San Jacinto County News

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By Tony Farkas
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COLDSPRING — A San Jacinto County woman was indicted by a grand jury in connection with the theft of more than $25,000 from the Coldspring Dixie Youth League over the course of several years.

Lt. Charles Dougherty Detective said that a true bill for a charge of theft of property of more than $2,500 but less than $30,000 was returned on Deborah Christy Hamilton, 46, of Coldspring, on Sept. 30.

Hamilton was the former president of the league, serving between 2017 and 2019, when the thefts were alleged to have occurred.

Dougherty said the case was brought some time ago after it was reported by an umpire; the umpire went to a board meeting and questioned why a uniform vendor wasn’t paid. 

“He asked questions, but no one had any answers,” Dougherty said. “He started digging and found that over $20,000 was missing.”

Professional audits were ordered, and then all information was given to Sheriff’s Office, he said.

According to case files, during the time Hamilton was president, funds for the league were used at restaurants and other businesses and wasn’t accounted for. Dougherty said that the grand jury felt that since Hamilton was president, she was responsible, and returned the indictment.

The charge of theft of property of more than $2,500 but less than $30,000 is state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in jail and fines of up to $10,000.

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Special to the News-Times

LUFKIN — Deep East Texas Council of Governments Solid Waste grant application deadline for FY 2023 is 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 31. 

DETCOG anticipates awarding grants totaling $65,000. The applicants must be located within Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler counties to be eligible to apply. 

The grants are available to cities, counties, public schools, school districts, river authorities as well as general and special law districts with the authority and responsibility for water quality protection or municipal solid waste management. 

Individual applications for up to $32,500 will be considered during this round of funding. Each application will be judged by the DETCOG Regional Solid Waste Advisory Committee in accordance with the RSWAC Project Review and Scoring Guidelines and DETCOG’s Regional Solid Waste Management Plan. Funding for this program is provided through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Applications for projects in the following categories will be accepted: local enforcement, litter and illegal dumping cleanup and community collection events, source reduction and recycling, local solid waste management, household hazardous waste management, technical studies, educational and training projects, and other projects not included in these categories which meet TCEQ criteria.

Applications are available under the “Programs” tab on DETCOG’s website at www.detcog.gov. They are due back to DETCOG by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31. 

For more information, or to request an application packet, please contact Regional Services Specialist Carolyn Stephenson by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (936) 634-2247 ext. 5353.

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Special to the News-Times

AUSTIN — The Public Utility Commission of Texas recently adopted expanded weather preparation rules for electricity generators and transmission utilities to ensure grid reliability during both summer and winter weather events. 

The expanded rules build on the successful implementation of the winter weather preparation requirements adopted by the PUCT in November 2021 and add new summer weather preparation requirements to begin in June 2023.

“Reliability drives every decision we make when it comes to grid operations,” said Public Utility Commission Chairman Peter Lake. “The grid has to be ready for any weather condition, from extreme heat to extreme cold. These rules take that into account by setting the baseline preparation requirements for an operator at some of the most extreme weather conditions this state has experienced and requiring the operator to prepare their generation resources and transmission facilities to be able to operate in those conditions.”

In addition to extending current winter weather preparation requirements into the future, the rule adopts specific temperature standards for ten geographically distinct areas of the state and establishes minimum and maximum temperatures at which owners of electric generation and transmission entities need to prepare their facilities to be able to operate. These temperature standards go into effect in 2023.

The expanded rule also removes the special exemption process adopted last year for utilities that could not meet mandatory preparation deadlines due to supply chain issues or other acceptable reasons. 

Finally, the new rule requires the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator for about 90 percent of the state, to deliver a weather study that examines several weather parameters that can have negative impacts on the reliable operation of the electric grid. The rule requires ERCOT to update this study at least every five years to account for variability in weather patterns over time.

The 2021 weather preparation rules already in place as part of reliability reforms passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott require electricity generators to winterize their facilities against extreme cold weather. 

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San Jacinto County Deputy Jared Oliver, Sgt. Mark Gustafson, Sheriff Greg Capers, Patrol Division Lt. Ray Bowen, K9 Handler Deputy Dustin Oliphant with K9 Lady Duna display a small sampling of the seized drugs and paraphernalia from a recent drug arrest in Cleveland. Courtesy photo

Special to the News-Times

A cooperative investigation between the San Jacinto County and Liberty County sheriff’s departments led to the arrest of a woman on narcotics charges.

On Sept. 16, Leah Steiner was arrested on charges of manufacture or delivery of controlled substances, a first-degree felony after Steiner had been under surveillance for some time.

Deputies from both agencies executed a narcotics search warrant inside the Express Inn on Highway 59 on the north bypass in Cleveland. Reports indicate that officials seized quantities of methamphetamines as well as a variety of paraphernalia, including packaging and distribution materials.

Steiner was then transported and booked into the San Jacinto County jail.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers extended his appreciation to Liberty County Sheriff Bobbie Rader and his deputies for their unparalleled cooperation.

“I’m confident I speak for Sheriff Rader as well when I commit to provide all of the resources at my disposal to rid our respective communities of these undesirables in an out attempt to safeguard the families we were elected to serve,” Capers said.