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January 28, 2026 - Joaquin ISD classes will resume tomorrow, Thursday, January 29th, beginning at the regular start time of 7:55am.
January 27, 2026 - Joaquin ISD will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28th due to the winter storm. Stay tuned for updates.
January 28, 2026 - You may qualify for a new property tax exemption.
In an area declared a disaster area by the Governor, Tax Code Section 11.35 allows a qualified property that is at least 15 percent damaged by a disaster to receive a temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property. A property owner must apply for the temporary exemption and the deadline for application is 105 days after the governor declares a disaster area. Governor Abbott issued a Disaster Declaration for Shelby County Texas on January 25, 2026. The deadline for filing the application for exemption is May 10, 2026.
The exemption applies only to qualified property. Qualified property includes:
- Tangible business personal property used for income production if the owner filed a 2026 rendition;
- An improvement to real property, which would include residential buildings (homes), commercial buildings (businesses), industrial buildings (manufacturing), multi-family buildings (apartments), and other real property buildings; and
- certain manufactured homes used as a dwelling.
The appraisal district determines if the property qualifies for the temporary exemption and assigns a damage assessment rating of Level I, II, III or IV based upon available information. The district may rely on information from a county emergency management authority, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or other appropriate sources like insurance adjusters or repair estimates when making this determination.
The amount of the exemption is determined by multiplying the building (note: this is the value for the structure only, land is not qualified property and land value is not included in the calculations) or personal property value, as applicable, by the exemption percentage based on the damage assessment level and is then multiplied by a proration factor (the number of days remaining in the tax year after the date the governor declares the disaster is divided by 365). The proration factor for this disaster is 0.94 (344/365 = 0.94).
Sample disaster exemption calculation:
A $100,000 house (structure value only) received $20,000 in damage from the storms.
$20,000 Damage / $100,000 House value = 20%. Damage assessment level is Level 1
$100,000 House Value times 15% exemption percentage = $15,000
$15,000 times proration factor 0.94 = $14,100 exemption amount reducing the taxable value for 2026
The appraisal district must send written notice of the approval, modification, or denial of the application to the applicant. The temporary disaster area exemption expires on Jan. 1 of the first tax year in which the property is reappraised. Click Here For Application!
The deadline for filing the 2026 Temporary Disaster Exemption application is May 10, 2026.
You can mail your application to the Shelby County Appraisal District or via email to SCAD@SHELBYCAD.COM
January 28, 2026 - Center ISD will reopen tomorrow, Thursday, January 29th and resume a regular schedule.
Sincerely,
Jake Henson
`January 27, 2026 - Due to lingering effects of the winter storm and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our students and staff, Center ISD will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28.
Many roads remain icy, and there are still downed trees, making travel unsafe for buses and car riders. Additionally, some district buildings are still without power.
We plan to resume a regular start and normal school day on Thursday, January 29.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to evaluate road conditions and district facilities.
January 26, 2026 - Center ISD will be closed Tuesday, January 27, due to power outages and hazardous road conditions. We will continue monitoring conditions and will provide updates regarding Wednesday as needed. Please check ParentSquare and Center ISD social media for the latest information. Stay safe and warm, Roughriders.
January 25, 2026 - Center ISD will be closed Monday, January 26, due to inclement weather. We will continue monitoring conditions and will provide updates regarding Tuesday as needed.
Please check ParentSquare and Center ISD social media for the latest information.
Stay safe and warm, Roughriders.
January 28, 2026 - Emergency responders with the Center Fire Department and Shelby County Sheriff's Department responded to a two-vehicle crash incident on State Highway 7 East just east of SL 500 on January 24, 2026.
Acording to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) the preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 3:30am, a 2014 Kia Sorento driven by Ladonna Martin, 38, of Center and a 2006 Chevrolet 1500 driven by Luis Bacilio, 19, of San Augustine were traveling east. It is reported that Martin was distracted in her vehicle by a child, failed to control her speed, and struck the rear of the Chevrolet.
Martin was not injured. Her two passengers, a two-year-old child and a one-year-old child, were transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Bacilio was not injured and was subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor offense, after the crash.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
Sheriff's Deputies and fire depaertment personnel assisted at the scene until the vehicles had been towed from the scene and it was clear.
January 28, 2026 - Center Utility crews are continuing to locate and repair water leaks as the ground thaws following recent freezing temperatures. Water storage and production systems are operating normally; however, overall levels are reduced due to losses from leaks on system mains and private water lines, which may impact water availability.
If a leak is located on a customer’s property, please find and shut off your water supply disconnect to stop further water loss. If you are unable to locate your disconnect, contact City Hall. Utility staff can temporarily disconnect your service at the meter during business hours at no cost.
You can help by reporting water outage or any unusual running water in gutters and ditches by calling City Hall at 936-598-2941.
January 27, 2026 - Due to continued widespread power outages and road conditions, Timpson ISD schools will remain closed tomorrow, January 28.
The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority, and we fully recognize the impact these decisions have on families in our community.
We appreciate your patience and understanding, and will continue to provide updates. Thank you.
January 26, 2026 - Timpson ISD schools will be Closed on Tuesday, January 27.
Timpson ISD will continue to monitor the weather and will provide further updates.
January 25, 2026 - Due to inclement weather, Timpson ISD schools will be Closed on Monday, January 26. Timpson ISD will continue to monitor the weather and will provide further updates.
January 27, 2026 - Shelbyville ISD will have a two (2) hour late start on Wednesday, January 28th. This late start is being taken out of an abundance of caution to help ensure roads are safe for travel.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
January 27, 2026 - The Shelby County Courthouse will reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28, 2026 with normal hours.
January 26, 2026 - The Shelby County Courthouse and associated offices will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Multiple offices do not have power at this time. The situation will be reevaluated and I will make a make a decision tomorrow afternoon.
I apologize for the inconvenience but the safety of our employees and citizens is my priority at this time.
Everyone please, stay safe!! God Bless!!
Report from Deep East Texas Electric at 11am on January 27, 2026:
11,162 outages are currently reported. Since the outage peak, crews have restored power to over 12,000 members. With today’s warmer weather and over 300 boots on the ground, we anticipate much progress today and the coming days. Additional crews have been secured today and are in route. The restoration goal date remains as Sunday, February 1st. As restoration progresses, we hope to provide better timelines for specific areas.
It is estimated that crews have replaced approximately 30 poles and 200 cross arms thus far and we assess that we have up to 150 poles and 400 cross arms that will need replacement. This damage is all due to heavy ice accumulation pulling lines down or the weight of trees falling on the lines. The majority of trees have fallen from outside of the right-of-ways. Maximum width allowed right-of-way easements are simply not sufficient for 100 foot tall or greater trees weighted down with ice.
Please do not panic if you do not see a crew assigned to your area on the outage map – we assure we are allocating crews to every area. Dispatchers are updating mapping as quickly and as accurately as possible. More impacted areas are not higher priority than less damaged areas. All areas are assessed equally; however, restoration does begin with restoring the areas where the greatest number of members can be restored and then work begins on individual meters remaining out.
- If you are without power, it is recommended that you rely on the automated system at 1-800-392-5986, mobile app, or online portal. For prompt service, please know the telephone number associated with your account and the meter number at the location. The meter number is the 6-digit number following DETEC on your meter or it can be located on your utility bill. If you absolutely must speak with a representative, our local Member Service Representatives are available 8 AM - 5 PM by calling 936-229-4000, option 2. Our third-party call center is available after hours by calling 1-800-392-5986. After hours, you may experience hold times as the call center takes calls for many cooperatives across the country, many who are experiencing outages as well.
- If you or someone in your household is dependent upon electric medical equipment, please establish an alternate location with power that you may retreat to if needed. In the event of a medical emergency, do not wait for electricity to resolve the emergency, call 911.
- To help with restoration, we ask that you turn off the breakers to your home’s unit heater, hot water heaters, and unplug any other heaters or appliance until power is restored. This act will reduce the instant large power load need when power is restored. Leave one light on to know when power is restored. When power is restored, wait 20-30 minutes and then power up your heaters and appliances in 10-minute intervals each to help the system balance the load back out.
- If you home has damage to your meter loop, contact an electrician to have repairs made so you will be ready to receive power safely when it is restored.
January 26, 2026 - Aurora Concepts will reopen Tuesday, January 27 with normal business hours 8am to 5pm.
January 25, 2026 - Aurora concepts will not be open tomorrow, Monday, January 25, 2026 due to the bad road conditions and power outages from the inclement weather.
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