San Jacinto County News - Breakout

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HUNTSVILLE — The students listed on the President’s Honor Roll at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville are undergraduates who have achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average in all work attempted while enrolled in not less than 12 semester hours. The university would like to recognize the following students for earning the honor for the Fall 2021 semester.

Local students include:

• Cleveland: Peyton Bond, Katelynn Daugherty, Cory Harper, Jessica Preuss, Carolina Salgado

• Coldspring: Kynadee Benestante, Sanshae Goffney, Patrick Jordan, Sean Palmer, Kathleen Simmons

• Oakhurst: Jacelynn Head

• Shepherd: Riley Rodgers, Kirsten Schlagel

The students listed on the Dean’s List of Academic Honors at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, are undergraduates who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.5 out of a perfect 4.0 in all work attempted while enrolled in not less than 12 semester hours. The university would like to recognize the following students for earning the honor for the Fall 2021 semester.

Local students include:

• Cleveland: Bailey Anderson, Peyton Bond, Cristi Broyles, Katelynn Daugherty, Kylann Dillard, Lindsey Eddins, Amanda Ferguson, Christa Grissom, Cory Harper, Ariel Meadows, Madison Moody, Jessica Preuss, Haylee Reinhart, Carolina Salgado, Rebecca Taylor, Gitzel Vargas

• Coldspring: Kynadee Benestante, Katrina Bennett, Kai Caraballo, Sanshae Goffney, Kari Jordan, Patrick Jordan, Sean Palmer, Jacob Seagraves, Kathleen Simmons, Allyson Smith, Curtis White, Shatrine Zachary

• Oakhurst: Victoria Birmingham, Jacelynn Head, Alexis Wilson

• Pointblank: Jonni Houser, Makayla Lane, Addy Ward

• Shepherd: Crystal Campbell, Martia Foreman, Destry Lunsford, Autumn Phillips, Riley Rodgers, Kirsten Schlagel, Leslie Thomas

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New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by the Trinity County Appraisal District and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions and appraisals, and has information for select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons age 65 or older. “Whether you are a homeowner, business owner, disabled veteran or taxpayer, it’s important you know your rights concerning the property tax laws.” said Mr. Gallant, Chief Appraiser.

“You can contact us about any property tax issues with full confidence that we will provide you the most complete, accurate and up-to-date information available to assist you.” This includes information about the following programs.

• Property Tax Exemptions for Disabled Veterans - The law provides partial exemptions for any property owned by disabled veterans or surviving spouses and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. Another partial exemption is for homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations at no cost or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s market value to disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.

The exemption amount is determined according to percentage of service-connected disability. The law also provides a 100 percent homestead exemption for 100 percent disabled veterans and their surviving spouses and surviving spouses of U.S. armed service members killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.

• Property Tax Exemptions - Non-profit organizations that meet statutory requirements may seek property tax exemptions and must apply to their local appraisal district by a specific date. Businesses that receive tax abatements granted by taxing units; ship inventory out of Texas that may be eligible for the freeport exemption; store certain goods in transit in warehouses that are moved within 175 days; construct, install or acquire pollution control property; own and operate energy storage systems; convert landfill-generated gas; or store offshore drilling equipment while not in use may also be eligible for statutory exemptions.

•Rendering Taxable Property - If a business owns tangible personal property that is used to produce income, the business must file a rendition with its local appraisal district by a specified date. Personal property includes inventory and equipment used by a business. Owners do not have to render exempt property such as church property or an agriculture producer’s equipment used for farming

•Appraisal Notices - Normally, taxpayers receive a notice of appraised value from the appropriate local appraisal district. The city, county, school districts and other local taxing units use the appraisal district’s value to set property

taxes for the coming year . . • Property Taxpayer Remedies - This Comptroller publication explains in detail how to protest a property appraisal, what issues the county appraisal review board (ARB) can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the option to request limited binding arbitration to compel the ARB or chief appraiser to comply with a procedural requirement and the options of taking a taxpayer’s case to district court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings or binding arbitration if the taxpayer is dissatisfied with the outcome of the ARB hearing.

• Homestead Exemptions - A homestead is generally defined as the home and land used as the owner’s principal

residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A homestead exemption reduces the appraised value of the home and, as a

result, lowers property taxes. Applications are submitted to the appropriate local appraisal distric

•Productivity Appraisal - Property owners who use land for timberland production, agricultural purposes or wildlife

management can be granted property tax relief on their land. They may apply to their local appraisal district for an

agricultural appraisal which may result in a lower appraisal of the land based on production, versus market value.

•Residence Homestead Tax Deferral - Texas homeowners may postpone paying the currently delinquent property

taxes due on the appreciating value of their homes by filing a tax deferral affidavit at their local county appraisal

district. This tax relief allows homeowners to pay the property taxes on 105 percent of the preceding year’s appraised

value of their homestead, plus the taxes on any new improvements to the homestead. The deferral postpones the

remaining taxes, with interest accruing at 8 percent per year but does not cancel them

• Property Tax Deferral for Persons Age 65 or Older Disabled or Disabled Veteran Homeowners - Texans who

are age 65 or older or disabled, as defined by law, or who qualify for a disabled veteran exemption may postpone

paying current and delinquent property taxes on their homes by signing a tax deferral affidavit. Once the affidavit is

on file, taxes are deferred, but not cancelled, as long as the owner continues to own and live in the home. Interest

continues to accrue at 5 percent per year on the unpaid taxes. You may obtain a deferral affidavit at the appraisal

district.

•Notice of Availability of Electronic Communication - In appraisal districts located in counties with a population of

more than 200,000 or that have authorized electronic communications, and that have implemented a system that

allows such communications, chief appraisers and ARBs may communicate electronically through email or other

media with property owners or their designated representatives. Written agreements are required for notices and

other documents to be delivered electronically instead of mailing.

•Protesting Property Appraisal Values - Property owners who disagree with the appraisal district’s appraisal of

their property for local taxes or for any other action that adversely affects them may protest their property value to the

appraisal district’s ARB.

•Informal Meetings - Property can request an informal meeting with appraisal district staff to try and resolve their

disputes prior to attending ARB hearings.

For more information about these programs, contact the Trinity County Appraisal District at 123 S Main Groveton,

Texas 936-642-1502 or 103 W Caroline Trinity, Texas 75862.lnformation is also available on the Comptroller’s

Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.

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Special to the News-Times

It’s never a routine patrol for our local law enforcement professionals, and San Jacinto County is no different. 

Law enforcement officers assaulted and killed in the line of duty have increased over 51 percent over the previous year according to FBI released statistics.

These statistics were on the mind of Sgt. Nathan Deweese of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office when he was responding to a backup call of one of his patrol deputies. 

Once Deweese arrived, he quickly realized this was no ordinary assist call; when he arrived, he was confronted with an individual wielding a sword threatening to take the life a family member and a friend of the family member and then himself. 

Deweese’s presence of mind and training quickly allowed him to gain control of this apparently distressed individual without the need to employ measures that could have included a use of deadly force. 

Deweese was able to calmly and with compassion talk this individual down from his extremely heightened stress level while disarming him and eliminating the threat. Deweese then decided to transfer this individual to a nearby hospital for a proper psychiatric evaluation without the need for an arrest. 

Sheriff Greg Capers said Sgt. Deweese’s compassion, presence of mind and his ability to gain and maintain control is one of the reasons he presented him with the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office Commendation Award.

“It’s a good day for our community and law enforcement when a potentially deadly scenario of innocent individuals can be averted without the use of deadly force against the perpetrator by our law enforcement professionals,” Capers said.

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By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — The Shepherd ISD Board of Managers approved a stipend for teachers who can help recruit new educators.

At its Thursday meeting, the board voted in a compensation plan that pays $1,500 to any teacher who refers another to the district that eventually signs a contract to begin work.

The plan also provides an increased rate of pay for substitute teachers.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations DeAnna Clavell said the district currently has seven long-term substitutes teaching in classes that the district cannot find full-time teachers for, and even for a kindergarten class that has been open since the beginning of the year.

In a separate matter, the board approved an air quality and COVID mitigation plan, and will allow the district to design and build a program to replace air conditioning units to help improve air quality, as well as install an ionizer.

E3 Entegral Solutions of Highland Village was selected to design the project.

A separate project to allow the district to spend federal grant money to retrofit buses with air conditioning to mitigate COVID also was approved.