Tyler County News - Breakout

Write a comment

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WOODVILLE – Long-serving Woodville Municipal Judge Judith Haney is retiring from her position with the city on Friday, March 10.

Haney has served the city since being sworn-in Dec. 4, 2007. She succeeded another long-time public servant, Judge Alva Cook. As the municipal judge, Haney has been responsible for a variety of duties. From presiding over the city’s municipal court to writing arrest warrants and conducting hearings for city matters, Haney has served the city.

During her tenure, she also served as city judge for the City of Ivanhoe for several years and stepped down last year from those duties.

Aside from her role as the city’s magistrate, Haney has had long careers in service to the public, as an educator and school administrator, and more recently, as the visionary behind the downtown Woodville Arts District. She and her husband Sam have volunteered and run the Tyler County Art League Gallery and the Emporium for the Arts as non-profit entities with the purpose of promoting a wide variety of artistic expressions in Tyler County.

Haney’s replacement is another beloved community leader with a background in education, Sergio Ramos. Ramos, who was appointed to assist Haney in January, by the Woodville City Council, was appointed by council at its last meeting to take over as the full-time regular city judge effective Friday.

A celebration honoring Haney is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 16 at the Wesley Center of the Woodville Methodist Church, located at 200 N. Nellius. City Administrator Mandy Risinger said the public is invited to come out and honor her. “Please join us for a retirement celebration to honor Judge Haney,” Risinger said.

Write a comment

The Tyler County Chamber of Commerce welcomed Simply Charming to the county and to the Chamber’s roster of members. Pictured left-to-right: Chamber Director Holly Wells; Vice President Chris Edwards; Simply Charming’s Sunny and Markus Clowers; Chamber President Cathy Bennett and Chamber board member Shannon Benton. Mollie La Salle | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WOODVILLE – Simply Charming Event Hall and Party Center held its grand opening and ribbon cutting with the Chamber of Commerce, last Saturday, March 4. Chamber Executive Director Holly Wells; President Cathy Bennett; board member Shannon Benton and Vice President Chris Edwards were on hand to welcome the event center to the chamber.

Owners Sunny and Markus Clowers and crew have been working non-stop to get the shop ready for the big day, and they did not disappoint. There were vendors present at the grand opening offering a variety of services, from hair styling to Botox. There was a lemonade stand for the kids, and mimosas for the adults. They also have a clothing line, “Southern Cuties Clothing & Etc.”, and own C4 Inflatables & More.

Simply Charming is located at 204 West Bluff, on the square in Woodville.

They are currently taking for bookings for the event hall; call 409-698-7228 to reserve the space. C4 Inflatables can be reached at 409-698-4115, and you can find them on Facebook, at C4 Inflatables. Simply Charming Event Room is also on Facebook, and you can reach Sunny via messenger through that page. Southern Cuties Clothing & Etc. can also be messaged through Facebook.

Write a comment

Princess Aionna Morena of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe performs the Lord’s Prayer for the crowd at the Heritage Village Texas Independence Day celebration last Thursday. Mollie La Salle | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle

WOODVILLE – Heritage Village held its annual “Toast to Texas Independence” celebration last Thursday, March 2.

The weather cooperated and it was a beautiful afternoon for the celebration, which featured music from the children of St. Paul’s Episcopal School.

The Lord’s Prayer was beautifully performed by Princess Aionna Morena of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe in Livingston, followed by the posting of the flags, with Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher and his son Preston doing the honors.

County Judge Milton Powers led the pledges to the American and Texan flags, followed by Woodville mayor Amy Bythewood presenting a proclamation to the Tyler County Heritage Society in honor of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico, on March 2, 1836.

The principal speaker this year was Second Chief Mikko Istaaya, of the Alabama- Coushatta tribe of Livingston. She spoke of the history the tribe has with both Polk and Tyler counties, and highlighted important dates in the tribe’s history.

The children of St. Paul’s entertained the crowd with several Texas songs, under Sharon Brown’s direction.

The main event was last on the program, the toast to Texas with glasses of spring water, which was passed around the crowd by Heritage Society volunteers. Sheriff Bryan Weatherford had the honors of doing the toast this year, and with the toast completed, another Toast to Texas Independence was in the books.

Write a comment

The bridge on U.S. 190 over the B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir. It is slated for replacement in a proposed TxDOT project. PHOTO USED VIA CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

By Chris Edwards
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DAM B – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced last week that it is proposing to replace two existing bridges along US 190 with one bridge.

The TxDOT Beaumont District office rolled out the details of the proposal on its website and is allowing the public input during a virtual meeting at noon on Tuesday, March 21. The two bridges slated for replacement are the Neches River Relief Bridge and the bridge at the B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir, which spans the Tyler and Jasper county lines.

According to TxDOT, the total length of the project would span 1.11 miles, and the replacement bridge would be constructed adjacent to the north side of the existing bridges and would see the two existing bridges removed.

Also, the approach roadways and new bridge would consist of two 12-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction with 10-foot shoulders.

The Neches River Relief Bridge was built in 1940 and the bridge at Steinhagen was built between 1941 and 1943 as a custom-designed truss bridge, according to TxDOT. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and spans 1,595 feet.

According to TxDOT, no new right-of-way lane would be required and about 8.9 acres of temporary construction easements are proposed to go outside of the existing ROW.

TxDOT, in the project outline, states that the purpose of the project is to provide a “modern bridge crossing the Neches River…with a focus on providing a bridge with adequate width and height to safely accommodate transportation needs.”

TxDOT’s timetable, if the project is approved, would see a finalized design and construction plans delivered to the public in the summer of 2024, with completion estimated in early 2026. The estimated cost for the project is $30 million.

The project is one of many infrastructure projects hoping to see fruition through a record $85 billion package approved by TxDOT last August to address safety, congestion, rural connectivity and preserving Texas roadways throughout the next decade.

In a news release, Gov. Greg Abbott said that the spending measure, titled the United Transportation Program, is crucial for the state’s needs. “As more people move to Texas and businesses grow across the state, we are working together to make sure Texans’ transportation safety and mobility are secured,” Abbott said.

TxDOT is inviting the public to call its Beaumont District office at 409-898-5732 concerning the project. The public can also view environmental documentation and register for the virtual meeting on the project through TxDOT’s website, txdot.gov.