Tyler County News

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Tyler County Dogwood Festival Queen's Weekend begins with the Annual Dogwood Dash in Woodville. There was a great turnout this morning with beautiful weather for a 5K run. Here's a photo of the winners in this years event. Congratulations to Overall Female winner Alyssa Mabry, 17, from Colmesneil with a time of 23.09, and male overall winner Landon Heim, 15, from Spurger with a time of 20.05. The Parade is at 2 p.m. and Pageant at 7 p.m.  (Jim Powers/Tyler County Booster Photo)

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By Chris Edwards
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When news broke on Thursday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office confirmed a multiple-count indictment of former president Donald Trump, many Republican lawmakers backed Trump, including Texas congressman Brian Babin (R-Woodville). Babin issued a statement through Twitter following news of the indictment, calling it “purely political theater.”

Babin further stated that New York DA Alvin Bragg “won’t prosecute violent criminals but is eager to weaponize the justice system for attempted political gain.” Texas Senator Ted Cruz also weighed in on what he saw as the justice system being weaponized and called the indictment a “catastrophic escalation” in that alleged weaponization.

Trump has reportedly been under investigation for some time for allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair that occurred prior to Trump’s 2016 successful bid for the presidency.

The exact charge or charges are not public at this time, and reportedly Bragg’s office said it has contacted Trump’s attorney to set up a surrender and an arraignment at a later date.

The news makes Trump the first former president in the country’s history to be under criminal indictment. Despite this, Trump continues to push another bid for the White House in 2024. Recent polls show that Trump is currently favored by potential voters over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, although polling high among likely Republican voters, has not announced his candidacy for the presidency. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is expected to run for re-election.

Other Republican lawmakers rushed to back Trump on Thursday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) called the indictment a “sham,” and a clear example of “extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents,” which he stated in a tweet.

Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House referred to the episode as an “injustice” that the American people “will not tolerate,” and criticized Bragg.

Trump issued a social media statement, himself, through his own Truth Social platform. He wrote that “Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED (sic) the President of the United States of America,” and referred to the Grand Jury’s action toward him as an “attack on our once free and fair elections,” stating that he is the “leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President.”

Sources indicate that Trump has said he plans to fight the charges against him.

The issue of the hush money for the alleged affair in of itself is not illegal, but what is being reported by outlets such as the New York Times is that the charges likely are related to business fraud and campaign finance violations. As of Friday morning, it was being reported that Trump faces more than 30 counts in the indictment handed down from the Grand Jury.

The reaction from lawmakers of the Democratic party emphasized the rule of law and fairness. New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) tweeted that “No one is above the law,” while Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) referred to Trump’s indictment as a “somber” moment for the nation.

“As we see this process unfold, I hope Americans can find faith in our judicial system and take heart in knowing justice benefits us all.”

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Western Weekend is the second of three weeks of the Annual Tyler County Dogwood Festival. The weekend featured a parade and two rodeos.

Both Friday and Saturday events drew a good crowd who enjoyed exciting rodeo action for both the crowd and participants, though the crowd probably enjoyed this young woman's ride more than she. Next weekend is Queen's weekend featuring a parade Saturday afternoon and Pageant Saturday night. (Jim Powers/Tyler County Booster Photo)

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By Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford announced last week that a new opportunity is available for county residents who are interested in pursuing a law enforcement career.

The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office will award up to two individuals an opportunity to attend a local law enforcement academy, which will be paid in full by the county.

Weatherford said the program is similar to what TCSO has done in the past, as far as recruiting applicants; that if someone is employed with a fire department, or with TCSO as dispatch or in the jail and could be an asset, they can be sent to the academy.

Weatherford said that anyone who is interested can apply, and if selected, an applicant will have to sign a three-year patrol contract with TCSO. “Our goal is to have the candidates attend the 2023 fall semester of a local academy,” Weatherford said.

Weatherford said that Tyler County Treasurer Leann Monk and TCSO investigator Chase Nalley really got the ball rolling on the opportunity. The money was already in the budget, Weatherford said, so TCSO did not have to go out for any funding for the program, but Weatherford, Monk and Nalley brought the matter before the Tyler County Commissioners Court last week to get the court’s approval to start it.

“We are looking for qualified and committed individuals interested in a professional law enforcement career who want to make a positive impact in Tyler County,” Weatherford said.

Nalley said the program will be an important motivator to young people in the county who might want to pursue a law enforcement career, but do not have the means to attend the academy.

“New applicants in law enforcement are down and retirements are up,” Nalley said. “There’s no reason why we can’t be proactive in retaining our officers here in Tyler County.”

Monk said the measure will be a great investment for the county, and said in recruiting and retaining officers, the county is looking for “lifers,” who love Tyler County and do not have any plans to leave.

In order to be considered, candidates must be legally able to attend a law enforcement academy and work as a Texas Peace Officer and submit an essay stating as to why they are an ideal candidate. Three letters of recommendation are required from Tyler County residents. The applicants must also be able to pass a comprehensive background investigation and complete a board interview.

Duties of an officer, according to Weatherford include patrolling the entire county in order to enforce criminal laws and maintain order; the enforcement of traffic laws for safety and responding to dispatched calls, among other tasks.

Anyone interested in applying must contact Monk’s office, located at the Tyler County Courthouse, at 100 West Bluff, room 103, in Woodville. Applicants must appear in person. No phone inquiries will be taken.