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December 10, 2025 - The Shelby County Commissioners updated the sick leave policy, shortening the employment time before an employee can participate in the sick leave pool Wednesday November 26, 2025.
The sick leave policy originally required someone be employed continuously for 12 months before being eligible for participation in the pool, and through their action the commissioners reduced that time period by nine months.
Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, described what changes he felt were necessary to the Sick Leave Pool policy.
“Our policy at this time says that you have to be employed a year prior to sign-up and that’s unfortunate for people that get hired January, February, March or something, because that same year they missed the sign-up, and they have to wait nearly two years,” said McSwain. “My proposal is to change it to, if you’re hired before October 1, you’re at 90 days and your still matched, you’ll be able to sign up instead of having to get hung in a trap of waiting nearly two years.”
Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison verbalized the change the sick pool policy “Eligibility” section to reflect at least three months instead of 12 months and the second page of the policy under “Enrollment and Contributions to the Pool” to at least three months instead of 12 months. Commissioner McSwain moved in response to Judge Harbison’s statement and Shannon Metcalf, Commissioner Precinct 2, seconded the motion and it carried.
The commissioners decided to move forward with the implementation of credit/debit card machines at Justice of the Peace offices as a preferred method of payment for those offices.
The commissioners discussed adding the credit card payment machines to the Justice of the Peace offices and the possibility of moving on to a card, check or money order only payment policy eliminating the cash payment option
Allison Harbison, Shelby County Judge, said that she has spoken to several of the Justices of the Peace and that they were in favor of making the change.
Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, commented on her favor for the implementation of the policy.
“I think we need to put the credit card machines in the offices and give them that ability, because every one of them say that people come in with cards all the time,” said Blackwell.
Blackwell didn’t think it would be likely that cash could be eliminated; however, cutting the amount down that’s handled would be very likely
“Let’s work toward cutting down on so much cash, that’s got to help us in appearing that we’re trying to do something to move toward clearing up this audit finding that we have every year,” said Blackwell.
John Price, County Attorney, agreed with Jim Allison, general council for the Texas Association of Counties, in that there’s no clear authority on whether a county can adopt a completely cashless policy.
“To me, I would be a little uncomfortable adopting a cashless policy until we have something a little more definitive such as maybe an Attorney General’s opinion, which we can certainly request,” said Price.
Tom Bellmyer, Commissioner Precinct 4, moved to contact a credit card vendor to set the credit card system up, meet with the JP’s and train them and set a time to go live. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Metcalf and the motion carried.
John Pope, Shelby County Constable Precinct 5, introduced the donation of two WatchGuard 4RE camera systems from Montgomery County Police Department to the commissioners and described how the donation came to pass.
“It’s the same camera system that me and the Sheriff’s Office is running,” said Constable Pope.
Constable Pope said that the law enforcement in Montgomery County had advertised in their local newspaper they had equipment to donate and Constable Pope made contact.
“He said he was looking for small departments and he got it ok’d and he ended up giving us two of them instead of one in case we needed parts or something for one,” said Pope.
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to accept the donation and Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, seconded the motion after which carried.
When the commissioners examined the weekly expenses during the meeting, there were three charges from a local funeral home that would have been for picking up deceased individuals. Commissioner McSwain wanted clarification on what one of the charges was for, because it wasn’t immediately clear the charge indicated a pickup of an individual that was being transported for an autopsy. The county is normally charged only if someone is picked up and an autopsy is necessary for investigation purposes.
Commissioner McSwain move to approve paying the weekly expenses with the exception of invoice 237626 to allow for further study. His motion was seconded by Commissioner Metcalf, and the motion carried.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Weekly Expenses. 2. Donation of two Watch Guard 4RE camera systems from Montgomery County Police Department for Constable Pct. 5. 3. Add credit card payment ability to the JP offices and moving to a card, check or money order only payment system and eliminating cash payment option. 4. Update the Sick Leave Pool policy. 5. Adjourn 10:23am.
December 9, 2025 - In their final meeting of 2025, members of the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department elected their leaders for the upcoming year. The results are as follows:
Fire Chief - Jeremy Boyett
1st Assistant Chief - Stephen Ewing
2nd Assistant Chief - Michael Bates
Secretary/ Treasurer - Julie Bates
Training Officer - Stephen Ewing
Fire Marshal - Jeremy Boyett
Assistant Fire Marshal - James Walker
Traffic Officer - Tommy Boyett
Safety Officer - Steve Cockrell
Maintenance Officer - Michael Bates
Reporter - Stephen Ewing
Chaplain - Steve Cockrell
Communications Officer - Matt Schnase
The members of the Joaquin VFD would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Go Rams!
December 8, 2025 - Porter Street between Logansport St. and Cora St. will be closed on December 9, 2025, Tuesday.
Closure will begin at 8am – 5pm, Contractor will be boring new gas lines in the area.
December 6, 2025 - The Texas A&M Forest Service awarded the second round of equipment grants for Fiscal Year 2026 on December 5, 2025. Approximately $17.6 million in grants was awarded
to Texas volunteer fire departments and five Shelby County fire department were listed among the 753 departments receiving grant funding.
Each of the following fire departments received $25,000 for Fire and Rescue Equipment: Center Fire Department, Huxley Volunteer Fire Department, Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department, Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department, and Timpson Volunteer Fire Department.
In October 2025, the first round of funding was announced for approximately $164 million in grants with $1,675,000 being awarded to local Shelby County fire departments for essential firefighting equipment.
Related Article: Local Fire Departments Receive $1.6 Million from Texas A&M Forest Service
Press Release from Texas A&M Forest Service announcing the Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Funding distribution:
Texas A&M Forest Service Awards $17 Million to Texas Fire Departments
Thanks to a historic investment by the 89th Texas Legislature, Texas A&M Forest Service approved an additional $17.6 million in funding to award 687 fire and rescue equipment grants and 66 dry hydrant grants to Texas volunteer fire departments through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program today.
The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program was established by Texas House Bill 2604 in 2001 to provide grants to rural volunteer fire departments for essential firefighting equipment and training. Since its onset, the program has awarded over $500 million in grants to Texas fire departments.
Today’s funding was the second phase in distributing over $192 million to Texas volunteer fire departments, following an appropriation approved by the 89th Texas Legislature for departments that submitted funding requests on or before November 7, 2024.
During the legislative session, this program was also appropriated approximately $88 million in base funding for the biennium (fiscal years 2026-27)—the most ever allocated—to address ongoing needs for critical equipment at the local level.
Additional funding for personal protective equipment and training aids will be awarded to Texas fire departments in the coming months.
Texas fire departments are eligible to apply for grants and assistance through FireConnect, a Texas A&M Forest Service database that provides a streamlined grant portal for the agency and fire departments. FireConnect also provides a comprehensive directory of Texas fire departments that is viewable for the public and all Texas fire agencies, as well as a portal for fire departments to submit incident reports and search for firefighting equipment in times when mutual aid is needed on emergency scenes.
December 6, 2025 - FM 3172 near CR 2657 was the scene of a two-vehicle crash Wednesday, December 3, 2025, just after 4:30pm.
When fire personnel arrived, one vehicle was located partially in the southeast bound traffic lane and the other involved in the incident was on the northwest bound shoulder.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Matt Chandler, a two-tone 1993 GMC pickup truck driven by John Edward Mayhaw, 67, of Austin was traveling northwest on FM 3172. At that time a white 2009 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Jeffery Scott Still, 61, of Spring attempted to make a left turn in to a private driveway of a church and failed to yield right of way to approaching traffic turning left causing the vehicles to collide.
Still was not reported to have been injured as a result of the crash. His passenger Connie Lynn Still, 60, of Spring was transported by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for treatment of possible injury.
Mayhaw was also uninjured, He was issued a citation for no insurance.
Still was issued a citation for fail to yield right of way.
Huxley and Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Departments assisted with traffic control until the scene was clear.
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.
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