Tyler County News - Breakout

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From Staff Reports

Lois Henderson, of Warren, has been appointed to a three-year term to the Texas Business and Professional Women’s State Foundation Board of Directors.

The Texas Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, Inc. provides advocacy and support for educational, literary, scientific and charitable activities. Providing financial support for Texas women who wish to further their knowledge, skills, studies or service in designated areas or toward medical research is a primary mission. The Foundation also partners with businesses in support of specific women’s initiatives. The TBPWF is supported by individuals-many of who are members of Texas Business Women-from all walks of life.

The Foundation also receives valued corporate financial support. Chartered in 1990 as a Texas nonprofit corporation, Texas Business and Professional Women’s Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization for federal tax purposes.

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From Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – The Tyler County Booster won several awards from the Texas Press Association (TPA) at its annual conference, which was held last week in San Marcos.

The categories the newspaper won in range from the association’s contest highlighting advertising design to one for feature writing.

Polk County Publishing Company publisher Kelli Barnes, who attended the conference, said of the wins, “We have a great team at the Booster. They are committed to quality community journalism and Tyler County is stronger for having a legitimate news source. Thank you, readers and advertisers, for your continued support.”

TPA, which is headquartered in Austin, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest newspaper trade associations. It represents 429 Texas newspapers, which participate in the annual contest. The contest breaks down the publications into different divisions based on circulation numbers and frequency of publication.

According to its website, the organization “promotes the welfare of Texas newspapers, encourages higher standards of journalism, and plays an important role in protecting the public’s right to know as an advocate of First Amendment liberties.”

The awards won by the Booster staff for work produced during last year’s span of eligibility for the contest are:

• Advertising – First Place (Beth Faircloth)

• Feature Writing – Second Place (Chris Edwards)

• Headline Writing – Third Place (Chris Edwards)

• Column Writing – Third Place (Chris Edwards)

• Feature Photography – Third Place (Jim Powers; Donna Hammer; Chris Edwards and Caleb Fortenberry)

Booster editor/reporter Chris Edwards said being a part of such a prestigious trade organization was “an honor in of itself,” and added that it was “beyond awesome” for the newspaper to be adjudicated as one of the best in a crowded field.

The four other newspapers in the PCPC family: the Polk County Enterprise; Houston County Courier; San Jacinto News-Times and the Trinity County Standard, also won multiple awards for their published works from last year.

The quarterly East Texan lifestyle magazine, from PCPC, also won an award in the “Best Magazine” category. It regularly features the work of several Booster staff members.

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By Chris Edwards
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IVANHOE – At its regular meeting held last Thursday, the Ivanhoe City Council heard a report from Mayor Cathy Bennett on the city’s updated certified estimates of its total tax value for the year.
Prior to her report, Bennett acknowledged the passing of two beloved members of the Ivanhoe community, Mary Joe

“MJ” McNeal and Kenny Evans. “We lost two dear people in a very short period of time, so we are in mourning,” Bennett said.

Bennett also told council that, in full personal disclosure, she had contracted COVID on a recent cruise, but had tested negative before returning to work.

Bennett reported on attending a DETCOG meeting Thursday, which was followed by a GLO kickoff meeting regarding the $161 million allocated for Hurricane Harvey remediation. Of those funds, $1,933,000 was allotted to the City of Ivanhoe.

Grant administrator Judy Langford was present to speak to Bennett and councilmember Skip Blackstone about projects to undertake with the money.

Bennett spoke of the importance of attending such meetings, for the networking aspect as well as the informative nature.

Langford was present at the city council meeting, as well, and outlined the process, which involves submitting the grant application and a public hearing for the mitigation funds.

“To be able to get that money, the next step is the city has to apply for it,” she said.

The resolution to apply for the grant was passed by council, and the GLO will consider its eligibility and move forward,Langford said. It has to be turned in by Nov. 16, she said.

A 14-day public comment period must follow the resolution’s passage and the identifying of an eligible project, she added. Once the GLO has the application, the process can take months, she said.

“Any mitigation projects” are deemed eligible, Langford said, when asked what kind of project qualify.

Bennett said what the city is thinking about is a grant to work on Lakewood Drive, from Tristan Dam over to Galahad Dam, which is the first priority. Then, Galahad to Camelot dams, as second priority.

If there is still funding available, the next sections would be the main entrance up to Chanticleer, according to Bennett.
In other funding items on the agenda, Bennett said that the city can utilize funds allocated to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money for its one percent match of $100K on the $11 million GLO grant it was awarded last year to rebuild dams.

The city will receive another $155K of ARPA money, Bennett said. Either that money or the remaining bond funds of $390K can be used toward road construction, she added.

One project Bennett said needs addressing is work on Camelot. “We’re losing it,” she said, and said it needs to be leveled-up and overlaid. Also, the entirety of 28th and 27th streets, both, would be good projects to address.

Camelot and 28th Street would be priorities, Bennett said, but Blackstone said 27th Street would be a better choice to prioritize, due to the fire station’s location on that street, and its need for a four-inch water-line.

A motion was made to go out for bids on projects for either of the streets, along with Camelot, depending on funding.

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Castro, Hayes and Rowinsky were arrested by Tyler County Sheriff's Office deputies.

By Chris Edwards

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TYLER COUNTY – The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office made several arrests last week, according to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford.

Patrols in the Dam B, Spurger and Warren areas netted some felony-level drug charges and assorted other charges of individuals in separate incidents.
One incident occurred on the early morning of last Thursday, when TCSO deputies in Dam B stopped a truck for a traffic violation and identified a passenger in the vehicle as Keiosha Rowinsky, a 30-year-old woman from the Dam B/Spurger area. Weatherford said the deputies knew her from previous encounters. 


“While speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, deputies learned that Rowinsky had two active arrest warrants issued in Hardin County,” Weatherford said.
She was taken into custody and transported to the Tyler County Jail; charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and felony possession of a prohibited substance inside a correctional facility. 
Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Ken Jobe set Rowinsky’s bond at $40,0000.
In another incident, in Spurger, on the night of Friday, July 22, TCSO deputies made an arrest of a Warren man, 63-year-old Ernest Hayes, Jr., on a narcotics charge.


The deputies stopped Hayes for a traffic violation on FM 92, and while speaking with him, after instigating a stop, observed a small, clear plastic baggie appearing to contain a crystal-like substance, according to Weatherford.


“As Hayes exited the vehicle, deputies retrieved the baggie that was laying partially visible under Hayes’ leg,” Weatherford said.


A search revealed four additional baggies, containing a crystalline substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine. 
Hayes was arrested and transported to the county jail.

His bond was set by Jobe at $7,500.


Another arrest was made in the Warren area of a suspected burglar, on the night of last Wednesday, July 27.
TCSO deputies patrolling around Warren were made aware of a suspect trespassing on a property located on FM 1943 west.


When deputies made contact with the suspect, whom they identified as a 35-year-old man, Oseas Castro, whose last known address was in Tyler, they learned he’d been in the area for a few days and working for a roofing company.

He was recently fired from the roofing job, Weatherford said.
Deputies had responded to another call earlier that day about a burglary, three miles from where they found Castro.

That burglary occurred at a camphouse in the Hickory Creek Hunting Club, and water, food and ammunition were stolen.
Video camera footage identified Castro as the suspect who entered the camphouse, Weatherford said.

He was taken into custody and transported to the Tyler County Jail, and charged with burglary of a habitation.


Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Trisher Ford set his bond at $10,000.