Tyler County News

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AUSTIN — Texas Secretary of State John Scott today provided an update to all eligible Texas voters wishing to register to vote for the March 1 Primary Election:

"Every year, the Secretary of State’s Office voluntarily provides voter registration applications to numerous entities, including county election offices, county clerks, public libraries, high school principals, and others. This is in an effort to reach and register as many eligible Texas voters as possible and assist them in exercising their constitutional right to vote. While we are not legally required to do so, we do this as a courtesy to Texas voters and those organizations helping eligible Texans register to vote," Secretary Scott said.

"I want to make one thing clear: every single eligible Texas voter will be able to register to vote if they have not done so already. This year alone, the SOS has provided tens of thousands of voter registration applications to counties, libraries, schools, and private entities. The SOS has also made a .pdf version of the voter registration application available to anyone who requests it, including private entities. Additionally, Texas voters can fill out an online application form, print, sign and send the completed application to their county voter registrar. Don't wait until the last minute if you haven't already registered - get the process started today by following the instructions below or by visiting www.votetexas.gov!"

The Texas Secretary of State's office offers free voter registration forms to any individual, group or organization upon request as a courtesy to help Texas voters. There is no legal requirement in the Texas Election Code for the Secretary of State to provide free voter registration forms, only to furnish a copy of the required form without charge, which our office has done for any group or organization that requests one.

Any eligible Texas voter can fill out his or her registration information on the Texas Secretary of State's online portal, print, sign and mail the completed application form to their county voter registrar. The completed application does not have to be printed on a special type of paper. Once printed, Texas voters must:

• Insert in an envelope addressed to the county (the address is at the top of the form);
• Place a first class stamp on the envelope; and
• Mail to your county voter registrar.

You can start the application process here. Spanish speakers can use the Spanish language online application form here.

To find the correct mailing address for your county voter registrar, visit our list of County Voter Registration officials here.

Are you registering to vote for the first time?

To register to vote in Texas, simply complete a voter registration application and return it to your county election office by January 31st.  To complete an application, you may:

• Use the Texas Secretary of State's online voter registration application module. Simply fill in the required information, print, sign and mail the completed application directly to your county election office;
• Request a printed application. The Texas Secretary of State's office will mail a postage-paid voter registration application to the address provided; OR
• Contact or visit your county's voter registrar to complete the voter registration process.

Register to vote when renewing your Driver License or State ID card

If you’re not already registered to vote but have an existing Texas Driver License or state identification card, you can register to vote online when renewing, replacing or changing your contact information for either of these cards through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Follow the steps on the DPS web portal to update your driver license information, and you will be given the option to register to vote when renewing or updating your information.

Update your voter registration information online

Whether you’ve recently moved or changed your name, you can now update all your information on your voter registration record through our portal on Texas.gov. You may use this tool to update your registration across county lines if you have changed residences to a new county.

Click here to update your voter registration information online.**

**NOTE: To update your voter registration, you will need your Voter Unique Identifier (VUID) to log in to the Texas.gov portal. You can find your VUID by visiting the Texas SOS My Voter Portal, in which you can enter your Name, County, Date of Birth and ZIP code to display your voter registration information.

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AUSTIN – During National Cervical Health Awareness Month this January, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is encouraging women to get screened for cervical cancer.

“Cervical cancer screening rates have declined nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we kick off 2022, we are encouraging Texans to turn that trend around by resolving to prioritize cervical health,” said Lindsay Rodgers, HHSC associate commissioner for Health and Developmental Services. “Routine cervical cancer screening is the most effective way to detect cervical cancer early, and the first step is talking with your doctor.”

In 2018, which is the most recent year of available data, there were 1,299 new cases of cervical cancer for women in Texas. Cervical cancer is the third leading cancer diagnosis in women ages 20-39 and fifth in women ages 40-49.

In Texas, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program provides low-cost and free women’s health services for uninsured and underinsured Texas women who meet eligibility requirements. Services include cervical and breast cancer screenings, clinical breast examinations, mammograms, and breast biopsies. BCCS helps fund clinics across the state to provide these life-saving screening and diagnostic services.

Between Sept. 2020 and Sept. 2021, BCCS served 27,985 women including 7,217 women who received cervical cancer screenings and 838 women who received treatment for precancerous cervical conditions.

The BCCS program is partly funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program awards funding to states for early detection of cervical and breast cancers. Between June 2019 and June 2020, the federal program awarded BCCS more than $6 million. The Texas Legislature appropriates more than $2 million annually to supplement federal efforts.

To find BCCS providers or learn more about women’s health services, visit www.healthytexaswomen.org or call 2-1-1.

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RodasBy Chris Edwards
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IVANHOE – Tyler County law enforcement is investigating an alleged assault that took place in Ivanhoe, and resulted in a suspect apprehended on a pair out-of-county warrants.

Last Wednesday morning, at approximately 11:15 a.m., according to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, TCSO deputies were dispatched to a residence on Lancelot Street in reference to an assault in progress. 

“While en route to Lancelot Street, the deputies learned the male individual involved in the assault left walking from the residence,” Weathferford said. 

The deputies located the suspect, who was identified as Ozzie Angel Rodas, a 33-year-old Ivanhoe man. Rodas was found near the entrance to Ivanhoe.

The deputies learned that Rodas had two active warrants for his arrest out of Dallas and Denton counties, one for Assault – Family Violence and another for Possession of a Controlled Substance. 

Roadas was transported to the Tyler County Justice Center and transferred the next day to the Dallas County Jail, where he is currently in custody. 

He is still, according to Weatherford, being investigated for the assault incident in Ivanhoe.

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Michael VicarsBy Chris Edwards
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CHESTER – On New Year’s Day, deputies with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an area in Chester in reference to an assault call.

The deputies spoke with the victim of the alleged assault, and learned the incident occurred the previous night, and that the suspect was no longer there.

According to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, once the deputies were able to obtain information, evidence and witness statements, they obtained an arrest warrant for Michael Roy Vicars, a 64-year-old Chester man. 

The next day, TCSO deputies located and arrested Vicars at his residence “without incident,” Weatherford said. He was booked into the Tyler County Justice Center and charged with felony assault. He is out of jail on a $10,000 bond, which was set by Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Jim Moore.