Shelby County Today

September 30, 2024 - San Augustine Street in Center was the scene of a crash incident with a house and several vehicle at the location on Sunday, September 15, 2024.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to the location in the 800 block of San Augustine Street at around 2pm.

According to the Center Police Department, a grey 2021 Dodge pickup truck driven by Eh Say, 52, of Center was northbound on Old San Augustine Street when it traveled straight through a curve in the roadway and left the road to the right where it traveled through a yard. The truck continued into a neighboring carport where it ran over three motorcycles before crashing into a garage. 

No injuries were reported resulting from the crash.

The Center Fire Department was dispatched to the scene to help Say get out of the truck.

The crash was investigated by Center Police Officer Michael Davidson.

September 24, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners granted the Shelby County Children's Advocacy Center (SCCAC) with almost $13,000 in capital credits during the September 11, 2024 meeting, and moved forward in allowing the Sheriff's Department to seek bids on another new vehicle.

The commissioners considered the payment of Capital Credits in the amount of $12,815.27. Judge Allison Harbison stated the county received the check on the week before the meeting and the income needed to be recognized.

Commissioner Stevie Smith moved to recognize the income, and Commissioner Tom Bellmyer seconded his motion. The motion carried.

This was followed by discussion of expending the capital credits for Fiscal Year 2024.

“In the past, there's only certain things we can spend this money on, and about the only two, one really is the [Children’s] Advocacy Center is what we've been doing in the past, we don't actually have an economic development organization or anything. So there's only certain things that we can use it for,” said Judge Harbison. 

For several years now, the county has given the sum to the SCCAC and representatives of that organization were there for the meeting.

“I'll say it over and over again, it's always important that we show community support to our grant funders. We’re heavily grant funded by the state federal grants, and so it's important that they see this is a community owned organization. So, they want to know that the community we have buy-in from the community and that we're supported by the community. So, it's not just helpful dollars but it's you being a backer and a supporter of what we do at the Advocacy Center,” said Denise Merriman, SCCAC Executive Director.

Commissioner Bellmyer moved to expend the capital credits to the SCCAC, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Stevie Smith. The motion carried.

The commissioners were presented with another request for a vehicle by the Sheriff's Department, a 2025 Ford F-150 truck, and their request included the use of Senate Bill 22 grant funds.

“After we added it all up, we're going to have some money left and in speaking with the Sheriff's Department, [Chief] Chad [Hooper], and also the Sheriff-Elect [Gerald Corbell] it was going to be hard to spend that much money by the end of the month, so we thought we could just get another vehicle, that that would be a good way to expend the bulk of that money,” said Judge Harbison.

Commissioner Roscoe McSwain made a motion to move forward in seeking bids to be due before the September 18 meeting and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Bellmyer. The motion carried.

The commissioners considered an interlocal agreement with the City of Tenaha and Commissioner Precinct 4 so that the commissioner could assist the city with some overgrown brush.

“We discussed it last week, and we came to the realization that we no longer had an interlocal agreement with the city of Tenaha. So, our county attorney set down and drafted up a fairly straightforward interlocal agreement so that we could go forward and if we get that signed, I'll get the city of Tenaha to sign it, and then I can get it turned back in and hopefully it will be good to go,” said Commissioner Bellmyer. 

Commissioner Bellmyer moved to approve the interlocal agreement as the county attorney presented it, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Stevie Smith.

Commissioner Smith was seeking to approve an easement on County Road 3801 that would allow him to apply some gravel for a school bus turnaround.

“This is where I was needing to put a load of gravel to build a school bus turn around, Mr. Price has been working on it and have something prepared,” said Smith. “I still need to get the landowner to sign it, and he's already agreed to.” 

Smith moved to approve the agreement pending signature by the landowner, and Commissioner Bellmyer seconded his motion. It carried. 

During the commissioner’s court reports portion of the agenda, Commissioner Bellmyer stated the interlocal agreement with Timpson is set to expire and he wanted to get it on the agenda for the next week’s meeting.

Commissioner McSwain thanked Commissioners Bellmyer and Lout for allowing two trucks each from their precincts to help with work being done on roads over the two weeks previous to the meeting.

County Road 1464, Commissioner McSwain said, is around two-and-a-half miles long which has been oil paved and according to McSwain the cost to apply that distance was $86,300. CR 1490 at a cost of $55,000 was a mile-and-six-tenths connecting FM 1645 and “Arcadia Farm Road.” 14 loads of material were applied to CR 1440 to tie in a segment and help a lot of people.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:49am.

Agenda items approved during the meeting include:
1. Minutes of the following meetings. August 7, 2024 Budget Workshop; August 7, 2024 Special Meeting; August 14, 2024 Regular Meeting; August 21, 2024 Special Meeting; and August 28, 2024 Special Meeting.
2. Weekly expenses.
3. Payroll.
4. Payment of Capital Credits in the amount of $12,815.27.
5. Expend the Capital Credits for the FY 2024.
6. Sheriff’s Department to request bids for one (1) 2025 Ford F-150 truck to be paid from SB 22 Grant Funds.
7. Interlocal agreement between Shelby County Commissioner Pct 4 and the City of Tenaha.
8. Easement on CR 3801.
9. Adjourn.

September 19, 2024 - Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department deputies engaged in a high-speed chase Tuesday, September 17, 2024, which was finally brought to a halt in Shelby County.

According to Tim Monzingo, Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office Public Information officer, a deputy was on patrol in a school zone in Central Heights when he attempted to stop a white 2020 Toyota passenger car with an obscured license plate at 7:16am. The driver fled when the deputy initiated the stop.

Monzingo indicates the pursuit led deputies in Nacogdoches County as far as State Highway 7 and then doubled back and traveled north through Garrison. The pursuit was recorded as exceeding 100 mph for the majority of the time, even topping out at 120 mph at one point. During the pursuit, two school zones in the Nacogdoches County area were passed through.

As the pursuit entered Shelby County and traveled at high speed through Timpson on U.S. Highway 59, it then traveled State Highway 87 North heading in the direction of Center. During the pursuit, multiple attempts to spike the Toyota’s tires were made to bring the pursuit to an end, however, they were evaded by the driver.

Monzingo reports the driver eventually surrendered to law enforcement officers at the intersection of FM 415 at 7:40am.

Several items were allegedly observed being thrown out the window of the vehicle as it was traveling. Officers returned to the location where officers believed items had been thrown out of the vehicle during the pursuit. The Nacogdoches County K9 unit assisted in locating and recovering methamphetamine, while a firearm and marijuana were recovered from within the vehicle.

Christopher Michael Chaney, 41, of Ashley City, Tennessee was arrested and charged with evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, felony 3; unlawful possession of a firearm by felon, felony 3; possession of marijuana, >=4oz<5lbs, state jail felony; possession of a controlled substance >=4G<200G, felony 2; possession of a controlled substance >=1G<4G, felony 3; and tamper/fabricate physical evidence, felony 3. All bonds combined total $110,000.

Monzingo confirms agencies involved in the pursuit and which assisted included Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department, Nacogdoches County Precinct 1 Constables, Nacogdoches Police Department, Center Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, and Shelby County Constables.

“We’re grateful for the assistance from all the agencies that helped bring this to a conclusion,” stated Monzingo.

September 18, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners’ Court adopted a budget for the 2024-2025 Fiscal year and new tax rate during their Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Budget Workshop providing raises for many.

Major adjustments were made to what had been a proposed budget presented during the August 21 meeting which developed into lively discussion.

Commissioner Tom Bellmyer moved to adopt the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget with amendments to the salaries of the Elections Administrator and the Chief Deputy of the Tax Assessor-Collector’s office and a change to the Senate Bill 22 fund 57.

Roscoe Mcswain, Commissioner Precinct 1, then moved to adopt the budget as Judge Allison Harbison presented it with amendments he offered as follows:

1. Change the increments on the funding for Road and Bridge and the General fund. He stated Road and Bridge in the proposed budget is 0.1727 and McSwain offered an amendment of 0.1917, the General fund is proposed at 0.4180 and McSwain offered an amendment of 0.3990. McSwain stated that’s a difference of $360,000 to be divided four ways to the Road and Bridge Precincts and designated as being for road oil purchases at $90,000 per precinct.

Judge Harbison asked if the tax rate should be adjusted and Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, said it wouldn’t change the bottom line, because it’s the same total and does change the dollars in the budget.

2. McSwain then addressed salary increases and he said relating to administrative assistants, and if someone is affected by Senate Bill 22 (SB22) he suggested that the County Attorney and District attorney through SB22 could give raises to their employees if they choose to do so and do not play a part in the increases he offers in the amendment. McSwain stated the county is going to raise the salary $2 an hour. Porterfield clarified with McSwain what he was stating and McSwain said to remove the $1 across the board raise originally proposed. He then stated all administrative assistants would receive the $2 raise, with the exception of those under SB22. Road and Bridge gets a $2 raise across the board and that also includes leaving the $1 in the proposed budget for “lead hand.” Dispatchers receive $1 an hour increase from the county. Out of SB22 they will get $100 per pay period for the Sheriff’s Department deputies and jailers. Start pay for administrative assistants will move up to $15.50.

Porterfield clarified they would be taking out the proposed $1 for everyone, $2 for clerical, $2 for Road and Bridge, $1 for the lead hand, $15.50 starting rate, $1 for dispatchers out of county funds, SB22 $100 per pay period for jailers and deputies. No county increase for deputies from county funds, but from SB22.

Commissioner Bellmyer confirmed their raise through SB22 would mimic the raise of county funds. Porterfield cautioned not to do something just because the county is receiving a grant.

McSwain also reiterated Porterfield’s warning that should the SB22 bill ever cease, the county will be responsible for pickup up that additional expense.

Porterfield pointed out that an additional alteration at the last minute has now been added to consideration in reference to budgeting for SB22 in the County Attorney and District Attorney offices. He also clarified there would be no pay raise for county officials.

Commissioner Bellmyer confirmed the administrative assistant at the Agrilife office, Veteran’s Service Officer, Emergency Management Coordinator, were also included in the raise. Judge Harbison confirmed all of the clerks would be a part of the $2 raise.

McSwain asked if there needed to be a delay to allow for the County Attorney and District Attorney to make any necessary calculations to their SB22 budget.

With that being mentioned, Porterfield stated those being discussed in their offices received 50% increases last year and he didn’t really know why they would make a change to include a county pay increase for them considering the pay increases they got out of SB22 on the previous year and he thought everyone would like to get a 50% pay increase.

Porterfield offered the possibility of an elected official raise, and providing them the option to waive their increase should they so choose.

Commissioners McSwain and Bellmyer were not in favor of an elected official raise because they didn’t feel they could justify it to the voters.

Commissioner Bellmyer clarified his original proposal of an additional $3 for the Election Administrator and an additional $2 for the Chief Deputy of the Tax Assessor-Collector, which each would also receive the $2 proposed by Commissioner McSwain.

Commissioner McSwain confirmed that was the motion and Commissioner Bellmyer gave a second to McSwain’s motion. During the vote, Judge Harbison abstained from voting, with Commissioners Stevie Smith, McSwain and Bellmyer all voting in favor. Commissioner Jimmy Lout was not present for the meeting.

Commissioner McSwain moved to adopt a 0.6164 tax for the operating fund, 0.0668 for Road and Bridge Special, for a total tax rate of 0.6832. Commissioner Bellmyer seconded the motion and it carried.

Before the meeting adjourned, Porterfield was unaware if the court could do anything about it at that time; however, he inquired if the court wanted to consider reinstating the County Judge’s travel allowance of $4,800 which she had chosen to take out of the budget to in light of the $1 increase that was in the proposed budget. Bellmyer was under the impression it had been increased, but Judge Harbison had taken it out and she offered the court could do what it wanted with it. Since the budget was already adopted, Porterfield couldn’t think of an amendment that would allow them to add it back in and he apologized to the judge for having not gotten it back in during the discussion. 

Commissioner McSwain moved to adjourn, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith. The meeting adjourned at 12:03pm.

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