Polk County News

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TX DPS Seal

From the Texas Department of Public Safety

A juvenile male is dead after being stabbed during an altercation.

The subject and two other juvenile males were involved in an altercation at an Onalaska residence with another juvenile male early Saturday morning. At the request of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Rangers are investigating the homicide.

The preliminary investigation indicates that three male juveniles went to a residence where a male and a female juvenile were located. A short time after the three male juveniles arrived, a physical altercation between the male at the residence and the three males occurred.

During this altercation, the male who was at the home stabbed one of the three juvenile males. Immediately after the incident, the male who was stabbed was transported to a medical facility in Livingston by some of the other male juveniles.

While being transported to Houston for further medical care, the injured juvenile succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. One of the juveniles was armed with a handgun during the incident and was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and placed in the Polk County Jail and later transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Montgomery County.

This incident remains under investigation. Since the individuals in this criminal investigation are juveniles, their names will not be released at this time.

Further information is not available for release.

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BRIAN BESCH I PCE Popping Smoke BBQ in Livingston was one of seven area businesses that was burglarized during a sting of burglaries between Jan. 22-25.

From the Livingston Police Department

A trio of Livingston businesses and four outside the city limits were burglarized recently. The Livingston Police Department is currently investigating three similar business burglaries that occurred days apart. The burglaries took place between Jan. 22-25.

The first burglary was reported Jan. 22, at Carniceria Rosa’s in the 200 block of S. Washington Ave. The second burglary was reported Jan. 25, at Shipley’s Donuts in the 1000 block of W. Church St., and the third burglary was reported Jan. 25, as well at Popping Smoke BBQ in the 200 block of South Point Loop.

In all of these burglaries the suspect’s forced entry into the business. These incidents are still under investigation. Anyone with any information pertaining to these incidents is asked to contact the Livingston Police Department at 936-327-3117.

In addition to the three businesses that were burglarized in the city limits, four businesses along US Highway 190 were broken into during the early morning hours of Jan. 25 as well. ChaddyDaddy Brisket Bar, Lash Out Loud and Pink Blush Boutique – all located in Old Mill Center – and La Flor de Puebla Meat Market and Taqueria were burglarized.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the burglaries in those businesses. According to the owners of two of the businesses that were broken into, the suspects used forced entry by breaking windows or kicking in doors before proceeding to ransack the business and take what money they could out of the cash registers.

One business owner also reported that a pair of shoes and a pair of heeled boots were taken from its place of business. Anyone with any information on the burglaries at ChaddyDaddy Brisket Bar, Lash Out Loud, Pink Blush Boutique and La Flor de Puebla Meat Market and Taqueria are encouraged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 936-327-6810.

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JASON CHLAPEK I PCE SPCA of Polk County communications lead Jessica Smallwood speaks at Rotary Club of Livingston last month.

By Jason Chlapek

Covid-19 slowed a lot of things down in 2020.

SPCA continued to work as usual. The animal shelter took in 2,000 dogs and cats in 2020.

SPCA of Polk County communications lead Jessica Smallwood gave members of the Rotary Club of Livingston a rundown on what her shelter has done and what it is doing during a Rotary Club meeting last month. She also gave Rotarians a glimpse into what’s different between her shelter and shelters in other counties.

“We are a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter,” Smallwood said. “We primarily serve Polk County, but we are also one of the few shelters that takes animals from outside the county. We get a lot animals brought in from San Jacinto and Montgomery counties, and even some from Lufkin. That is one of the things that makes us unique. Most other animal shelters refuse animals from outside their own county.”

In 2020 alone, SPCA of Polk County took in 1,579 dogs and 420 cats. Of those animals, approximately 69 percent of them were adopted – 1,159 dogs, 219 cats.

The months with the highest number of intakes were April for dogs (183) and June for cats (79). The months with the highest number of adoptions were May for dogs (222) and February for cats (58).

“We have a good number of transport rescues that we do work with,” Smallwood said. “Just this past year, we took in more than 1,300 animals from Polk County and surrounding counties. We were able to place or transport 80 percent of them.”

Smallwood said that her shelter has a “revolving door” of animals. She also said that things can be unpredictable at times.

“We might have a great day of adoptions and get seven animals into a new home, then just as we’re about to close for the day, we get a call that someone has picked up a litter of puppies in a trash can,” Smallwood said. “Things like that happen all the time. About a week after Christmas, we took in no less than seven full litters of puppies, which contained 8-13 per litter.”

Smallwood pointed out that in December 2020, 79 out of 126 dogs brought in were strays (homeless, abandoned, etc.). She also said that although SPCA gets plenty of calls about stray animals being found, the shelter gets more calls from people looking to volunteer.

One of the biggest programs that SPCA offers is the TNR (trap, neuter, release) or "Fix A Feral" program. This program works with local veterinarians and the public to help curb the feral cat population through spaying and neutering.

Some of the participating veterinarians do vaccinate against rabies and feline leukemia as funding allows, but none for FIV/FIP (testing and vaccinating for that in particular is more expensive than the TNR program can currently afford). The average cost to spay/neuter these feral cats is $60 per cat.

“It is breeding season here year-round,” Smallwood said. “We also offer low-income spay and neuter programs as well as a mobile clinic.”

Both the SPCA and its TNR program operate entirely on donations, and neither receives any funding from local or federal government. Smallwood also pointed out that SPCA wants to be involved in the community.

“We have a number of community event ideas such as a Holiday Pet Photo Day,” she said. “We want to expand outreach in the community.”

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Onalaska ISD logo

By Emily Kubisch-Sabrsula

ONALASKA - The Onalaska ISD school board met for their first meeting of the year to discuss logistics of 2021, including renewing the contract for Superintendent Anthony Roberts for another year with the district.

The board approved Feb. 15 to be a staff development day in order to make up for the January in-service date that was canceled. This day will serve as a holiday to students as it is also Presidents Day.

School board elections will take place on May 1, pending anyone chooses to run against the current incumbents for positions 3 and 6. Any parties interested in filing for a spot on the ballot can do so by visiting the Onalaska Administration office located at 134 North FM 356 in Onalaska, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Additional information, as well as the candidate packet, can be found at onalaskaisd.net by clicking on the “Superintendent’s Office” tab at the top and scrolling to the bottom link that says, “Click here for School Board Election Information”

While government mandates offer paid sick leave to school faculty expired on Dec. 31, but the board voted to extend the benefits. This will allow faculty and staff to take time off due to exposure or infection of Covid-19 and will remain in effect the rest of the year.

For a calendar of future Onalaska ISD board meetings and other district events, please visit https://www.onalaskaisd.net/ , click on the “Superintendent’s Office” tab at the top, scroll to the bottom and click “School Board Agendas”.