Tyler County News - Breakout

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By 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The burn ban, which was reinstated by Tyler County Judge Milton Powers on Sept. 28, will be in effect until it is rescinded by the commissioners.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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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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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 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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Angela Davis, a world-renowned storyteller, known as “The Yarnspinner” was one of the performers at the annual “Ghosts and Legends of Texas Past” at Heritage Village last Saturday. Davis’s storytelling drew largely from the myths and lore of her native Louisana, but also from her own life and love of jazz music as she shared empowering tales to the audience. MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle

WOODVILLE – Heritage Village hosted its annual Ghost Stories and Legends of Texas Past, last Saturday.

The main stage was where the storytelling kicked off, with Angela Davis, International Story Teller, who shares the joy of life through stories to people of all ages. Davis is from New Orleans, and has appeared on the village stage often through the years. Davis has been to 127 countries and is known as the “Yarn Spinner”.

She regaled the audience with her tale of “If the Devil had a Wife,” and spun a story that was entertaining, and a bit spooky at the same time. The next storyteller was Heritage Society president Chris Edwards, who read two tales from the book “Legends of the Pineys” by Joe F. Combs. The first story was titled “The Pebble Thrower of Peach Tree Village” and the second story was “The Phantom Bull of Huana”. The setting this time was the Cherokee Church.

Story-teller number three was Roy Bolding, who told his tale as a barber in the village barber shop.

Davis decided to grace the audience at the main stage with another tale at the same time Bolding was spinning his in the barber shop. Davis told a personal story from her life during hurricanes that hit New Orleans, starting in 2021, and going back to Katrina in 2005. At the end of her story, she invited the audience to join her on stage for a dance.

The weather was perfect, and everyone had a great time. The next big event at Heritage Village is the annual Harvest Festival, which is scheduled for Oct. 20-21. Kim Cruse will headline the entertainment on the main stage.