Tyler County News - Breakout

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From Enterprise Staff

A number of fun activities are planned at the Livingston Municipal Library and they are all free. However, space is limited so it is important to call to get placed on the list.

Children of all ages will have the opportunity to paint pumpkins at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and to tie dye shirts at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 13.

“The Buzz About Bees and Beeswax” is limited to children 10 and older and will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 14.

To register, contact Library Clerk/Program Coordinator Taylor Babbs at 936-327-4252 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Livingston Municipal Library is located at 707 N. Tyler Ave. in Livingston. The website is www.livingstonlibrary.net.

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Reagan Bounds with the Texas Foresty Association taught Tyler County elementary students about the process of growing trees and the by-products of tree growth, as part of the Project Learning Tree curriculum. PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOB SPIVEY

By Jacob Spivey

WOODVILLE – More than 350 young people from all six elementary schools throughout the county were able to come to the Tyler County Fair Grounds for 2022 Tyler County Agriculture Education Day on Sept. 22. 

This day is sponsored by Tyler County Farm Bureau each year and invites every fourth-grade student in the county to come participate and learn about agriculture. 

This event brings together a variety of agriculture advocacy groups to showcase agriculture for young people and teach them where our food comes from.

Tyler County Farm Bureau was joined by the county FFA Chapters and the Tyler County AgriLife Extension Office in organizing the event. Chapter FFA leaders showcased their leadership skills and passion for agriculture by leading the fourth graders, as well as part of the McGee Bend District Officer team taught about agricultural products produced in Texas. In addition, Woodville FFA Member Emma McClure showcased her fallow deer project with her family’s Cypress Creek Ranch. 

Students were shown a variety of different presentations that were modeled to meet the fourth-grade science TEKS. Presentations included a Dairy Cow presentation from Southwest Dairy Raisers and Jessica Harrington, Animal Safety by the Tyler County Emergency Management Office, Tonya Sheffield. 

Game Warden Brandon Mosley presented boat safety and how to interact with a police officer. Beekeeper Cindy Derrick taught the students all about bees. Conor McInnerney and his team at Texas A&M Forest Service taught about fire safety. Courtney McInnerney Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist brought an alligator to teach students about wildlife safety. 

Tyler County Fair Board Member Joshua Johanson taught about the pork industry and how pigs go from farm to fork. Regan Bounds with the Texas Forestry Association used the Project Learning Tree curriculum to teach our students all about the biggest agriculture products in our part of the world, timber.

It can never be overstated how important it is to remember the connections we can make to agriculture, and despite the heat, the fourth graders enjoyed their day.

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Both Colmesneil and Woodville celebrated their respective homecomings. Colmesneil crowned its newest homecoming queen Gabby Eveland (Right), before the Bulldogs played Overton on Taylor Field. She was crowned by Sadie Calhoon, who was the 2021 queen. Over in Woodville, at Eagle Stadium, WHS senior Savannah Ludewig was crowned queen. She is shown with escort Garrett Dickens (Left). 

Colmesneil photo courtesy of Melanie Calhoon; Woodville photo courtesy of Angela Jones

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Ken PaxtonBy Chris Edwards
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AUSTIN – Last Tuesday Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion on the use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as premium pay for county officials.

Paxton’s non-binding opinion was given in response to a request made in February by Tyler County Auditor Jackie Skinner.

In his opinion, Paxton cites the Sept. 13, 2021 decision by the commissioners court to provide a one-time premium payment to county employees and county officers using the ARPA funds. Skinner’s query had cited 152.013 of Local Government Code, which requires advance public notice of salary increases, expenses or allowances of elected county or precinct officials.

Ultimately, Paxton concluded that “a court could conclude that ARPA premium pay funds are not ‘salary’ for purposes” of the cited governance code section, and was akin to hazard pay, and henceforth not subject to public notice posting.

The county received its first allotment ($2.2 million) of the ARPA monies last year and the second round in July. In total, the county received $4.2 million from the federal government, allocated through a grant program, were designated to address emergency needs relating to losses stemming from the pandemic.

All county employees were awarded premium pay from the funds, but controversy arose as to the legality of giving money to elected officials as premium pay in the form of $3,500 checks from the funds. 

According to a certification of funds statement from Skinner, the funds can be used to support public health expenditures, address negative economic impacts caused by the pandemic, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers and to invest in infrastructure.

The distribution of the funds was a hotly discussed topic on the Facebook page Concerned Citizens of Tyler County (CCTC) and a representative, Sal Baldovinos, from that page demanded, during an April meeting of the Tyler County Commissioners Court that the officials return the money.

Baldovinos said that in reviewing federal and state documents he’d “come up short in finding any authority to distribute [ARPA funds] to elected officials.”

Following the issuing of Paxton’s opinion last week, Neil Alderman, who is running as a write-in candidate for Tyler County Judge issued a statement.

Alderman was formerly affiliated with the CCTC page but stepped down before announcing his run for office.

Alderman said that no citizen of Tyler County owes the current county commissioners or auditor “any apologies.”

He said that although county employees were eligible for premium payments, elected officials were not.

“So, our elected and appointed officials feel some sort of vindication by a pre-election opinion that stretched and contorted to imply there ‘could’ or ‘might’ be justification if the funds were given as ‘hazardous duty’ pay,” he said.