Shelby County Today

To the registered voters of the County of Shelby, Texas:

March 1, 2022 (English/Spanish) - Notice is hereby given that the polling places listed below will be open from 7am to 7pm, March 1, 2022, for voting in the general primary election for the Republican Party to nominate Members of Congress, Members of the Legislature, and state, district, county, and precinct officers.

Locations of polling places

Precinct number - Voting location

• 1 N Center - First United Methodist Church, 211 N. Porter Street, Center, Texas 75935
• 1 SO Center - Church of Christ, 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas 75935
• 1 SE Center - Panola College, 3600 Loop 500, Center, Texas 75935
• 1 SW Center - Center Community House, 423 San Augustine Street, Center, Texas 75935
• 1 W Center - JOI Ranch, 5198 FM 2026, Center, Texas 75935
• 2 Excelsior - Excelsior School, 11280 St. Hwy 7W, Center, Texas 75935
• 3 Sardis - Campti Pentecostal Church, 6153 FM 414, Center, Texas 75935
• 4 Huxley - Lydia Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 14998 FM 139, Shelbyville, Texas 75973
• 5 Joaquin - First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 175 Faulkville Road, Joaquin, Texas 75954
• 6 Dreka - Dreka Pentecostal Church Fellowship Hall, 1193 FM 2427, Shelbyville, Texas 75973
• 7 Shelbyville - First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 5030 SH 87 South, Shelbyville, Texas 75973
• 8 Tenaha - First Methodist Church - Schiede Hall, 256 N. George Bowers Drive, Tenaha, Texas 75974
• 9N Timpson - American State Bank Annex, 830 N 1st Street West, Timpson, Texas 75975
• 9S Timpson - Timpson School Gym Foyer, 836 Bear Drive, Timpson, Texas 75935

Early voting by personal appearance will be conducted each weekday at:
Center Community House, 423 San Augustine Street, Center, Texas 75935 between the hours of 8am and 5pm beginning on February 14, 2022 and ending February 25, 2022.

Application for ballot by mail shall be mailed to:
Jennifer Fountain - Shelby County Clerk, P.O. Box 1987, Center, Texas 75935.

Application for ballots by mail must be received no later than the close of business on February 18, 2022.

Issued this the 7th day of February, 2022.

February 28, 2022 - The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved a base rate increase for Southwestern Electric Power Co., a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP).

The PUCT approved the increase in base rates to recover SWEPCO’s investments in generation, transmission and distribution facilities since 2016, plus increased operations and maintenance costs to provide reliable and safe service to Texas customers. The Commission also approved cost recovery for the Dolet Hills Power Plant, which was retired Dec. 31, 2021.

The bill for a Texas residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) will increase approximately $8.31 per month, or 8.48%. The increase will begin with bills issued March 1.

The overall increase includes new base rates, a surcharge to recover retroactive amounts for the base rate increase, and cost recovery for the retirement of the Dolet Hills Power Plant. By Texas law, new rates are retroactive to March 18, 2021. The surcharge for the retroactive amounts will be in effect for an estimated six months. The PUCT found the early retirement of Dolet Hills to be prudent and established cost recovery separate from base rates through a rate rider, estimated to be in effect through 2046, the previously PUCT-approved life for the plant.

For commercial, industrial, municipal and lighting rate classes, the new base rate impacts vary by rate class and usage characteristics.

“The base rate increase is necessary for SWEPCO to continue meeting customers’ expectations and to maintain and operate a strong, reliable electric system,” said SWEPCO President and Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Smoak.

“We recognize that customers are concerned about their energy costs, especially during the pandemic,” said Smoak. “We will continue to work with customers to help them stay on track with their electric bills.”

Base rates refer to the costs of building, maintaining and operating SWEPCO’s electric system, including power plants, transmission and distribution lines, and facilities to serve customers. Base rates do not include the fuel portion of the customer’s bill, which pays for fuel and purchased power and is passed through to customers with no profit to the company.

SWEPCO filed its request at the PUCT on Oct. 13, 2020. The PUCT decision authorized an annual increase of $41.6 million in its Nov. 18, 2021, order and Jan. 14, 2022, final order.

SWEPCO serves 187,500 customers in Northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

February 24, 2022 - Visitation at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will resume Sunday, February 27.

Sunday visitation hours are from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday visitations hours are 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

To schedule a visitation for an inmate, you must call the SCSO at 936.598.5601 and schedule a time. Visitation slots are 20 minutes each and only one visitor is allowed per inmate.

February 24, 2022 - The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division initiated an investigation on February 1, 2022 that recently resulted in the recovery of stolen property.

Investigator Chad Hooper recovered stolen property including a Polaris Ranger 150 and a 16-foot trailer that were stolen from a property located on FM 138 in Center. On February 16, 2022, the trailer was located on the side of an oil pad location off CR 1274 in Center. Investigator Hooper worked restlessly and followed leads that led to the recovery of the Polaris Ranger in an undisclosed area on February 19, 2022. The trailer and ranger have been returned to the owners.

(From left:): Investigator Chad Hooper, Megan Adkinson, owner, and Deputy Aaron Jones.

“This is the type of outcome we strive for in all theft cases that we work,” stated Shelby County Sheriff Kevin W. Windham. “I could not be more grateful for our patrol deputies who are proactive in assisting the department with anything and everything that is asked.”

The SCSO extends a special thank you to the public for the tips and information which led to this recovery.

Leah Chase, SCSO Public Relations