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Dean’s Hardware in Joaquin, Texas on Friday, December 22, 2023 –
Dean’s Hardware in Joaquin, Texas will be closing on December 29th of this year. The store has been operating throughout three generations. The business originally opened in 1919 as L.B.(Louie) Dean’s Garage, on the south side of the town’s square, on Belle Street which is now U.S. Highway 84.
This article is copied from Shelby County Today without permission.
By 1930 the business had grown and evolved into a Chevrolet dealership and sold Gulf Oil products. Louie and Sue Dean ran the store’s operations and the business changed from car sales in the 1940s to hardware and farm supplies sales until their respective deaths in 1952. Their son Webb Dean returned to Joaquin in 1952 after graduating from Texas A&M University and two years of service in the U.S. Army. He took over operations at the hardware business until his death in 2001. Dean’s Hardware has always been family owned and currently is ran by Louie’s grandson Rodney, and wife Gearline Dean, and has sold hardware, appliances, and farm supplies and has been a valued part of the community.
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Joaquin City Council members Jessie Griffith, Cathy Atkinson and Steve Cockrell were on hand to present a plaque to the Dean’s as recognition of service to the community for 104 years.
December 22, 2023 - Please note the changes to the City of Center's trash pickup schedule for the Holiday Weekends:
For the weeks of December 25 – January 5, all residential trash pickup routes will run one day later than usual. Routes that normally run on Monday and Thursday will run on Tuesday and Friday. Routes that normally run on Tuesday and Friday will run on Wednesday and Saturday. Beginning January 8, all routes will resume their normal schedules.
City Hall will be closed December 25 – 26 and January 1.
December 21, 2023 - On December 14th, 2023, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the City Of Huxley public water system, PWS 210019, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees 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 December 20th, 2023.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Huxley Water Treatment Plant at 936-368-2633 or
City Hall at 936-368-2266.
December 14, 2023 - Due to a broken water main the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required The City of Huxley public water system (PWS) ID# 2100019 to notify all City of Huxley water customers 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 rescind 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 Kevin Jacobs at (936) 368-2377 or Justin Belrose at (936) 368-2266.
Update: A total bond was set of $275,000 for Sarah Elizabeth Ramon. Individual bonds set were for Indecency with a Child (F-3) was $75,000; for Sexual Assault of a Child (F-2) was $100,000 and for Improper Relationship between Educator and Student (F-2) was $100,000. The arraignment was handled by Shelby County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1, Donna Hughes.
The Joaquin ISD Board of Trustees voted to accept Ramon's December 5, 2023, resignation during their meeting held December 18, 2023.
December 19, 2023 - Shelby County Sheriff Kevin W. Windham reports the arrest of Sarah Elizabeth Ramon, 28, of Joaquin.
Ramon turned herself in Tuesday, December 19, 2023, and was booked into the Shelby County Jail.
This arrest is the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Investigators. Ramon was arrested on Indecency with a Child (F-3); Sexual Assault of a Child (F-2), Improper Relationship between Educator and Student (F-2). Ramon is currently awaiting arraignment by a Shelby County Magistrate.
This is an ongoing extensive investigation and no further information will be released at this time.
December 18, 2023 - With families coming together for the holiday season, Covid cases are on the rise and individuals who need the Pfizer medicine Paxlovid may find it inaccessible due to cost.
PAXCESS, a patient support program, could be a cost saving resource with the potential to pay as little as $0 for your PAXLOVID prescription. Beginning December 1, 2023, for those who don’t have commercial insurance, PAXCESS may be able to help with the U.S. Government Patient Assistance Program (USG PAP) operated by Pfizer.
For patients who don’t meet the requirements for the PAXCESS Co-Pay Savings Program, other resources may be available.
For more information, visit online https://www.paxlovid.com/paxcess
(Editor's note: For those uninsured, to fill out to enter the USG Patient Assistance Program, scroll down and click on the underlined 'PAXCESS Patient Portal' which is located just above the 'Important Safety Information & Use' section.)
Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, explained to the court his plan for work to be performed on CR 4356 while school is out for the holiday.
December 16, 2023 - Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, presented the Shelby County Commissioners’ Court with a plan during their December 13, 2023 meeting to close CR 4356 over the Christmas holiday.
Commissioner Bellmyer explained the roadway is beside the Center Country Club off U.S. Highway 96 north. He stated the roadway will be blocked between CR 4314 and CR 4293.
“No one lives in that section, and the mail route does not run that,” said Bellmyer.
Commissioner Bellmyer explained the reason he is waiting until December 20, is to not interfere with the school buses that travel that route.
“Center schools will close at noon on the 20th, we’re going to close the road that day and actually tear out the bridge that afternoon and we have until January 8 to try and have it finished, if the weather cooperates.”
Commissioner Bellmyer made a motion to close the road for two weeks, and a second was given by Jimmy Lout, Commissioner Precinct 2.
The commissioners discussed the reallocation of Constable vehicles from all of the precincts once they have received their new replacement vehicles.
Commissioners Bellmyer remarked he is down a truck and if one isn’t available, he will need to purchase another one to replace the one which recently broke down. Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, commented Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, is having the most difficulty of any of the commissioners involving vehicles and that McSwain told Smith he would give him one of the former Sheriff’s Department trucks McSwain currently has once he has received the Constable Precinct 1 truck.
Commissioner McSwain moved for the Commissioner Precinct 1 to receive the Constable Precinct 1 pickup truck and the motion received a second from Commissioner Bellmyer.
Commissioner Jimmy Lout, Precinct 2 Commissioner, moved for Commissioner Precinct 2 to receive the Constable Precinct 2 pickup truck, the motion was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer.
Commissioner McSwain moved for Commissioner 3 to receive the Constable Precinct 3 truck and for courthouse security to receive the Precinct 4 Constable vehicle, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith.
Commissioner McSwain commented he may be able to give Commissioner Bellmyer one of the trucks he has which has a new transmission, but may need other work.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Minutes of November 1, 2023 Special meeting, November 8, 2023 Regular meeting, November 15, 2023 Special meeting, November 20, 2023 Special meeting, November 29 Special meeting, of the Shelby County Commissioner’s Court. 2. Pay weekly expenses. 3. Officers Report. 4. Commissioner Pct. 4 to close County Road 4356 for bridge work on December 20th and plan to reopen January 8th. 5. Reallocate current Constable 1, 2, 3, and 4 vehicles to their respective commissioner precincts with the exception of the Precinct 4 vehicle which will go to courthouse security. 6. Accept reimbursement from TAMU for work on Texas Forest Service roads for the period of 1/1/22 through 12/31/23. Exact amount of grant to be provided by TAMU. 7. Adjourn at 10:03am.
December 15, 2023 - State Highway 7 West near CR 1245 was the scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a Center ISD school bus bring students back from an athletic event Thursday night, December 14, 2023.
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Emergency personnel with the West Shelby County Volunteer Fire Department, and Shelby County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene to assist those involve and to assist Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers as they investigated the incident.
According to details released by the Texas Department of Public Safety DPS, Troopers the preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 9:10pm, a blue 2008 Ford F-150 driven by Sharon Rains, 56, of Center was traveling east in the right lane, while a Center ISD school bus [2009 IC BUS PC015] carrying a 13 total children and driven by Kevin Smith, 44, of Longview traveling east in the left lane. It is reported that the driver of the Ford made an unsafe lane change and struck the school bus. After impact, the Ford traveled into the ditch and overturned.
Rains was taken to a local hospital via personal vehicle for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
One student on the school bus was transported to a local hospital via personal vehicle for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
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According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time; however, identifying information on the driver of the school bus has not yet been released.
From left: Center Economic Development Corp. Member Terry Scull, Center Economic Development Corp. President John Snider, City of Center Mayor David Chadwick, Etex’s first customer in Center - Shelby County Today’s owner J.J. Ford, Etex Sales Rep. Brittany Murray, Etex General Manager and CEO Charlie Cano, and City of Center Manager Chad Nehring.
December 14, 2023 - Etex is proud to announce that they have installed their first Internet customer in Center!
Shelby County Today has been connected to the new state of the art fiber network and will begin benefiting from a reliable, affordable and unlimited broadband connection. Owner J.J Ford said, “We are excited to be the first Etex customer in Center. Internet connectivity has been a challenge for years with slow internet speeds and poor reliability having a negative impact on productivity. I am relieved to finally have high speed broadband at an affordable price that will help our business improve. Goodbye to the spinning wheel.”
Over the past year, Etex and the Center Economic Development Corporation have partnered to bring fiber broadband to the community. The project is estimated to invest over $6 million in fiber construction, connecting the majority of businesses and over 50% of the community in phase one. City Manager Chad Nehring says, “The goal in the partnership is to build fiber to the entire city over the next several years. After we complete the first phase, we will be able to plan out the remaining phases, with the goal of every structure in town being connected.”
Etex General Manager and CEO Charlie Cano says, “As a rural broadband provider, we are dedicated to serving East Texas with options usually only offered in urban areas. We have been a local provider in East Texas for over 70 years and are proud to invest in the communities we live in.”
To check your address for eligibility, please visit fiber.etex.net.
Etex and others were discussing disaster situations and the benefit of fiber during those times.
Once ETEX's internet was connected, SCT did a speed test with it's previous DSL Internet provider (18 mbps plan) and ETEX Internet (150 mbps plan). The results are displayed with ETEX above and other provider below. ETEX displays at Cherokee County Electric Co-Op, Bullard, TX.
December 14, 2023 - State Highway 7 West just near FM 2913 was the scene of a two-vehicle crash Thursday, December 7, 2023.
West Shelby County Volunteer Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the location and assisted Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers investigating the incident.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Keith Jones, at 5:51pm a 2022 white Chevrolet Trail Blazer driven by Jared Cross Listenbee, 31, of Center was westbound on State Highway 7 failed to control speed and struck the rear of a 2017 self-made flat bed trailer being pulled by a white 2015 GMC pickup truck driven by Larry Wayne Kopycinsky, Jr., 43, of Center.
Listenbee was transported by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center for treatment of possible injuries. Citations were issued to Listenbee for failure to control speed and for not wearing a seatbelt.
Using Attorney General Paxton’s Signature and Seal
December 11, 2023 – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is warning citizens that scammers are sending fraudulent emails using his name, signature, and the Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) Seal to obtain sensitive personal information.
The examples found by the OAG pretend to be from the Social Security Board, fraudulently warning that the person’s social security number will be suspended due to being charged with crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering, theft, and tax evasion. These emails may also tell the recipient to call a toll-free phone number that the scammers will use to steal their personal information.
If you have received a similar letter or email, DO NOT CALL the number or provide any information.
Similar “phishing” scam campaigns have attempted to use Attorney General Paxton’s signature and seal, including in 2019 and 2022.
If you or anyone you know receives an email or any other communication like this, please report the suspected fraud to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling toll-free 1-800-621-0508, or by filing an online complaint at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint.
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