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Updated - SWEPCO expects to restore power tonight to all East Texas customers affected by outages that began Sunday afternoon.
“We’re methodically energizing our substations to ensure we can restore power to all customers tonight,” said Gary Guin, SWEPCO Director of Risk & Reliability. “The SWEPCO team appreciates our customers’ patience.”
Customers who have turned off their air conditioners and appliances may turn them on again. SWEPCO has resolved voltage problems experienced earlier today.
Since 7 p.m., SWEPCO has restored power to nearly 25,000 customers. Approximately 85,000 customers were without power at the peak. The latest outage numbers are available at SWEPCO.com/OutageMap.
Teams of SWEPCO employees continue their work to determine the cause of Sunday’s outage. Specialists patrolled power lines by helicopter. Power lines were patrolled by helicopter. Teams are downloading data from station equipment to help us better understand the cause of today’s event and prevent it from occurring in the future.
August 18, 2019 - SWEPCO is working to restore power to approximately 85,000 customers in East Texas after experiencing issues on its power grid that have led to voltage problems. SWEPCO’s power grid operated as it was designed and protected the integrity of the power lines.
Some customers who have power have experienced low voltage. We recommend turning off air conditioners and appliances to protect them.
Updated: As of 10 PM, power has been restored to DETEC Members.
August 18, 2019 - As of 8 PM, Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is reporting approximately 5,900 Members without power in Panola, Shelby and Nacogdoches County. This outage is due to a problem experienced by our power supplier, SWEPCO. At this time SWEPCO has not given a cause and a restoration time has not been given.
To protect household appliances and equipment, it is recommend that you turn off the power source to those appliances.
Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is a non-profit electricity provider serving 8 counties in Deep East Texas: San Augustine, Shelby, Sabine, Panola, Nacogdoches, Rusk, Jasper and Newton.
Update 4:47pm - FM 2390 in San Augustine County is clear and open for travel following an earlier crash. Drive safely.
Update 1:43pm - FM 2390 in San Augustine County remains closed after a propane truck overturned earlier this morning. Crews are on scene and clean-up is ongoing. Motorists should prepare for delays or choose alternate routes.
August 16, 2019 - Alert: A propane truck has overturned on FM 2390 in San Augustine County. The road is closed at this time and emergency crews are in route. Motorists should prepare for delays in the area. Reduce speed as this scene begins to clear.
August 15, 2019 - San Augustine Street in Center was the location of a two-vehicle crash involving a Center ISD school bus Wednesday, August 14, 2019.
When emergency personnel arrived, the school bus was in the westbound traffic lane of San Augustine Street and a black pickup truck was in the same lane facing the school bus.
Center ISD Police and other personnel were quick to respond to the location and help any children involved in the incident and fellow personnel.
According to Center Police Officer Brian Wright, at 4:02pm a Center ISD school bus (S-1) driven by Linda Douda, 74, was westbound on San Augustine Street almost to the intersection of Hurst Street.
At that time a heavy amount of rain was coming down when a black Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driven by Latreaser Cartwright, 54, of Center traveled through the Hurst Street intersection east bound. Cartwright lost control of the vehicle as it hydroplaned and the right passenger side of the Colorado impacted the front center of the school bus.
The bus was traveling with Leticia Abundis, 40, and two students including an 11-year-old male and a 14-year-old female.
Cartwright was transported by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Shelby Emergency Department for treatment of her injuries. The 11-year-old male passenger was also transported by ambulance as a precautionary measure.
August 15, 2019 - State Highway 7 East just under one mile outside of Center was the scene of a major single-vehicle crash.
Immediately following the incident, which took place during rainy conditions, Chris Mayfield who was also traveling on Highway 7 stopped to help the occupants of the vehicle.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, at around 4pm August 14, 2019, a white 2003 Mercury driven by Bryson Jamar Jones, 33, of Mansfield, LA. was eastbound on State Highway 7 East at an unsafe speed.
The Mercury hydroplaned, striking a guardrail on the driver's side before leaving the roadway to the right and coming to rest in trees with major damage.
Assisting troopers at the scene were deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.
Jones and a 10-month-old male child were transported by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Shelby Emergency Department for treatment of their injuries.
Jones was issued citations for unsafe speed, front seat child not secured, and driver not secured by safety belt.
August 13, 2019 - Center Police Department has released information on the arrest of a man alleged to have burglarized Bob's Pawn and Gun last week.
According to the information released by the Center Police Department, Sgt. Detective Nicole Faulkner reported at 11:53pm August 8, 2019, a Center Police Officer observed a black male, later determined to be Jerrad Dewayne Kinney, 33, of Center, standing next to a restaurant on Tenaha Street holding an assault rifle.
As the officer exited his patrol unit, he advised Kinney to drop the weapon several times, at which time Kinney dropped the weapon and took off running.
The officer began to pursue Kinney on foot and observed he had a second weapon in his other hand. Kinney rounded a corner and the officer lost sight of him.
A short time late, the officer located Kinney hiding in bushes at which time he was arrested.
Two more handguns were located by officers where Kinney had been hiding.
All of the recovered guns were observed by officers to have pawn shop tags from Bob's Pawn and Gun.
Officers traveled to the pawn shop and determined it to have been burglarized.
Kinney was charged with burglary of a building, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault against a public servant.
Shelby County Today noted in the Shelby County Jail log, Kinney was arrested on June 11, 2019 for unlawful possession of a firearm by felon, theft of firearm, burglary of building, and two charges of theft.
Kinney was released on August 8, 2019 on personal recognizance bonds for each of those previous charges, the same day he is alleged to have burglarized the pawn shop.
August 11, 2019 - Center Police Department Detectives are invetigating an apparent theft at Bob's Pawn and Gun in Center.
Sometime around 11pm August 8, 2019 a pursuit led officers to an individual on Hudson Street at Center Place Apartments. Shelby County Today witnessed an ambulance taking the suspect from the scene.
At the location of Bob's Pawn and Gun Center Police Department officers, Shelby County Sheriff's Department Deputies and Tenaha Police Department officers were investigating what appeared to have been a break-in.
Inside the building, a glass display case where guns were kept was broken. Officers at the scene also had a rifle and handguns which were in plastic evidence bags.
Additional information is pending from the Center Police Department at this time.
August 13, 2019 - A Huxley man is currently in the hospital following a shooting incident early Tuesday morning, August 13.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, at approximately 3am August 13, 2019, Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a residence in the Huxley community for an ongoing disturbance between a man and a woman.
When officers were halfway to the residence, contact with the caller was lost. When contact was re-established the female caller advised she shot the other individual involved. It was determined the victim of the shooting was William Stutts, 29, the boyfriend to the assailant.
When Lieutenant Del Birdwell first arrived at the scene he detained the suspect, secured the weapon and started basic life support on Stutts. When EMS arrived, they assumed medical care of Stutts who had been shot twice with a small caliber handgun, once in the chest and once in the neck.
Stutts was transported by ambulance to Center Municipal Airport where a landing zone was established and he was flown by helicopter to LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
No further information is available at this time and the case remains under investigation.
August 13, 2019 - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the Sand Hill Water Supply Corporation PWS ID NO. 2100013, to issue a Boil Water Notice on August 9, 2019, 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 August 13, 2019.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Stacy Cranford at 936-572-0973, 13938 Hwy 7 West Center Texas 75935.
Effective August 9, 2019 Until Further Notice
August 9, 2019 - Due to a break in the main water line causing low water pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Sand Hill Water Supply Corporation PWS ID NO. 2100013 public water system to notify all 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 rescinds the boil water notice in a manner like 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 Stacey Cranford at 936-572-0973, 13938 HWY 7 WEST CENTER TEXAS 75935.
August 13, 2019 Lufkin – Area schools will be opening their doors for the new school year this month and that means school zone signal lights will be activated and school buses will be rolling.
Motorists are urged to obey all school zones and traffic control while lights are activated.
“This is an important time of year for many area children, teachers and parents,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “Many drivers will be in a hurry especially that first day of school and we urge motorists to stay alert and slow down to the posted school zone speed.”
Motorists should remember that traffic fines double in active school zones and cell phone use is prohibited. Always stay alert for students crossing the roadway or in between vehicles and always deliver or pick up a student in the designated areas, not in or near a roadway.
Motorists should stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped and operating a visual signal. The driver may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion; the bus driver signals to proceed; or the visual signals are no longer activated. If a road is divided only by a turn lane, drivers on both sides of the roadway must stop for school buses while lights are activated. If travel lanes are separated by an intervening median or physical barrier, only motorists traveling in the same direction as the bus are required to stop.
Parents of students who walk or bike to school should also discuss safe practices with students prior to school beginning. Students should always cross at intersections and designated crosswalks; look for traffic when stepping from a bus; obey crossing guards; and wear a bike helmet when riding a bicycle.
“Students who cross an intersection or crosswalk should make a practice of making eye contact with the driver of a stopped or oncoming vehicle,” Oaks said. “Never take for granted a driver has seen you. Drivers can be distracted. School safety depends on all of us and we want all students and drivers to be safe.”
Shelby County First Days of School for 2019-2020:
- Center Christian Academy - August 12th
- Center ISD - August 14th
- Excelsior ISD - August 26th
- Joaquin ISD - August 14th
- Shelbyville ISD - August 19th
- Tenaha ISD - August 19th
- Timpson ISD - August 21st
August 12, 2019 - The Jury that was summoned for Tuesday, August 13, 2019, for the 123rd District Court, Honorable LeAnn K. Rafferty presiding, has been cancelled.
All cases scheduled have been resolved or passed.
Anyone receiving a jury summons for this day is released until the receive a future summons.
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