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May 1, 2021 - Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigated an auto-pedestrian crash early this morning on SH 7, about two miles east of Nacogdoches.
The preliminary crash investigation indicates at approximately 1:25 a.m., a pedestrian was reportedly struck in the westbound lanes of SH 7. The driver that struck the pedestrian failed to stop at the scene of the crash and has not been located.
The pedestrian is identified as 60-year-old Charles Chandler from Center. Chandler was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash by a Nacogdoches County Justice of the Peace.
Investigators are requesting anyone with any information in regards to this crash to please contact local law enforcement or Lufkin DPS Communications at (936)- 699-7340.
The vehicle possibly involved in this crash is believed to be an older model Cadillac or Buick passenger car.
Additional information is not available at this time.
April 30, 2021 - Center Police Department was dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on Tenaha Street Monday, April 26, 2021.
The crash occurred just before the intersection with Hudson Street at around 8:30pm.
When officers arrived, a white 2007 Ford Edge had come to rest in some bushes and a white 2008 GMC Acadia was facing out from a private driveway.
According to Center Police Officer Maegan Wright, a white 2007 Ford Edge driven by Bradley Porter, 29, was northbound on Tenaha Street. As the Ford approached a private driveway, a white 2008 GMC Acadia driven by Corbin Odom, 18, entered Tenaha Street in front of the Ford and caused the vehicles to collide.
Maggie Vaughn, 30, a passenger in the Ford was transported by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Shelby Emergency Department for possible treatment.
Odom was not reported to have been injured, a 17-year-old and 16-year-old passenger were both in the GMC and the 17-year-old was taken by private vehicle to a medical facility.
Odom was issued a citation for failure to yield right of way and Porter and Vaughn were each issued citations for open container.
April 30, 2021 - According to the Texas DSHS Covid-19 Dashboard, 1 new death, 74 new cases, and 138 recoveries were reported in the month of April.
The active cases went from 85 down to 20.
April 30th (2:50pm) Numbers: (changes since April 1st)
Total Confirmed Cases - 932 (30 new)
Total Probable Cases - 742 (44 new)
Total Fatalities - 67 (1 new)
Active Cases - 20
Total Estimated Recovered - 1,587 (138 new)
April 1st (1:55pm) Numbers:
Total Confirmed Cases - 902
Total Probable Cases - 698
Total Fatalities - 66
Total Estimated Active Cases - 85
Total Estimated Recovered - 1,449
From March 29 through April 25, Shelby County has administered 2,001 vaccinations. The total number of vaccinations administered to persons living in Shelby County is 8,731. Doses Administered are doses providers have entered into ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry, by recipient county of residence.
The county has an estimated population of 19,449 of people 16 years of age and older.
Additional Vaccination Numbers:
One Dose Vaccinated Graph Above
One Dose Vaccinated
Number of People Vaccinated with at least One Dose: 5,224
Percentage of Population 16+ Vaccinated with At Least One Dose: 24.84%
Percentage of Population 65+ Vaccinated with At Least One Dose: 50.57%
Fully Vaccinated Graph Above
Fully Vaccinated
Number of People Fully Vaccinated: 4,180
Percentage of Population 16+ Fully Vaccinated: 20.48%
Percentage of Population 65+ Fully Vaccinated: 44.48%
Total Number of Doses Allocated to Shelby County: 10,050
April 30, 2021 - U.S. Highway 59 at the intersection with U.S. Highway 84 was the scene of a major two-vehicle crash in Timpson on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:50pm.
Emergency personnel with Timpson Volunteer Fire Department, Volunteer Ambulance Service and Shelby County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival a white 2018 Acura RDX was located on the southbound median and a black 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport was also in the inside southbound lane on a curb.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Brent Murray, the white Acura RDX driven by Ann Youngblood Tomlin, 75, of Center was eastbound on U.S. Highway 84. At that time a black 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport was southbound on U.S. 59.
The Acura failed to yield right of way at a stop sign to the Land Rover which then struck the Acura.
Tomlin was transported from the scene by Timpson Volunteer Ambulance Service to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Shelby Emergency Department. Her passenger Gracie Lynn Clifton, 20, was taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital by private vehicle.
A citation was issued to Tomlin for disregard stop sign.
TVFD diverted traffic around the crash location until both vehicles were cleared.
April 29, 2021 - The National Weather Service, Shreveport, LA, issued a special weather statement at 11:15pm CDT, Thursday, April 29, 2021. The significant weather advisory is for Northeastern Nacogdoches, Shelby, and Northwestern San Augustine Counties until midnight.
At 11:15pm CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Martinsville, or 11 miles east of Nacogdoches, moving northeast at 45 mph.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include Center, Joaquin, Melrose, Patroon, Shelbyville, Martinsville, Bland Lake, Neuville, Appleby, Chireno, Hurstown, James, Jericho, Calgary, Stockman, Arcadia and Jordans Store.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
April 28, 2021 – Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators arrested Jacob Twomey of Panola County on Monday, April 26, on a grand jury indictment. Twomey was charged with Timber Purchase as Trustee with Intent to Defraud an amount greater than $500, but less than $20,000 – a state jail felony.
The plaintiff of this case is a landowner who came into an agreement with Twomey on July 31, 2020, to harvest timber for a fixed rate per ton. While payments were made at first, about halfway through the harvesting period Twomey stopped making his payments while continuing to harvest the landowner’s timber.
“The plaintiff was partially paid for his timber,” said Mike Kuhnert, an investigator for the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department. “But after payments stopped, he continued to cut. By the end of the harvest, the money had still not been received.”
Investigator Kuhnert first received the complaint on November 2, 2020. The suspect was then conducting business as One Up Services, an LLC based out of Tenaha, Texas, which is owned and operated by Twomey.
“Multiple opportunities were given to compensate the landowner in full, because that is our ultimate goal,” said Kuhnert. “When no resolution was reached, the case was submitted to a grand jury and received a grand jury indictment.”
Landowners who have entered into agreements with timber harvesting companies have the protection of the law under the Texas Natural Resources Code. Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators are subject matter experts regarding this code, and the natural resources code states that money collected from timber is trust money. If a trustee fails to pay all beneficiaries for the timber within 45 days of the timber being sold, that person has committed the offense of timber fraud.
“Timber Theft is a growing crime in Panola County, and my office will prosecute these crimes as they occur,” said Danny Buck Davidson, Criminal District Attorney. “I appreciate the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department in assisting our landowners with protecting their timber assets.”
To report suspected timber theft activities, call the timber theft hotline at 1-800-364-3470, and for more information, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/lawenforcement/reporttimbertheft/
April 28, 2021 - FM 711 was the scene of a single-vehicle crash Tuesday, April 27, 2021 which resulted in major damage to the vehicle involved.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, at around 10:45am a green 2016 Dodge van owned by BWNLG LLC and driven by Blake Elder, 21, of Beckville was northbound on FM 711 traveling at an unsafe speed just under eight miles from State Highway 7.
As the van entered a curve in the roadway, it traveled off the roadway and Elder overcorrected a couple times before finally leaving the roadway and flipping over.
EMS personnel arrived at the scene and Elder and his passenger Michael Watson, 26, refused treatment.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash. Elder was issued a citation for unsafe speed.
April 27, 2021 - Tenaha ISD breakfast and lunch menus for May 2021. Click each below to view the menu.
April 27, 2021 - Former Vice President Walter Mondale's funeral services are being scheduled for September. Flags at the White House and Federal Capitol have been returned to full-staff.
April 21, 2021 - Today, our Nation mourns the loss of one of our Nation’s most dedicated patriots and public servants. Walter Frederick “Fritz” Mondale served the people of Minnesota as their Attorney General from 1960-1964, as a United States Senator from 1964-1976, as Vice President of the United States from 1977-1981, and as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 1993-1996.
As a mark of respect for Walter Mondale and his life of service to our Nation, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including section 7 of title 4, United States Code, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations".
Day of interment has not yet been established.
Read the Proclamation here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/20/a-proclamation-on-the-death-of-walter-mondale/
All flags flying with the United States Flag should also be lowered. If you have a flag that cannot be lowered, respect can be shown by tying a black ribbon or cord to the top of the mast.
April 27, 2021 - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the Sand Hills public water system, PWS 2100013, to issue a Boil Water Notice on April 22nd, 2021 to inform customers, individuals, oremployees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of April 27th, 2021.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Stacy Cranford at 936-572-0973.
Effective April 22, 2021
April 23, 2021 - Due to a loss in system pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Sandhill public water system to notify all customers from Aiken to Martinsville 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 Stacy Cranford at 936-572-0973.
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