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November 1, 2022 - Commissioner Tom Bellmyer reports work on CR 4275 has ended and the roadway is back open to traffic.


October 17, 2022 - According to Commissioner Tom Bellmyer, the bridge on County Road 4275 is temporarily closed for a bridge replacement. The bridge is located at the headwaters of Ramsey Creek. The partial road closure is for an extended time with the closure expected to be a minimum of 3 weeks.

Access to the other end of CR 4275 is available from FM 1645.

November 1, 2022 - Commissioner McSwain reports as of 1:45pm November 1, CR 1430 is back open.


October 31, 2022 - Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, announces CR 1430 (Green Wood Drive) adjacent to State Highway 87 will be closed Tuesday, November 1, 2022, from 9am until 2pm. 

November 1, 2022 - The month of October 2022 had 5 days of rain, however, the total rain fall only came to 1.91 inches.

The weather data for Center, Texas during the past month is as follows:

Hottest temperature - 90.1 on October 12 and 15
Lowest temperature - 30.0 on October 19
Total rain fall for the month - 1.91 inches
Number of days with rain - 5 days

10/01/2022 - Low of 45.9, High of 81.0
10/02/2022 - Low of 45.9, High of 84.4
10/03/2022 - Low of 48.7, High of 85.1
10/04/2022 - Low of 50.0, High of 84.9
10/05/2022 - Low of 52.3, High of 86.4
10/06/2022 - Low of 51.3, High of 89.8
10/07/2022 - Low of 58.1, High of 85.5 
10/08/2022 - Low of 59.2, High of 82.9
10/09/2022 - Low of 53.6, High of 84.6
10/10/2022 - Low of 54.5, High of 86.9
10/11/2022 - Low of 54.5, High of 85.5
10/12/2022 - Low of 59.2, High of 90.1
10/13/2022 - Low of 56.1, High of 84.6, Rain 0.15
10/14/2022 - Low of 48.6, High of 88.2
10/15/2022 - Low of 57.2, High of 90.1
10/16/2022 - Low of 65.8, High of 82.4 
10/17/2022 - Low of 54.0, High of 74.7, Rain 0.12
10/18/2022 - Low of 41.9, High of 63.7
10/19/2022 - Low of 30.0, High of 65.7
10/20/2022 - Low of 38.3, High of 81.5
10/21/2022 - Low of 57.2, High of 85.8
10/22/2022 - Low of 55.8, High of 84.9
10/23/2022 - Low of 61.2, High of 86.9
10/24/2022 - Low of 70.3, High of 81.9 
10/25/2022 - Low of 47.8, High of 76.3, Rain 0.65 
10/26/2022 - Low of 41.2, High of 74.7
10/27/2022 - Low of 40.6, High of 74.1
10/28/2022 - Low of 53.1, High of 65.7, Rain 0.36 
10/29/2022 - Low of 58.1, High of 62.8, Rain 0.63 
10/30/2022 - Low of 53.8, High of 69.3
10/31/2022 - Low of 50.4, High of 79.3

October 31, 2022 - Shelby County Sheriff Kevin W. Windham reports the recovery of a stolen four-wheeler.

On October 28, 2022, patrol deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office began working the report of a 2021 Honda Rancher 400 that was stolen from a property on Highway 7 E in Center.

Deputies were able to obtain video footage of the suspect driving the four-wheeler and turning onto FM 2608 in Center. Deputies followed the four-wheeler tracks to FM 414 in the Sardis Community and learned that the suspect was seen heading towards CR 3080.

Members in the community began helping look for the four-wheeler and it was located off the roadway in underlying brush. The four-wheeler was transported back to the SCSO where it will be returned to the owner.

The SCSO would like to thank the community for assisting us in locating the four-wheeler and looking out for their neighbors. This investigation is ongoing,

October 31, 2022 - Shelby County Sheriff Kevin W. Windham reports the recovery of a stolen vehicle.

On October 24, 2022, Lieutenant Investigator Chad Hooper began working the report of a 2000 Ford pickup that was stolen from Carroll Street in Joaquin. Lieutenant Hooper learned that the alleged suspect of the truck had been arrested in Cherokee County on October 26.

Hooper traveled to Cherokee County and made contact with the suspect who confessed to taking the vehicle without the owner’s permission. The suspect, Franklin Goodman, told Lt. Hooper where the vehicle was located, and the recovery of the vehicle was successful.

The vehicle was transported back to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for the owner to pickup.

The owner of the vehicle has signed an affidavit of non-prosecution in this case.

October 31, 2022 - The last full week of October came to a close with 4 total calls for the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department. Here’s a summary of the weeks events.

The first call of the week came in on Sunday afternoon for a male who had fallen and was unable to get up on County Road 3620. The man stated to the responding EMR team that he could not feel anything below his neck. Allegiance EMS arrived shortly thereafter and decided that the man should be transported by way of helicopter to a nearby hospital. The JVFD set up a landing zone at the baseball field for the incoming LifeAir helicopter.

The next page was received Tuesday night for a fire on the side of Highway 7 East. Upon arrival the JVFD found a small campfire in the back yard of a property and made contact with a person sitting by the fire to inform them of the current burn ban.

Wednesday night the JVFD would briefly be called to the Joaquin High School football field for an injured player. After a few minutes the page was recalled due to the player being transported to the emergency room in a personal vehicle.

The final call for the week came in Saturday evening for an elderly female with chest pains on County Road 3635. The EMR team responded to check the patient’s vital signs while Allegiance EMS was en route. The patient was later transported by ambulance to a nearby emergency room.

With that, this report will come to a close. The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department hopes everyone has a great and safe week, and a Happy Halloween. 

October 29, 2022 - Timpson councilman Kenneth "Kenny" Walker was laid to rest following services held at First Baptist Church of Timpson on Saturday, October 29, 2022.

After the ceremony, a funeral procession left the church traveling south on State Highway 87 escorted by the Timpson Volunteer Fire Department of which Walker was a member and Shelby County Constable Precinct 5.

Walker has been a councilman since 2020.

See his obituary by clicking here.

October 29, 2022 - A manhunt that began in Lufkin Friday, October 29, 2022, ended safely in Garrison with the capture of the suspect with the assistance of multiple agencies including officers from Shelby County.

Law enforcement officials from Shelby County included Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Shelby County Constables from Precinct 5, Precinct 4, and Precinct 3, as well as Center Police Department.

Additional details can be read by clicking here


Stephen F. Austin State University will host Showcase Saturday on Nov. 12, which is an in-person, open-house event that offers college-bound students and their families a unique opportunity to experience life as a Lumberjack.

October 28, 2022 — College-bound students and their families are invited to Stephen F. Austin State University’s in-person, on-campus Showcase Saturday event November 12, which offers participants a unique opportunity to experience life as a Lumberjack.

“Showcase Saturday is more than a campus visit — it’s a chance to be immersed in the full Lumberjack experience,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, SFA interim president. “I welcome prospective students and their families to our beautiful campus for the chance to learn about our academics, ask questions, and take their first steps toward making SFA their future home.”

SFA’s Showcase Saturday provides an opportunity for college-bound students to spend a day experiencing university life firsthand, touring the campus and having all their college questions answered.

Registration and check-in will begin at 10 a.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza. Several optional early-bird sessions will be ongoing between check-in and the day’s opening program, which is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Those include a student services fair, campus tours and special interest sessions covering a range of topics, like Veterans Affairs, the Hazlewood Act and being a first-generation college student and family, among others.

“Exploring academic programs, meeting current students, faculty and staff, and touring the campus are just a few of the incredible experiences we have planned for our guests,” said Emily Jefferson, director of undergraduate recruitment in SFA’s Office of Admissions. “Our goal is for our prospective students and families to leave Showcase with fewer questions than when they arrived and feel excited and prepared as they take the next steps of pursuing higher education.”

During the opening program, students will attend presentations by college representatives based on their academic major of interest.

Come-and-go events will run from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. These include an academic fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center, tours of residence halls and the recreation center from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and a #JacksGetInvolved student organization fair from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Raguet Plaza, which is the walkway running between the Miller Science Building and McGee Business Building.

Thirty-minute breakout sessions will run from 1:45 to 3 p.m. and will cover such topics as financial aid, first-year and transfer admissions, and both Residence Life and Dining Services.

Optional tours of academic facilities will run from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and will take participants to the DeWitt School of Nursing Complex, Todd Agricultural Research Center, A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport, and the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center.

In addition to a high-energy Lumberjack experience, participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing a program evaluation form.

To register for SFA’s Showcase Saturday and for more information, visit sfasu.edu/showcase.

October 27, 2022 - (Update: 7pm): Sheriff Kevin Windham reports Willie McGuire has been found, and he is safe. 


The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Willie Daniel McGuire, 61, of Timpson. McGuire is described as a black male, 6’1” tall, 200 pounds, bald, with brown eyes.

McGuire was reported missing October 27, 2022. He was last seen leaving Nix Forestry, his place of employment, on October 14, 2022. McGuire owns a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer, brown in color, bearing Texas Plate BD7N138, and a white Lexus 4-door, white with a gold strip at the bottom and chrome wheels.

If anyone has any information on the disappearance of McGuire, please contact SCSO Lieutenant Investigator Chad Hooper at 936-572-5045 or Josh Tipton Constable Pct. 5 at 936-615-8223.

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