Tyler County News - Breakout

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By Tony Farkas
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GROVETON — The junior high/high school campus is relatively safe from intruders based on an audit conducted recently by ESC Region 6.

Superintendent Jim Dillard informed the Groveton ISD School Board at the regular meeting on Thursday that when the audit was done, and as soon as they were on campus, they were stopped by administration.

He told the board that ESC Region 6 will hold an audit at a later date for the elementary school campus.

The audit was part of an ongoing focus on school security, and schools across the state are complying with new requirements from the state, which include audits.

Dillard said there will be new ones coming from the next session of the Legislature.

In other business, the board:

•recognized the efforts of the girls’ cross country team in reaching the state tournament;

•discussed the district’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas rating, which was the highest score of 100, or superior; and

•discussed the method of evaluation of the superintendent, whose contract is up for review in December.

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By Chris Edwards
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FRED – A Fred man was indicted by a Tyler County grand jury on a sexual assault of a child charge last week.

According to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, investigators with his agency have been investigating the case against Billy Wayne Baker, a 49-year-old Fred man. Weatherford said the TCSO investigators were able to obtain and compile enough evidence related to an allegation of aggravated sexual assault of a child against Baker to present the complaint to the office of Lucas Babin, Tyler County District Attorney.

Babin presented the case to the grand jury on Nov. 10, and the jury chose to indict Baker. Baker was arrested and booked into the Tyler County Jail on the felony charge.
Public records show that Baker is already a registered sex offender. According to the Texas Department of Pubic Safety Sex Offender database, Baker was convicted of an aggravated sexual assault charge in 2003 of a 14-year-old female. He is listed as a “low” level offender; required to verify his registration particulars annually with the DPS for life.

Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace Milton Powers set Baker’s bond at $350,000. Along with the bond amount, Powers set numerous bond conditions that Baker must comply with,

Weatherford said. Records show that Baker had bonded out of the jail.

 

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By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – Prior to getting to business on a short regular agenda on Monday night, the Woodville ISD Board of Trustees recognized seven WISD instructors who were named recipients of grants from the Ed Rachal Foundation.

WISD Board President Jimmy Tucker named the following teachers: Melanie Spivey; Kayla Conner; Tammy Myers; Mandy Livingston; Kelly Abernathy; Paula Willmon and Tracy Wilson as recipients.

The grant, whose namesake stipulated that his estate be used exclusively for the benefit of charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes in Texas, is a first for WISD faculty, Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg said.

Meysembourg said “it is a real honor” to have teachers in the district receive the grant.

Also before the regular agenda, Eleanor Holderman spoke during the public forum portion of the meeting.

Holderman, who challenged WISD board member Josh McClure for his seat in the midterm election, addressed the election’s outcome, and said that she would be available to WISD as a volunteer and community advocate for the district’s vision.

Under regular agenda items for action, the board voted to approve a budget amendment to cover legal fees incurred through the litigation concerning the May bond election.

The amount of $92,652.86 was passed as a budget amendment for this purpose, with all board members, except McClure, voting in favor.

During her report to the board, Meysembourg said the district would sell the bonds on Wednesday and receive funds on Thursday.

The bond-funded new elementary school campus is still in the design process, Meysembourg said. “We’ve had multiple meetings on both [the elementary school and the CTE building},” she said.

“We’re really close to finalizing those plans to share with staff,” Meysembourg said, and added that by December, there will hopefully be renderings available.

During Monday’s meeting, the WISD board also approved the following:

• The appointment of Lisa Shaw to serve as a WISD representative to the Allan Shiver Library and Museum advisory board was made.

• The re-appointment of McClure to the Allan Shivers board was made.

• The appointment of Bryan Shirley to serve on the district’s Safe and Secure Schools Committee was made.

• Gil Tubb was re-appointed as WISD’s representative to the Tyler County Appraisal District Board of Directors.

• A memorandum of understanding was approved between WISD and UT Health to provide pediatric behavioral health services at no cost to WISD.

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PHOTO BY MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle

WOODVILLE – The pace was fast and furious at First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center last Wednesday evening as children and adults packed and prepared 600 brightly decorated shoeboxes for “Operation Christmas Child”.

According to Kathy Cruse, the coordinator of the effort,

“thisis our second year to participate in this ministry; last year, we packed over 450 shoeboxes, and tonight, we expect to pack 600.” The shoeboxes will then be taken to First Baptist Church in Colmesneil (which also participates) and from there, they will be sent to Beaumont, then to Dallas for their final destinations.

Cruse said that all of their shoeboxes usually get sent to South America. National collection week for the shoeboxes takes place the week of Nov. 14-21.

Operation Christmas Child was started by Franklin Graham in 1993 through Samaritan’s Purse, which partners with the local church worldwide to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations. Since its inception, almost 200 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received a shoebox. The boxes are age and gender specific, and are filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items and delivered to children in need around the world. In 2021, more than 10.5 million shoeboxes were collected throughout Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Reverend Graham adds, “Every box is an opportunity to reach a child with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, go to www. samaritanspurse.org