Tyler County News

2 Comments

On Monday, to mark Public Service Recognition Week, the U.S. Department of Education Department announced it has approved nearly 616,000 borrowers nationwide for approximately $42 billion in Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) since October 2021.

PSLF covers public employees—such as teachers, firefighters, and members of law enforcement, as well as those who work for a non-profit organization—in a variety of fields by forgiving the remaining federal student loan balance for those who make the required 120 qualifying monthly payments.

In fact, PSLF is making an incredible difference for public servants in Texas:

Between October 2021 and May 2023, the Department has approved more than 39,000 borrowers in Texas for more than $2.6 billion in loan forgiveness under temporary changes the Biden-Harris Administration made to the PSLF Program. That’s nearly $68,000 per borrower!

While hundreds of thousands of Texas borrowers already have benefited from PSLF, more will benefit as the program continues.

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked relentlessly to fix a broken student loan system, including by making sure we fulfill the promise of Public Service Loan Forgiveness for those who have spent a decade or more serving our communities and our country,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “To date, the Biden-Harris team has kept that promise for more than 615,000 teachers, nurses, social workers, servicemembers, and other public servants by approving a combined $42 billion in student loan debt forgiveness. The difference that Public Service Loan Forgiveness is making in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans reminds us why we must continue doing everything we can to fight for borrowers and why families cannot afford to have progress derailed by partisan politicians. During Public Service Recognition Week—and every week—we thank all those who serve our communities.”

Public Service Recognition Week celebrates individuals who serve the United States and local communities as employees of federal, state, local, or tribal government.

Recent Improvements to the PSLF Application Process.

In addition to record approvals, the Department is also announcing that for the first time, borrowers can now sign and submit their PSLF forms digitally and closely track their status through the process.

These significant changes to the PSLF application process create a faster, more straightforward, and more transparent process for borrowers.

The changes also improve the experience for public service employers, who now can confirm a borrower’s employment digitally via DocuSign.

Background Information about the PSLF Program

Visit StudentAid.gov/publicservice to learn more about:

• Qualifying Employment

• Eligible Loans

• Qualifying Payments

• Qualifying Repayment Plans

• The PSLF Process

• The PSLF Help Tool

Write a comment

Amanda Jordan runs in part of the duathlon event in Spain for the World Championships. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA JORDAN

‘Coach Jojo’ ranked eighth in the world

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IBIZA, SPAIN – On Sunday, Amanda Jordan, a Fred resident who is widely known and beloved as a coach and teacher at Warren ISD, sealed the deal on what folks back home have already known for years: that the spunky young woman is one of the world’s greatest athletes.

Jordan competed in a duathlon event in the World Championships, which was held last weekend in Ibiza, Spain. Her event was a run-cycle-run competition, in which she ran a 10K, biked a 40K race and then ran a 5K. The end result was a second-place finish for Team USA in her class, and an eighth, overall, in the world.

Jordan’s success has qualified her for a spot in next year’s World Championships, which will take place in Townsend, Australia, and success in those games could place another feather in her cap: qualification for the Olympic games, which will be held in August 2024 in Paris.

Before she travelled to Spain, a surprise pep rally took place at the Warren Junior High gymnasium, in which family, friends and colleagues packed the venue, and some took turns speaking about Jordan’s inspiring nature and her grit and determination.

Her success in the World Championships is all the more impressive given a health struggle she has been dealing with. “That 10K time I ran was the second fastest in the world in my division,” she said. “Not bad, especially with a tumor on my artery.”

Jordan said the issue has caused her difficulty in walking for the past seven weeks, yet she said she was able to travel “out here and [do] the dang thing, and my artery didn’t rupture. Praise God!”

 

Last year, Jordan was clocked as the second fastest runner in the nation, when she qualified for her performance in the World Championships.

“God sure has blessed me with strength to overcome so much pain and so many obstacles,” she said. “I am beyond excited!”

Jordan added that she wanted to thank everyone back home for all of the “amazing support.” “I appreciate you all so much,” she said.

Write a comment

By Chris Edwards

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

STOCK PHOTO

JASPER – Four suspects are now in custody in the Jasper County Jail following a mass shooting that occurred after a prom party on Sunday, April 23.

The four suspects arrested last Friday were Tracy Hickman, Cameron Hartsfield and Tyler Porter, all aged 19 and Cheston Hartsfield, 18. All suspects are from Newton, according to Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman.

Cameron Hartsfield was arrested in Woodville, and according to Woodville Police Department Captain Jathan Borel, the arrest came through interagency coopration. Borel said that Hartsfield was located and arrested without incident.

Woodville Chief of Police Mike McCulley said the suspect was in Woodville, hiding out with a friend. “We were fortunate there were no retaliatory measures against this kid because he was obviously involved,” McCulley said.

Newman said in a press release that an ongoing feud is believed to be the cause and motive of the incident, in which 11 individuals were injured.

Cameron Hartsfield and Porter have both been arraigned and both have a $4 million bond set, while the other two have not been arraigned, at press time.

Both men are charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and five counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.

According to the initial report by the Jasper Police Department, investigators discovered that the incident, which occurred on Bevil Loop, on County Road 263, resulted in a home and vehicle struck by gunfire, in addition to the individuals who were injured. Investigators deduced that two or more vehicles were exchanging gunfire in a chase along the road.

“This was a senseless act of violence that turned what should have been one of the last/best nights to be a senior at Jasper High School into a horrific life altering experience,” a Jasper Police Department representative said in a statement to media.

In an open letter to the Jasper community, JISD Superintendent John Seybold wrote that additional security measures were put into place throughout the school district, beginning last Monday.

McCulley said that Cameron Hartsfield had been arrested in Woodville before the shooting on a shoplifting complaint, and it was discovered he had a stolen pistol on his person.

He was arraigned on a separate stolen firearm charge in Tyler County when he was arrested Friday, before being taken to Jasper.

McCulley added that Cameron Hartsfield was also arrested about three months before during a traffic stop, and found to be in possession of a stolen firearm.

Anyone with information concerning this incident is encouraged to contact Newman’s office at 409-384-5417.

1 Comment

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WOODVILLE – An incident on the night of Saturday, April 29, has the Woodville Police Department reminding the public about the state’s “Move Over/Slow Down” law.

According to Woodville Police Captain Jathan Borel, Officer Zach Zachary was conducting a traffic stop on South Magnolia, near Modica Brothers.

In the area where Zachary instigated the stop, there is a narrow shoulder and a ditch, and while the motorist did a good job of pulling over, Borel said, an individual struck Zachary and his patrol car.

Zachary was reapproaching the vehicle to give a warning, Borel said, and his back was turned to the traffic flow.

While Zachary and the vehicle only sustained minor injuries and damage, Borel said it is extremely important for motorists to remember the slow down and give awider berth to law enforcement or any emergency vehicles who are at work on the side of the road. Borel said this is especially important for motorists who might have impaired visibility, as was the case with the driver who struck Zachary. He said the lights from Zachary’s patrol car made it difficult to see.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper came out to work the scene, and Woodville PD also had assistance from the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office on site.

The statewide “Move Over/Slow Down” law was originally passed in 2003, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), but originally, it did not include service utility vehicles. That was amended in 2019, to include TxDOT vehicles, tow trucks, garbage/recycling vehicles and others, along with police, fire and EMS vehicles that are stopped on the roadside, with emergency lights activated.

The law requires drivers to move over a lane or to slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when approaching emergency vehicles, law enforcement or service vehicles. Additionally, according to Texas Transportation Code 545.157, drivers must reduce their speed to 5 miles per hour on thoroughfares with posted speed limits of 25 miles per hour.

Violations of this law can result in a fine of up to $200, and the fine increases to $500 if there is property damage. If violators cause bodily injury, they can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor, resulting in possible jail time and a maximum fine of $2,000.

According to a statistic from the DPS, troopers have been involved in 65 stationary crashes where either the trooper or their vehicle was struck while stopped on the side of the road, between 2016 and 2020.