The story headline links to a better view of the story and share features.
News
December 5, 2025 - Due to line-break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Paxton public water system 2100012 to notify customers on County Road 3717 in the Paxton area to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Alison Rhone at 936-332-4439.
October 28, 2025 - The 2026 Primary Election will be held on March 3rd, and candidate packets are available now and can be picked up in the County Clerk's Office, 124 Austin Street in Center. There are several offices open for election, as follows:
- District Judge 273rd District (must file through Texas Ethics Commission)
- District Clerk
- County Judge
- County Clerk
- County Treasurer
- Commissioners 2 and 4
- All five Justice of the Peace offices
The first day to file is November 8, 2025, and the last date to file is December 8, 2025. If interested, you must file with the party chair:
- Leigh Porterfield - Republican - 936-591-1749
- Patsy Handy - Democrat - 936-488-9209
Nancy Adams, Shelby County Elections Administrator
December 3, 2025 - Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, has announced the closure on Thursday, December 4, 2025, of CR 3267 between the Lone Cedar and Campti Communities.
A delivery truck struck a bridge railing, which is now in need of repair. The project is planned to start in the morning and is projected to last for eight hours until completion.
December 2, 2025 - U.S. Highway 96 North near FM 2026 was the scene of a crash incident that caused injury to two people involved on Sunday, November 30, 2025 at 3:25am.
When emergency personnel arrived at the scene of the crash, the passenger vehicle involved was straddling a drainage ditch beside the roadway.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), a red 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Justin [Cody] Fontaine, 42, of Center was traveling south on U.S. Highway 96. It is reported that a passenger in the vehicle grabbed the wheel and in effect caused Fontaine to lose control of the vehicle which subsequently traveled off the roadway to the right where it struck an underground cable marker box and came to rest in a ditch.
Fontaine, and his passenger Brianna Davis, 25, of Center, were transported from the scene by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation and no further information available at this time and no citations were reported to have been issued.
Center Fire Department, Center Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department personnel assisted at the scene.
December 2, 2025 - Center Fire Department (CFD) firefighters responded to a car fire on Florence Street in Center at 2:20pm on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
According to the Center Fire Department, when CFD personnel arrived, a black 2022 Chevrolet Malibu was in a driveway in the 1000 block of Florence Street and front of the car was fully involved in fire. Fire department personnel were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent further spread to any nearby structures.
The owner, Mary Barnes, just got the car out of the repair shop and as she parked the car she heard something underneath the dashboard before she entered her house. When she returned outside, the vehicle was in flames in the dashboard and engine area.
Once the fire department had the vehicle extinguished, they returned to the station at 3pm.
A cause for the fire was not immediately determined.
December 1, 2025 - The intersection of Shelbyville and San Augustine Streets was the scene of a two-vehicle collision Sunday, November 30, 2025, from which two people involved were arrested.
According to the Center Police Department, at around 10:30am a red 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Jessica Bartlett, of Shelbyville, was entering the Center square from Shelbyville Street. At that time a black 2018 Ford Edge driven by Alvin Davis, Jr. 28, of Center was also on Shelbyville Street in the outside turning lane to enter Cora Street.
As the Tahoe entered the intersection, instead of taking a right hand turn, the Edge also entered the intersection and collided with the right side of the Tahoe which caused both vehicles to strike a brick wall within the square where they came to rest. Damage was incurred by both vehicles and the wall they struck.
Bartlett and three minor passengers were transported by private vehicle for evaluation of possible injury.
Davis was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor b; and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony 2. Bonds for these charges total $83,000. According to the Shelby County Jail log, Davis is also being held on violation of parole.
Kevin Robinson, a passenger in the Edge, was also arrested on warrants for failure to appear (assault by choking - family violence impede breath, felony 3); and assault serious bodily injury, misdemeanor a.
Center Police Sgt. Brian Wright and Center Police Officer Brandon Tyler investigated the crash.
November 29, 2025 - A line of strong thunderstorms will impact eastern Nacogdoches, central Angelina, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby counties and
southwestern De Soto and western Sabine parishes until 10pm CST.
At 9pm CST, Doppler radar was tracking a line of strong thunderstorms extending from near Timpson to 11 miles south of Macune, or extending from 12 miles northwest of Center to 30 miles east of Lufkin, moving east at 25 mph.
Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.
Locations impacted include: Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Center, Milam, Huntington, San Augustine, Zwolle, Logansport, Hemphill, Pineland, Converse, Bland Lake, Neuville, Macune, Patroon, Rosevine, Shelbyville, Martinsville, Etoile and Melrose.
:
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening weather conditions.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
November 29, 2025 - The National Weather Service Shreveport, Louisiana forecasts rain will return to the area late tonight. Rain is likely from 3am-6am and then in the afternoon 3pm-9pm followed by occassional, on-and-off rain from 9pm through midnight. Rain returns to likely from midnight until 3am Sunday with only a slight chance of rain through 12-noon.
Monday morning from midnight to noon there is a slight chance to a chance of rain. Then the second half of the day from 12-noon forward rain is likely. Tuesday starts with a slight chance of rain until 6am. After the rain stops, cloud coverage will continue to decrease the remainder of the day.
Tuesday, expect a clear sky with temperatures around 40-41 during the Christmas Tree Community Lighting Ceremony on the historic downtown Center Square.
A seasonably mild night is in store as temperatures drop off into the 40s with a few upper 30s possible in northern zones. Clouds will also increase ahead of returning rainfall from the west, gradually spreading east overnight.
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms will spread across our Four-State area Saturday through Saturday night with a Marginal Risk for both flash flooding and severe weather covering parts of the region.
Detailed Forecast
- Tonight: Showers likely, mainly after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 42. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Saturday: A chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Saturday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 3am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3am. Low around 35. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday: Showers likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Monday Night: Showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
November 26, 2025 - Shelby County Tax office and Motor Vehicle will be closing at 1pm today, Wednesday November 26th and will reopen Monday December 1, 2025 at 8am.
Payments for property tax can be made on-line at tax.shelbytaxpayment.com . November amount will be accepted on Monday due to the holiday.
We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Debora Riley
Shelby County Tax Assessor-Collector
November 25, 2025 - FM 139 in the vicinity of CR 3361 was the scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash on Sunday, November 23, 2025.
When emergency responders arrived at the location sometime around 1pm, they found an SUV upside down in the ditch beside the roadway.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Matt Chandler, a brown 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Dawn Denise Pacileo, 60, of Logansport was traveling northwest on FM 139 approaching a curve and failed to drive in a single lane.
The Jeep left the road to the right and Pacileo attempted to drive back onto the roadway where the vehicle entered a side-skid and traveled across the oncoming traffic lane. The Jeep finally came to rest on its top and side facing southeast.
Pacileo was determined to be intoxicated and was transported by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for possible injuries.
Passengers in the Jeep including David Lee Fults, 61, of Joaquin and Tycus Boyd, 64, of Logansport were not reported to have been injured.
Pacileo was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Assisting at the scene were Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department personnel and Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies.
Pages
