Tyler County News - Breakout

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A wildfire that began in Jasper County and spread over into Tyler County in August was one of the most destructive wildfires on record. BOOSTER FILE PHOTO

By Chris Edwards
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The countdown toward 2024 is nearing the end of its tether, with Monday seeing the new year minted in full, and 365 open calendar squares of new possibilities.

Twenty twenty-three was a year of global upset and unrest, or at least that is what dominated headlines on the national and international fronts. Within Tyler County and the Deep East Texas region, life was marked by an unusually long, hot summer, marked with record highs and devastating wildfires.

Here are a few stories from the course of the year that was from our pages here at the Tyler County Booster:

Jan 5 – Regional manhunt ends in arrest

A manhunt that lasted almost a year came to a close on Dec. 29, 2022 near Hemphill.

Matthew Hoy Edgar, a 26-year-old Sabine County man, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Edgar, who was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend, Livye Lewis, in January of 2022, had fled during his trial proceedings.

Edgar was convicted and sentenced, in absentia, to 99 years in prison. According to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service issued after his arrest, Edgar, who was on the Texas 10 Most Wanted list, was apprehended when investigators received information about his whereabouts.

The Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force, along with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office, located and arrested Edgar at a residence in rural eastern Sabine County.

Aug 31 – Wildfire causes devastation in region

A wildfire that raged through the northeastern part of Tyler County, and started in Jasper County, last week, affected about 3,500 acres, according to emergency management officials. The fire was first reported Thursday afternoon.

As of Monday afternoon, Jasper County Judge Mark Allen said that the wildfire, which began in the Ebenezer Community, and is officially named the Shearwood Creek Wildfire, was 95% contained.

Allen said that firefighters were still working on site on hot spots, which flare up, and that officials with the U.S. Forestry Service will remain in the area for a few more days.

Tyler County Judge Milton Powers issued a disaster declaration on Thursday, and a mandatory fire evacuation, effective as of Monday, for residents living east of County Road 3400 to the Neches River and from RR 255 north to the Neches, up to the county line.

All the regional volunteer fire departments, as well as state and federal agencies engaged with the fire throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with aerial and ground support making “substantial progress” by Saturday, according to an update from the Texas A&M Forest Service.

By Sunday, 3,000 acres had burned, and it was 70% contained. Rainfall in the region helped with further containment. The Shearwood Creek Fire was the largest of four wildfires that occurred over the weekend across the state. With dry weather conditions continuing, statewide, the A&M Forest Service reported that it is continuing to respond to requests for assistance.

Sept 21 – Officer shotduring incident;suspect killed

An officer with the Woodville Police Department was shot and wounded during an incident that occurred on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 17.

According to Woodville Chief of Police Mike McCulley, officer Troy Costello was shot by a suspect, identified as 41-year-old Reginal “Reggie” Owens, of Hemphill, who was later shot and killed by officer following a pursuit. Costello responded to a call on the 200 block of Shivers Drive in reference to a suspicious male subject causing a disturbance.

When Costello attempted to make contact with the male subject, whom he observed in a white pickup truck parked on the street, the man ignored his verbal commands to stop and drove away.

According to McCulley, Costello pursued the vehicle for several blocks down Shivers and onto MLK Drive, and radioed for assistance, while in pursuit, before blocking the subject into a private driveway.

The suspect, Owens, continued to evade by driving in reverse, and when Costello was finally able to approach the driver side of the vehicle, he was shot, and the suspect left the scene.

When the suspect’s vehicle was reported to be back at the Shivers location a while later, deputies with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist. Some witnesses observed Owens flee, on foot, into a wooded area south of Shivers Drive, and several TCSO deputies and Woodville PD officers set up a search perimeter. McCulley said that at approximately 8:24 a.m., deputies saw the suspect exit the wooded area, with a handgun in his waistband. The deputies ordered him to stop and lie down, with arms extended, which he ignored.

“The suspect was non-compliant and hostile toward the officers, and made an aggressive movement toward the handgun,” McCulley said.

Multiple officers fired on the suspect, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Tina Self.

Costello, a five-year veteran of the Woodville PD, was airlifted to a Houston area hospital where he underwent surgeries and physical therapy. He has been home and recovering since.

Nov. 23 – County awarded $12 million grant

Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher announced that the county has received a $12 million grant from the state’s General Land Office (GLO).

He said “the GLO emailed me last Monday, and said, you’ve got to justify two of your projects. Well, in the end, they emailed me back last Thursday to tell me we would be receiving the money.” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham made the presentation at the Alabama Coushatta Multi-Purpose Center, Tuesday, Nov. 21.

The funding is part of a regional package of $68 million which is earmarked for mitigation projects and announced in September. According to Buckingham, who announced the funds in a news release at the time, the monies will “move forward projects that will protect the homes and businesses of those who live here.”

More than $42 million of that GLO money is earmarked for broadband and radio communications infrastructure. Tyler County will benefit from the broadband and radio funding, along with Polk; Jasper; Newton and San Jacinto counties.

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By Chris Edwards
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WOODVILLE – The Woodville ISD Board of Trustees on Monday approved a pathway to alternative teacher certification for the district, which will, ideally, save the district money in the long run.

Jason Hicks, who serves as the district’s director of staff support services, gave a presentation about the program titled the Academy to Certify Teachers, which will allow employees of the district who wish to become certified teachers the opportunity to do so, locally.

WISD’s status as a District of Innovation allows for it to host such a program.

Hicks said that two years ago when he was put in charge of addressing alternative certification programs for prospective teachers, there were 12 people within WISD looking to get their certification and now there are 26 uncertified teachers in the district. He said the trend has been similar across the state.

Hicks further stated that recent statistics show a shortage of 150,000 teachers, nationally, and 10,000 in Texas, with that shortage projected to increase within a five-year span by almost double.

“We have to come up with a way to combat this,” Hicks said, and called the statistics on the shortage of educators “staggering.”

The program includes pathways to get paraprofessionals, instructional aides and substitutes certified within three years, and, according to Hicks, a pathway toward a debt-free bachelor’s degree.

The accredited university hosting the program is Indiana Wesleyan, Hicks said, which is a fully accredited brick and mortar institution and not an online “cyber-school,” he said.

The program also allows for degreed candidates to obtain certifcation. In order to participate, the candidates need to complete the program, otherwise, they will have to pay the money back, Hicks said.

Those who go through the program will also be required to sign a contract to work for three years in WISD.

Hicks said the program is set up to accomodate 10 participants in the first round, which will save the district $35K in tuition monies from how alternative certification is currently done.

The program will offer 12 hours of credit for $1,000, paid for by WISD, and the district is able to facilitate the professional development aspects of the certification program.

The affordability, Hicks said, would make the program attractive to local hopefuls.

Hicks, who formerly served as a football coach, compared the program and WISD’s success to successful football programs in the region, like Newton, West Orange-Stark and with the growths experienced by WISD’s football program, as well.

“You start with a simple playbook...and you move it up...the next thing you know, the success is there, because of consistency,” Hicks said.

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From Staff Reports

LUFKIN – The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office congratulates Dawson Barnett for completing the Police Academy at Angelina College. Barnett is a Tyler County resident who applied for the Fall 2023 Deputy Sponsorship Program through TCSO.

He has since graduated the academy and completed all of the requirements to become a Licensed Peace Office in the state of Texas.

TCSO announced the opportunity in the fall as an incentive for Tyler County residents who might be pursuing a career in law enforcement.

The agency awards up to four individuals the opportunity to attend a local law enforcement academy, with tuition paid in full by the county. Candidates chosen to enroll sign a three-year patrol contract with TCSO and will receive a full salary with benefits.

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The Colmesneil City Council and Mayor Duane Crews wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Pictured from left-to-right: Gene Allen; Billy Andrus; Mayor Crews; Dennis Moffett; Bubba Sheffield and Virgie Barnes. MOLLIE LASALLE | TCB

By Mollie LaSalle
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COLMESNEIL – Lesley Waxman, of David Waxman, Inc, of Jasper, and Stephen West, the engineer from Leavins Engineering and Design of Beaumont were on hand to discuss the plans for the North Pitser Street project, which entails water and draining crossing improvements.

Waxman announced that they (city council) and opened the bids last week, after receiving five very competitive bids. West went on to explain, “all the bids were reviewed, and our recommendations were based on the amount of available funds for this project”. Waxman added, “we already knew money was going to be tight with inflation and whatnot; this gave us a way to do the project without having all the money or not”.

After discussing all the bids, council voted to award the project to SeTex Construction of Beaumont. Waxman added, “we will get in touch with the contractor, and my office, and the engineer’s (West) office will put together a pre-construction conference which will be held at Colmesneil City Hall, sometime in mid-January of 2024. We will go over everything that my office and West’s office is responsible for. We are trying to keep on the schedule given to us by the state, which we are”.

In other business, council voted to keep Bubba Sheffield as mayor pro-tem for the upcoming term. Council approved all necessary office reports, and minutes from previous meetings. Council adjourned at 6:15 p.m. to attend their annual Christmas party at the Community Center.