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Arrests made in church burglary case

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Jared Michael Saulsbury, left, age 17, of Silsbee and 20-year-old Justin Wyatt Chaison of Spurger. Jared Michael Saulsbury, left, age 17, of Silsbee and 20-year-old Justin Wyatt Chaison of Spurger.

By Chris Edwards
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SPURGER – Two young men found themselves charged with burglarizing a Tyler County church last week.

According to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, a combination of items that were identified and surveillance video helped toward the apprehension of two suspects, Jared Michael Saulsbury, age 17, of Silsbee and 20-year-old Justin Wyatt Chaison of Spurger. The two are charged with burglarizing that Oak Grove Church, which is located between Spurger and Fred.

The church’s pastor was able to identify items that were taken from the church from photos that were provided by an anonymous source, according to Weatherford.

When deputies with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office were able to view surveillance video footage from the church, they observed and identified a male subject leaving the church on the Saturday, Oct. 9 date when the incident occurred. The subject was identified as Chaison.

The deputies were then able to obtain and execute a search warrant at a residence located along County Road 4550, where they were able to recover the majority of the items stolen from the church.

Weatherford said that while his deputies were speaking with individuals at the residence, Salsbury and Chaison admitted to the break-in. They were taken into custody and transported to the Tyler County Justice Center. They are both charged with Burglary of a Building, and their bonds were sat by Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Trisher Ford, with Chaison held on a $6,000 bond and Saulsbury on $5,000. Both have since bonded out of the jail.

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32nd Annual Harvest Festival held at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville

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A jam session during the 32nd Annual Heritage Village Museum Harvest Festival. (Jim Powers/Tyler County Booster Photo)A jam session during the 32nd Annual Heritage Village Museum Harvest Festival. (Jim Powers/Tyler County Booster Photo) 

Beautiful weather, lots of kids and a big helping of Tyler County history were served Friday and Saturday at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville where the 32nd Annual Harvest Festival was held.

The event features food, entertainment, demonstrations and crafts in the museum, a recreation of life in early Tyler County.

Here's a photo gallery from this year's event. (Jim Powers/Tyler County Booster Photos)

 

2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
2021 Harvest Festival at Heritage Village Museum in Woodville, Tx.
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Family still looking for missing Tyler County man

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Missing ManMissing ManBy Chris Edwards
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The family of a missing Tyler County man issued a bulleting via social media to remind the public to be on the lookout for 72-year-old Thomas Thornton.

The Town Bluff resident has been missing since Wednesday, March 24 and was last seen on video footage the next day at a gas station in Hemphill.

His family has been concerned for his wellbeing. Thornton, who is a combat veteran who served during the Vietnam War, has issues with PTSD as well as dementia, according to family members. More troubling, he did not take any of the medications with him, on which he is dependent.

When he was last seen leaving his home in Town Bluff around 6 p.m. on that day in March, he was heading to Jasper, where he used his debit card at Brookshire Bros.

According to the timeline of Thornton’s last known whereabouts, which were gleaned from security cameras and cell phone pings, he was last on the grid on March 26, when his cell signal was pinged in Shelby County, but lost after that. It is surmised that his cell phone lost its charge, and that is when his family and the Tyler County Sheriff’s Department attempted to get a Silver Alert issued for him, which was activated two days later.

The Silver Alert has since been discontinued, but Thornton’s family members are still asking the public to be on the lookout for the missing man. His niece Dana Lee Summerlin Hutto asked the public to check their hunting clubs and fish camps. “We are really hoping for some clues to lead us to him,” Hutto said.

Hutto said her uncle, who has lived in Tyler County for more than 20 years, enjoys fishing and walking in the woods, and of primary concern, medically, is the fact that he is in the early stages of dementia, which has caused his family to fear for his wellbeing since he initially went missing.

“Tommy,” as his family knows him, typically wears a baseball cap with a “Vietnam Veteran” patch on it, and usually sports T-shirts and carpenter-style blue jeans. He stands 5’7” tall and weighs 255 lbs. Thornton drives a dark grey 2017 Ford Edge with the Texas license plate number NJJ-8580. He also has blue eyes and a visible scar on his right arm.

Anyone with information regarding Thornton’s whereabouts is encouraged to call the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office at 409-283-2172.

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Emporium Stage hosting Ina Dilemma

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Ina Dilemma, pictured left-to-right: Michael Hanna (guitar/vocals); Felesha Sterling (vocals); Krista Thompson (drums) and Mike Jones (bass). (PHOTO COURTESY OF INA DILEMMA)Ina Dilemma, pictured left-to-right: Michael Hanna (guitar/vocals); Felesha Sterling (vocals); Krista Thompson (drums) and Mike Jones (bass). (PHOTO COURTESY OF INA DILEMMA)By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – The Emporium Stage in downtown Woodville is bringing another live music event to the public this weekend. Regional blues-rockers Ina Dilemma will take the stage at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 for general admission. All proceeds from the show will go toward the Emporium Stage and its efforts to continue bringing quality live entertainment to Woodville.

Singer/guitarist Kirsten Hardmant will open the show. Hardmant will start at 6:15 p.m. and has played around town at venues such as Doretta’s Lair and the Magnolia Bar and Grill as a solo act. 

She draws from a large repertoire of classic singer-songwriter-type rock and soft rock songs, including covers of Tom Petty and James Taylor.

Ina Dilemma, a four-piece band that combines elements of traditional rock n roll, electric blues and hardcore country, consists of frontwoman Felesha Sterling; guitarist/vocalist Michael Hanna and the rhythm section of Mike Jones on bass and drummer Krista Thompson.

The band has been active for several years in the area, and plays a variety of tunes, from blues-rock standards like “Pride and Joy” to Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman.”

The show’s organizers are encouraging the public to get there early to get a good seat. The show is BYOB.

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White files COVID-related bills

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James WhiteJames WhiteBy Chris Edwards
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AUSTIN – State Rep. James

 White (R-Hillister) has filed two COVID-related bills last week, one of which prohibits vaccine mandates.

While filed the two bills, HB 93 and 94, last Tuesday, after the Texas Legislature’s third special session began. The text of the bill refers to the Pelosi Congressional Vaccination Doctrine Act, and would prohibit businesses and governmental entities in the state of Texas from requiring customers and employees from requiring vaccinations or documentation certifying vaccination status.

The text of the bill also states that businesses which require employees to provide proof of vaccination(s) will not be eligible to receive a grant or enter into a contract payable with state funding.

The accompanying bill, HB 94, relates to the establishment of a COVID-19 health information clearinghouse through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). 

TDEM would, under the bill, maintain a database of Coronavirus immunization information, including the total number of individuals who are vaccinated against the disease in Texas and for the public to be able to search the database for information.

The database would also include information pertaining to COVID-related deaths in the state, as well as hospitalization statistics. 

The current special session, which began last Monday, Sept. 20, will expire on Oct. 19. 

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