San Jacinto County News - Breakout

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By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — Now that the city has created a police department, the Shepherd City Council next looked into creating a position for animal control.

City Secretary Debra Hagler said that at its April 10 meeting, the council discussed hiring a dog catcher for the large amount of stray animals in the area.

Hagler said that while there is a need, the council opted to do more research on things such as who does what, what budget needs to be set, and where to house the animals, so research will be done, and the matter will be discussed at the next budget meeting.

In other business, the council:

•denied a request from Gil Smith to have his property removed from the city limits. Hagler said the property was on the border, and while Smith did not use city services, the council felt he was getting indirect benefits such as law enforcement, fire protection, and park and library access;

•approved a $5,000 donation for the annual fireworks display; and

•approved variance for Carla Mendez to place a mobile home at 20 Richey Road.

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Project would include construction replacement of Trinity River Bridge

Special to the News-Times

LUFKIN — TxDOT is conducting a public meeting on proposed improvements to US 59 from Shepherd to the Trinity River that will upgrade this section of roadway to meet interstate standards.

The in-person meeting will be held Thursday, April 27, in the Shepherd High School Cafeteria, 1 Pirate Lane, in Shepherd. The public is invited to attend and view proposed schematics of the project, speak to TxDOT officials, and leave comments. All comments must be received online, in person or postmarked by May 12, 2023.

TxDOT is proposing improvements to US 59 that would include the construction of two-lane northbound and southbound frontage roads, the reconstruction of US 59 main lanes, the construction/replacement of the Trinity River Bridges with turnarounds, and an overpass with turnarounds at FM 1127. The project is planned from approximately 0.2 miles north of FM 223 (Church Street) to north of the Trinity River in San Jacinto and Polk counties.

The 6-mile project is designed to enhance safety, improve mobility, provide a more efficient hurricane evacuation route, and provide system connectivity to Interstate 69.

Schematic and environmental studies will be done through 2024, with right of way acquisitions and utility relocations tentatively scheduled for 2025-2028.

For more information, visit txdot.gov and search US 59 Shepherd to Trinity River, or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (936) 633-4395.

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By Greg Capers
San Jacinto County Sheriff

I will be departing from my regular article on bringing you subjects of your safety and security to share my insights into the initiative that our government in Austin under the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw and others have taken to combat the ever-increasing illegal importation of deadly fentanyl.

On April 6, Abbott announced two major statewide initiatives to combat the growing national fentanyl crisis and to save lives in Texas during his “One Pill Kills” summit co-hosted with Texas Against Fentanyl in Austin.

During that summit, the governor unveiled a new $10 million multimedia awareness initiative through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to educate Texans on how to prevent, recognize, and reverse fentanyl poisonings as part of the statewide One Pill Kills campaign.

The Governor also instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to begin distributing Narcan to every county in all 252 counties in Texas. Narcan is used to reverse the effects of fentanyl and other opioids drugs when administered timely and as prescribed.

This announcement of statewide distribution of Narcan, a nasal medication, that rapidly reverses opioid poisoning comes after several opioid manufacturers entered a legal settlement with the State of Texas, thanks to the efforts by the office of Attorney General Ken Paxon. A portion of the settlement allocates Narcan to the State of Texas to support communities in fighting the opioid crisis.

TDEM will circulate the allotment of Narcan and will soon begin distributing the first 20,000 units to county sheriff’s offices across the state. Each of Texas’ 254 county sheriff’s offices, including our own here in San Jacinto County will be eligible to receive a portion of this first allotment based on county population and size.

Following Abbott’s directive last September, instructing state agencies to ramp up efforts to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis, then HHSC, partnered with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to create a multimedia initiative to educate the public about the dangers of fentanyl, and how to use Narcan to shave Texans expose to the deadly drug.

In support of the Governor’s ongoing coordinated One Pill Kills campaign to combat the growing fentanyl crisis plaguing Texas and the United States, this operation is targeted toward youth, parents, adults, and educators throughout the state using billboards, websites and social media advertisements and more.

During Abbott’s State of The State address, he expressed that he wanted prosecutors to have the ability to charge those who make, distribute or sell fentanyl with murder. Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican from Houston, wrote SB 645 to do so, which the Senate has passed.

The Governor also ordered the state agencies to outline statutory changes, budget priorities and other initiatives that will enhance the state’s ability to interdict the synthetic opioid, and provide emergency overdose treatment, and expand substance abuse treatment programs.

Members of the Texas House of Representatives seek to join the One Pill Kills panel to highlight proposed legislation that will save more lives and help ensure the Governor’s emergency of fighting the fentanyl crisis during the 88th legislative session.
Gov. Abbott and Turner were joined by Reps. Frederic Frazier, Craig Goldman, Terry Leo-Wilson, John Lujan, Tom Oliverson and James Talarico.

Gov. Abbott has taken additional action to address the growing fentanyl crisis plaguing our state in the nation:

•Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl.

•Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

•Announcing finding the fentanyl crisis as an end, emergency item for the 88th legislative session.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Last year, more than 2000 lives were lost to fentanyl in Texas alone. Overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased by 89 percent in Texas from 2020 to 2021, and 99 percent of these deaths were accidental, according to information provided at the One Pill Kills summit from the Governor’s office, which cited the CDC and the DEA on their statistics.

Additionally, data from the Texas Department of State Health Services Texas has experienced a 500 percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths since 2019. Under Operation Lone Star, Texas law enforcement alone has seized more than 380,000 million lethal doses of fentanyl since 2021, enough to killevery man, woman, and child in America.

Our ultimate objective is to rid our communities of this evil plague that is come upon us.

Greg Capers is Sheriff of San Jacinto County.

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Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — At the spring Leadership Council meeting of the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University in College Station earlier this year, John R. Lovett Jr. accepted a charter certificate to form a local A&M Club in San Jacinto County.

The new San Jacinto County A&M Club, one of four to be chartered in the last year, is the result of the efforts of Lovett and Andy Townend. These two Aggies participated in Texas A&M University activities and saw a need for a local A&M club.

A&M Clubs are social groups that exist to coordinate all organized former student activity in a geographical area; provide information about academic programs, scholarship opportunities and advantages at the association and Texas A&M University; recruit members and assist each other professionally, participate in community affairs, and encourage leadership and professional development and networking opportunities for former students; and provide scholarship funds for Texas A&M students.

One of the most solemn and visible traditions at Texas A&M is Aggie Muster, and each club is expected to host one locally.

This year’s Muster will be held at 6 p.m. April 21 at the pavilion of Dog Gone Hay Co. in San Jacinto County Precinct 3. A meal of hamburgers and hot dogs will be followed by a business meeting.

All former students, families and friends of Texas A&M wishing to attend are encouraged to RSVP to Lovett at (713) 553-7655.

Held on April 21st each year on the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, Aggie Muster is a Texas A&M University tradition in which Aggies worldwide gather to remember their time at Texas A&M together and honor those who passed away during the last year.

At each Muster ceremony around the world, a speaker will be followed by the “Roll Call for The Absent,” which is a reading of the names of those from that area who have passed away in the past year, along with those of other classmates or friends.

As each name is called, a family member or friend will answer, “Here,” and a candle will be lit in honor of their loved one. For Muster this year, Aggies in San Jacinto County are invited to the first-ever Muster to join with 40,000 fellow Aggies attending more than 300 Musters worldwide.

Organizer Lovett is a former San Jacinto County Judge, a registered investment advisor more than two decades in the financial services industry and serves as an association class agent for the Class of ’89.

Townsend owns Dog Gone Hay Co.