San Jacinto County News - Breakout

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Courtesy photo Members of the Houston Humane Society, along with Constable Sam Houston, help retrieve the 33 animals being cared for by an elderly couple. The dogs had been dumped along the roadways of San Jacinto County. Courtesy photo

By Tony Farkas

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Constable Sam Houston and Deputy Pete Sparta are needing help with animals.

The Precinct 3 constable said that San Jacinto County has seen a proliferation of dumped dogs, and it has caused numerous problems, stretching county resources and even putting strain on county residents.

Houston said the county is serious about enforcing animal control laws, and wants to raise awareness.

Sparta said that last week, their office had an elderly couple come in with a problem with dogs.

“A lot of dogs had been dumped in the county, and (this couple) have been trying to rescue them over the last few months,” Sparta said. “At the time they had more than 30 dogs, and they needed our help.”

The constables reached out for assistance from area shelters, and the Houston Humane Society came to help rehome the animals, and the agencies are looking for other avenues of adoption as well.

“We need everyone to know they need to get their dogs spayed and neutered,” Sparta said. “We need to secure their dogs, and we need people to know that animal cruelty will not be tolerated. We hope the people come together to keep our animals safe, and we want to stop the problem before it gets out of hand.”

Sparta said his office will follow up to make sure this doesn’t happen to the couple again.

“We probably get 10 to 12 calls a day regarding dumped animals, and a shelter has been under construction by San Jacinto County for more than a year and is not completed,” he said. “We need more resources.”

One such call led to an arrest of a Cleveland man.

Sparta said his office received several complaints from area residents regarding possible animal cruelty.

“We received reports of dogs being buried on the property, and when we went to investigate, found the animals to be in deplorable conditions,” he said. “We then contacted the Houston Humane Society for help, and the suspect surrendered the animals.”

Seven pit bulls were taken for treatment, however one of the animals died due to starvation.

Kenneth McCarthy, 22, of Cleveland, was charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals.

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By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — The nation’s independence will be observed in style at the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce Independence Day Explosion.

The festivities start at 11 a.m. Saturday with the American Legion flag ceremony, followed by welcoming remarks from Shepherd Mayor Charles Minton.

The Community Center will be open at 9 a.m. for vendor setup.

DJ and MC Joe Leblanc will be playing throughout the day, but live entertainment courtesy of T&S Management, Marketing and Promotions will be offered as well by Jinda Harris, Allyson Moses and The Do Yo Thang Band.

Author Tamisha Crowley will be there with her latest offering.

There will be cornhole and volleyball tournaments and vendors both inside and outside at the Community Center. There will be a patriotic costume contest for adults, young people and pets. Fireworks will be at 9 p.m. courtesy of Shepherd City. Vendors may call the Chamber if they wish to be part of this event, as places are filling fast.

The Shepherd Library will be selling buttons using a new button maker. You may bring a copy of a photo of, pet, child, loved one, etc., to have a personal button made in front of you or choose one of the many fun buttons on sale for $2 each.

There are many bake sales with a variety of delicious items to choose from. Earl Brown, previous mayor of Shepherd, will talk to hopeful recruits for correctional officer jobs and a financial advisor will also be there. Other items include crafts, items, toys, gadgets and more.

For information, contact the chamber at (936) 628-3890.

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Sheriff Greg Capers congratulates Charles Dougherty, who was promoted from detective sergeant to lieutenant of the Criminal Investigation Division. Courtesy photo

Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers made moves within the office to help promote his vision of growth within his staff.

Capers said it is his policy to provide the opportunity for advancement within his office, and the promotion of a highly qualified and motivated 35-year-old professional is evidence of that.

Lt. Charles Dougherty joined the force in 2018 from a neighboring Texas Police Department to expand his horizons in law enforcement, and has made a rapid progression into a senior command staff position at a young age.

Capers said that there are numerous issues facing law enforcement, making it crucial to for his office to attract and keep talented professionals like Dougherty, all to provide for the safety and security of San Jacinto County residents.

“According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, some 58,000 arrests were made of illegals during the month of April, and even more alarming was the reported 234,000 ‘got-aways’ during the same period,” Capers said. “This increases the need for good people.”

Dougherty said law enforcement always has been a lifelong ambition.

“I feel blessed to have the opportunity to supervise the dedicated detectives of this Division and to serve the citizens of San Jacinto County where I know my services will be appreciated,” he said.

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By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — The Shepherd City Council tended to all the details to start the process of replacing all water meters with automatic read meters at its regular meeting on June 13. City Secretary Debra Hagler said the replacement has not started since the meters are backordered, and it could be up to 6 months before meters start hitting the ground.

The council approved a purchasing agreement through The Interlocal Purchasing System, approved a contract with Bee Engineering to report on estimated revenue benefits, contracted with AMI Water Meters and approved a lease-purchase agreement with First Security Finance.

Hagler said the benefit to city will be more accurate readings, which is guaranteed for 20 years; based on that, it will increase revenues for the city. She also said the public will benefit as there will be an app to monitor daily usage.

The city also will catch leaks quicker, and since the meters are read automatically, it will free up manhours for Public Works personnel since they won’t be tasked with reading meters.

The city has no plans to raise rates, as AMI has guaranteed that the increased revenue will pay for the meters, Hagler said

In other business, the council:

• approved a division of property on Finger and Seal streets for Mike Rose, making six sections out of three;

• tabled a lot split request for Nahum Soto for more information;

• tabled a discussion regarding RV parks as the concerned party was not there;

• tabled action on roadside trees as the concerned party was not there;

• amended an RV ordinance based on recommendations from engineers; and

• approved sending letters to property owners regarding two structures that have been deemed unsafe and substandard.