee. As soon as November 14, the filing day for the March 2016 primary comes around, Thorpe will be ready to put his name in for the Republican party ticket. It remains to be seen who will also be doing the same, as well as any possible Democratic