Tyler County News - Breakout

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Game Warden Brandon Mosley and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. James Riley discuss room entry protocol during the active shooter training at Woodville High School. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB

By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – The campus of Woodville High School, which was emptied of students, staff and faculty last week for WISD’s winter break, was the site of a multi-agency active shooter training event.

The drills took place throughout Wednesday and Thursday, and according to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, law enforcement agents from a myriad of local and regional agencies took part.

The curriculum used for the drills came from the ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) and the Active Shooter Initiative partnership that came about following the tragic 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.

The effort was led by the FBI, and the ALERRT training protocol is based in Central Texas, coming from Texas State University in San Marcos, in partnership with the San Marcos Police Department and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.

The mission statement in ALERRT’s training is “[t]o provide the best research-based active shooter response training in the nation,” and provides a vision statement of “[t]raining and research that saves lives and protects communities.”

According to literature accompanying ALERRT’s training protocol, the FBI defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.”

Throughout the two-day training drills, the participating lawmen engaged in role-play scenarios with the goal in mind to develop a skillset to enable them to save as many lives as possible in the event of an active shooter incident.

In doing so, the different participants played out a variety of scenarios in classrooms, in the hallways and in other parts of the campus.

The course was divided into 10 different learning modules, divided over the two-day period. The modules ranged from room entry to scenario-based practical exercises.

Weatherford said that in addition to the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office, the WISD School Resource Officers and Woodville Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); Texas Game Wardens and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office were among the dozen or so agencies participating.

In 2018, following a shooting at Santa Fe High School that claimed 10 people, the state legislature passed a law mandating that all school police officers receive training to better prepare them for the possibility of confronting a mass shooter, and in 2022, following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, more attention was focused on active shooter training. Following that incident, Weatherford promised an increased presence of law enforcement on, or available to, the five school districts in Tyler County.

Federally, the Department of Justice recommended that LEOs receive eight hours of active shooter instruction annually, but according to recent reports, only Texas comes close to meeting the DOJ’s standards, and in 2023, Texas mandated that all law enforcement officers, not just school SROs receive 16 hours of active shooter training every two years.

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By Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – Tyler County voters made it to the polling place for the early voting period in numbers of 755 for the first week.

According to the Tyler County Clerk’s Office, those ballots cast represent 724 Republican ballots and 31 Democrat ballots. A representative of the office also reported that on Monday, those totals numbered 125 GOP ballots and seven Democratic ballots.

The period of early voting for the Tuesday, March 5 primary runs through Friday, March 1. It began last week on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

The primary election day, March 5, is typically referred to as “Super Tuesday,” as it is the date when the biggest number of states hold their primaries for the Republican and Democratic parties. One-third of all delegates needed to go onto the presidential nominating conventions can be won on that date, as well.

The Green and Libertarian parties select their candidates through a series of local conventions beginning on March 12 and then are announced at a state convention for each party.

All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on the day of the primary.

As 2024 is a presidential election year, the respective primary candidates of each major party are at the top of the ballot, but in Tyler County, the office of Tyler County Sheriff has incumbent Bryan Weatherford facing challenger Michael “Mike” King for the GOP primary.

For the office of Pct. 2 Constable, voters in that precinct have a choice in the Republican primary of incumbent Casey Whitworth or challenger Donald Calhoon, IV.

Incumbent Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) is being challenged for the GOP primary by Paulette Carson, of Trinity County.

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By Mollie LaSalle
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Tomorrow is the first day of March, and that means “It’s Dogwood Time in Tyler County”. The promise of warmer days, and springtime are right around the corner.

March also brings a myriad of events for people to get out and enjoy. March 2 is Texas Independence Day, and each year, Heritage Village honors the date with speakers, dancers for the Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Livingston, children from St. Paul’s Episcopal School performing, and finally, at 2 p.m., attendees toast the date by drinking glasses of fresh spring water.

One of the newer events is the Colmesneil Farmer’s Market, which is set up at the high school student parking lot in Colmesneil each Sunday from Noon until 5 pm. Local farmers and artisans come together and sell fresh produce, baked goods and crafts. It is a great place to support and strengthen our local community and support these farmers and artisans.

Victory Camp Colmesneil, located at 2472 FM 1745 N, is hosting their “Easter Walk with Jesus” which they have every year on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. This year the date is March 23. This event is free for all school age children. Please call 409-837-4472 for info on signing up.

The kick-off event for the Dogwood festivities is the Festival of the Arts on Saturday, March 23 at Heritage Village; the old fashioned “Dinner on the Grounds” will be Sunday, March 24 from 11 am-2 pm. Tickets can be purchased at Heritage Village gift shop, the Pickett House, Sullivan’s Hardware, the Booster office, and lastly, at the gate; ticket prices are: adults $10, and children, $5. For more information on these events, you may call Heritage Village at 409-283-2272.

Western Weekend is March 29-30. This part of the Dogwood festivities began 66 years ago, in 1958 when 75 horseback riders met on Hwy 190 at the Dickens County Line Store and made it to Woodville in time to join the Dogwood parade; this continued for 10 years, until 1968 when Western Weekend was added to the line-up on March 23. This year’s western weekend has evolved to include floats and tractors. The parade will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 30. The annual Lion’s Club Rodeo will take place Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m., and Saturday March 30 at 4:30 p.m. The rodeo is being presented by “Branded for Christ Rodeo Productions”.

Easter Sunday rounds out the month, on March 31. Several churches will be having sunrise services, and Easter egg hunts for the children are sure to be numerous and eagerly anticipated.

Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday, March 10. This is the time of the year that we “spring forward.”

Mark the date, and don’t forget to set your clocks up an hour.

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By Chris Edwards
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COLMESNEIL – On Sundays, an opportunity for good produce acquisitions and good fellowship has opened up in Colmesneil.

A farmers’ market has launched in the Colmesneil High School student parking lot, located at 610 West Elder Street (FM 256 West), and runs from noon until 5 p.m. each Sunday. The organizers of the market created it as an opportunity for farmers, as well as artisan vendors, to come together to sell everything from fresh produce and baked goods to handcrafted products.

“It’s a great place to support and strengthen our local community, savor delicious food and to meet new people,” said Courtney McHenry, an organizer behind the market.

McHenry said the market, which has been going on for a few weeks now, will draw more vendors with better weather.

The coming market for this Sunday will also involve a drive for bedding supplies for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. According to McHenry, for everyone who donates bedding sets and/or pillows, they will be entered in a raffle. The winner will receive a gift box from the market vendors, and from other small businesses in the community.

For patrons of the market, the organizers ask that they park across from the student parking lot or on the side of the street, as the market area will be roped off to ensure for the safety of vendors, customers and children. Anyone with questions about becoming a vendor can contact McHenry or Ashley Marshall by Facebook message, or by texting her at 409-202-0569.