Trinity County News 2

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By Tony Farkas
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GROVETON — An employee of the Groveton school district was arrested Wednesday for allegedly altering grades.

Breanna Faye Abshier, 35, is facing a third-degree felony charge of tampering with a government record. She is listed on the Groveton ISD website as the registrar for the junior high and high schools.

According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, Texas Rangers were alerted to the case by Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace and Chief Deputy Jeremy Carroll on Feb. 26 that a student’s grade averages and class rankings were believed to have been manipulated.

The affidavit states that approximately 145 entries were changed between the 2021-22 school year and the current year.

Texas Ranger Christopher Cash met with school officials, who told police that the suspects job duties included using the schools’ Ascender software to change grades, but only with teacher authorization.

The affidavit states that the changes were made without authorization, changed a student’s class rank from around 15th of 56 students to fifth; the adjustments were made to the student’s class average for a 6-week period, which would then affect that student’s semester average for that class.

The timestamp information within the system pointed to the suspect, the affidavit states.

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Casaray Ranch cattle were big winners at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Red Brahman competition. Courtesy photo from the Brahman Journal

Special to the News-Standard

HOUSTON — Casaray Ranch of Groveton’s Casaray SF Noble Pasco won Grand Champion red female at the 2024 ABBA International Brahman Show at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, held Feb. 26-March 1.

Several other cattle won awards as well, and owner Cesar Castro was elected for Area 1 of the American Brahman Breeder Association Board of Directors for the year 2024-2025.

Other awards for the ranch include:

•Champion Junior Yearling Female, Casaray Sharapova

•Reserve Champion Intermediate Female, Casaray HG Karen

•Reserve Champion Intermediate Bull, Casaray Derek

Additionally, Registrar of Renown, an award designed to recognize the sires and dams of showring winners at ABBA-approved shows, was awarded to Casaray Winchester.

Castro’s election to the board makes him one of 44 elected directors, and his area is comprised of Angelina, Chambers, Newton, Orange, Grimes, Hardin, Polk, Sabine, Saint Augustine, San Jacinto, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Shelby, Trinity, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Tyler and Walker counties.

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Firefighters from Trinity Fire & Rescue examine the scene of a fire.

TCNS staff

TRINITY — Trinity Fire & Rescue responded to a structure fire Thursday afternoon at approximately 3:40 p.m. at 114 Creekside Court.

Fire Chief Keith Johnson said the first unit on the scene reported smoke billowing from a single wide mobile home. Two neighbors were using a water hose on the fire and helped keep the fire contained to the kitchen.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and rescued the family cat from the back bedroom, Johnson said.

Firefighter Allen Ramsey and Ventura EMS Paramedic Keith Shelly gave oxygen to the animal, and the pet’s owner transported it to a veterinary clinic.

Johnson said the fire appeared to have started with an electric pressure cooker on the cabinet.   

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Special to the News-Standard

LUFKIN — As spring break approaches, TxDOT is teaming up with college students to make sure their celebrations don’t have catastrophic consequences.

The Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign is traveling to college campuses and spring break hot spots across the state to spread the message that there is always a safe and sober way to get home.

“Every death due to drunk driving is preventable,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “We want students to understand that it’s easy to celebrate spring break safely. By finding a sober ride, taking a cab, using a rideshare, or simply staying put after drinking, students can make sure their families gather for graduation and not a funeral.”

In 2022, there were 810 DUI-alcohol-related traffic crashes during the spring break period, killing 44 people and seriously injuring 90 others. All because someone chose to get behind the wheel while impaired.

In the Lufkin District in 2022, there were 5,127 traffic crashes, resulting in 76 fatalities and 319 serious injuries. Of that number, 315 crashes were DUI-related that resulted in 17 fatalities and 51 serious injuries. During Spring Break 2022, there were 10 alcohol/DUI related traffic crashes in the Lufkin District that resulted in two serious injuries.

The Lufkin District urges students and parents traveling for Spring Break to make a plan to stay safe and sober. Remember, crashes caused by drunk driving are 100-percent preventable. Always designate a sober driver, plan ahead to call a taxi or rideshare service, stay put, or call a friend or a family member for a safe ride home if you plan to consume alcohol at events or parties.

TxDOT’s Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.

For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (936) 404-7485.

The information contained in this report represents reportable data collected from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3). This information was received and processed by the department as of Nov. 16, 2023.