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Tyler County News - Breakout

Costello returns home

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A blue ribbon on a utility pole in downtown Woodville is displayed to show support for officer Troy Costello.  CHRIS EDWARDS | TCBA blue ribbon on a utility pole in downtown Woodville is displayed to show support for officer Troy Costello. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – Woodville police officer Troy Costello returned home last week from the hospital, as he continues to recover from being shot during an incident last month.

Costello returned to a community united in support for him and his family, with blue ribbons tied around doors, utility poles and other motifs displayed to show support. Costello had been in the hospital since the incident, which occurred on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 17, and endured multiple surgeries, after being shot in the face by Reginald Owens, a 41-year-old Hemphill man.

Owens was later found by multiple lawmen representing multiple agencies after a manhunt that lasted about an hour. He refused to follow commands, began to reach for his weapon and was shot and killed by deputies with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Woodville’s chief of police, Mike McCulley, Costello still has limited speaking ability, due to where the bullet entered and due to the surgeries to repair the damage.

The Woodville City Council approved, at a special meeting on Sept. 25, that the deficit in Costello’s pay would be made up by the city, so that he will receive his full pay while out. Workers’ compensation pays 70% of his salary, while the city has covered the remaining 30%.

There has also been a fundraiser ongoing to cover incidental expenses for his family at this time. Anyone interested in donating can do so at Stellar Bank in Woodville. An account has been opened under his wife Dalynda’s name.

All of the bank tellers are aware of the account, so anyone wishing to donate to the fund to help the family need only to give her’s or Troy’s name in order to make a deposit.

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Doucette Community Cemetery to meet

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STOCK PHOTOSTOCK PHOTO

DOUCETTE – A meeting of the Doucette Community Cemetery will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21. It will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the cemetery for a clean-up, with a business meeting to follow at 9 a.m.

Dues and donations may be mailed to Doucette Community Cemetery, PO Box 771, Doucette, TX 75941.

Sherian Hadnot, with the cemetery association, said she has spent many years trying to identify unmarked gravesites, and wishes to recognize the late Joe Blackmon; JD Clark and Jimmy Brooks for their support through the years; working with her on the project.

LaShon Proctor of Proctor’s Mortuary, which serves Woodville, Anahuac, Beaumont and Liberty, made a generous donation of 31 grave markets for the gravesites.

Proctor and Proctor’s Mortuary want to thank the community, and the members of the Doucette Community Cemetery are thankful.

Hadnot asked that family members come out and help with the placing of the markers on the gravesites. Placement will begin at 8:30 a.m. Pastor John Barefield and Rev. Kevin Barlow will join in with prayer and words of comfort.

Feel free to contact Hadnot, who is the president of the association, at 409-429-4926 or vice president Sharon Baker at 409-429-0612.

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Burn ban ratified

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BurnBan STOCKBy Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – In a special meeting of the Tyler County Commissioners Court last Thursday, the commissioners ratified the countywide burn ban.

The burn ban, which was reinstated by Tyler County Judge Milton Powers on Sept. 28, will be in effect until it is rescinded by the commissioners. The ban had been lifted for two days after two days of rainfall in late September, however, Judge Powers shared with the officials present on Thursday that there were two or three places in the county that had not received sufficient rain. Dam B, for example, only received 0.9 inches throughout September.

Additionally, Tyler County is still under drought conditions, according to Texas A&M Forest Service mapping and reports.

Initially, the two-day lift of the ban allowed a window of opportunity to allow people to burn, Powers said, but the opportunity evaporated without more rainfall.

“We’re still under a significant drought. I do appreciate the opportunity to burn, though,” said Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher.

In another meeting on Tuesday morning, of the Commissioners’ Court, Powers said that rain was expected this week, possibly Wednesday and Thursday, but the county is looking at rainfall on a day-to-day basis, and paying close attention to rainfall amounts.

“We look at those numbers and pray for rain,” he said, and implored everyone in attendance to do the same. “Please pray for rain,” he said.

In the state of Texas, local governments are empowered to take action on the behalf of their constituents, and when drought conditions exist, burn bands can be put in place by a county judge or a county commissioners’ court that prohibit, or restrict, outdoor burning in the name of public safety.

Violation of the ban is a class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

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GOOD TIMES AT SENIOR PROM

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Sr Prom Photo

Residents of Woodville Health and Rehab had a grand old time on Thursday afternoon at the Family Life Center of Woodville’s First Baptist Church. The venue was transformed with old west motifs for a “senior prom” for the residents, who enjoyed games, good eats, music and line dancing. JIM POWERS | TCB

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Fair raises more than $346K

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Paisley Seamans, of the Colmesneil FFA, showed the Grand Champion steer this year. Her steer sold for $18,000 to a buyer group consisting of Tyco T Ranch; Jeffcoat Ag; Rep. Trent Ashby; Tyler County Farm Bureau; ET HHA and Sammie Seamans. MEGAN DUNN PHOTOPaisley Seamans, of the Colmesneil FFA, showed the Grand Champion steer this year. Her steer sold for $18,000 to a buyer group consisting of Tyco T Ranch; Jeffcoat Ag; Rep. Trent Ashby; Tyler County Farm Bureau; ET HHA and Sammie Seamans. MEGAN DUNN PHOTO

By Jacob Spivey

WOODVILLE – In October 1963, Columbia Records released a song by Andy Williams about the Tyler County Fair.

Of course, if you listen to the lyrics, you may think the song is about a Victorian Christmas, but for me when I hear someone in Tyler County saying “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” I know they are talking about that first full weekend in October, when the fairgrounds on 190 come alive with the spirit of Tyler County agriculture.

This year was no different, while unlike Williams’s song we may not have kids jingle-belling, hearts were certainly of good cheer. The 2023 Tyler County Fair was one for the books. By the time the gavel banged on the final sale item at the livestock auction, more than $346,679 had been raised in support of young people in Tyler County with Livestock, Home Economics and Ag Mechanics projects. Tears were shed, cheers were shouted, and lives were impacted throughout the week.

We had some great moments, Emily Jones won three different categories in the Home Economics Show, Cookies, Layer Cake, and Sheet Cake. The Champion Steer brought home $18,000 and was exhibited by Paisley Seamans of the Colmesneil FFA. Knowledge and wisdom were shared throughout the week as we saw young people experience the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hopefully have instilled in them an inborn fondness that they will never be able to deny.

Each year some special awards are given, the Swinney Cattle Company won the In-County Cattle Breeder Award, Elyn Meredith of Warren won the most prestigious award of the fair, the R.A. Jernigan Award for Outstanding Leadership. Sam Standley won the Lamar Conner award which recognizes hard work. Chesney Adams won the Herdsman award for her work in keeping her stalls and the entire fairgrounds tidy. Cole Clark, Kamryn Grammer, and Abby Stephens were honored as Legacy Award winners for participating in the fair each year since third grade.

The fair had more than 180 entries in the livestock show this year, but perhaps the greatest show was held on Saturday Morning, when young people not quite old enough to yet participate, since fair participation begins in the third grade, when more than 45 young people participated in the Tyler County Fair Peewee Show.

However, there were moments of heartbreak. As animals began to cross the scales on Wednesday to begin the show, word spread across the fairgrounds like a wildfire through a drought-stricken forest that a 4H Dad, who would be bringing his daughter’s pig to the fairgrounds within the next few hours had tragically died in a car accident. Phone calls were made to ensure that the family was ok, and that it was understandable that the pig would be scratched. However, in just the 6th grade, this young lady would not be persuaded, she said her father had told her that it was the best pig they had ever raised, and they had raised it together, so come what may, she would be in the show ring with the pig on Thursday night.

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