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San Jacinto County News - Breakout

Council approves audit

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By Tony Farkas
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COLDSPRING — The Coldspring City Council approved its 2022 audit, which shows that not only is the city on the right track financially, but also getting current with its annual audits.

Mayor John Benestante said that at the Jan. 8 meeting, representatives from Axley & Rode presented the audit, which came back with an unmodified opinion, or without any problems.

He said there was one finding regarding investment briefings; it was recommended to be done quarterly, but the council will have done monthly.

Benestante said the old findings have been dismissed, as well as the city is only one year behind on having audits performed.

“We were 6-7 years behind on audits when I took over, and now we’re almost on track,” he said. “Axley & Rode of Lufkin worked with us on this to help us get caught up. I’ve changed policy to ensure that we always have a current audit.”

In other business, the council:

•tabled action on its proposed unauthorized signs ordinance;

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

•approved converting water treatment to bleach from chlorine gas. Benestante said that in light of the November 2023 chemical plant fire in Shepherd, he felt it was prudent to convert to bleach for safety concerns, since the treatment plant was in the vicinity of a school;

•discussed its new food truck permit program, and its effect on Christmas on the Square;

•discuss amending its sewer ordinance fee structure to address multiple taps; and

•approved a policy adopting equal opportunity and commitment to diversity related to grant funds.

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County discusses new program use

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San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and Constable Ray Atchley present a certificate of appreciation to Mayor Charles Minton and members of the Shepherd City Council. Courtesy photoSan Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and Constable Ray Atchley present a certificate of appreciation to Mayor Charles Minton and members of the Shepherd City Council. Courtesy photo

By Tony Farkas
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SHEPHERD — Shepherd City Council members heard a presentation on a new program that helps cities grow the economy through development.

At its regular meeting on Jan. 8, the council was told about Tax Incremental Reinvestment Zones.

City Secretary Debra Hagler said the zones were designed as a tool for cities to promote growth, and to be used for new development, which will help improve city infrastructure. Developers use the program on a reimbursement basis.

However, Hagler said that since this new information, the council will research the matter thoroughly to see if it’s an option. It also will require a partnership with the County Commissioners Court, which has not been done.

No action was taken by the council.

In a separate matter, Sheriff Greg Capers and Constable Ray Atchley presented the council with a certificate of appreciation to the city for its assistance in fighting the November 2023 chemical plant fire.

Hagler said the city used part of its water system in fighting the fire.

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New things making life enjoyable and worthwhile

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The Shepherd Chamber welcomes two new members — Perla’s Polish Me Beautiful and Santiago’s Moonwalk LLC. Courtesy photoThe Shepherd Chamber welcomes two new members — Perla’s Polish Me Beautiful and Santiago’s Moonwalk LLC. Courtesy photo 

DidYouKnow ColumnHeadAfter the holidays it is back to the meetings, volunteering and all the other stuff that makes life interesting. Of course, there is work.

Thank you to all those who had to work through the holiday, law enforcement, fire and EMS responders and the folk who keep the lights on. There are a lot of interesting and enjoyable events coming your way and here are some of them.

•Coldspring Chamber will host its Annual Best of Banquet celebrating the voters choice for best businesses and individuals in San Jacinto County. The Banquet will be Jan. 27 at Jones Hall in Coldspring. Running from 6-10 p.m., the theme will be Winter Wonderland. Please take time to vote for your choices online.

The Chamber has partnered with San Jacinto News-Times and voting is online only this year. Go to www.Eastteaxasnews.com and vote in the categories you choose. More on the banquet in next week’s column.

•The Republican Party welcomes everyone to its annual Reagan Dinner to be held on Feb. 3 at the SJC Community Shelter. This year they have a very special speaker, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who will lead with State Sen. Charles Schwertner and other candidates for office accompanying him.

As always there will be a live auction, a bucket draw and of course a delicious dinner. The evening starts at 6 p.m., tickets are $75 for individual, $100 for a couple and other prices which are on the website. Go to https://sjcgop.com/events to buy tickets or go to their Facebook page.

•Coldspring Garden Club had a very interesting speaker last week. Wanda Gardner and Eleanor Zoeller introduced Yulander Taylor of Boiron Homeopathics, who gave a talk on healing with herbs. It was amazing to hear about the many herbs growing wild in our gardens and pastures which can be made into tea which is used to heal many of our ailments.

I knew about lavender, having read years ago how the Romans used it to help them relax and sleep. Jasmine flowers are also wonderful for this, and I know many of us have had jasmine tea. Yulander talked about many herbs which are easy for us to gather. If you would like to buy from her company or ask questions, her website is www.HolisticallyYou.org. She can be reached at (281) 865-1489.

•Did you know we have a museum in the basement of the Coldspring Courthouse? It has grown considerably over the last few years as people have contributed to it, and it is dedicated to the memory of those who have served in wars it is a collection of photographs, uniforms, medals and artifacts of many of the conflicts over the years past.

This is where the Historical Commission meets every month to discuss and plan events and work needed on buildings in Old Town Coldspring. Last week Dale Everitt led the discussion on an upcoming event planned for March 2 in Old Town Coldspring.

Many of you may have visited the Capitol in Austin. Built of sunset red granite and it is a beautiful building built during the 1880s. Did you know that pieces of this granite fell off the flat rail cars on the way from quarry to Austin? They lay by the tracks for years.

One large block was rescued and donated to our county in memory of Dr. Stephen H. Everitt, signer of the Declaration of Independence of Texas on March 2, 1836. William Nyle Everitt, who became Postmaster of the settlement he named Everitt, is also Dale’s forebear. The block of granite was donated and will be dedicated to Dr. Everitt in front of the old Post Office which became the Jackson Store. It was moved to Old Town Coldspring years ago and will be dedicated during a celebration with music and food and a chance to see the history of our county.

The Historical Commission will hold a raffle fundraiser at $10 a ticket with a customized guitar as first prize. The guitar was made by Tomie Ballard and is worth several thousand dollars. Other prizes include a Bigfoot quilt and a Victrola which can handle every electronic devise including Bluetooth. Whoever wins first will be able to choose their prize from the list, as will the next winner.

•Shepherd Chamber held a double ribbon cutting this week. Husband and wife Santiago and Perla became members some months ago but could never find the time to be in one place together for the event. At last we were able to officially make it happen and included Board Treasurer Lynne Hoban Montez and the couple’s children Kevin and Juliana.

Perla’s Polish Me Beautiful is in the EDC strip of businesses across from the Agri-Tex building. She is so busy she is not able to take new clients unless she has a cancellation. She is, however, working on another business which she will let us know about when she is ready.

Santiago’s Moonwalk LLC rents out bouncy castles and houses, water slides and tables and chairs too for those big events. He is moving toward wedding canopies so that he will be able to offer the complete package for weddings and other big outdoor events.

Go to www.santiagomoonwalkrental.com for more information. You can also call him at (832) 608-0147. Perla has a Facebook page for more information.

•San Jacinto County Senior Center is planning a talent show on Feb. 24. Tickets which include a show and dinner will be $25. Charline Smith says, “If you have talent, be part of the show.” Call (936) 653-4175 for information.

•Shepherd Library has a full calendar for January. The Annual Tea Party will be on January 26 from 2-4 p.m. This is a fun time to dress up, wear a hat and bring your children to have tea.

Interested in learning how to crochet? On Tuesdays in January starting at 4 p.m. there will be a creative creations crochet class. Tiny Tales is still on Wednesdays. Alli, the assistant Librarian has been busy painting the meeting room a different color. It is definitely a New Year.

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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New legislative measures have taken effect

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State Rep. Ernest BailesState Rep. Ernest BailesSpecial to the News-Times

SHEPHERD — State Rep. Ernest Bailes said 30 new measures enacted by the State Legislature are taking effect this month, stemming from the many legislative achievements delivered to Texans by the Legislature over the course of the year:

“The Texas House worked tirelessly in 2023 to deliver major conservative wins for the people of Texas; including $5 billion allocated to secure our southern border, the banning of sexually explicit performances in front of minors, and the largest property tax relief package in the nation,” Bales said.

Of the measures that recently went into effect, a few notable include:

•the banning of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in publicly funded universities;

•the elimination of harmful gender modification surgeries for Texas minors;

•a cost of living adjustment for Texas’ valued retired teachers; and

•the establishment of the Texas Broadband Development Fund to increase access to high-speed internet for Texans.

In addition to those outlined above, the 88th Legislature delivered a broad range of victories for Texas:

•enacted border security measures against Mexican cartels, including designating them as foreign terrorist organizations and imposing tougher penalties for crimes.

•empowered border patrol to arrest criminals for state offenses;

•prohibited COVID-19 vaccine mandates in private companies to safeguard employee rights;

•enhanced school safety by mandating armed security at public schools, reinforcing safety protocols, and providing youth mental health training for certain personnel;

•safeguarded integrity in college women’s sports by preventing biological males from competing on female-designated teams;

•increased funding for flood control and mitigation projects to improve disaster recovery post-Hurricane Harvey; and

•protected Texas children from explicit content by banning pornographic materials in school libraries and requiring age verification on websites and social media platforms sharing harmful sexual material.

“I am proud of what my colleagues and I were able to accomplish in 2023 and I feel confident that the successes achieved will continue to improve the quality of life and reflect the values of my constituents,” said Bailes.

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