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January 24, 2025 - The Center Fire Department was dispatched to a vehicle fire early Friday morning, January 24, 2025, located on the 600 block of Sharp Street.
According to the Center Fire Department, when the firefighters arrived sometime just after 7:10am they found a Ford Expedition fully engulfed in flames beside a home.
The firefighters were able to quickly knock the flames back with water and extinguish the blaze. The cause and origin of the fire was not able to be immediately determined.
Firefighters returned to the station at 8:20am.
January 24, 2025 - Due to the water supplier (City of Joaquin) issuing a boil water notice for low water pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Paxton WSC Jackson Plant public water system 2100031 to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes. Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Alison Rhone at 936-332-4439.
January 23, 2025 - Emergency responders were dispatched to a fatal single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 96 North Thursday, January 23, 2025, just south of the Center Country Club.
Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies and Center Fire Department were first to the scene where it was discovered live power lines were laying across the vehicle involved.
Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative crews were requested, and responded quickly to help disconnect power to the electrical lines.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the preliminary crash investigation indicates that at approximately 1:05am, a 2012 Cadillac SRX was traveling north. It is reported that the Cadillac driven by Jason Bush, 42, of Center failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway to the right, over-corrected back to the left across all lanes of U.S. 96, and overturned multiple times. Bush was ejected as a result of the crash.
Bush was pronounced deceased by Donna Hughes, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1. He was later transported from the scene by Mangum Funeral Home.
The vehicle was towed from the scene by Smith Towing.
The crash was investigated by Troopers Jordan Ford and Taylor Buster.
DPS reported this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
January 21, 2025 - The city of Joaquin is under a boil water notice until future notification, as of January 21, 2025.
January 21, 2025 - The Shelby County Courthouse and County offices will be closed today, Tuesday, January 21, due to hazardous road conditions.
Shelby County Misdemeanor Court will be canceled today.
January 21, 2025 - Schools which have announced closure due to weather conditions:
- Timpson ISD (5:17am)
- Tenaha ISD (5:17am)
- Joaquin ISD (5:17am)
- Shelbyville ISD (5:16am)
- Center ISD (9:30pm, Jan. 20)
As of 5:17am, Timpson ISD, Joaquin ISD and Tenaha ISD have announced that school will be closed for Tuesday.
As of 4:40am Tuesday, Center ISD remains the only school to have announced a closure.
January 20, 2025 - With potential inclement weather in the forecast, road conditions continue to be a possible concern for all travelers as well as those en-route to schools.
As of 10:54pm, the only Shelby County school to share with Shelby County Today that it will have no school on Tuesday, January 21, is Center ISD.
As of this report Timpson ISD, Tenaha ISD, Excelsior ISD, Shelbyville ISD, and Joaquin ISD have yet to share an intention to cancel school.
January 20, 2025 - Sabine State Bank will be closed Tuesday, January 21, 2025 due to the potential of hazardous weather. We want all our customers and employees to stay safe.
January 17, 2025 - Notice is hereby given that a Special meeting of the Governing body of the Shelby County Commissioners’ Court will be held on the 22nd day of January, 2025 at 9:30am in the Courtroom of the Shelby County Courthouse at 200 San Augustine Street, Center, Shelby County, Texas to deliberate and consider action on the following items:
1. Approve and pay weekly expenses.
2. Public comments on Agenda item.
3. Consider and possibly approve a request from the current property owners to expand a portion of County Road 4620 by a width of 20 feet on the East side of said County Road in PCT. 4 for further business development.
4. Recognize the Certificate of Completion of 20 hours of Continuing Education for Jennifer Fountain, County Clerk.
5. Recognize the 2024 Judicial Education Record of Hours obtained by County Judge, Allison Harbison.
6. Open sealed bids for Precinct #3 haul truck, review and possibly award bid.
7. Request approval for PCT 4 to place surplus equipment on Purple Wave Auction. (1) 2008 CPS Belly Dump Trailer, VIN# 5MC1116209PO1OO29 Tx Exempt 911 2546.
8. Request approval for PCT 4 to place surplus equipment on Purple Wave Auction. (1) Case 850D LongTrack Dozer, year unknown, VIN# JAK0002103.
9. Discuss and approve submitting an Application for the Texas Preservation Trust Fund Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Program to benefit the Historic Shelby County Jail.
10. Commissioner’s court reports: These are for informational purposes only. Any action that needs to be taken on the basis of these reports will be placed on a future agenda for action.
11. Adjourn.
January 17, 2025 - Crews are scheduled to begin today to pre-treat US 59 through the Lufkin District, and will continue with pre-treatment on major roads, overpasses, and bridges Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, if needed.
Crews will begin working 12-hour shifts on Monday in order to monitor road conditions. The district’s Emergency Operation Center will open on Monday and will remain open throughout the weather event.
A brine treatment discourages precipitation from freezing and sticking to pavement, and will be applied to overpasses, major structures, bridges, overpasses, and major roadways throughout the district.
“The Lufkin District is prepared for this weather event, and will work to keep the roadways clear if the predicted weather materializes in this nine-county district,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “Motorists should reduce speed as they approach a TxDOT work crew and give them room to work as we pre-treat the roads in anticipation of winter weather.”
January 15, 2025 - The Shelby County Commissioners put the brakes on a cooperative road agreement between the county and USDA during their meeting held January 15, 2025.
The commissioners discussed the cooperative road agreement between Shelby County and USDA, Forest Service National Forest and Grasslands in Texas.
Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison explained the proposed agreement is for five years and before entering into an agreement some explanation over the agreement is merited from the USDA.
“We have not gotten any in lieu of taxes since before [20]23,” said Judge Harbison. “We’re trying to get them to re-adopt the agreement with the US Government, and it was nearly there and then they had the Speaker’s race mess.”
The Senate has passed the agreement, but the Representatives have not yet passed it explained Harbison. According to Judge Harbison, Sabine County Judge Milton agrees with her and will not be signing their agreement until the agreement has been passed.
“Every couple of years they do give us some funds to get rock, or they give us rock, this is something totally different,” said Judge Harbison. “This is us saying, ‘we’re going to take care of all of your forest service roads.’”
Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, commented John Price had some concerns over the agreement as well.
Judge Harbison stated she would like to see the item tabled and have someone from the US Forest Service be present at a meeting to explain the agreement.
Judge Harbison moved to table the item and a second was heard by Commissioner Tom Bellmyer. The motion carried.
“The bill most greatly affects precinct two and precinct three. But, y’all are still going to make sure people can get to their homes through the Forest Service Roads,” said Judge Harbison. “When I grew up, because I had to go on two or three miles of County Road, and then I had a two-and-a-half mile road to go down to the Forest Service. The County Road was always a little shaky, but you never got stuck on the Forest Service Road and then they just dumped them all off on the counties.”
At the January meeting of the Shelly County Commissioners it was approved to advertise for bids on a new haul truck for Precinct 3.
Judge Harbison presented the commissioners with the option to set a bid procurement period and public opening date for precinct three haul truck.
Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, said the court failed to do that last week for the public record.
“For the sake of time I'm going to email the specs to previous bidders that we had hits from on the truck, but I'm also going to list it on buyboard. The bids will be due at three o'clock next week, which I believe is the point to be opened public,” said Blackwell.
The bids will be due Tuesday, January 21, by 3pm in the County Treasurer’s office.
A motion by Commissioner Smith was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer and the motion carried.
During the Commissioner Court reports Judge Harbison shared about a trip that she recently took to Austin, “We made a fast and furious trip to Austin to the legislative reception and we saw both of our senator and our State Rep and had a really good meeting on Tuesday morning with the Texas Judges and Commissioners.”
She said she also visited with Jim Allison, who is a legal counsel for the Judges and Commissioners Association.
The meeting went into a closed executive session at 9:46am with Sheriff Gerald Corbell and returned to open session at 10:15am.
Upon returning from closed executive session, Commissioner Roscoe McSwain moved to revert back to FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines, all non law enforcement personnel will receive overtime after 40 hours. The motion received a second from Commissioner Bellmyer and it carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:15.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Pay weekly expenses. 2. Pay current payroll. 3. Record the filing to the Vehicle Inventory Tax Fund audit for January 2025. 4. Set bid procurement period and public opening date of January 21, 2025 for Pct. #3 Haul Truck. 5. Revert back to FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines, all non law enforcement personnel will receive overtime after 40 hours. Agenda items tabled during the meeting include: 1. Cooperative Road Agreement between Shelby County and USDA, Forest Service National Forest and Grasslands in Texas.
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