San Jacinto County News - Breakout

Write a comment

The San Jacinto County Commissioners Court, along with representatives for SAAFE House, proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Photo by Tony Farkas

By Tony Farkas
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLDSPRING — The San Jacinto County Commissioners Court approved another month of overtime pay for county jailers, with the understanding that the funds are running dry and there probably would be no more.

The court has allowed overtime pay for the past few months because of staffing issues, paying overtime until open positions were filled.

Commissioner Donnie Marrs asked, however, when the requests would stop, and was told by the county auditor that there were enough funds for one more month.

Commissioner Mark Nettuno expressed concern that the county was spending more funds than were allocated through grant funds.

In a related matter, the county did allow the Sheriff’s Office to create an area to house livestock that had been picked up as stray.

The new pens will be in a wooded area near the Sheriff’s Office and the Storm Shelter, which would allow for electricity to be run from county buildings and allow for the use of inmates for care and feeding.

Commissioner Laddie McAnnally said he has been working with the county to prepare the area, and the Sheriff’s Office plans to use seizure funds to erect the new pens.

In other business, the court:

•discussed creating a day to honor all county employees who passed in the line of duty;

•appointed Skye Spivey to the Lower Trinity Ground Water District board;

•approved Rachel Slocum Drake as county representative to the Burke Center Board;

•approved an amended contract with Tyler Technologies;

•proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month;

•approved issuing a credit card to District Clerk Tammy Currie;

•accepted a $25,000 donation from Point Lookout West Inc. for asphalt work on West Lake Circle;

•tabled the purchase of a Bomag reclaimer-stabilizer;

•approved assisting Texas Forest Service with the removal of an abandoned trailer;

•approved advertising for a county environmental officer;

•approved a variance on a lot split on Lee Turner Road; and

•approved a variance on a lot split on Pauline Road.

Photo by Tony Farkas

The San Jacinto County Commissioners Court, along with representatives for SAAFE House, proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Write a comment

Hayden Richards, Heaven Burleson, Cinco Bailes, Gray King, Cinco Bailes, Branden Oehrlein and Zander Taylor competed recently in FFA Livestock judging events. Courtesy photo

Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — During the last week of March the Coldspring FFA Livestock Judging Team saw great success at their competitions.

On March 27, the team traveled to a competition at Stephen F. Austin University and placed 13th out of 119 teams, and special recognition went to Hayden Richards, who was the 20th high-point individual.

On March 29, the team traveled to Montgomery County and took home ninth place, with Averey Moss placing as 20th high-point individual.

Then on March 31, the team traveled to Crockett for Champion’s Prep and placed 10th as a team.

Members of the Livestock Judging Team include Hayden Richards, Heaven Burleson, Cinco Bailes, Gray King, Cinco Bailes, Branden Oehrlein and Zander Taylor.

Write a comment

Like many of you, I enjoy the satisfaction and rewards of cattle ranching. However, with those rewards come responsibilities that will safeguard the public at large and provide for the safety of the animals as well.  We need to understand the laws associated with ranching and adhere to those laws.

The Texas Agriculture Code has laws that regulate not only cattle, but donkeys, goats, hogs, horses, jacks, jennets, mules and sheep.

Since 1876, the Texas legislature has allowed for local stock laws to be passed that modify common-law rule of open range.

Stock laws are laws determined by local voters and apply to all areas of the county. If these laws are in place, as they are in San Jacinto County, common law is modified to closed range. In a county that has passed a stock law making it a closed range, like in San Jacinto County, livestock owners must restrain their livestock by fencing them in their property.

Stock laws state that certain species of animals, such as horses, jack, jennies, cattle, sheep, etc., may not be permitted to run free within the limits of San Jacinto County. As a landowner and rancher, you have a duty to prevent your livestock from entering the roadways.

Most Texans are quick to note that Texas is an open range or fence out state, meaning that a livestock owner does not have a legal duty to prevent animals from getting onto the roadway. Technically, this a is true; however, there are exceptions to this rule that are important for livestock owners to know.

It’s true that Texas is an open range state. The Texas Supreme Court made it clear more than a century ago when it ruled, “It is the right of every owner of domestic animals in this state to allow them to run free.” This approach was reaffirmed more recently in 1999 when the Texas Supreme Court refused to adopt a common law duty that required a livestock owner to keep livestock off the roadways.

Although this law may be applicable in some counties in the state, it’s not the law in all counties, and it’s not the law in San Jacinto County.

If you are a landowner with livestock in San Jacinto County you have a duty to prevent your livestock from running at large, usually by maintaining an adequate fence to keep your livestock on your property. An adequate fence is defined as being at least 4 feet high and in compliance with the requirements of the TAC.

I think it is important for all members of the community to understand the consequences of estray, or stray livestock, laws.

For instance, a landowner who finds stray livestock on their property should report the stray to my office as soon as reasonably possible. Once stray livestock is discovered, I will attempt to contact the owner. If the owner is found, he, or she may recover the livestock. If an owner is not found or fails to redeem the livestock within five days, the animal will be impounded. If the animal is not recovered from impound, it will be sold at public auction.

I should point out, however, that just because a stray livestock is on one’s land does not mean the landowner can automatically claim it as has his own or remove it by other methods. Refusing to allow the legitimate owner to recover the stray, or disposing of stray is outside of the TAC’s protocol and therefore may be considered livestock theft.

I’m not suggesting that as part of your ranching activities that you are remiss in maintaining your fence lines. For those of you who are not engaging in this activity, I strongly suggest that you do so on a somewhat regular basis by checking your fence lines and making appropriate repairs when needed.

As you may know, we routinely respond to these stray animal calls for service. However, I think you would agree that these calls could potentially increase our response time to a higher priority call for service.

As always, if you have any questions about this subject or any other subject, please feel free to call my office’s non-emergency number (93) 654-4367 and we will be happy to assist you.

Greg Capers is Sheriff of San Jacinto County.

Write a comment

Coldspring-Oakhurst High School was recognized by the national VFW. Courtesy photo

By Tony Farkas
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLDSPRING — For the most part, Coldspring-Oakhurst schools are safe, but a few items need to be changed to make the district as secure as possible, School Board members were told.

Superintendent Dr. Bryan Taulton said that at the board’s regular meeting on March 27, an audit done by the state went well except for a broken door that must be repaired and a change in procedure needs to be implemented.

“All of our reports are stellar, but a custodian went out a door to throw trash, and didn’t make sure the door was secure,” he said. “Unfortunately, that was when the audit happened.”

Taulton said that was a simple error, but the school policy will be changed. Additionally, the broken door has been repaired.

“We will be making sure the door is secure first, and not trust it is going to lock,” he said. “We will have a door verification system.”

In other business, the board:

•approved renewal of recommended teacher contracts;

•approved a request for purchase for HVAC services;

•approved a request for purchase for door repairs;

•discussed the start of budget planning for the new fiscal year; and

•authorized Taulton to execute contracts without board approval during the summer months.