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October 5, 2015 - The Center Police Department is seeking information relating to an attempted abduction which took place on Saturday, October 3, 2015. It was reported a Hispanic male attempted to talk to and lure a 14-year-old girl into his vehicle in the area of Creswell Street.
The victim described the suspect as English speaking medium brown skin male, in his 20s, 5'8" tall, driving a white Chrysler 300. Center Police Detectives are actively searching for this suspect.
If you have any information in regards to this missing person, Center Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information. Anyone who has information regarding this crime should call Center Crime Stoppers at 936-598-SAFE (7233) or
submit a tip online at www.centercrimestoppers.com. Remember, you don't have to give your name. All calls and cash rewards are completely anonymous. Rewards will only be paid on tips submitted through the Center Crime Stoppers system.
October 2, 2015 - The third major crash in Shelby County ended tragically with a fatality Thursday, October 2, 2015 on FM 414.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Troopers, responded to a three-vehicle crash on US Highway 96 North in the morning and a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 7 West in the late afternoon before responding to the fatal crash on FM 414 in the evening.
According to the DPS crash report, at 6:49pm a single-vehicle rollover occurred on FM 414, 5.2 miles east of Center. A gray 1992 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck driven by Clay Gates, 55 of Center, was traveling southbound on FM 414 when the vehicle left the roadway in a curve. The pickup traveled a distance partially off the roadway before crossing both lanes of traffic entering the northbound borrow ditch overturning and coming to rest across the north lane of the roadway with the bed of the truck hanging over a deep ditch. Gates was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle.
The Center Fire Department responded to assist and had to block off both ends of the crash scene during the investigation.
An inquest was done by Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Maxie Eaves and Gates was pronounced dead at the scene at 7pm. Gates was picked up by Watson and Sons Funeral Home. The crash is being investigated by DPS Trooper Jade LaVergne, assisted by DPS Trooper John Hallenbeck.
See information relating to the morning crash here. Information on the afternoon crash will be provided as it is made available by DPS.
September 30, 2015 - Center Middle School Chamber of Commerce members for the 2015-2016 school year are pictured. Members participated in the 'Doo-Dah' parade and attended orientation in the historic Shelby County Courthouse on September 23. CMS JCC members will be visible in their blue shirts on the square as they volunteer to help set up for the Poultry Festival, as well as work in various areas during the Festival.
October 1, 2015 - A storage building fire in Timpson resulted in the destruction of several units on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 2:30pm.
The Timpson Volunteer Fire Department and Timpson Police Department responded to the fire located at Factory Direct Storage, 426 N 1st Street. As the storage units have locks on them the firemen could not gain immediate access to the location of the fire.
To gain access to the units the firemen cut into the storage building with a rescue saw and were able to extinguish the flames, preventing the fire from traveling further and damaging more storage units.
During the fire, five storage units received varying stages of damage with the most extreme being complete destruction of the items within. Once the firemen were finished, the areas were cordoned off with tape.
The cause of the fire was not able to be determined at the time of the fire and the State Fire Marshal has been contacted to investigate the incident further. More information will be provided as it is made available.
October 1, 2015 - Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) state troopers, Center police officers, and Center firemen were dispatched to a three-vehicle major crash at US Highway 96 North and State Loop 500 at 8:27 am Thursday, October 1, 2015.
According to DPS State Trooper Dustin Ramos, upon arrival on scene three vehicles were found to be involved: a blue Dodge truck owned by Craig Crocker, a white Ford van owned by Light and Champion Newspaper, and a black Ford truck owned by Pro-Log Inc. timber company, New Iberia, Louisiana.
The blue Dodge truck driven by Craig Crocker, 26 of Center, was southbound on US 96 with passenger Jarvis Taylor, also age 26, and was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto State Loop 500. The truck failed to yield right-of-way entered the pathway of a black 2012 Ford truck driven by Allen Wood, 57 of Center.
The black Ford truck struck the Dodge's front right quarter causing it to spin. The Ford traveled off the roadway into the woods and struck multiple trees before coming to a stop. Upon the Dodge truck spinning, it was struck on the driver side middle by a white 1999 Ford van driven by Marcus Haltom, of Center, who was traveling northbound on US 96. The Dodge came to rest in the middle of the roadway with extensive damage. The van came to rest just inside the roadway on the northbound side.
Center police and firemen assisted on scene with traffic control. Firemen used the jaws-of-life to extract Wood from his vehicle and ACE EMS provided emergency care on scene to all involved in the crash.
Craig Crocker was transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Clinic and was soon life-flighted to ETMC in Tyler in critical condition. Allen Wood was transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Clinic with minor injuries. Marcus Haltom was released on scene with minor injuries.
The crash is being investigated by DPS State Trooper Dustin Ramos and Cpl. Jimmy Faulkner. There were items located in Crocker's vehicle which are still under investigation and are pending charges at this time.
September 29, 2015 - 280 people attended the 38th Annual Shelby County Ducks Unlimited (SCDU) Dinner at the Windham Civic Center on Saturday, September 12 and the grandmother of Jacob Hughes won the 4th Annual Jacob Hughes gun.
The main event of the dinner was a live auction which once again opened with the first item auctioned in memory of Jacob Hughes. It was an emotional moment when auctioneer Kevin McDonald announced Sandra Hughes, the grandmother of Jacob Hughes, had won the memorial gun, a 12ga Browning Silver Automatic with special embellishing, with a bid of $5,100. Upon winning the cherished auction item, she wept momentarily with emotions of joy and sadness as the audience applauded.
This is the 4th year the SCDU has auctioned off a gun in memory of Hughes. Money raised from the memorial gun goes to a scholarship account setup for students seeking a degree in wildlife and fisheries science, the degree Hughes was pursuing at Texas A&M at the time of his death in 2011.
Another winning bidder honored the Hughes family by presenting the father, Lance Hughes, with a knife in a display case won during the silent auction.
The winners of the Dream Gun giveaway, which was a pre fundraiser for the dinner, was Jason Locke, Ed Copelin, and David Lawrence. The winner of the key item, an Academy DU Yildiz 12ga, was Brady Scarber. The pick of the litter was won by Jeff Dean who selected a Howa rifle.
Auction items which raised the most for conservation efforts were the SCDU Greenwing Youth Package ($2,100), 2015 gun of the year Browning A5 engraving of the 2015 artist-of-the-year Richard Clifton Afternoon Pintails ($3,400), 2015 DU handgun of the year Kimber Stainless II ($2,300), 2016 3 night/2 day fishing adventure on the Island of Nantucket ($2,400), 2014 DU President's Elite Fausti Cherry select 12ga over/under ($2,800), DU Henry Silverado .22 cal with engraving of 2015 artist of the year Richard Clifton Afternoon Pintails ($2,900), and 2014 gun of the year Benelli Montrefeltro shotgun ($2,800).
Yazoo Thomas, Senior Regional Director - East Texas, recognized the chapter's conservation fundraising efforts praising their achievements, "This is the 80th Chapter out of 3,500 chapters in Ducks Unlimited. Shelby County, number 80 out of 3,500 chapters, is that worth a round of applause? Now give yourself a round of applause because we are going back again next year!" The SCDU received Ducks Unlimited, Inc - President's Elite Chapter Award, Texas Ducks Unlimited Top 20 Chapter, and Ducks Unlimited Diamond Event award.
Each year a select group of Ducks Unlimited chapters rise to the top of the ranks as the President's Elite, each raising $100,000 or more annually for DU's habitat conservation work. Shelby County was 80th on the list earning a spot of honor.
The SCDU would like to give special thanks to sponsors, donors, and underwriters of the banquet because without them the banquet could not be the success that it is. Also, appreciation to Bob's Pawn Shop for handling the ATF required background checks and Hughes Florist for the table decorations.
Ducks Unlimited Sponsors and Underwriters
Corporate Sponsors: Shelby Vet and Associates, Sand Hill Foundation, Few Ready Mix, Hometown Marine, Roy Blackshear, Bill Lloyd, Yazoo Thomas, Terry Bailey, Center Broadcasting, Light & Champion, R&K Distributors, PORTACOOL, Farmers State Bank, Shelby Savings Bank, Edward Jones, 4GContractors, Platinum Tire, Mild to Wild, Mettauer Law Office, C&S Rentals, Piney Forest Products, D&I Trucking, Steel Building Supply, Aztec Consulting, and Hughes Family.
Underwriters/Donors: Century Shop, Center ATV, Zacks Tint Shop, Watson & Son Funeral Home, Elite Hair Design, Petes Pro Auto, Steaks & More, L&L Taxidermy, Edward Jones, Lasting Impressions, Windham Dentistry, The Balcony, Center Automotive Collision Specialist, Ace Hardware, Golden Eye Clinic, 4G Contractors, R&D, The Loft, Shoop Financial, Hughes Florist, Morris Timber, Cody Barton, McAdams Propane, Triple T, Rio Theater, Backwoods Buggies, Ultra Shade, Texas State Bank, Sabine State Bank, The Reserve, Monco Motor Company, Jonnies Liquor, Pineywoods Beverage, Handy Andy, General Shelters, Delbert Beckham Metal Art, Covington Lumber, Boles Feed, Southern Seasons, Center Floral, 4C Electric, Center Glass, Goodtimes Smokehouse, Pine Grove Nursing Home, Spartan Structures, and J&J Feed.
September 29, 2015 - FM 711 was the scene of a house fire to which the Center Fire Department and West Shelby Volunteer Fire Department responded on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 10:15pm.
As firemen were en-route, Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Renfro traveled to the scene to see if anyone on the property located at 6095 FM 711 was in need of assistance. The homeowner and only occupant of the residence at that time, Sheila Chandler, was outside of the log house when Deputy Renfro arrived. To mark the location of the house, which was fully engulfed in flames, Deputy Renfro indicated the location with his patrol vehicle for arriving firemen to see the driveway into the property. Deputy Cody Muse arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.
A shed near the residence housed jet skis, and immediately after the arrival of firemen, the skis fuel tanks ignited and caused a flurry of flame to emit from the building. Firemen from both departments split their attention to the house and the shed with groups of firemen working on both buildings.
The firemen were very wary of power lines leading to the home and trees around the residence as many of them had caught on fire and were at risk of collapsing. The fire of the shed was first extinguished and the rich wood of the house continued to burn for several hours before the majority of flames were put out. The firemen left the scene at 1am.
During the time the firemen were fighting the blaze, a Center fireman collapsed and was transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department. It was suspected at the scene he had become dehydrated due to the excessive heat. Following treatment at the hospital, the fireman was returned to the scene to pick up his vehicle.
Reports by firemen, and family members at the scene, were that Chandler had been sleeping on a couch in the house when she awoke to find smoke inside the residence, and she could see flames emitting from behind a light fixture. Chandler broke a window to escape from the danger of the fire. Six weeks previous to the fire, she sold her home in Center to move into the log house which had been in her family for many years.
The house was a total loss and a specific cause has not been determined at this time. See related information by clicking here
September 18, 2015 - Low Cost Spay/Neuter and Pet Wellness Clinic one Thursday each month and every fourth Saturday from 10-3p. The next clinic will take place on Friday, October 2 at Tractor Supply in Center, Texas located at 1155 Tenaha Street. We offer dog/cat vaccines, heartworm tests/prevention, flea/tick prevention, microchips, and nail trims.
Now offering low cost spay/neuter and pets must have appointment for surgery. Information can be found at www.dehartvetservices.doodlekit.com or call (903) 590-7722.
September 28, 2015 - Short United Methodist Church will be hosting its annual Homecoming, Sunday, October 11, 2015. Lunch will be served at 12:00noon with an afternoon singing to follow. The "Shelby County Singers" will be conducting the singing with other local singers. Please come on out for a day of good food and fellowship.
September 28, 2015 - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed an amicus brief with the Texas Supreme Court in Matthews v. Kountze Independent School District, supporting the constitutional rights of Texas’ public schoolchildren to express their own messages at school and school-related events.
“The Kountze cheerleaders’ case involves personal expressions of faith and an ill-advised school district change of policy that has mislabeled their expressions of faith as ‘government speech,’” Attorney General Paxton said. “Let’s not forget that our country was founded on the very concept of religious freedom. When our fundamental rights are threatened, we have an obligation to defend them – and I stand with the students and parents at Kountze High School who are committed to move forward in this important fight.”
This case stems from a 2012 complaint by the Freedom From Religion Foundation against Kountze High School for allowing cheerleaders to print Bible verses on run-through banners at football games. Kountze ISD banned students from using the signs, and parents of the cheerleaders filed a lawsuit against the school district. KISD changed its policy to allow the banners, but in doing so claimed, for the first time, that the banners actually convey the school’s speech and not the cheerleaders’ personal expressions of faith. KISD then asked an appeals court to dismiss the case. The Ninth Court of Appeals, in Beaumont, dismissed the case, effectively allowing KISD to control the speech on banners as “school speech” and to disassociate the cheerleaders from their personal expressions of faith. The ruling is now before the Texas Supreme Court.
Attorney General Paxton has consistently and fervently defended religious liberty. On August 24, Attorney General Paxton filed an amicus brief on behalf of 20 states with the U.S. Supreme Court in Little Sisters v. Burwell, supporting the religious nonprofit’s right to exercise sincerely-held religious beliefs. On August 10, the Attorney General filed another amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Houston Baptist University v. Burwell in support of the petitioners’ fight against Obamacare’s contraception mandate based on its religious objections.
To view the brief in Matthews v. Kountze Independent School District, please visit: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/epress/files/2015/Brief_of_Am...
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