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May 22, 2025 - The commissioners approved the appointment of Del Birdwell as a reserve deputy Constable with Jamie Hagler, Constable Precinct 2, during their May 7, 2025 meeting for the purpose of carrying Birdwell's peace officer commission.
“Mr. Birdwell was told the city was not gonna be carrying the commission any longer. So it is for carrying his commission only. There's gonna be no pay, he's just gonna be carrying his commission,” said County Judge Harbison.
There was some discussion of the intricacies of carrying a commission, and it was understood agencies do this to assist officers in retaining their peace officer’s commission whether or not they are employed by law enforcement. If an officer loses their commission, they can’t work as a peace officer for an agency.
Shannon Metcalf, Commissioner Precinct 2, moved to approve appointing Del Birdwell as reserve deputy constable and his motion was seconded by Commissioner Tom Bellmyer. The motion carried.
The commissioners considered paying an invoice from Strickland Plumbing in the amount of $6,000 for the repair of the main water line under the old Elementary School.
County Attorney John Price gave his opinion in favor of the county being responsible for the expense.
“it's a bill that the county has the responsibility for in my opinion, legally, under the terms of the lease agreement, which is what I reviewed,” said Price. “Their obligation is to maintain the premises and keep the grounds up. this is a major item here and it's not directly addressed in the contract that was signed back there some time ago. I think that contract was signed back in way back in 2010 but under the terms of this lease arrangement It's my legal opinion that the county has the responsibility for repairing this problem.”
Commissioner Bellmyer moved to pay the invoice as presented by Strickland Plumbing. Commissioner Stevie Smith seconded the motion and it carried.
Judge Harbison said she was excited the expense came in at a lesser amount than what was originally quoted.
The commissioners received a racial profiling report from Roy Cheatwood, Constable Precinct 3, and Commissioner Bellmyer moved to accept the report. Commissioner Shannon Metcalf seconded the motion and it carried.
A racial profiling report from Josh Tipton, Constable Precinct 5, was discussed and Debby Snider, Administrative Assistant to Judge Harbison, informed the court Tipton believed he had already turned one in.
There was further discussion about the need to have a racial profiling report filed with the state, and Judge Harbison encouraged Price to make contact with Constable Tipton about the issue.
No action was taken.
Judge Harbison reported on attempting to make contact with American Elevators. She informed them it’s mandatory the county receives a report on the elevator work, and they informed her Shelby County is next in line. A date wasn’t provided, and a report wasn’t received before the meeting.
Discussion continued over the elevator work, and the possibility of the county seeking for the company to return money that has already been invested.
County Attorney Price was asked to make contact with the company and he said he would take care of it.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:05am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Pay weekly expenses. 2. Pay current payroll. 3. Authorize Constable Jamie Hagler, Precinct 2 to appoint Del Birdwell, as a reserve deputy Constable for the purpose of carrying his peace officer’s commission. 4. Renewal and two-year contract extension of Farmers State Bank Depository Contract as authorized by Section 116.021 (a) of the Local Government Code. 5. Pay the invoice from Strickland Plumbing in the amount of $6,000 for the repair of the main water line under the old Elementary School. 6. Record Racial Profiling report for Constable Pct. 3, Roy Cheatwood. 7. Adjourn 10:05am.
May 22, 2025 - Officials with the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Angelina Sabine Ranger District will be conducting a controlled burn today, May 22, 2025. Hand ignition time is 10am in San Augustine County, Compartment 51/52 of the Sabine National Forest, Hawthorne Rx, Block B, Compartment 51, 720 Acres. Completion time is 6pm.
Winds are out of the East and drift smoke may be noticeable in San Augustine and Center.
Smoke will impact areas around the prescribed burn, and long-range drift smoke may be present during and after ignition operations.
Please drive with caution. Ground personnel will be operating in the area and smoke may impact visibility on local roads and highways near the burn unit.
For more information, contact the Angelina Sabine Ranger District at (936) 897-1068 or (409) 625-1940
U.S. Forest Service Prescribed Burn Tracker: Southern Region Prescribed Burn Accomplishment Tracker (arcgis.com)
May 21, 2025 - Officials with the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Angelina Sabine Ranger District will be conducting a controlled burn today, May 21, 2025.
Ignition time is at 10am in Sabine Compartment 51/52 in San Augustine County by hand ignition and is projected to be completed by 6pm.
Smoke: Winds are out of the East and drift smoke may be noticeable in San Augustine and Center
Forest and unit: Sabine National Forest, Hawthorne Rx, Block A, Compartment 51, 815 Acres
Smoke will impact areas around the prescribed burn, and long-range drift smoke may be present during and after ignition operations.
Please drive with caution. Ground personnel will be operating in the area and smoke may impact visibility on local roads and highways near the burn unit.
For more information, contact the Angelina Sabine Ranger District at (936) 897-1068 or (409) 625-1940
U.S. Forest Service Prescribed Burn Tracker:
Southern Region Prescribed Burn Accomplishment Tracker (arcgis.com)
May 20, 2025 - City of Center will be closing a section of Crawford Street to through traffic on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 from 7:30am until 1pm.
Barricades will be placed at Wulf Creek entrance and second bridge at Creek for water repairs. Customers will be able to have access to their residence on each side of closure. Customers in Wulf Creek will need to use SH 7 side entrance.
May 19, 2025 - The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers are investigating a one-vehicle crash on Farm-to-Market Road 3172, just north of Huxley, that occurred, May 17, 2025.
The preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 6:50 p.m., a 2024 Harley Davidson motorcycle ridden by Heath Allen, 50, of Lufkin was traveling north. It is reported that Allen was traveling at an unsafe speed for an approaching curve and left the road to the left, causing both the rider and the passenger to be thrown from the motorcycle.
Allen and his passenger Renee McAdams, 49, of Lufkin, were transported to Louisiana State University Shreveport Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
May 19, 2025 - On April 17 the City of Logansport gave a Boil Water Notice for the Haslam Strip Area. the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has requested the City of Joaquin/PWS ID #2100010 public water system to notify all customers On The Haslam Strip that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water for 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 April 22, 2025.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact City of Joaquin at 936-269-3021 or 130 Steve Hughes Drive, Joaquin, TX 75954.
April 17, 2025 - The City of Joaquin has been contacted by City of Logansport, as they purchase water from Logansport that a Boil Water Notice has been issued. The violation occurred because the Logansport Water System treated water turbidity level exceeded the maximum allowable limits of 1.499 NTUs. the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the City of Joaquin/PWS ID #2100010 public water system to notify all customers ON THE HASLAM STRIP AREA 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 similar to 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 City of Joaquin at 936-269-3021 or 130 Steve Hughes Drive, Joaquin, TX 75954.
May 19, 2025 - City Of Center will be closing a section of Crawford St to thru traffic on May 20, 2025, from 7:30am to 12pm.
Barricades will be placed at Wulf Creek entrance and second bridge at Creek for work on sewer line. Customers will be able to have access to their residence on each side of closure. Customers in Wulf Creek will need to use SH 7 side entrance
May 15, 2025 - A Shelby County Grand Jury delivered 22 indictments on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The grand jury was impaneled for the January 2025 term of the 273rd Judicial District Court.
Jamesala Pucillo was indicted for intoxication manslaughter, second degree felony. The indictment alleges, on July 5, 2024, Pucillo operated a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated, and by reason of such intoxication, caused the death of another, namely, Franklin Ronald Jackson by accident or mistake. Namely, by driving the motor vehicle into the motorcycle which Jackson was operating. (273rd Judicial District Court) (Related article: SH7 East Near CR 3182 Scene of Fatal Crash Involving Motorcycle (Updated))
Luke Matthew Linebarger was indicted for deadly conduct discharge firearm, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on January 23, 2025, Linebarger knowingly discharged a firearm at or in the direction of a habitation, and Linebarger was reckless as to whether the habitation was occupied, namely, discharged a firearm towards an RV with individuals inside.(123rd Judicial District Court)
Derond Elroy Barnes was indicted for evading arrest with a motor vehicle, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on March 17, 2025, Barnes used a vehicle to intentionally flee Center Police Officer Brian Wright, a person Barnes knew was a peace officer who was attempting lawfully to arrest or detain Barnes. (123rd Judicial District Court)
Stephen Plunkett was indicted for intentionally/knowingly discharge waste, state jail felony. The indictment alleges, on November 25, 2024, Plunkett discharged or allowed the discharge of waste or pollutant into or adjacent to water in the state that causes or threatens to cause water pollution, by discharging a large amount of grease trap waste from his employer's vacuum truck into Morris Creek in Joaquin, causing pecuniary loss of not less than $1,000 or more than $50,000. (273rd Judicial District Court)
(Some of the following content contained within indictments is of a sensitive nature and may not be suitable for younger viewers.)
Taylon Cole Darden was indicted for tampering with physical evidence, third degree felony. The indictment alleges on January 2, 2025 Darden, while knowing that an investigation of sexual assault of a minor was in progress, intentionally or knowingly destroyed or concealed a record in that of photo and/or videos with intent to impair its legibility or availability as evidence in investigation. (273rd Judicial District Court)
Taylon Cole Darden was indicted for indecency with a child by exposure, third degree felony. the indictment alleges on January 2, 2025 Darden, with intent to arouse or gratify his sexual desire, caused a child younger than 17 years of age to expose her genitals. (273rd Judicial District Court)
Taylon Cole Darden was indicted for possession of child pornography - child younger than 10 years of age, third degree felony. The indictment alleges, on January 2, 2025, seven separate counts of Darden intentionally and knowingly possessing visual material that depicted, and which Darden knew visually depicted a child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the image of the child was made, engaging in sexual conduct, namely actual lewd exhibition of the genitals. It is further presented the visual material depicted a child younger than 10 years of age at the time that the image of child was made. (273rd Judicial District Court)
(Dates in parenthesis indicate the date of the alleged incident):
- Crystal Leann Berg, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (June 16, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Brent Howard Denby, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (June 24, 2024). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Ethan Hendricks, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (November 4, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Natasha Rachelle Bledsoe, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (February 24, 2025). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Joshua Nicholes Quinones, possession of a controlled substance PG2 (phencyclidine), third degree felony (June 25, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Tonya Michelle Laws, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (September 28, 2024). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Kristen Suzanne Cosby, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second degree felony (June 21, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Nicholas Kade Hurst, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (February 26, 2025). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Megan Jarae Tipps, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (phencyclidine), state jail felony (September 4, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Eddie Joe Chisenhall, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=1G<4G (methamphetamine), third degree felony (March 11, 2025). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Joel B. Fleming, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (June 21, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Katrina Deann Griffith, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (July 14, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Luis Gerardo Morales, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (September 12, 2024). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Cynthia Denise Johnson, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=1G<4G (methamphetamine), third degree felony (February 3, 2025). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Mary Alice Thomas, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B <1G (methamphetamine), state jail felony (April 10, 2025). (123rd Judicial District Court)
Below individuals Indicted on March 6, 2025:
- Jorge Eligio Valadez-Maya, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=4G<200G (methamphetamine), second egree felony (November 30, 2024). (273rd Judicial District Court)
- Markus Carroll Harber, possession of a controlled substance PG1/1-B >=1G<4G (methamphetamine), third degree felony (October 28, 2024). (123rd Judicial District Court)
- Humberto Aliva Romero, Felony Driving While Intoxicated - 3rd ore more, third degree felony (March 22, 2024). (273rd Judicial District Court)
Indictments and Information are not a conviction, and are a matter of public record. All individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
May 14, 2025 - The City of Tenaha saw a swearing in ceremony for three newly elected aldermen members during their meeting held Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Amanda Treat-Brock administered the oaths of office and to incumbent members Janice Barton; David Thomas; and new to the council, Bill Holmes.
Each member also gave their Official Statement of Elected Officer and were issued certificates of election.
Before the oaths of office were made, the council approved canvassing the votes of the general election held Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Janice Barton said she was thankful for the community members that voted for her and she is excited. Bill Holmes said he is looking forward to learning the ropes. David Thomas thanked everyone that voted for him, and said he is glad to be back on the council.
May 13, 2025 - U.S. Highway 96 North just south of CR 3765 was the scene of a two-vehicle crash Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
As the driver of a pickup truck was preparing to turn left into a private driveway, another vehicle struck it from behind sending the truck into the southbound traffic lanes and into the intended driveway. The passenger car finally came to a stop just past the collision in the outside northbound traffic lane.
All traffic in the north and southbound traffic lanes eventually came to a stop due to debris across the roadway from both vehicles. Passersby got out of their vehicles and came both to the aid of those involved and removed debris from the roadway.
Once the debris was clear, traffic was allowed to begin moving in the middle traffic lanes just before emergency responders arrived. Shelby County Sheriff’s Department deputies pulled into the outside traffic lanes and Center Fire Department personnel stopped all northbound traffic from moving. Taylor Fanguy, Constable Precinct 4, also assisted with traffic control.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Josh Gradberg, at 5:48pm a blue 2014 Nissan Rogue driven by Travor Hubbard, 31, was traveling northbound with a 5-year-old child passenger.
At that time a tan 2003 GMC pickup truck driven by Jimmy Strong, 71, of Center was in the inside northbound traffic lane preparing to turn when Hubbard failed to control speed and struck the back of the GMC.
Neither driver was reported to have been injured due to the crash.
The 5-year-old child was transported by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Hubbard was issued citations for fail to control speed and no [child] safety seat.
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