Polk County News - Breakout

Write a comment

Forty-three firefighters from five area volunteer fire departments responded to a fire at The Mason Jar Bar & Grill 2 located at 200 Southpoint Dr. in Livingston at 10:41 p.m. Dec. 28. Although there were no injuries, the restaurant was a total loss. The cause of the fire is undetermined but is still under investigation. Photo by Jessica Corwin

By Emily Banks Wooten
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Local volunteer fire departments have been busy with many calls over the last two weeks.

The Livingston Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) responded to a call at 10:39 a.m. Dec. 23 at 1652 Ollie Loop.

“There was on older farm-type house. There was a power outage and the occupants left. They were notified the power was back on, so they returned and found the house on fire. Shortly after the power was restored the fire was started and was quickly involved. It spread and got to some hay and a pasture and was a total loss,” LVFD Chief Corky Cochran said.

Indian Springs VFD, Onalaska VFD and Corrigan VFD responded as well, for a total of 12 trucks and 37 firefighters. Also responding were the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, EMS and the Polk County fire marshal.

LVFD responded to a house fire on Milliken Drive in Thunder Mountain Subdivision at 7:36 p.m. on Dec. 23.

“It was a wood-frame house and the owner reported they’d had an electrical issue prior. They were gone down the street and came back and it was well-involved. They had two dogs that did not survive,” Cochran said.

Two trucks and 18 firefighters responded, in addition to the Livingston Police Department, the City of Livingston Electrical Department and EMS.

LVFD responded to a structure fire at 261 Soda Oaks at 1:16 a.m. on Dec. 24.

“It was an outbuilding and storage shed. We’re not sure how it started but they did have a heat lamp with eight puppies. The back part was totally destroyed and an attached shed was heavily damaged. The eight puppies did not survive,” Cochran said.

One truck and 12 firefighters responded, along with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County fire marshal and EMS.

A call was received at 8:07 a.m. on Dec. 27 of a structure fire at 452 Powell Lane. Cochran said it was a fully involved one-story frame house that was heavily damaged. Livingston had two trucks and 13 firefighters respond. Scenic Loop VFD had one truck and four firefighters respond. Also responding were the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative and EMS. Cochran said the cause is unknown.

Firefighters from Livingston and Holiday Lake Estates VFDs assisted Goodrich VFD with a pasture fire on Moffett Road at 10:52 a.m. on Dec. 27, with each department bringing a brush truck.

Two trucks and 10 firefighters from LVFD responded to a major head-on collision at 1:41 p.m. on Dec. 27 on Hwy. 146 near Hermes Fireworks.

“There was no entrapment but some serious injuries. We assisted with traffic control and EMS,” Cochran said, adding that the person who caused the collision was on the run from a previous accident by Melbo’s. Other’s assisting included Livingston Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office and EMS.

LVFD sent a tanker truck and three firefighters to assist Indian Springs with a fully involved travel trailer on Fire Tower Road on Dec. 27.

Livingston, Onalaska, Scenic Loop, Goodrich and Holiday Lake Estates VFDs responded to a call 10:41 p.m. Dec. 28 at The Mason Jar Bar & Grill 2 located at 200 Southpoint Dr.

“It was after hours and the property-owners were there and heard an alarm and saw a haze of smoke. They went to the back of the building and encountered fire and called 911,” Cochran said.

“We arrived at the scene immediately and the first on scene advised there was heavy fire showing on the east end of the building. We began an interior attack and had been there about five minutes in the kitchen area when the ceiling started coming down. We backed into the restaurant area and tried to pull the rest of the ceiling down but as they were backing out, the ceiling structure was coming down,” Cochran said.

“It was a solid wood ceiling, so we had to leave the building and go to a different mode. As we were leaving the building, we had to leave a nozzle, fire hose and a ladder. We later were able to find the nozzle. The hose burned up and I’m not sure about the ladder,” Cochran said.

“It started on the outside of the building and it appears the fire may have been burning for some time. It had an A-frame attic and we discovered over three-fourths of the entire attic was engulfed. The cause of fire is undetermined but it’s still under investigation trying to determine cause,” Cochran said, adding that there were no injuries and that it was a total loss.

Livingston VFD had four trucks and 23 firefighters, Onalaska VFD had two trucks and five firefighters, Scenic Loop VFD had three trucks and nine firefighters, Goodrich VFD had one truck and three firefighters and Holiday Lake Estates VFD had three firefighters. Others responding included Livingston Police Department, City of Livingston Electrical Department and EMS.

LVFD assisted Goodrich VFD with a house fire in Shiloh Ridge on Gettysburg at 7:35 a.m. on Dec. 29, sending an engine, a tanker and four firefighters.

Two trucks and six firefighters from LVFD responded to a vehicle fire at the Shell station at Hwy. 190 and FM 2457 on Dec. 30.

LVFD also worked a major accident at Melbo’s on Dec. 30 where a vehicle ran under a travel trailer. There was no entrapment so they assisted with traffic control and EMS. One truck and seven firefighters responded.

 

Write a comment

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office held its seventh annual Christmas Food Drive Dec. 20 in which deputies and volunteer citizens passed out full Christmas meals to 61 families who may otherwise have not had a meal this year. Every year since its inception, deputies of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have personally provided the funds to purchase the turkeys and hams for the meals. This year, Georgia Pacific Corrigan Mill provided 34 meals to go with the turkeys and hams. Over 27 additional meals were able to be purchased due to the kindness and generosity of both Livingston Walmart Store Manager Johnathan Montalvo and Livingston HEB Store Manager Dustin Young, along with additional funds raised by deputies. Without these donations from both stores and deputies, the sheriff’s office would not have been able to complete this year’s Christmas Food Drive. Additionally, several students from Onalaska High School assisted the deputies in packing the meals and distributing them to the families. Courtesy photo

Write a comment

Over the past month, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports involving driveway paving scams and is warning citizens to be aware of these types of incidents.

Driveway paving scammers solicit door-to-door, claiming that they have material left over from another job after they had miscalculated what materials were needed, and that they will pave a new driveway for the victim for half the price of what it would originally cost.

The scammers will then give the victim a cheap estimate on the cost for materials and spreading it on their driveway. Once the victim agrees to the work and the work is completed, the scammers then insist on payment well over the agreed price. They will then attempt to demand and threaten you into paying a much higher price.

A recent report received by the sheriff’s office, involved a victim who paid a large sum of money by check. The check was then altered/forged by the scammer and presented to the bank for a much larger amount of money.  Most of these have involved targeting elderly residents. Once they have swindled a victim out of money, they will usually leave the area and head to another location to commit additional rip-offs before victims can report the incident.

The sheriff’s office is urging residents to look out for one another and contact law enforcement at 936-327-6810 to report any encounters with solicitors whom they believe to be involved in such deception.  The Polk County Sheriff’s Office takes these very seriously and will investigate all reported incidents.

The following report is from the Texas District & County Attorneys Association (TDCAA), involving these type of scams at:  https://www.tdcaa.com/journal/let-the-buyer-beware-of-asphalt-paving-scams/

Write a comment

By Emily Banks Wooten
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Polk County Commissioners Court approved expending some of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds during its regular meeting Tuesday. One of the items approved was the purchase of automated CPR devices from Life-Assist in the amount of $96,412.80 for Allegiance Ambulance and Texan EMS for the ambulances operating in Polk County.

The Court approved to advertise for bids for the remodel of the Precinct 4 Road and Bridge buildings. The remodeling project will also be paid for with ARPA funds.

Other projects approved to be funded with the ARPA funds include the construction of secure parking and a break area for the Onalaska Sub-Courthouse, not to exceed $48,000; improvement of the recycling drop-off services on the Onalaska Loop, not to exceed $45,000; and the purchase of two pro-gravity recycling trailers from Pro-Tainer, not to exceed $32,000.

Having learned of a solid waste infrastructure for recycling grant available through the Environmental Protection Agency in which no match is involved, the Court approved applying for the grant and procuring an engineer to assist with the application and project if grant funds are awarded. In related activity, the Court appointed Kari Miller, Jessica Hutchins and Precinct 3 Commissioner Milt Purvis to serve as the scoring committee.

Although bids will not be let until January of 2026, the Court approved the temporary closure of a bridge on Nine Bridge Road at Piney Creek Branch and a bridge on Old Bering Road at Long King Creek, both in Precinct 3.

Purvis was quick to emphasize the bids will not be let until 2026 but that Tuesday’s action by the Court was to allow the Texas Department of Transportation “to get it moving in their system.”

The Court entered into an executive session to consult with Attorney J. Eric Magee. Upon return to open session, the purchase of the Pritchard property in Livingston Old Town, Block 3, Lot 1, part of Lot 3 and Lots 4 and 7 at a cost of $190,000 was approved. This is what is referred to as the courthouse parking lot which is located on the block west of the Polk County Courthouse.

During the executive session, the Court received a status report from outside counsel regarding Tyler Epstein v. Thomas Timber Investments LLC, et al, Cause No. CIV22-0716 in the 411th District Court. The Court also received a status report from outside counsel regarding T.F.R. Enterprises Inc. v. Polk County, Cause No. CIV22-0460 in the 411th District Court. The second item was approved to be added to the January agenda for action.

The Court approved requests for capital purchases to be paid from fund balance and included on the fiscal year 2023 reimbursement resolution for the year-end issuance of legally authorized debt, as follows: an aging department request for one desktop printer, not to exceed $500; a district clerk’s request for two desktop scanners and three desktop printers, not

to exceed $2,093; and a district attorney request for software and accessories, not to exceed $11,991, for purchase authorization in 2023.

Offers to purchase tax foreclosed properties in Precinct 3, specifically, Lot 22 of Block 4 and Lot 17 of Block 15 in Moscow, Cause #T15-204, were approved.

In personnel matters the Court approved personnel action form requests submitted since the last meeting and reviewed an authorized emergency hiring at the sheriff’s office. Additionally, an update to the personnel management system was approved.

Fiscal year 2023 budget revisions and amendments, as presented by the county auditor’s office, were approved.

During informational reports, the Court reviewed an appraisal report for Polk County school lands located in Throckmorton County. The purpose of having the land appraised was to determine the value so the Court can either consider selling it or swapping it for other land of equal value. The land was appraised at $720,000.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Milt Purvis informed the Court of the death of John D. Clifton, “a longtime supporter of Corrigan and Polk County.”

Items on the consent agenda included:

Approval of the schedules of bills;

Approval of order designating surplus property;

Receipt of the county auditor’s monthly report, pursuant to Local Government Code Sec. 114.025;

Ratifying an agreement between Polk County and First Choice Grease Services for pickup at the aging center and the jail; and

Acceptance of the Governor’s fiscal year 2023 Criminal Justice Grant Award #4588601 for bullet-resistant shields for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

As this was the last meeting for Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Overstreet and Precinct 2 Commissioner Ronnie Vincent who are both retiring effective Dec. 31, other members of the Court, as well as many in the audience, expressed their appreciation to the two men for their work and dedication over the years.

Polk County Maintenance Superintendent Jay Burks opened the meeting with prayer.