Polk County News

Write a comment

From Enterprise Staff

The Board of Directors of the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce accepted the resignation of President/CEO Janet Wiggins Monday following “an exceptionally long and arduous special called meeting” according to an email that went out to all chamber members Tuesday, notifying them of the resignation.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I would like to express our appreciation to Janet for her many contributions to the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce. Please join me in wishing her well with her future endeavors,” the email continued before listing the current board: Chairman Craig Jones, Chair-Elect Andrew Boyce, Treasurer Brandon Wigent, Vice Chair Amber Dominy, Vice Chair Dan Ellis, Vice Chair Krystal Parker, Vice Chair Mandy Wilson, Past Chair John Clifton and Directors Tina Alexander-Sellers, Matt Anderson, Kim Brown, Cheryl Downing, Judy Ebert, Joyce Knierim, Shane Lyons and Kole Puckett.

The brouhaha stemmed from the presentation of the Polk Countian of the Year Award to Lee Hon, Wiggins first cousin, at the culmination of the chamber’s 86^th annual awards banquet. It came as a surprise to many in attendance as the chamber has always had a strict policy of not presenting awards to individuals seeking office during election years. Hon, the Polk County district attorney, is running for 258^th District judge in a contentious race against Incumbent 258^th District Judge Travis Kitchens.

Write a comment

From Enterprise Staff

During campaign season, the landscape blooms with political signs. The TxDOT Lufkin District is reminding local candidates that putting political signs on public lands and/or a right-of-way is illegal. TxDOT regulates campaign signs under Chapter 394 of the Texas Transportation Code.

“We are beginning to see many signs in several counties of the Lufkin District placed illegally on the right-of way,” TxDOT Public Information Officer Rhonda Oaks said. “If they do not pose a hazard, we try to contact the owner so they can remove them for placement off the right-of-way. If that contact cannot be made or the owner does not move the signs within a couple of days, we will remove them. However, if the sign poses a traffic hazard, we will remove them immediately.”

Below is a guide for placing political signs:

What You Need to Know

It is illegal to place any signs on or within the right of way. This includes posting signs on trees, telephone poles, traffic signs and other objects on the state right of way.

Campaign signs along Texas roads can be placed on private property with the owner’s permission.

Before placing a sign inside of incorporated city limits, check with the city for applicable ordinances.

Sign Removal

If a sign is placed in the right-of-way or is posing a traffic hazard, crews will remove the sign without prior notice. All costs associated with sign removal will be paid by the sign owner.

More Information

TxDOT only controls the placement of signs in relation to the highway. For other questions concerning campaign signs or political advertising, candidates can visit the Texas Ethics Commission website. Candidates may also visit the Texas Transportation Code, chapters 392-394 for further information.

For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (936) 633-4395.

Write a comment

Series of events planned highlighting cultural contributions

From Enterprise Staff

Angelina College will honor Black History Month during the month of February with a series of events including art galleries, guest speakers and musical performances. Beginning with a public reception for artists in the Angelina Center for the Arts Gallery at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the college will host events geared toward raising awareness of cultural contributions in all forms. This year’s gallery is dedicated in memoriam to longtime contributing artist Dwight Gipson.

“As black artists we create more than just Black Art. We do not want you to lump us as artists together based on our race without looking at the art we are creating because it does not give enough credit to the work,” Karen Moore-Christopher, group member and contributor, said.

“Come and see ‘what we do’ and leave with and concede that ‘once you viewed’ there is something significant about the traditions of a black artist’s work that is empowering. It allows connections to be made in the curating process that make for meaning about black art. Black artists are practicing art that speaks loudly and unapologetically of and to the black experience,” Moore-Christopher said.

“As an artist, creating beauty is a challenge. Each time we pick up a canvas, it’s about the colors of the work. The artist who’s creating it happens to be African American. The art has no boundaries–only the boundary of the mind. The joy is seeing and hearing people’s reactions to the paintings,” Group member and Artist Shelia Thomas added.

Following is a list of scheduled events:

• Feb. 1-24: Artists will display their works in various mediums in a gallery exhibited in the Angelina Center for the Arts Gallery on the AC campus.

• Feb. 3: Guest speaker Joseph Ceasar, will offer a presentation titled “Finance and Business Ownership and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream.” The presentation takes place from 11:25 a.m. until 12:25 p.m. at AC’s Temple Theater.

• Feb. 15: Guest speaker Johnny Giles will discuss “Local Black History and Voting Rights” from 11-11:20 a.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.

• Feb. 16: A screening of “Women of the Movement” will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.

• Feb. 17: Presenter Martha Hernandez of the Angelina County Health District will offer “Health Equality vs. Health Equity,” followed by a discussion, from 10:50-11:20 a.m. at AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium.

• Feb. 22 and 23: Jazz and Blues bands – and the AC Chorale on the 23rd – will perform for attending fans from 10:50-11:20 a.m. in AC’s Hudgins Hall Auditorium. 

All events offer free admission to the public. For additional information, contact Krista Brown at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Le’Anne Alexander at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Write a comment

The Scenic Loop Fire Department reported its 1996 Ford Super Duty Rescue 15 stolen and was found later in Dayton. Courtesy photo

By Enterprise Staff

Scenic Loop Fire Chief Donald Marlow has nearly four decades dedicated to fighting fires, but the events from Thursday are likely to be burned into his memory for years to come.

Around 2:30 p.m., the Scenic Loop Fire Department reported its 1996 Ford Super Duty Rescue 15 stolen. “It was a very exciting day and I’m kind of glad that it’s over with,” Marlow said. “We’re trying to put a close enough approximate time on
when this thing was taken.”

A postal employee was said to have delivered their mail around 12:15 p.m. and at that time, she remembered that the bay doors were down. Marlow himself said he drove by around 2 p.m. and noticed that the bay door was open. He lives near the station and dropped some items at his house. Once he returned, he noticed that the lights were not on.
After checking with his firemen and placing a few other phone calls, he reported the truck stolen to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Scenic Loop Fire Department also broadcast via social media that the truck was stolen. Around 45 minutes later, dispatch contacted Marlow to inform him that a Union Pacific Railroad employee had located the truck in Dayton.

Marlow was then told that the truck had been unloaded under the overpass on FM 321 and thrown onto the ground. The doors of the vehicle were left open.
After a few firemen arrived on the scene and performed inventory, Marlow said that a cervical collar bag was taken, as well as a pet oxygen mask.

Wires had been cut in the truck and many fuses were cut out. Marlow said the police department surmised it was done because someone wanted to come back later that night to go through the truck and scrap it for parts. He was told that the drivetrain on the truck is an expensive part and could have been the motive.

Rescue 15 now sits in an auto repair shop to discover the damages.

“I have been in this business for 38 years and never had to experience something like this,” the chief said. “You hear it happening, with people taking ambulances and police cars. When we put it on Facebook, we had a guy that did post and said that he was in Humble now, but followed that truck all the way to Cleveland.

The truck thief broke into the department through the back door. Marlow said the other two doors have keypad locks and promises the back door will have the same this weekend.

“I do not want to go through this again, because this is a headache. I hope they catch these people and put them in jail for a while. They broke into the back door and just went to that truck and pushed the bay door opener. The back door was locked, but it didn’t have a deadbolt on it. It is like anything else, if somebody wants in, they
are going to get in.”

Marlow is asking for those with security cameras to check between noon and 2:30 p.m. for possible identification. He estimates the driver’s path traveled down FM 3277 to Shelter Cove, then FM 3126 to FM 1988, entering Highway 59 from there. Scenic Loop Grocery has checked their security camera and the fire chief feels that the truck may have been driven through Shelter Cove to avoid those cameras. A resident off FM 1988 near the dam reported seeing the truck as well

The post on social media had over 37,000 views and was shared nearly 500 times. The fire chief thanks those who shared the information to help locate Rescue 15.