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10:34am CST Sunday, Dec 27, 2015
December 27, 2015 - The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a tornado warning for... Southeastern Rusk county in northeastern Texas... Northeastern Nacogdoches county in eastern Texas... Northwestern Shelby county in eastern Texas...
(Update): * until 1200 am Monday CST
* at 10:34am CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Melrose, or near Nacogdoches, moving north at 40 mph.
Hazard, tornado and quarter size hail.
Source, radar indicated rotation.
Impact, flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.
* this dangerous storm will be near... Garrison around 11:00 am CST.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Lawsonville, Mount Enterprise, Oak Ridge, Appleby and Stockman.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
Take cover now! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
December 23, 2015 - Shelby County is currently under a Tornado Watch as of 6:20am until 1pm December 23, 2015 according to the National Weather Service.
The counties included in this watch are: Shelby, San Augustine, Panola, Nacogdoches, Angelina, Rusk, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Red River, Smith, Titus, Upshur and Wood.
December 22, 2015 - Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers were investigating crashes during thick fog in Shelby County on Tuesday, December 22, 2015.
The first incident reported was on FM 2694 at 7:30am when, according to Texas DPS State Trooper Taylor Buster, a black Dodge pickup truck driven by Justin Nutter, 17, of Shelbyville was traveling east and fell asleep. The Dodge left the roadway to the right and struck a driveway culvert, causing the truck to go airborne. The Dodge then came to rest on the right side of the road facing west.
ACE EMS treated Nutter at the scene and he was later transported by private vehicle to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department.
The crash remains under investigation and no citations have been issued at this time.
Another crash occurring on State Highway 87 South was reportedly the result of excessive speed and weather conditions.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Keith Jones, at 8:32am Macy Dee Ann Mayo, 18, of Center was traveling north on State Highway 87 two miles south of Loop 500 just before CR 3012 in a beige 2005 Toyota Camry at an unsafe speed. Due to the wet roadway and fog, Mayo left the road to the right in a curve traveling through a barbed wire fence and struck a pipe post head-on.
No injuries were reported at the scene. Mayo was cited for unsafe speed. Trooper Jones was assisted at the scene by Trooper Taylor Buster.
December 22, 2015 - Timpson emergency crews and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) responded to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 84 on Sunday, December 20, 2015.
Upon arrival, passenger in the vehicle was reported to be injured. Timpson EMS and Timpson Volunteer Firemen transported the passenger to a stretcher and moved him to an ambulance.
According to Texas DPS State Trooper Jeff Pirtle, at 11:05am a white 2014 Honda Civic driven by Kameron Davon Rackstraw, 21, of Arlington was traveling westbound on U.S. 84 just under three miles outside of Timpson. The vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed when Rackstraw lost control of the Honda causing it to travel across the eastbound lane and into the south barrow ditch. The Honda then collided and came to rest on its left side against several trees.
Juwan U. Rhodes, 23, a passenger in the left rear side of the vehicle was transported from the scene by Timpson Volunteer Ambulance Service to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. An 18-month-old female passenger in the rear right side of the vehicle, was not reported to have received injury as a result of the crash.
Rackstraw was cited for traveling at an unsafe speed, no driver's license, no insurance, and driving with a suspended status. Keosha Essence Henderson, 20, the right front passenger and owner of the Honda was cited for permitting an unlicensed person to drive.
December 22, 2015 - U.S. Highway 84 east of Tenaha was the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Sunday, December 20, 2015 and emergency personnel from Tenaha and Joaquin responded.
Bryan Gray, Constable Precinct 4, was first to arrive on scene and requested the Tenaha Volunteer Fire Department and an ambulance to the scene. As a precaution Jaws of Life was also requested because the driver involved was not in a favorable position and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department was requested as a result.
When the fire departments arrived, they were able to free the driver without using Jaws of Life and helped her to exit the vehicle from the rear hatch.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety Jeff Pirtle, at 10am a black 2002 Dodge Durango driven by Gaynell C. Wescoat, 67, of Joaquin was traveling east on U.S. Highway 84 too fast at an unsafe speed and ran off the roadway on the south side. She over corrected left and crossed both traffic lanes entering the north barrow ditch where the Durango rolled over half a roll and came to rest against a pole facing west.
Wescoat's passengers Nicole Lee Clifton, 39, and Dennis Cameron, 45, were not reported to have been injured as a result of the crash.
Wescoat received minor injuries and was transported from the scene by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for treatment. She was issued a citation for traveling at an unsafe speed and no liability insurance.
December 21, 2015 - BEAUMONT, Texas – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that two residents of Jasper, Texas, along with a resident of Houston, Texas, have been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
Walter Diggles, 62, Rosie Diggles, 61, and Anita Diggles, 39, were indicted on December 2, 2015, and jointly charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition, Walter Diggles was charged individually with eleven counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft from a program that receives federal funding, and three counts of money laundering (engaging in monetary transactions with money derived from unlawful activity). Rosie Diggles was also individually charged with ten counts of wire fraud and with one count of money laundering (engaging in monetary transactions with money derived from unlawful activity). Additionally, the indictment includes a notice of forfeiture stating that the Government is seeking to forfeit over $1.3 million from the defendants.
According to information presented in court, the defendants are alleged to have devised a scheme to obtain and make personal use of federal block grant funds that Congress appropriated following Hurricanes Rita, Katrina, Ike, and Dolly. The indictment alleges that these funds were made available to the State of Texas, which in turn contracted with several councils of governments within the state to assist in administering and distributing the funds. Walter Diggles is the Executive Director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, and the Indictment alleges that he made use of his position to approve inflated requests for reimbursement of federal block grant funds and that Rosie Diggles and Anita Diggles prepared many of the requests. The indictment also alleges that Walter Diggles individually engaged in activities and approved requests for block grant funds that were fraudulent in nature and that all of the defendants spent the excess funds on personal expenses.
The defendants had initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin today. They each face up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted of the charges.
It is important to note: A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security / U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the Texas State Auditor’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Gibson and James Noble.
December 21, 2015 - The Shelby County Republican Drawing for Ballot Order took place on Monday, December 21 at 6:00pm on the second floor of the working courthouse for the 2016 March Primary Election. Leigh Porterfield, Republican County Chairman welcomed the candidates in attendance and remarked history was being made with this election as all of the local Shelby County candidates filed on the Republican party ticket.
With the assistance of Laura Simmons, Cecilia Boles, and Clint Porterfield, numbers were drawn determining the placement on the ballot of each candidate.
The ballot order is as follows with local races first, followed by State, and then Federal:
LOCAL RACES
District Judge, 123rd Judicial District
Charles Brick Dickerson
Leann Kay Rafferty
Mike Parker
District Attorney, 123rd Judicial District
Stephen Shires
County Attorney
Kenneth B. Florence
Gary Rholes
Sheriff
Ricky Allen
Willis Blackwell
Tax Assessor-Collector
Debora Riley
County Commissioner Pct. 1
Roscoe McSwain
Donnie Borders
County Commissioner Pct. 3
Travis Rodgers
Charles Barr
Constable Pct. 1
Zack Warr
Constable Pct. 2
Jamie Hagler
Constable Pct. 3
Jimmy H. Wagstaff
Roy Cheatwood
Scott Burkhalter
Constable Pct. 4
Bryan Gray
Jacob (Jake) Metcalf
Constable Pct. 5
Robert Hairgrove
Adam Renfro
STATE RACES
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2
Chris Oldner
Ray Wheless
Mary Lou Keel
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5
Brent Webster
Steve Smith
Sid Harle
Scott Walker
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6
Richard Davis
Michael E. Keasler
Member, State Board of Education, District 9
Mary Lou Bruner
Keven M. Ellis
Hank Hering
State Representative District 9
Chris Paddie
Justice, 12th Court of Appeals District, Place 2
Brian Hoyle
Justice, 12th Court of Appeals District, Place 3
Greg Neeley
FEDERAL RACES
President/Vice-President
Carly Fiorina
Lindsey Graham
Rand Paul
Donald J. Trump
Ben Carson
Ted Cruz
Rick Santorum
John R. Kasich
Chris Christie
Elizabeth Gray
Mike Huckabee
Jeb Bush
Marco Rubio
Railroad Commissioner
Weston Martinez
Ron Hale
John Greytok
Wayne Christian
Lance N. Christian
Doug Jeffrey
Gary Gates
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3
Debra Lehrmann
Michael Massengale
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5
Rick Green
Paul Green
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9
Eva Guzman
Joe Pool
(Update) December 29, 2015 - The Center Police Department responded to a report of a black male fleeing the Sleep Inn Hotel with a possible serious head injury on December 18th. As the Center P.D. Patrol Officers responded it was discovered that the black male who was identified as Dennis Barnes, 38, was a guest of the Hotel. The Center P.D. patrol Officers also observed that Barnes’ room was a possible crime scene and requested for the Center Police Department Detectives to investigate the incident.
Sgt. Nicole Faulkner, Detective David Haley, and Detective Stephen Stroud did process the hotel room, and observed that it appeared that Barnes did suffer a gunshot wound inside the hotel room. Detectives did find a 9mm shell casing and a 9mm slug. There were no signs of forced entry into the room. As the investigation progressed, Detective David Haley learned that Barnes drove himself to a relative’s home in San Augustine, and the relative drove Barnes to the hospital. Detectives Haley and Stroud did go to the hospital and did make contact with Barnes, who was conscious, but was unable to speak with the detectives.
Detectives Haley and Stroud were able to locate Barnes vehicle, and did find a 9mm handgun located in the vehicle along with several blood spots in the driver’s seat. The results of this investigation revealed that this was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
December 21, 2015 - The Center Police Department responded to an area hotel at 10:15am Friday morning, December 18, 2015 after reports of a man running from the business with a bleeding wound to the head.
Witnesses at the scene reported to Shelby County Today, the man exited the hotel lobby with a bloody towel wrapped around his head. An employee of the hotel pursued the man; however, the wounded guest would not stop. Instead he got into his parked pickup truck and drove from the hotel.
Previous to the police being contacted, witnesses checked the man's room and discovered a large quantity of blood within the room as well as in the bathroom.
It was suspected at the scene the wound may have come from a gunshot, but officers on scene did not confirm this information. Detectives David Haley, Sgt. Nicole Faulkner, Stephen Stroud and several patrol officers investigated the room for evidence and discovered blood in the parking lot where the truck the man left in had been parked. Detectives were seen leaving the hotel with several evidence bags an hour after they responded to the incident.
Additional information on this incident was promised at the scene by Detective Stephen Stroud and as soon as it is made available, SCT will post an update.
December 21, 2015 - The Texas Department of State Health Services today issued a fish consumption advisory for Lake Livingston and portions of the Trinity River after laboratory testing of fish samples found elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs.
The Lake Livingston advisory is for seven types of fish – blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, gar, smallmouth buffalo, striped bass and white bass. The advisory is in effect for the Trinity River Basin which includes Lake Livingston and the Trinity River from U.S. 287 downstream to U.S. 90.
Regular or long-term consumption of fish from these waters may increase the likelihood of long-term health risks. People can still fish in the area, though they should not consume or should limit their consumption of fish from this area and are advised to follow the specific age and species recommendations in this chart:
Species
Women of childbearing age & children under 12
Blue catfish - DO NOT EAT
Flathead catfish - DO NOT EAT
Freshwater drum - DO NOT EAT
Gar (all species) - DO NOT EAT
Smallmouth buffalo - DO NOT EAT
Striped bass - 1 meal per month
White Bass - 1 meal per month
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older
Blue catfish - 1 meal per month
Flathead catfish - 1 meal per month
Freshwater drum - 2 meals per month
Gar (all species) - DO NOT EAT
Striped bass - 1 meal per month
Smallmouth buffalo - 1 meal per month
Striped bass - 3 meals per month
White Bass - 3 meals per month
The department today also issued revised fish consumption advisories for three bodies of water due to updated evidence of the levels of contaminants in fish. The three affected bodies of water are
• The Arroyo Colorado upstream of the Port of Harlingen, including Llano Grande Lake and the Main Floodway.
• The Houston Ship Channel north of the Fred Hartman Bridge, including the San Jacinto River below the Lake Houston Dam.
• Echo Lake in Fort Worth.
Sampling shows that concentrations of pesticides in fish in the Arroyo Colorado (Cameron and Hidalgo counties) are no longer a health concern. However, concentrations of mercury and PCBs in some fish still exceed safe levels. For that reason, DSHS now advises no one eat longnose gar from the Arroyo Colorado. Health officials also continue to advise women of childbearing age and children under 12 not eat smallmouth buffalo and everyone else limit consumption of smallmouth buffalo to no more than two 8-ounce meals per month.
Pesticide levels have also dropped in the Houston Ship Channel, but concentrations of dioxins and PCBs still pose a threat to human health. Women of childbearing age and children under 12 should not eat any fish or blue crab from the Houston Ship Channel, and others should limit their consumption to one 8-ounce meal per month.
A new advisory for Echo Lake (Tarrant County) is based on concentrations of pesticides, dioxins and PCBs in common carp and largemouth bass that are high enough to pose a risk to human health. DSHS recommends no one eat common carp caught in Echo Lake and that women of childbearing age and children under 12 not eat largemouth bass. Everyone else should limit their consumption of largemouth bass to one 8-ounce meal per month. The consumption advisory replaces a possession ban that previously made it illegal to harvest or possess fish from Echo Lake.
Environmental pollutants like PCBs, mercury and dioxins can build up in the bodies of fish over time and lead to a variety of health consequences in people who eat contaminated fish. DSHS’s Seafood and Aquatic Life Group tests fish in public bodies of water where there are concerns that pollutants may have made fish unsafe to eat. Laboratory analysis shows the concentration of contaminants and allows health experts to make recommendations on whether people should avoid or limit consumption of certain species.
A summary of the three updated recommendations follows.
Body of water
Arroyo Colorado
Contaminants of Concern - Mercury and PCBs
Species - Longnose gar
Women of childbearing age & children under 12 - DO NOT EAT
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older - DO NOT EAT
Species - Smallmouth buffalo
Women of childbearing age & children under 12 - DO NOT EAT
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older - 2 meals per month
Houston Ship Channel
Contaminants of Concern - Dioxins and PCBs
Species - All fish and blue crab
Women of childbearing age & children under 12 - DO NOT EAT
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older - 1 meal per month
Mercury and PCBs
Echo Lake
Contaminants of Concern - Dieldrin, dioxins and PCBs
Species - Common carp
Women of childbearing age & children under 12 - DO NOT EAT
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older - DO NOT EAT
Species - Largemouth bass
Women of childbearing age & children under 12 - DO NOT EAT
Women past childbearing age and males 12 and older - 1 meal per month
December 16, 2015 - The Timpson Volunteer Fire Department (TVFD) was dispatched to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 59 3/4 of a mile outside of Tenaha Sunday, December 13, 2015 where a vehicle had flipped over and the driver was trapped within.
When Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies first arrived at the scene, they located the vehicle flipped over on its roof and access was unable to be gained to the inside of the car. TVFD personnel began cutting on the vehicle with Jaws of Life to get inside. After removing both of the passenger side doors, ACE EMS personnel were able to get inside of the vehicle, and with the assistance of firemen and deputies were able to extricate the driver from the car.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Daniel Dellenger, at 7:50pm a white 2014 Dodge Charger driven by Nashawn Crawford, 26, of Timpson was traveling east on U.S. Highway 59 at a speed that was unsafe due to rainfall and wet roadway conditions. Crawford lost control of the Charger and spun around, crossing the west bound traffic lanes, off the roadway and rolled over into a ditch coming to rest on its top facing southwest.
Crawford was transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital for treatment of her unknown injuries. She was issued a citation for unsafe speed.
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