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October 27, 2017 - State Highway 7 West was the scene of a tractor crash Friday, October 27, 2017.
The tractor traveled approximately 30 feett downhill before crashing at the bottom.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, at 5pm Ricky Hernandez, 28, of Jacksonville was mowing alongside State Highway 7 West just two miles west of FM 711.
The red Massey Ferguson tractor began to slip to the right down a hill and started flipping as it traveled down the slope until it came to rest against a tree and on its top at the bottom of the hill. Hernandez rode the tractor the whole way down.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.
The West Shelby County Volunteer Fire Department and Center Fire Department were both dispatched to the scene where they assisted in the extraction of the tractor and with traffic control.
East Texas Towing and Recovery as well as Hughes Wrecker Service worked together to pull first the mower and then the tractor itself back up the hill.
Octrober 26, 2017 - The intersection of Cora and Pecan Street was the scene of a two-vehicle crash Thursday, October 26, 2017 in Center near the Post Office. Center ISD Police Officer Shad Sparks rolled up on the incident in his patrol car not long after the incident occurred and directed traffic at the scene until Center Police Department Officers arrived.
According to Center Police Officer Kenneth King, at 12-noon a grey Nissan Z driven by Jennifer Hughes Sturgis, 47, of Center was westbound on Cora Street. At that time a red Dodge pickup truck driven by Larry Berg, 33, of Joaquin was northbound on Pecan Street when he traveled into the intersection causing the Nissan to collide with the right rear of the Dodge.
The collision caused major damage to the Nissan and left both vehicles in the middle of the westbound traffic lane.
No injuries were reported to have resulted from the incident. Sturgis was issued citations for invalid driver's license and expired insurance.
Officer King was assisted with the investigation by Center Police Department Sgt. Ricky King.
October 23, 2017 - The following persons currently are under felony indictment in Shelby County, Texas, and failed to appear for a court-mandated appearance in the 123rd Judicial District Court on October 19, 2017.
- Ronny Wayne Ard
- Curvie Brinson
- LaDaryl Burns
- Marcus Brian Hall
- William Nash
- William Zachary Parks
- Duntae Polley
- Maria L. Ratcliff
- Marvin Lopez Sanchez
- Thomas Louis Singleton
Per the request of Shelby County District Attorney Stephen Shires, Judge LeAnn Kay Rafferty ordered that each criminal Defendant’s bond be forfeited and that a capias be issued for the arrest of each Defendant. Each Defendant listed above immediately needs to contact the Court Manager, Karen Warr, 936.598.9928, to schedule a date to appear in court.
A warrant will remain open for each Defendant until he or she makes an appearance in front of Judge Rafferty.
October 20, 2017 - The U.S. Highway 59 overpass in Tenaha was the scene of an 18-wheeler rollover Tuesday, October 17, 2017 causing traffic delays.
Tenaha Volunteer firemen, and local residents assisting the firemen, re-routed traffic while the crash was investigated and until the roadway could be cleared.
According to Tenaha City Marshal Darren Gray, at 3:35pm a white Volvo truck-tractor driven by Fausto Miguel Alvarez, 40, of Illinois for Flex Freight Carriers Inc. was traveling up the northbound on ramp.
As the truck traveled onto the overpass the load within of plastic sheeting shifted, and caused the truck to roll over onto its left side where it came to rest in the middle of the highway.
ACE EMS responded to the scene and treated Alvarez for minor injuries. He was not trtansported from the scene. Alvarez was issued a citation for failure to control speed.
October 17, 2017 - The jury that has been summoned for Monday, October 23, 2017 for the 273rd District Court, Honorable Judge Charles R. Mitchell presiding has been cancelled due to the scheduled cases being resolved or passsed. Anyone receiving a summons for that day is released from jury service until they receive a future summons.
October 16, 2017 - Shelby County Sheriff Willis Blackwell reports that on Saturday, October 14, 2017 the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division received a call in reference to a deceased individual located at a residence on County Road 1470 in Center. The victim was identified as an Austin Underbrink, 23, of Center. The victim appeared to have succumbed to injuries sustained from a gunshot. Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Melissa Crouch performed the inquest and an autopsy was ordered.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Underbrink was shot and killed by a juvenile subject. The juvenile subject was located by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Investigators in Tenaha and taken into custody.
The juvenile subject received magistrate warning by Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Melissa Crouch. The juvenile subject was released to Juvenile Probation.
This case is still under investigation by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
No further information is available at this time.
October 16, 2017 - Notice is hereby given that the automatic tabulating equipment that will be used in the Constitutional Amendment Election for Shelby County held on November 7, 2017 will be tested for Election Day Voting on 10/27/2017 at 9am at the County Clerk's Office to ascertain that it will accurately county the votes cast for all amendments and on all measures.
A Viso Publico De Probar Eq Equipo Para Tabular Automaticamente
Se pace saber que el equipo de tabulacion automdtica que se utilizard en la Enmienda Constitucional de Elecciones para el Condado de Shelby celebrada el 07 de Noviembre 2017 se pondrd a prueba para la Eleccion Dia Votacion de 10/27/2017 a las 9am en la oficina del Secretario del Condado para cerciorarse de que contard con precision los votos emitidos a favor de todas las enmiendas y en todas las medidas.
By: Jennifer Fountain Shelby County Clerk Deputy Shelby County, Texas
October 11, 2017 - The following persons recently were indicted for felonies in the 123rd Judicial District Court and failed to appear for the felony arraignment docket.
- Dennis Wayne Johnson
- Randle Roydell Calhoun
- Jacoby Dashun Ivy
- Richard Elmo Coon
- Sherry Jeannine Berwick
- Corey Deon Wilson
- Samantha Lopez
- Timothy Orme
On October 5, 2017, Judge LeAnn Kay Rafferty of the 123 District Court ordered that the Defendants' bonds be forfeited and that a capias be issued for the arrest of each Defendant.
October 9, 2017 - Shelbyville Street just before Center Street was the scene of a two-vehicle crash Monday, October 9, 2017 from which two people were transported to the hospital.
According to Center Police officer Andrew Williams, at around 11am a black Honda Ridgeline 4WD driven by Virginia Lemoine, 82, of Center was southbound on Shelbyville Street when with the right front quarter panel of the truck struck the rear of a trailer. The Honda came to rest in the middle of the roadway and facing northwest.
The trailer was attached to a Ford F-350 driven by Enedino Ramirez, 41, of Center which was parked on the shoulder of the roadway to perform lawn maintenance.
Virginia Lemoine and her passenger Julian Rock Lemoine, 82, were transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Memorial hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.
No citations were issues at the time of the incident.
Additional officers and detectives with the police department assisted with traffic control during the crash investigation.
October 8, 2017 - Information filed in Shelby County District Court for abuse of official capacity implicates Sheriff Willis Blackwell in violating the law relating to his office by intentionally obtaining a personal benefit through said office.
The information was filed by Shelby County Attorney Gary Rholes on Thursday, October 5, 2017 and is in relation to a Texas Ranger investigation which began in January 2016 into the allegation of abuse of official capacity by way of keeping the Shelby County Sheriff's Department Command Center on a personal deer lease in Panola County, using materials from the Sheriff's Department evidence and using inmates to perform work on the lease including cleanup and performing welding work.
According to a Texas Ranger report, Texas Ranger Travis Brazil was first contacted by then Shelby County Chief Deputy Shad Sparks after he received the allegations from then Deputy Sgt. Derek Barbee. This was followed by Ranger Brazil being contacted by several other county officials, including Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison, who all provided varying pieces of information to Brazil such as the trailer had been photographed on the deer lease, and the Sheriff was allegedly using a Sheriff's Department utility vehicle for personal purposes.
Ken Florence, who was the District Attorney for Shelby County at that time, contacted Ranger Brazil who presented his evaluation of the allegations to Florence. It was requested first verbally by Florence the Rangers investigate the allegations and by way of a letter, which stated he would seek an indictment and prosecute any violations of Texas criminal law determined by the investigation.
Texas Ranger Ronald Duff, who has since retired but was in the Conroe Ranger office, was assigned to the investigation on March 23, 2016 and he interviewed Chief Sparks, Deputies Derek Barbee and Roy Bailey, as well as Sheriff Blackwell. Sparks indicated he did not have personal knowledge of Blackwell having taken inmates to his deer lease, only that he and the sheriff had previously had a conversation about possibly taking the trailer there for a fish fry and that the sheriff had taken the trailer there in 2015 where it remained. Sparks indicated Sheriff Blackwell informed him he had utilized pipe recovered by the Sheriff's Department and had taken trustys to his deer lease to work on a bridge.
According to the report, it was confirmed by Deputy Bailey during interview he had transported the trustys to the deer lease and had been to the property three times while on duty on work instructed by Sheriff Blackwell to be performed. Two of the occasions were to mow grass around the command center with mowers transported by Bailey from the Sheriff's Department and the third occasion was to tack pipe with a welding machine that had been found by the Sheriff's Department on an oilfield location.
It was also indicated in the report by Deputy Bailey, following Sheriff Blackwell's back surgery, he was instructed by Blackwell to use the same mowers to cut the grass at the sheriff's residence. Chief Sparks had indicated a black Jeep which had been awarded to the Sheriff's Department through a Federal investigation was kept at Blackwell's residence. Deputy Bailey was once required to go to the sheriff's residence and get the Jeep inspected, it was his understanding the Jeep was kept at the residence because it was used for undercover investigations. At the time Deputy Bailey procured the Jeep he saw the utility vehicle at the residence.
During his interview the report indicates, Sgt. Barbee recalled the date of the intended fish fry on the deer lease to have been July 30, 2015; however due to weather, the cooking instead took place at Sheriff Blackwell's restaurant near his residence. According to Barbee a substantial amount of pipe which had belonged to Devon Energy, and was kept in Sheriff's Department storage where evidence was normally stored, had gone missing from the Sheriff's Department. Barbee said he learned from a trusty the pipe was on the deer lease.
According to the report, Sheriff Blackwell told Ranger Duff he used his county issue vehicle to haul the command center to the deer lease where it stayed for three months. According to Blackwell, during that time the trailer was not used for anything and was once transported to Center for the Poultry Festival and was then returned to the deer lease. Blackwell stated the pipe had been magnetized and Devon Energy did not want the 14 - 15 pieces of pipe that had been recovered because it could not be sold, so the pipe was used around the Sheriff's Department. Blackwell informed Ranger Duff he had transported six or seven pipe joints in his personal truck and trailer to the deer lease in either September or October 2015 and the pipe was used for a bridge.
During his interview the report indicates, Blackwell admitted taking trustys to the deer lease once in addition to Deputy Bailey taking the inmates once, and that the welding machine was abandoned property kept at the Sheriff's Department. The report also says he admitted Deputy Bailey used a county vehicle and trailer to haul the welding machine to the deer lease.
The report indicated Blackwell explained he took the pipe to the deer lease because it was in the way at the Sheriff's Department and he had been weed eating around it for three years. In addition, the report says Sheriff Blackwell admitted the utility vehicle had been at the deer lease before and it had been utilized to put corn out at a hog feeder which, according to Barbee's statement, had been built by inmates at the Sheriff's Department.
It was indicated in the original investigation report, the investigation would be forwarded to the Shelby County District Attorney's office for prosecution. Ranger Hicks contacted the District Attorney's office where Stephen Shires is the current DA and "discovered the case was still under review by the District Attorney."
Related Articles:
Letter to the Editor (Borders Questions Location of Mobile Command Center) (January 15, 2016)
Letter to the Editor (Response From Sheriff Blackwell to Borders Query of Command Center) (January 15, 2016)
Sheriff, County Being Sued Over Allegations of Misuse of Property, Retaliation (February 16, 2016)
District Judge Dismisses Whistleblower Case Against Sheriff (February 24, 2017)
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