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For the first time and due to the COVID-19 Ruling, the RIO Theatre is closed until the COVID-19 restrictions have been removed. The RIO will miss our customers during this time; however, the closing is for the health and wellness of our community. We appreciate our customers and wish everyone well. Check back often for when the RIO announces it will reopen.
Box office opens at 7:00pm. Showtime at 7:30pm. Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for children.
Senior Citizen's Night
Mondays - $5 Admission
Around Town
June 1, 2020 (More photos of parade) - Shelby County showed their love and support for Michael Henry Bush and his wife Joyce after they both survived COVID-19. The outpouring of support was shown with a Welcome Home parade on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in the Ivan Smith Furniture Parking lot, just one day after Michael Henry returned home on his 64th birthday after spending 66 days in a Tyler hospital.
Sitting in the back seat of the truck is Joyce Bush and in the front seat is Michael Henry Bush.
Mike or "Buckshot," as many call him, started getting sick around March 23rd and by March 26th he had to be rushed to a Tyler hospital with fever and breathing problems. He was immediately admitted into the hospital and put on a ventilator. The first week his oxygen and blood pressure levels were low. After 14 days on the ventilator, he was improving and doctors started taking him off the paralysis medications he was on. By April 10th doctors reassured the family Mike had survived the 'cytokine storm.' However, Mike's kidneys were not waking up or doing well.
The video says 65 days in the hospital but he was actually in the hospital for 66 days.
Joyce Bush announced April 4th on social media she too had the virus, 10-days after Michael Henry had been taken to the hospital. Joyce was like many others with COVID-19 who were blessed to be able to stay home while they recovered from the virus; however, Joyce's recovery was alone and away from her husband who was fighting for his life. Joyce now had to do her own quarrantine. Her post read, "I tested positive. I was sick and now much better. Mike is still fighting to live. I can't even lay my eyes on him. I miss him."
By April 15th Joyce was much better and for the first time since Mike was admitted into the hospital three weeks previous, he and his family were given the opportunity to Facetime. Mike responded to their voices and opened his eyes moving his head towards an Ipad held by a nurse as he was trying to see them. The exchange lifted their spirits just being able to see each other. The next few weeks included Mike breathing more on his own until finally by April 29th, 33 days in the hospital, Mike was taken off the ventilator completely and a temporary tracheotomy was done.
The virus continued to make the road to recovery hard with Mike developing pneumonia and continuing to have poor kidney function. Good news did come on May 3 when Mike was transferred out of the COVID ICU into a regular ICU and then on May 6 to PAC Unit. On Day 43 Joyce finally got to see Mike in person and on May 18th the temporary trach was removed. With dialysis, Mike's kidneys finally started to do better and with the numbers being good he was released from the hospital on May 30 after 66 days.
When the sign was made for Mike's checkout from the hospital, the number of days was miscalculated. He was there 66 days!
Michael Henry and Joyce say all the prayers of the community and God's love brought them both through to the point of the wonderful homecoming parade which had nearly 100 vehicles pull through. Mike's fellow truck drivers, law enforcement, first responders, family and friends all lined up to drive by Mike and Joyce to show their love and to show how many prayers were answered by his coming home. They praise God and give him the glory!
Michael Henry and Joyce were among the first reported cases in Shelby County and have no clue how they became infected which means it was determined to be by community spread. As of June 1, there have been over 200 confirmed cases in the county since the virus arrived.
May 28, 2020 - Need a job? You can start making money soon if you are 'Ready to Work,' 'Not currently in school,' and 'Age 16 to 24.'
What is this? Work Force Solutions of Deep East Texas can help you with educational opportunities, training, and employment opportunities. All for Free! - job readiness, resume assistance, job placement, skills training, and paid work experience.
For more information, click the flier image above.
May 27, 2020 - Princess Ball pictures are ready and can be picked up at Dazzle Me Pink & Blue, Tuesday thru Friday 10-6pm, and Saturday 10-4pm. They are located at 902 Tenaha St, Center, TX 75935. Thank you all for your continuous support and we hope to see you next year at Princess Ball 2021!
Barricades still block the intersection. Check back for updates when the roadway is open!
May 22, 2020 - It's a hopeful scene on the square as construction crews have spread black top from the corner of San Augustine and Austin Streets and in the direction of the inside of the square. Opening up even just the corner of San Augustine Street and Austin Street would eliminate some of the zigzagging drivers have had to do to get to the other side.
With the paving, it is much easier to visualize the square's new transformation.
It's been rough on businesses since last year who were on dead end streets after construction began with many shoppers unwilling to navigate the chaos. Then COVID-19 struck causing even more financial woes.
Once the corner of San Augustine and Austin Street fully open up, spread the word to all around and encourage shoppers to come say "hello" once again to downtown merchants. They have missed you and need your support!
Shelby County Today will update this article once the corner is open to travelers. It is getting close!
Crews working on Austin Street laying pavement.
Crews working Friday on Austin Street rolling out the new pavement.
Work crews making progess with laying black top.
May 22, 2020 - On Wednesday, May 20th, the foster children from Shelby County lost one of their best friends and advocates, Carolyn Hooker Scull.
Carolyn was the longest serving member of the Shelby County Child Welfare Board with over thirty years of commitment to children. During this time, she was able to assist Shelby County foster children and other children in need. She participated in the annual Empty Stocking and Emergency Fund fundraiser each year in December. Carolyn arrived with a large crockpot of soup and could be seen at Wal-Mart’s door with a stocking helping children collect funds.
During her tenure on the Shelby County Child Welfare Board, the number of children in need increased from an average of nine up to sixty-five children on the roll. Carolyn was there every step of the way making sure each child’s needs were met. Each Board member has lost a personal friend.
May 22, 2020 - To honor Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, Fold3® is proud to offer free access* to everything on www.fold3.com — now through Monday.
Real history. Original stories.
Fold3 features premier collections of original military records. These records include the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served in the military. Many of the records come from the U.S. National archives, The National Archives of the U.K. and other international records.
Explore more than 550+ million records. Military records can provide incredible details about the heroes in your family. Find the veterans who served our country and uncover unique personal details you won’t discover anywhere else.
*Access to all records on Fold3® will be free until 25 May 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using a paid Fold3® membership.
May 19, 2020 - Each year the month of May is typically filled with Senior celebrations as graduates near the end of their high school or college journey.
A journey filled with countless hours of studying, worrying, stressing, working, pushing yourself beyond what you thought you could do and filled with moments ending with relief, joy of finishing and achieving, winning, and more.
Parents have helped their graduate with encouragement, support, tough love, late night trips for supplies for those last minute projects, countless hours on the road to cheer them on, prayers for help, prayers for safety...
This May, social distancing had made it more difficult to celebrate your senior and their accomplishments. If you have a graduate, whether high school or college, Shelby County Today invites you to send in an accolade recognizing them. All graduates have achieved a great accomplishment whether they are first in their class or the last in their class. Each of their journeys differ and personal achievement cannot always be measured against another. Shelby County Today would be honored to run an article about each and every graduate who has worked hard to earn that diploma by not giving up when they felt defeated and by pushing themselves harder to reached the goals with which they had challenged themselves. Congratulations Class of 2020!
For Shelby County graduates or graduates with a connection to Shelby County, email your graduate's congratulation to sctoday@att.net or info@shelbycountytoday.com. If you need another option for submitting an article, call 936-591-9334 for additional options. Announcements submitted can include a photo, the student's academic and/or sport achievements, community involvement, or just a shout out for making it through. Let's celebrate our Graduates!
May 18, 2020 - The Piney Woods Photographic Society held their online monthly challenge on Macro photography, "Itsy-Bitsy." Members who submitted photographs created some really spectacular photographs this month. I can see that there was a lot of work put into these pics this month. Participants really showed a lot of creativity with their entries.
The next club meeting will be the 3rd Saturday in June, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 211 Porter St., Center, TX. To learn more about meetings, call or text Billie F. Jones, 936-591-2426. To view ALL the challenge entries view PWPS Flickr page, Piney Woods Photographic Society and enjoy some great photos.
After the members voted for their favorites, here is the outcome:
1st Place (Tie) - Bobbie Jean Wood, "Sound of Silence"
1st Place (Tie) - Summer Koltonski "Dreamy Day Lilly"
2nd Place - Billie Haggard Jones, "All About Time" and
3rd Place - Donna Holt, "Tip Toe Through The Tulips"
May 18, 2020 - Memorial Day is Monday, May 25th, 2020. United States Flags should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon. All banks, schools, businesses and government offices that fly a flag that can be lowered are asked to please do so in honor of those Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice. All other flags flying with the US Flag should also be lowered.
If you fly a flag that can’t be lowered, you can still show respect for the day by tying a black cord or ribbon to the top of the flag pole. It too should be removed at noon.
If you have no one to lower your flag at sunrise, it is permissible to lower it the night before so it will be in place at sunrise.
Related Article: VFW Post 8904 Memorial Day Program
May 15, 2020 - Shelby County Outreach Ministries will be closing ALL programs for the week of May 18 – May 22 with the exception of the Helping Hands Outreach Center. Helping Hands will be open only on Friday, May 22 from 10-2 in order to help clients. The senior citizens that are currently being served through our senior programs have received extra meals that will cover them through the next 2 weeks. They will also receive calls to confirm that they are safe, and all is going well.
If you are scheduled to receive an emergency food box during this week, please come to the Helping Hands Outreach Center on Friday, May 22nd to receive it between the hours of 10-2. Our lobby is closed to the public. Food Boxes are distributed by Drive-Thru ONLY. Please be prepared to open your trunk of the car and stay in your vehicle. Keep windows rolled up and show ID through the glass. For information, please call us at 936-598-4990. Thank you.
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