Tyler County News - Breakout

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Woodville ISD faculty member and Interact Club sponsor Janay Wigley (pictured left) was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary Club of Woodville president John WIlson. MOLLIE LA SALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle
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WOODVILLE – Woodville Rotary President John Wilson presented a Paul Harris Fellow award to Janay Wigley at last Wednesday’s meeting at the Pickett House.

A Paul Harris Fellow recognizes outstanding commitment to the club or the community. It is the highest form of recognition for Rotary clubs. It is both an award for exemplary work in community service or helping those in need.

Wigley was honored for her support of Woodville High School’s Interact Club, the Rotary club, and her community. She became Interact sponsor in 2020, with 30 students participating. 2021 saw an increase to 50 students, and as of 2023, there are 52 students in the club. Wigley is an example of Rotary’s Four Way Test and “Service Above Self” motto.

Club president Wilson, in his remarks stated, “Janay has been with Woodville High School for eight years, and teaches Financial Math, Principles of Business, and Money Matters. She has coached cross country and tennis this past year. In addition, she is working on getting her MBA. She spends hours with these students as a positive influence and role model. These students are our future leaders. Janay sets an example of honesty, respecting others, good work ethics, commitment, working together, and service”.

Wilson added, “with the help of Interact our club continued our annual fundraisers and service projects. Many times, we had more Interact than Rotarians working. These included the Gumbo, Breakfast with Santa, working the concession stands at football games, and the Memorial Day Weekend flag project at Magnolia Cemetery. Each time, Janay was there with the students. When it took all day to set up for Santa’s Breakfast, with Interacts help it came down in one hour. At the Gumbo, when we were working on a home football game evening and some students were committed to a school event, Janay came and brought her sister to help. They worked and were so appreciated. When we needed to take the flags down at the cemetery, Janay, Rusty (Minyard) and students showed up. The flags came down (over 400), rolled and placed on headstones for pickup, beating the rain by minutes. They were awesome! We also appreciate Janay’s help with RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Conference and Scholarships. Thank you, Janay, we appreciate your service”.

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By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – Coleman’s Family Mortuary of Woodville is hosting a donation drive-thru to benefit Jonathan McNeal.

McNeal, an Ivanhoe resident, was injured in a freak accident that occurred in Woodville last Wednesday afternoon. According to Kendall R. Coleman, of Coleman’s Family Mortuary, a piece of heavy equipment connected with McNeal’s head, as he was attempting to provide assistance as Coleman and his son Isaiah were attempting to recover a water tank that had fallen off of Isaiah’s truck.

Coleman said he had pulled up with his backhoe to lift the tank, and a bucket attachment on the backhoe snapped and hit McNeal. He was subsequently airlifted to two different hospitals, and it was discovered he sustained a hairline fracture to his neck, along with a gash in his head.

McNeal has long been a fixture of the Tyler County community, volunteering wherever he can, and alongside his late wife Mary Jo, was active in community outreach in Ivanhoe.

One friend of McNeal’s, who did not wish to be identified in this story, said he “would do anything for anyone, but never ask for anything, himself.”

Coleman said McNeal’s survival, as well as his son Isaiah’s survival, from the incident, is “a testimony of God’s goodness.” What’s more is that, according to Coleman, had McNeal not told his son to get out of the way as the bucket was about to snap, he would likely have died.

“He has a servant’s heart and he’s not concerned with the pain he was feeling,” Coleman said. He said he was talking with him while he was in the ER, and all McNeal could focus on was how Isaiah was doing. He was released the next day, and is home recovering.

Coleman has organized a donation-based drive-thru benefit scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 25 at Coleman’s Family Mortuary. Anyone who wants to donate can receive a free barbecue plate.

For those interested in donating via cash app to help with McNeal’s medical expenses, the code is $Jmac9007. The mortuary is located at 409 South Magnolia in Woodville.

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Tyler County Special Utility District general manager Jerry Lovelady was presented with a special token of appreciation for his leadership from the SUD board of directors at the board’s Tuesday morning meeting. Outgoing SUD president Jim Boone is shown presenting him with the award. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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SPURGER – At its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday morning, the Tyler County Special Utility District recognized its general manager Jerry Lovelady for outstanding service.

Lovelady, who has served as GM of the utility district for 14 years, was hired due to his experience with water systems, following a statewide search. Jim Boone, who is the outgoing president of the organization, said that when Lovelady was hired, the utility district was suffering due to theft and “gross mismanagement.”

Boone said it was during this time that he was elected to the board and has watched the organization “pull itself out and up to become one of the top rural water suppliers in the state.”

Boone recalled an incident when Lovelady came onboard, at the first board meeting he was at, a group of customers from the Rockland area brought jars of discolored water with them, which Boone likened to the color of chocolate milk.

“With his recommendation we cleared up Rockland, and we haven’t had, to my knowledge, another Rockland customer come up and complain about the water in 14 years,” Boone said.

Boone also highlighted Lovelady’s clearing up of multiple TCEQ violations, which prior management “either ignored or failed to understand,” which kept the utility district from shutting down.

Lovelady has attained a bachelor of science degree, a master’s in public administration and completed post-graduate work in management and environmental science, along with holding the highest level of TCEQ water and wastewater licenses. He is also a certified instructor in licensing education, which Boone said has been a cost-saving credential.

Boone said all of the utility district’s projects are done with its own people, who are trained by Lovelady.

“Mr. Lovelady has saved Tyler County SUD over $18,000 over the years in that he trains our own employees at no cost,” Boone said. Water workers must be state-certified and licensed with specific training in the areas specific to their work.

Boone presented Lovelady with a clear crystal sculpture from the SUD’s board of directors with text honoring him etched onto it.

Lovelady said he appreciates the board of directors, and that in his 54 years of working with water districts, the SUD board is the best board he has worked for. “We have accomplished a lot for our customers and for the district,” he said.

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On Flag Day, which was celebrated Wednesday, June 14, the Tyler County Republican Women, along with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2033, held a flag retirement ceremony at the VFW post in Woodville. The proper way to dispose of a worn flag; to make certain it is treated with dignity and honor befitting it, according to the United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k, is preferably by burning. The TCRW wanted to thank several military veterans who also participated in the ceremony. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILDA BARTON