San Jacinto County News

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COURTESY PHOTO | CASSIE GREGORY Lincoln Junior High welcomed 14 new inductees into the National Junior Honor Society on May 25. They are (back row, from left) Lane Madison, Luke McClure, Alayna Rodriguez, Tess Phillips, Averey Moss, Hayden Richards, Angel-Joy Zane and Brayden Coker; and (front row, from left) Ashlynn Holley, Avery Keel, Averi Tucker, Cali Crowder and LJH NJHS Sponsor Aimie Patrick. Not pictured are Iliana Ferman and Haley Tullos.

Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — Lincoln Junior High School welcomed 14 new inductees into the National Junior Honor Society on May 25. 

The NJHS elevates a school's commitment to the values of scholarship, leadership, character, service and citizenship. These characteristics are considered the five pillars of the NJHS, and have been associated with membership in the organization since its inception in 1929. 

Current LJH NJHS members performed the induction ceremony, which included the symbolic lighting of five candles to represent the five pillars. Inductees were sworn in by repeating the following NJHS Pledge:

"I pledge to uphold the high purposes of the National Junior Honor Society to which I have been selected. Striving in every way by word and deed to make its ideals the ideals of my school and of my life."

Congratulations to LJH students Brayden Coker, Cali Crowder, Iliana Ferman, Ashlynn Holley, Avery Keel, Joel Lane Madison, Luke McClure, Averey Moss, Tess Phillips, Hayden Richards, Alayna Rodriguez, Averi Tucker, Haley Tullos and Angel-Joy Zane.

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FILE PHOTO San Jacinto County Seal

By Tony Farkas

COLDSPRING — The San Jacinto County Commissioners Court talked a little trash at its regular meeting on May 19.

County Judge Fritz Faulkner said that about 20 people from the Trails End subdivision in the southwest part of the county came to express their concerns about a proposal for an area landfill planned in that part of the county.

Faulkner said Peach Creek Environmental has put in an application with Texas Commission for Environmental Quality for a proposed landfill.

Area residents that showed up told the court they don’t want it in their back yards; however, Faulkner said that the county is not part of any of the process. Peach Creek has 2,000 acres of land purchased, and 600 acres will be part of the initial phase.

“When you put one of these things in, there’s a valid concern about water quality,” Faulkner said. “There is a membrane put down to protect water table, but it could rupture. You’re also talking about 500 trucks a day coming in through the roads, and there are concerns about property values. Also, part of the area may be in the flood plain, which carries additional concerns.”

Faulkner said it was a very informative discussion; however, the plan is only in the permitting process and there a lot of work left to do. He also said the county will look into the matter, but took no action.

“It’s people just bringing concerns to the court,” he said.

In other business, the county:

• discussed new storage for the county’s records, which currently are stored in elections building and the basement of the courthouse. Maintenance personnel were asked to price metal buildings or seagoing containers;
• approved purchase of track loader for $86,200; and
• approved bonds for all employees of the Sheriff’s Office.

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COURTESY PHOTO | CASSIE GREGORY Executive Administrative Assistant Cindy Elliott administers the oath of office to new school board members William Baker and Ashney Shelly during the May 24 COCISD board meeting.

Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — The Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD Board of Trustees officially hired Dr. Bryan Taulton as Superintendent of Schools at a special meeting on May 27.

Taulton was named lone finalist on May 4, but due to state law, there was a 21-day waiting period before the Board could formally vote to approve him for the position. 

Taulton has 15 years of professional experience in public education and has served as a teacher, assistant principal, junior high principal, high school principal, and assistant superintendent before taking the position of superintendent at Goodrich ISD.

He currently teaches graduate courses at Houston Baptist University in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, specializing in school law, school business management and finance, instructional leadership and evaluation, and interpersonal communication and public relations.

At the board’s regular meeting on May 24, the board swore in two new members, elected in the May 1 general election.

Other items discussed by the board include:

• the annual review of board policy on ethics.
• a proposal for the construction of stadium restrooms.
• awarding the depository contract for the 2021-2023 biennium.
• revisions to summer school supplemental pay rates.
• the COCISD 2021-2022 compensation plan.
• a resolution regarding ESSER III grant funds.
• the purchase of technology devices and components.

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FILE PHOTO

Special to the News-Times

COLDSPRING — Weather is responsible for another delay, this time the annual Car, Truck and Bike Show sponsored by the Coldspring Area Business and Merchants Association.

CABMA’s Car Show Committee voted to move the event to July 31.

According to information from the meeting posted on the group’s website, vehicle owners will not show the cars in rain, and musicians and DJs will not risk damage to their equipment.

Sponsors for the event, Bourland Land Surveying, Paradise Grille, Bear AC & Heating, Farm Bureau Insurance and Matticks Real Estate, have been contacted and have agreed to the delay; however, the food purchased for the event will not be used, and it is non-refundable.

Vendors that have been booked for the event will not be charged to set up on the new date, and were allowed to set up Saturday if they so chose.

In the release, members stated it was a very hard decision to make as a new board, and that some people will be disappointed, but Mother Nature is 100 percent out of the board’s control.

The board cannot take of chance of losing or wasting hard-earned money to possible thunderstorms, the release states, and postponement of any event is not the end of the world, it’s a compromise.

More information is available at cabma.org.