By Brian Besch A Splendora man is in the Polk County Jail after and stealing a vehicle and abandoning his child Saturday morning on Youngs Lane in Livingston. The Livingston Police Department received a phone call from Union Pacific Railroad Saturday at approximately 3:30 a.m. that their train had possibly struck an individual laying parallel to the track in Livingston. Officers arrived on scene and were able to obtain a physical description from the train engineer, who stated the individual was a white male, light colored shirt, and medium build. An extensive search by officers and firement then began around the area where the individual was said to be struck. After several hours of walking the entire length of the train, searching the area on foot, and using a drone, the individual was never located. The search did reveal a pair of pants, cell phone and boots in the area where the individual was struck. The search was then completed at approximately 7 a.m. and the train continued to…

By Emily Banks Wooteneditor@polkenterprise.com Goodrich ISD Superintendent Daniel Barton and Livingston ISD Superintendent Dr. Brent E. Hawkins were the guest speakers at the recent quarterly membership luncheon hosted by the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce, presenting an overview of the state of education in their respective districts. Barton began by introducing his guests, Goodrich School Board members Tim Harrell and Rosalie Blackstock, before stating that school safety is “probably our biggest topic.” He addressed the strides that have been made, including implementation of a guardian program in addition to security training provided by Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons. “Our staff is armed, of course it’s voluntary, but when asked, 17 of 21 said yes,” Barton said. “(Precinct 1 Constable) Scott Hughes provides a school resource officer and we have someone there every morning and every evening and throughout the day. If you drive through Goodrich, you will see a constable…

From Enterprise Staff Based on a review of the drought index, coupled with concerns from area fire departments, the Polk County Commissioners Court enacted a burn ban for the unincorporated areas of the county during an emergency called meeting Friday. The order prohibiting outdoor burning will remain in effect for a period of 30 days and will expire at the end of said period or upon the date the Court determines, by order, that the circumstances no longer create a public safety hazard. Under notification of suspected outdoor burning, the fire department assigned to the location of the fire shall respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain and extinguish the fire. A person who knowingly or intentionally violates the order commits a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500, in accordance with Section 352.081 of the Local Government Code. Onalaska City Council to meet In related activity, the Onalaska City Council has called a special meeting for noon Monday…

The Polk County Recycling Center sent its first truckload of flattened corrugated cardboard off Thursday, headed to a mill in Louisiana. The 40 bales totaled 42,060 pounds which will bring in about $2,250 which will be utilized to sustain operations. The center is operated by Polk County Recycling & Beautification, a nonprofit organization that has partnered with Polk County to provide a reliable recycling service for the residents of East Texas, sustained by grants, donations and the sale of recyclable materials. The center is located at 10311 Hwy. 146 in Livingston at the intersection of Hwy. 146 and FM 2665 and accepts #1-#7 plastics, flattened corrugated cardboard and aluminum and steel “tin” cans. It is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In its first 10 months of operation, the center diverted over 69,000 pounds of materials from the Polk County Landfill. Courtesy photo