Tyler County News - Breakout

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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.

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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
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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.

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Greg BostwickTYLER COUNTY – The Tyler County Dogwood Festival is pleased to announce the 2023 ‘Mr. East Texas’, Greg Bostwick.

Bostwick and his family have made Southeast Texas their home, and the people of this area have come to trust and depend on him over the years.  He has appeared on KFDM News for over 40 years, since receiving his degree in Meteorology in 1979.

He is also a part of the KLVI-AM radio morning show each weekday and consults for area industry and emergency management. Southeast Texans rely on his calm approach when forecasting severe weather.  His dedication to the people of Southeast Texas, along with his forecasting experience, relieves viewers of anxiety typically associated with hurricanes and severe weather.

In his time at KFDM, he has forecasted over 100 hurricanes and tropical storms and takes great pride in helping Southeast Texas families “weather” the storm. Some of the most memorable storms were Allen in 1980, Alicia in 1983, Bonnie in 1986, Rita in 2005, Humberto in 2007, Ike in 2008, and of course, Harvey in 2017 and Imelda in 2019.

Bostwick is an Aggie, and he loves to attend football games at Kyle Field with his family. He is also an avid gardener who loves getting his hands dirty. He runs Bostwick Farms, a greenhouse and nursery business, growing and selling plants to local landscapers and nurseries from his home near Winnie.

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Sarah Fussell and Cory Horton of the Pegwinders lay down a soulful blend of southern-flavored rock and roll during their closing set.

The Emporium Stage in downtown Woodville played host to an evening of music, with several bands – the Mama Earl Revival; the Bon Ami Band and the Pegwinders – lending their talents and tunes as part of the “Live for Lisa” show to raise money for Lisa Haley, who is undergoing cancer treatments. Photos by Mollie LaSalle | TCB