Shelby County Today

May 11, 2016 - Reports to Shelby County Today (SCT) by local residents of rodent infestation at two businesses in Center have been a regular thing lately as the businesses doors have been closed for some time now.

SCT has made inquiries and has confirmed the reason for the doors being closed at Dollar General and Family dollar is due to a pest control issue involving rats.

Texas Department of State Health Services representative Chris Van Deusen confirmed for SCT that a routine inspection was performed at Dollar General on January 29, 2016 and at the Family Dollar on March 29, 2016 and evidence of rodent activity was discovered at both locations.

"It sounds like one or maybe both of them have closed. We didn't order them closed or anything like that, but we did find rodent activity, evidence of that when we did our inspections," said Van Deusen.

Van Deusen could not confirm the stores closed their doors because of the rodent activity; however, he said it would be encouraged for anyone to take whatever steps they may need to take to make the needed corrections.

Center City Manager Chad Nehring could only confirm having heard rumors, and assistance has been offered to the businesses. Both businesses abut a forested area which could be an area where rodents nest.

"The [Economic Development Corporation] has reached out to them to request whether or not, one or both, were interested in some physical improvements over there to help clean up that general area. Just business retention and development project," said Nehring.

No issues have been reported to the city for any other businesses involving rodents, according to Nehring.

Attempts to contact Dollar General and Family Dollar were made by SCT.

Family Dollar, public and media relations, responded with the following statement: "Please know the safety of our associates and customers is our first priority, and we take situations like this very seriously. At this time, we are working with the owner of the property and pest control services to address any issues. We have made the decision to self-close this location until the issue is resolved. At this time, we plan to reopen this store on May 23.
 
"In the meantime, we encourage our customers to shop at the nearest Family Dollar location at 5169 State Highway 87 S in Shelbyville."

As of the time of this report, Dollar General has not responded to SCT inquiries.

Dollar General has other stores in Shelby County whose doors are open in Joaquin, Tenaha and Timpson.

May 7, 2016 - The Shelby County Commissioners approved joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) during their meeting held on Monday, May 9, 2016 and voted on a $7,000 expenditure for a website for the Shelby County Sheriff's office.

Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison contacted cities in the county that participate in the NFIP and surrounding counties, and they were not very aware of the program. Upon further investigation none of them seemed to be having a problem with the program and some have been participants since 1989.

"I didn't really find anybody that said, 'oh my goodness it's a terrible problem,' and it's created a whole lot of paperwork," said Harbison.

She said she has spoken with Tracey Strong, Commissioner Secretary/9-1-1 addressing, and Strong has agreed the county will get a flood plain map and lay it over current maps to line out flood areas in the county.

"What I would like to see done is, for us not to police it after we become a member of the program, but if somebody comes in they need flood insurance, they need a certificate saying if they're zone 1, zone 2, zone 3 or whatever, that we would be able to provide that for them," said Harbison.

Judge Harbison said her administrative assistant will also be helping with the program and Harbison doesn't feel administering to the NFIP is going to be a problem.

Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, gave some past information on what has happened in the past with money received from FEMA in Shelby County.

"Last time when we applied for this money for our road damage on FEMA, we wasn't supposed to get that. They had to go all the way to Washington to get it approved that there was this little county in Texas that ain't a member, but they need this money and deserve it. So they finally got them in Washington to pay us, to get it. We will not receive it this time if we don't become a member," said McSwain.

Judge Harbison agreed the NFIP is something the county needs to move forward with participating.

"At this point, I think that they've got us over a barrel and I think it's something that we have to seriously consider doing, for our public assistance as well as for the individuals that need to be able to purchase flood insurance that they can afford and not have to mortgage the house to pay their flood insurance," said Judge Harbison.

Judge Harbison reminded the commissioners that the 30+ residents in the Joaquin area would not be able to receive any assistance in relation to flood damage they received recently if the county did not participate in the NFIP.

A motion carried for Shelby County to join the NFIP.

A motion also carried to adopt a resolution to become a member of the National Insurance Program.

Sheriff Willis Blackwell explained to the commissioner most counties have a website describing who sex offenders are and where they are located.

"What most people in this county don't understand right now is that just in the county, not counting the city, but just in the county we have over 100 registered sex offenders that come in quarterly. People are calling about the ones that have moved in that they hear, 'I hear there's a sex offender in our area. Precinct 3 I think has 50 in it," said Sheriff Blackwell.

He stated sex offenders can be found online via a state database, if they know how to get to that website (Available on the Links section of SCT - Public Criminal Records & Sex Offenders Database Search). Although that information is already available on the state website, it will be featured on the Sheriff's Department website. The site also seemed reminiscent of a news website as he said it will feature weather updates (Available on SCT - Weather).

The Sheriff's Department currently has a website; however, it is not updated regularly.

"We have a website, but when you go to it, all it does is say who the sheriff is just like y'alls website on some of the commissioners. You can pull up your precinct, but it doesn't say anything," said Blackwell.

Lunabite is the company which will build the $7,000 website and Sheriff Blackwell stated they have built websites for 20 other law enforcement facilities nearby. Sheriff Blackwell plans to issue announcements and jobs from the website. Keefe Group is a company the Sheriff's Department uses to transmit commissary funds for inmates. Sheriff Blackwell described the new website will not take the place of this, but will have a link to the Keefe Group site. So, instead of just going directly to the Keefe Group website, users will go to the Sheriff's Department website and then to the Keefe Group website.

Lunabite offers a support package for $100 a month and Sheriff Blackwell stated the decision was made not to do that as the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Department uses the same service and a representative there said if the Sheriff's Department has any problems with the website they would help. The support package could be chosen to be added at a later date. There is also a hosting fee for the website of $65 per month, which Sheriff Blackwell stated the Commissary fund would cover because the site would be facilitating commissary payments.

Half of the total cost will be paid when the company begins building the website and the remainder will be paid on completion. According to Sheriff Blackwell, the building of the website will take 6-8 weeks to complete. A motion by McSwain was carried with a contingency the contract be reviewed by Gary Rholes, Shelby County Attorney, for final approval.

T.C. Hughes addressed the court about a roadway that has not been in use since 1938 and which he would like to be graded. Judge Harbison cited some possible issues with right of way and stated Gary Rholes, county attorney, would need to provide a legal opinion on the situation.

Appointing a constable in precinct 5 was on the agenda for the commissioners to consider. Following the passing of Stanley Burgay, who formerly held that position and was retiring, members of the community have asked for Robert Hairgrove to be appointed to the position for which he was elected to take office in January 2017.

Judge Harbison said she has spoken with Hairgrove who said if the commissioners are considering appointing him to the position, he has some loose ends in his current job he would need to tend to before that could happen. He requested the commissioners wait until July 1 before moving forward. Judge Harbison stated she also has spoken with Mrs. Burgay who she says is comfortable with someone being appointed.

Sheriff Blackwell stated Ronnie Wolfe, mayor pro tem of Timpson, told the Timpson Police Department they could not answer calls within the city other than on the highway working traffic and writing tickets.

"It has put a strain on us, because just like we had 40 calls Saturday and Sunday. 20 of the 40 were in Timpson. We had to make those calls, which were in precinct 5, and there like I said I don't know what the mayor that's been elected again, she always had them working where they worked everywhere in the city. Now that may come back, it may not, I don't know what it's gonna do. But cutting their officers back and doing that was making Stanley have a lot more work, and now with Hairgrove coming in, the same thing and he's aware of everything that's going on up there," said Blackwell.

Sheriff Blackwell continued by stating he would like to see someone appointed before January 1. McSwain agreed they were just talking about July 1. To further demonstrate a need for someone to help fulfill the obligations of precinct 5 constable, Sheriff Blackwell stated he had heard from someone in Timpson about heightened drug activity.

"We had a call this morning from a person that lives over around the Quarter Club, over in there. They said the entire block is nothing but a drug dealing deal. Well, I told him, I said, 'I'll have an officer up there, when he's not on call, he can make a run through there," said Sheriff Blackwell. "I can't sit up there, because I don't have the people to sit there."

Sheriff Blackwell stated there were 980 calls for service last month and almost half of them were in precinct 5.

"Stanley took care of his place up there and kept everybody in line. Like I said, they do deserve to have their law enforcement person there," said Judge Harbison.

Sheriff Blackwell stated, "They've been going out on some calls, when we call them and we really need somebody to go right then, [Timpson PD's] gone whether they have permission to go or not, they're going outside of the city to go."

Judge Harbison said she would be calling Debra Smith, mayor elect, to see what her plans are and Sheriff Blackwell said he would be calling her when he got back to the office.

A motion was carried to table the item until another date.

Update: Ronnie Wolfe, Timpson mayor pro tem, contacted Shelby County Today in response to Sheriff Blackwell's remarks made at the commissioners' court meeting. According to Wolfe, giving instruction like that to the police department would not be a correct action for a mayor or council.

"It's unethical to instruct policemen to enforce the law in any one particular area to start with, it may be illegal. I know we as a city can't give a traffic quota. Now the state does, but we can't," said Wolfe.

Wolfe reiterated his claim the statements were inaccurate, "The statement was totally false, I've never made that statement to anyone. What we say at a council meeting up there is on tape, but that's a completely false allegation that the sheriff has made toward me."

The city budget as it pertains to the police department has been of direct focus by Wolfe throughout the last couple of years on the city council.

"My stance as far as the Timpson Police Department is concerned, I voted for it to start with, but after November 2015 and especially after the audit report came in in 2016, which confirmed what I had found in 2015 that they lost $200,000, I've never thought we could afford five policemen or even four policemen. That's my take on it, it hasn't got anything to do with whether or not they're writing tickets. That's their discretion, enforcing the law is their discretion, as it should be," said Wolfe.

"I as a mayor pro tem, or as a council member has never even thought about maintaining that kind of attitude toward the Timpson Police Department," said Wolfe.

Agenda items approved during the meeting
1. Minutes of the April 11, 2016 Regular Meeting and the April 25, 2016 Special Meeting of the Shelby County Commissioners' Court.
2. Pay monthly expenses.
3. Officers' report.
4. Moving the existing jailboard and monitors into an adjacent office from dispatch to have jailers operate same.
5. Website for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department at a cost of $7,000.
6. Proclamation Designating May as Elder Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.
7. Join the National Flood Insurance Program.
8. Resolution to become a member of the National Flood Insurance Program.
9. Adjourn.

Tabled items
Appoint a constable in precinct 5.

Fees collected per office for April:

    Deborah Riley, Tax Assessor/Collector, office: total of $185,820.61
    Jennifer Fountain, County Clerk: $21,716
    Lori Oliver, District Clerk: $21,605.90
    Maxie Eaves, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1: $8,730
    Marla Denby, Justice of the Peace Precinct 2: $1,281.10
    Margie Anderson, Justice of the Peace Precinct 3: $6,602
    Jenny Hicks, Justice of the Peace Precinct 4: $1,233
    Mike Crouch, Justice of the Peace Precinct 5: $2,006
    Zach Warr, Constable Precinct 1: $1,170
    Billy Hearnsberger, Constable Precinct 3: $360

    Grand total: $250,524.61

    CDs generated $19.51 for a total book value of $60,171.33
    Money Market generated $353.80 total market value of $1,722,079.40
    Total investments of $1,782,250.73

Center Police Detectives are seeking information in regards to two residential burglaries in Center Texas.

On Friday April 22 2016 between the hours of 8:00am and 11am unknown suspect(s) went to two residences One residence located on Pine Street the other located on Lane Street. The suspect(s) entered through the back window and took an assortment of jewelry, a safe, cash, expensive purses, and a variety of other items. After leaving the residences in total disarray the suspects exited through the front door.

Center Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest if the suspects. Anyone who has information regarding this crimes should call (936) 598-SAFE (7233) or submit a web tip online at www.centercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters don’t have to give their names. All calls and cash rewards are completely anonymous. However rewards will only be paid on tips submitted through the Center Crime Stoppers system.

May 9, 2016 - U.S. Highway 96 South was the scene of a major two-vehicle crash between a passenger car and a truck-tractor on Monday, May 9, 2016.

Emergency crews raced to the scene just south of CR 1008 (6 miles south of Center) where one vehicle was left overturned in the middle of the roadway. Debris was all around the crash scene with wheels from both vehicles involved strewn on and beside the roadway.

EMS and Center firemen worked to extricate the driver of the vehicle in the middle of the roadway and move her to a waiting ambulance.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Trooper Cpl. Jimmy Faulkner, at 11:35am Henry Thornton, 62, of San Augustine was traveling south in a black 2015 Peterbilt truck-tractor owned by DRL out of Center pulling an empty shavings trailer.

For an undetermined reason the truck-tractor crossed over into the northbound traffic lane and into the path of oncoming traffic. Carriston Hendricks, 33, of Shelbyville was driving a white 2014 Ford Explorer north on U.S. 96 as the truck-tractor crossed over and collided with the explorer with the rear driver's side of the trailer, causing major damage.

Once Hendricks was freed from the Explorer she was transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital for treatment of her injuries.

No injuries were reported to have been received by Thornton as a result of the crash. He was issued a citation for wrong side of road not passing.

Cpl. Faulkner was assisted in his investigation by Texas DPS Trooper Sean Smith.