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San Jacinto County News

October is deadly month for Texas pedestrians

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Pedestrians STOCK

Special to the News-Times

AUSTIN — Fall and winter months bring shorter days and less light, making it harder for drivers to see — and safely avoid — pedestrians.

October saw the highest number of pedestrian crashes in 2022. That’s why TxDOT is using National Pedestrian Safety Month to continue its “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” campaign and remind Texans that pedestrians are our most vulnerable road users.

When he was 6 years old, Misael Rico was walking to school with his mother when a distracted driver crashed into them, dragging him underneath the car. That night, doctors told his parents he might never walk or talk again. After countless surgeries and years of physical therapy, Rico started college this year, and joins TxDOT to urge drivers to pay attention and watch for people walking.

Only 1 percent of crashes in Texas involve pedestrians, yet they make up 19 percent of all traffic deaths. In the last five years, pedestrian traffic fatalities in Texas increased 29.6 percent, reflecting nationwide trends. In 2022, 5,764 traffic crashes involving pedestrians occurred in Texas, resulting in 829 deaths and 1,526 serious injuries.

“As we shift to fewer hours of daylight, it’s up to drivers and pedestrians to adapt and help keep our roads safe,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “Motorists need to stay alert and look for people walking, and pedestrians can take measures to be seen by drivers who may be inattentive behind the wheel.”

TxDOT’s campaign includes TV and radio spots, billboards and digital advertising. TxDOT will also bring more than 30 walking billboards — street teams wearing sandwich boards — to towns that saw the highest numbers of fatalities from pedestrian-related traffic crashes. The street teams will be deployed to put pedestrian safety messages front and center in places where vehicles and pedestrians share the road.

TxDOT encourages everyone to follow these safety tips to prevent a deadly encounter:

For drivers:

•Stop and yield for pedestrians in crosswalks.

•When turning, yield the right of way to pedestrians.

•Be cautious when passing stopped buses or other vehicles that can block your view of pedestrians.

•Pay attention and put your phone away so you’re prepared if pedestrians enter your path.

•Follow the posted speed limit and drive to conditions.

For people walking:

•Cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks. Look left, right, then left again before crossing.

•Make eye contact with drivers before crossing. Don’t assume traffic will stop for you.

•Follow all traffic and crosswalk signals.

•When walking, put away electronic devices that take your eyes and ears off the road.

•Stay visible. Wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.

TxDOT’s “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” pedestrian safety campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways. For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (512) 463-8700.

The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3). This information was received and processed by the department as of July 26, 2023. To view additional traffic safety data, visit TxDOT’s Traffic Safety Data Portal online.

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One dead, one injured in house fire

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SJNT staff

SHEPHERD — A Shepherd resident died and another suffered smoke inhalation in a house fire that broke out in the 100 block of South Hill Avenue in Shepherd on Sept. 24.

Juanita Wilson, 76, died in the fire, and Jack Cullum, 63, was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation for smoke inhalation.

Reports from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office indicate that at around 3:25 p.m. a call came in from an alarm company stating a smoke detector was going off.

Cullum told police that he was waiting for a football game to start when he smelled something burning; he looked up at the ceiling and saw smoke, and later saw flames coming from an outlet behind the couch in the living room of the double-wide mobile home.

The preliminary report indicates the faulty electrical outlet was the cause, but the final report from Fire Marshal Jeff Williams is not in yet.

Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Harris Blanchette pronounced Wilson dead at the scene and requested an inquest. The body has been sent to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Fatality residential fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire may have resulted from a faulty electrical outlet.

Cullum was reported to be in stable condition. 

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DETCOG accepting grant applications for solid waste projects

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SolidWaste STOCK

Special to the News-Times

LUFKIN — Deep East Texas Council of Governments is now taking applications for funding of solid waste projects for FY 2024.

DETCOG anticipates the awarding of grants totaling $67,500.00.

Each application will be judged by the DETCOG Regional Solid Waste Advisory Committee in accordance with the RSWAC Project Review and Scoring Guidelines and DETCOG’s Regional Solid Waste Management Plan. Grant awards will be made by the DETCOG Board after it receives the RSWAC recommendations.

The grants are available to cities, counties, public schools, school districts, river authorities as well as general and special law districts with the authority and responsibility for water quality protection or municipal solid waste management.

The applicants must be located within Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler counties to be eligible to apply. Funding for the DETCOG Solid Waste Grants comes from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Applications for projects will be accepted for Enforcement, litter and illegal dumping cleanup and community collection events, source reduction and recycling, local solid waste management, household hazardous waste management, technical studies, educational and training projects, and other projects not included in these categories which meet TCEQ criteria.

Applications are available on DETCOG’s website at www.detcog.gov/solid-waste-recycling. They are due back to DETCOG by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30.

For more information, or to request an application packet, please contact Regional Services Specialist Carolyn Stephenson by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (936) 634-2247 ext. 5353.

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New law bars cruelty offenders from owning animals for five years

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AnimalCruelty STOCK

By Ali Juell
The Texas Tribune

Texas lawmakers are making it harder for those convicted of animal cruelty to own any animals – at least for the next five years after their initial offense.

The animal possession ban or House Bill 598, authored by state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, applies to people convicted of being involved in dogfighting operations, but also those who hurt an assistance animal or are found to be cruel to a non-livestock animal under Texas penal code or similar penal codes in other states and at the federal level.

Offenders are still able to live in the same household as animals. Shaheen said there is no exemption for offenders to own assistance animals during that five-year period nor would he support it.

“We need to make sure that our animals are taken care of,” Shaheen said. “We’re not going to tolerate any type of animal abuse.”

If an offender is found to have an animal during those five years, they could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, or as much as a $500 fine. If the offender is repeatedly in possession of an animal, the charge is raised to a Class B misdemeanor, increasing the possible fine to $2,000 and adding the possibility of up to 180 days in jail.

Shaheen failed to pass a similar animal cruelty prevention bill during the 2021 legislative session, but he said he reintroduced the bill because of calls from his constituents, who were largely surprised a possession ban didn’t already exist.

The law went into effect Friday, one of 774 bills passed by the Texas Legislature this session.

Even though animal cruelty is a very rare problem, Shaheen said it’s important to identify offenders to prevent future violence.

In many cases of animal cruelty, perpetrators are likely to recommit an offense, sometimes immediately after their last criminal case’s conclusion, said Shelby Bobosky, executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, who is also an adjunct professor of animal law and wildlife law at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.

“Possession bans are one of the most effective ways to ensure that a person convicted of animal cruelty does not reoffend,” Bobosky said.

Wayne Pacelle, founder and president of Washington D.C.-based Animal Wellness Action, said acts of cruelty such as animal abuse are an indicator of “a broader loss of empathy for others” and creates a need for post-conviction attention from law enforcement.

“Possessing a pet or other animal in the household or on their property is a privilege and not a right,” Pacelle said in an email.

Bobosky said violence against animals can also be a warning sign of intent to harm people. She notes that in the case of the Uvalde school shooter, he had posted himself committing animal abuse to social media. By increasing convictions of animal cruelty, she said there’s hope that other instances of violence can be prevented.

“Along with psychological evaluation and some sort of treatment, these sentencing measures can ensure that the root of these issues is addressed,” Bobosky said. “Any way to cause that interruption is incredibly important from our standpoint.”

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/08/texas-animal-cruelty-law-five-year-ban/.

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Five injured in two crashes on US 59

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SJNT staff

SAN JACINTO COUNTY —Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers investigated a crash on U.S. Highway 59 at the intersection of FM 1127 that occurred Aug. 12.

The preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 7:26 p.m., a 2014 Dodge Charger was traveling north on U.S. 59, while a 2012 Honda Accord was stopped on FM 1127 at the intersection.

It is reported that the driver of the Honda failed to yield to the Dodge and pulled into its path, where it was struck on its left side.

The driver of the Dodge, 28-year-old Cornesha Johnson of Lufkin, and two passengers were transported to HCA Houston Healthcare in Kingwood for treatment.

The driver of the Honda, 27-year-old Alexis Nunez of Katy, also was transported to HCA Houston Healthcare in Kingwood for treatment. Nunez was cited for failing to yield right-of-way at a stop sign.

On Aug. 14, DPS Troopers investigated a crash on U.S. Highway 59 near Wonderland First Drive.

The preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 1:50 p.m., a 2023 GMC Sierra was traveling northbound in the outside lane, while a 2016 Freightliner Sprinter was traveling northbound in the inside lane.

It is reported that the driver of the GMC failed to drive in a single lane and struck the back right portion of the Freightliner, with the front left portion of his vehicle.

The driver of the GMC, 59-year-old Rose Fields of Nacogdoches, was transported to CHI St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. Fields was cited for failing to drive in a single lane.

The driver of the Freightliner, 56-year-old Quinn Arthur, was not injured.

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