San Jacinto County News - Breakout

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By Tony Farkas
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Two long-time peace officers face each other in the Tuesday primary election for the GOP nomination for San Jacinto County Sheriff — Precinct 3 Constable Sam Houston and incumbent Sheriff Greg Capers.

Since there are no Democrat candidates for sheriff, the primary election essentially will decide the race.

Sam Houston

Houston has been in law enforcement for about 37 years, and in 2012 was elected as constable.

As Sheriff, he said he wants to get the department back to what is should be doing, patrolling the neighborhoods.

“I’m all about community policing; as constable, I’m familiar with people calling me with their problems, but I would have to refer them to dispatch,” Houston said. “When you police in the public, it gains trust and makes the people feel safe.”

In order to do that, Houston said as sheriff he would get a good reserve lieutenant and build a reserve corps — have them out into the community and use full-time officers as back-up. Additionally, he wants to create more dialogue between law enforcement agencies.

“I feel that working across the table with other agencies is key,” he said. “As constable, I’m usually the last person to hear about things. I want to integrate with all agencies — schools, constables, Parks, DPS — we should reach out and utilize any agency that wants to be on board with us.

“I don’t feel that has been done,” Houston said. “The only time (constables) hear of things is through other people, neighbors or the news.”

Houston also said that he will be a full-time sheriff, willing to hear the needs of the people.

Other main goals Houston has is to revisit cold cases and getting all equipment, especially communications, up to snuff.

A full-time deputy becoming sheriff has a different view of the job than a constable; Houston said that to be elected from a smaller position, like constable, gives a person a better grasp on how to deal with people.

“We work for you, and we need to have time for you,” he said. “I would appreciate everyone not to just visit social media, but to get out and meet the candidates. Find out what they’re about from them. Study about their past.”

Greg Capers

Capers said that he has been in law enforcement for 41 of his 61 years, working every day because he has a passion for policing, and every day “I wake up I try to do better than the day before.”

Capers has been in San Jacinto County a little more than 9 years.

“My first goal is public safety, it’s my foremost goal — always has been, always will be,” he said. “We will continue to make San Jacinto County a better place to live, work and play. That has been my motto ever since I first ran.”

Capers has years of supervisory experience, necessary for the 73 people working in the department.

Should the county gain funds through the Lone Star Grant program, the department will get nine personnel — six SJC deputies and three from other agencies, along with a leadership position and an analyst.

Capers said the county looks good to receive the grant this year, as last year it did not make the cut.

The additional officers and equipment will be necessary, he said, since there are cartels living in the county, which is 5 miles from 90,000 illegal immigrants.

“We’re trying to stop the drugs and influx of crime from the immigrants crossing border,” he said. “We have things that need to be updated, like the wiring and communications.”

Capers said that as part of his leadership education, he has attended the National Sheriff’s Academy in Colorado, and is one of 32 sheriffs in the past that have graduated. He also was in the inaugural class of the Texas Association of Counties leadership school.

Also, he is second vice president of the Texas Sheriff’s Association, and in July will be first vice president. From there, in 2025, he will be president. He sits on two national committees, one dealing with drugs and one with traffic safety. Additionally, he has been asked to be national spokesperson for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

Capers said he has taken FEMA courses to help in emergencies and has structured his career for the last 20 years to becoming a better leader. He said he works with every agency he can throughout the state and country and works closely with every sheriff in the state.

“This county has seen a lot of that benefit from that interagency coordination,” he said. “Nine years ago, we stopped gambling in SJC by hitting 21 locations in 2015, with 208 police officers.”

Capers said he would appreciate every vote out there.

“I appreciate that in this country men and women have died for the right to vote, and they don’t have to vote for me, but get out and vote,” he said. “I still believe in this county; if we can’t help this county, how can we help Texas, and from there, how can we help the country?”

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Officer Rae Phillips sponsored Fish Friday with her family and friends at the Coldspring Senior Center. Courtesy photo

We have a lot of interesting events coming in the next weeks to suit all ages. Let’s start with our libraries.

Coldspring Library will hold a Princess Tea Party fundraiser on March 2 at Coldspring Methodist Church. There will be two sittings. The first will be from 10-11:30 a.m., and the second will run from 1-2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 each, each attendee must have a ticket and adult supervision is required. You can buy them online, by phone or in person at the library. Call (936) 653-3104.

Shepherd Library’s fundraiser will be on May 18 at the Shepherd Community Center. The Friends of Shepherd Library will host this event, which includes a chili cook-off and a Waggin’ Tails Dog Rescue of San Jacinto County, and Ranger Joel who is an archery specialist as guests.

Registration forms and rules can be picked up at the library or downloaded from the library website. You can call (936) 628-3515. In March there will be a Peeps Diorama contest. This was a lot of fun last time. To enter collect your shoebox and and two Peeps starting March 18, bring in your completed diorama by March 25. Judging will be on March 28. The entries will of course be on display for a while.

The Tiny Art contest will be in April. This was also a great hit last year. Collect your art materials on April 8. Bring in your entry by April 15, judging will be on April 19.

Want to learn to crochet? Visit the library on Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. Tiny Tots Tales is every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Teen Night will be on Monday from 6-8 p.m. For more, go to their Facebook page.

•On Saturday, the Coldspring Community Center will hold a fundraiser garage sale starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. This Center is 69 years old. It has had a lot of remodeling inside but now needs some major work outside. It is a great venue for events from weddings, reunions and monthly meetings. It’s located by the Courthouse at 101 Cedar Ave., and information is available by calling (936) 433-6783.

•There are so many groups and organizations in our county offering many different experiences. You can join the quilting group at the Red Barn Retreat in Coldspring. This group offers other activities too, look them up on Facebook. You can learn line dancing at San Jacinto County Senior Center in Coldspring as well as join friends to play cards or games, enjoy a great lunch while listening to DJ Ken Janik with Gregg Cones on Friday.

This center will have a Talent Show on Saturday, which is sold out already. There was a Valentine’s Day lunch last week with cordon bleu chicken for lunch and songs by Gregg. After the meal ping pong was played, if the ball went into the cup, you won whatever was inside it. There was a long line for this game, most cups had small amounts of money.

•The Fish Friday this month was sponsored by Officer Rae Phillips who attended with family and friends including Constable Roy Rogers. This was also the welcome return of DJ Ken who had fallen and broken his shoulder. Everyone was happy to see him back on Karaoke Friday. I have heard great recommendations about Sarah’s Snack Shack’s cheeseburgers. She has her red shack by the railroad tracks in Shepherd.

•Last week I had lunch with the new Assistant Chief of Police in Shepherd. Chief Clint Headley chose her because of her great experience and ability. Her name is Tammy Nave.

Born in Port Arthur, Tammy joined the Air Force in her teens and has served in the military and law enforcement, discovering after a time studying law and other less active jobs that she needed to be in some active service to be fulfilled in her work. She served four years during President Bush Sr.’s term as an explosive detective, checking any place he or other dignitaries would visit. She was in Tokyo for most of the time where they checked airplanes etc. for bombs.

I think being on the bomb squad would be too much excitement for me.

Tammy wanted to join the FBI and trained with them but her boss said they needed her and she said that when you are in the military, you pay attention to your superior officer. She worked with Houston PD and spent 36 years in law enforcement.

Tammy decided to start her own independent Security Business which employs 120 security guards all over Texas. They cover events, parades, concerts and important visitors who come to Texas. She is a mother to four children, all in their 20s. One of her daughters is working towards a career in law enforcement like her mom.

I have only told you a little of her life but I can say that we are very happy to welcome her to our community.

Contact the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce at (210) 995-7420 or the Coldspring Chamber at (936) 653-2184.

Yvonne Cones is president of the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Coldspring Chamber of Commerce.

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TCNS staff

COLDSPRING — The Coldspring City Council gave its blessing for Mayor John Benestante to enter into talks with the Coldspring Community Center.

Benestante said that at the Feb. 5 meeting, the council approved his discussions; he said he put out the idea that the center come under the city umbrella to help it with some of its problems. The center was looking for additional funding from the city.

The building is showing signs of wear, has some mold issues and could use expansion; Benestante said the made the suggestion for the center’s board to looking into designs for a new structure.

Additionally, the council discussed the purchase of some property, which Benestante said could play into the center’s expansion.

In other business, the council:

•approved hiring Axley & Rode for the 2023 fiscal year audit;

•authorized Benestante to meet with the Coldspring Library for an event to be held at a city park;

•discussed the renovation of the property at 201 Highway 150, the former Boles supermarket, which will be dismantled;

•discussed the removal of trees at the Methodist Church, which were starting to drop limbs on to parked vehicles. The city is working with TxDOT to remove trees, after which the city will change the parking scheme to help the area;

•discussed violations of unauthorized and off-premises signs, and the city is sending notices to all violators

•discussed the electronic sign for the front of City Hall; and

•discussed changing the rate structure for multiple sewer taps on commercial properties and dropping to a flat fee for single family houses.

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By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — The Shepherd ISD Board of Managers approved a measure seeking answers to a funding shortfall that cropped up early this year.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, board was made aware that after a state Comptroller’s Office review of San Jacinto County Appraisal District’s property valuations, there was a discrepancy that would mean Shepherd would receive less state aid.

Chief Financial Officer Sonya Fulgham told the board that according to the study, the funding shortfall could mean a loss of between $725,000 and $1.1 million, a worst-case scenario.

Robert Westbrook of Education Service Center Region 6 said that the more funding the district receives from property taxes, the less it receives in state aid.

The Appraisal District determined values of $564 million in the county, which is what the school district based its budget on. However, the Comptroller’s Office in its study determined values of $606 million. Westbrook said that if the values were within 5 percent one way or the other, the state would consider that within a grace area and leave matters alone.

However, he said the differences here were greater than the 10 percent window, and since the district was not collecting taxes at the top level, but should be, the state reduced its aid accordingly, he said.

Fulgham said the impact means the district lost $324,000 in state aid in just the first few months of 2024.

Westbrook suggested working with the district’s tax attorney to file an appeal on the district’s behalf; if the appeal is successful in getting the Comptroller’s Office to adjust its values to within the grace percentage, then the district will not be affected.

He also suggested meeting with the Chief Appraiser for the CAD, as well as its board, to discuss the impact of the values.

Superintendent Jason Hewitt said the district did nothing wrong budgeting; since it has to base its numbers on the values provided by the CAD, and the Comptroller review wasn’t done until months later. He also said that the last three budgets were within the grace area, and it allowed the district to put aside a fund balance.

Board Vice President Andy Reeves questioned how the district could make up the loss, and Fulgham said there are several budget items that have had no activity, which added together would come to $1.1 million; however, Hewitt said that the funds might be needed if something happened.

He did say that as part of the plan the administration would institute a 10 percent cut across the board and will scrutinize every federal fund for savings.

In other business, the board:

•approved a list of objectives for the superintendent for the 2024-25 school year;

•approved a resolution allowing the hiring or use of pastors as volunteers for counseling students;

•approved an application for a Jobs and Education for Texans Grant; and

•approved changes to the district improvement plans for all campuses.