Tyler County News - Breakout

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By Michael G. Maness 

CHESTER – Tyler County Judge Jacques Blanchette swore in Chester mayor Robert Poynter Monday evening, Feb. 7, at his first regularly scheduled council meeting. 

Poynter had officially assumed office by council vote at a specially called meeting on Jan. 17 after long-serving mayor Floyd Petri tendered resignation at that meeting for health reasons.

Poynter appointed Country Church Youth Pastor Kevin Hicks and Chester ISD business manager Austin Odom to fill the vacant spots on the council. 

At the called meeting on Jan. 17, the council hired Ovita Barnes as city secretary to undergo immediate training with retiring decades-long Secretary Annette Hickman. There have been several personnel changes in January as recent hires could not remain, and the council will be hiring a clerk to aid Barnes. 

Poynter outlined several adjustments as the council discussed concerns over making a smooth transition to Barnes and the new software. New Councilman Odom brings a financial expertise that was especially valued at this time as the city transitions to QuickBooks. 

There were adjustments in employee insurance, the grants, and a determination to keep track of the past due accountants, the latter seeming to be on the decrease. 

The previous minutes and the financials were passed without little ado.

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WOODVILLE – The annual Miss Tyler County Scholarship Pageant takes place on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Woodville High School Summit. 

The event organizers have Brandon Belt, first baseman for the San Francisco Giants and Ashly Elam, the sportscaster for Channel 12 News as celebrity judges. In all, 20 judges are coming from all over the state of Texas. 

Shelby Tillery, Former Miss Tyler County in 2009 from Woodville, will be a special guest performer as well as Miss Southeast Texas, Madison Matlock and Miss Southeast Texas Outstanding Teen, Ella Lozier. There will also be a very special performance from the 2022 Miss Tyler County Princesses. 

There will be programs for sale at $15 a book. There is a limited supply this year, so first come first serve. Wristbands are $10 for adults and children, and age three and under are free. You can purchase those at the box office the day of the pageant. There will be no presale wristbands sold. 

Miss Tyler County Director Kristi Holmes said “We have a great group of girls this year! They have worked very hard preparing for this competition, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I wouldn’t want to be a judge.”

Holmes added: “I would like to thank all of the contestant sponsors and the scholarship sponsors! I would like to thank all of the businesses, family and friends who bought ads and a huge thank you to all of our volunteers! We could not be successful without any of y’all.” 

The Baby Miss Tyler County Pageant will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Summit. 

The Little Miss Tyler County Pageant will be Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 2 p.m. It will also be held at the Woodville High School Summit. 

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By Kay Timme

WOODVILLE – The Allan Shivers Library and Museum (ASLM), in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Angelina College in Lufkin, hosted a mid-day workshop on Thursday, Jan. 27 for small business owners in the area.  The workshop, “Accessing Capital”, was offered at no cost, and was presented by Greg Burkett, a business advisor from the SBDC.  A light lunch was provided for participants by the Woodville Women’s Study Club.

A group of almost 20 small business owners gathered in the Bunch Reading Room at the library to learn about the five components of credit scores considered by lenders when approving or denying a loan application.  Funding sources were identified, and attendees shared their own experiences with starting and operating small businesses. 

Information was shared about services offered by the SBDC by Dianne Amerine, Director of the Angelina College SBDC office, and Cheryl Powell, financial advisor.  The SBDC, according to its website, “offers confidential, one-on-one, no cost, professional business advising to small business entrepreneurs”, and can help at any stage of the life cycle of a business. 

The Angelina College SBDC is one of 14 locations under the auspices of the Texas Gulf Coast Network of the University of Houston SBDC.  The Network serves 32 counties and offers numerous in-person sessions and online webinars (both live and recorded) that can be accessed through the SBDC website.

In addition to the information provided by the SBDC, representatives from Education First Federal Credit Union shared insights into the loan application process and strategies for addressing credit challenges. 

The local branch of Education First is located in the lobby of the Brookshire Brothers store in Woodville.

The Allan Shivers Library and Museum will host additional financial workshops in the future. 

Check the ASLM Facebook page for upcoming events.