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December 23, 2016 - The Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at 2:16 am in downtown Shelbyville.
Upon arrival, the smoke house at Shelbyville Grocery had flames coming out the door and up the front side of the building. The fire department quickly extinguished the fire which had caused extensive damage to the front of the structure and the roof area. They also prevented the fire from reaching the store itself.
Owner John Harbison advised unfortunately 10 turkeys being smoked for customers perished in the fire.
Shelbyville Grocery is famous for their beef and pork smoked sausage which many customers travel in from all over the state to get.
December 23, 2016 - Fog and smoke contributed to two crashes Thursday morning, one of which was an emergency response vehicle arriving on scene of the first crash.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jimmy Faulkner, a cluster of crashes occurred on US Hwy 96 Thursday, December 22, 2016. The first crash was at 5:45am in San Augustine County near the Shelby County line and the San Augustine Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.
A 2013 Chevrolet 1-ton pickup driven by Kenneth Tarver, 57 of Bronson, was traveling north on US 96. Behind Tarver’s pickup was a 1998 green Chevrolet 3/4-ton pickup driven by Jimmy Wimberley, 62 of Broaddus. Due to heavy fog and smoke in the area, Wimberley’s visibility was limited and he failed to control the speed of his pickup rear-ending Tarver’s pickup.
Wimberley was injured and transported to CHI Hospital in San Augustine.
The second collision occurred at 6:16am for the same contributing factor as the first crash, poor visibility from smoke and fog.
A San Augustine fire truck driven by Ernest Consford, 62 of San Augustine, with passenger Joseph Consford, 39 of San Augustine just pulled up to the scene of the first crash and stopped when a Freightliner failed to control speed and struck the back of the fire truck.
Upon seeing the fire truck at the last minute, the driver of the 2016 white Freightliner 18-wheeler, Brian Button, 40 of Woodville, Texas, attempted to avoid the collision but still struck the rear of the emergency vehicle.
No other injuries were reported and Wimberley and Button were both citied for failure to control speed.
The crash was investigated by DPS Trooper Jimmy Faulkner.
December 21, 2016 - The Center Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Center Street on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 6:20am.
When the firemen arrived at the former office of C&R Refrigeration, 405 Center Street, one end of the building was on fire. The firemen extinguished the flames and kept the fire consolidated to the attic area of the building.
This was followed by ventilating the building with a fan to evacuate any remaining smoke. AEP SWEPCO was dispatched to the scene to make sure the building was disconnected of any power supply and just previous to their arrival, sparks were seen bursting from power lines across the street from the building.
Once the fire was extinguished, the firemen returned to the station at 8am. Upon further investigation by AEP SWEPCO, it was determined the cause of the fire may have emanated from a neighboring property located on Crockett Street.
The firemen returned to the location and gained permission from the property owner to enter and as the representatives of AEP SWEPCO took a closer look, it was obvious someone had been attempting to cut the power line at the top of a utility pole on the property with some metal cutters.
Center Police Officers were requested to the scene and an investigation began into the incident. AEP SWEPCO helped the police officers to retrieve the cutters and further evidence was gathered at the scene by detectives.
No further information is available at this time and both the fire and attempted theft of the power lines remains under investigation.
December 21, 2016 - State Highway 7 West of Excelsior ISD was the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Monday, December 19, 2016
Troopers were dispatched to State Highway 7 at 1:10pm just west of CR 1245 in reference to a one vehicle crash, upon arrival it was determined the vehicle involved was a grey 2009 Dodge Caliber belonging to a Jazmiyn Ngunen, 43, of Nacogdoches.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Dustin Ramos, Ngunen was eastbound when she failed to drive in a single lane and traveled off the roadway to the right, through a ditch and striking a group of trees causing damage to the front and rear back quarter of the vehicle. The Dodge came to rest facing west.
ACE EMS responded to the scene; however, Ngunen refused treatment. Ngunen was issued citations for fail to maintain a single lane and failure to maintain financial responsibility, no insurance.
December 20, 2016 - Shelby County Sheriff Willis Blackwell reports the arrest of Eric John Bremer, 54, of Shelbyville, December 17, 2016.
A disturbance was reported to the SCSO dispatch in reference to Bremer making threats to kill a family member. Shelby County Sheriff Deputies Jeffrey Gogolewski and Ruth Gonzales responded to the residence on CR 2481 and made contact with the complainant. The caller advised that she and Bremer had been involved in a verbal altercation and Bremer was threatening to kill her.
While deputies were interviewing the complainant, numerous threatening text messages continued to be sent by Bremer. Bremer notified the complainant that he was on the way to the residence and headlights were observed coming down the roadway. Deputy Gogolewski observed Bremer’s vehicle circling the residence at an aggressive speed and attempted to intercept his vehicle.
Bremer pulled into the trailer park behind Trails End restaurant and exited his vehicle upon Deputy Gogolewski’s request. He was handcuffed and placed into the back of the patrol unit. One handgun was removed from Bremer’s waistband and two from the pockets of his jeans. Deputy Gogolewski asked Bremer if any more weapons were in the vehicle and he stated a shotgun.
Search of the vehicle revealed two additional rifles, one pistol and a shotgun. Each weapon located had one round chambered with a full complement of ammunition. A total of seven weapons were removed as evidence.
Bremer was booked into the SCSO December 18 for Criminal Attempt to Murder (F-2). He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Pct. 4, Jenny Hicks on a $45,000 bond. He posted bond and was released the same day.
Submitted by Leah Chase, SCSO Media Relations
December 20, 2016 - Shelby County Sheriff Willis Blackwell reports that during an extensive investigation conducted by Chief Deputy D.J. Dickerson into several cases involving victims of Credit Card / Debit Card Abuse, a suspect was identified as a LaDarren Antonio Reed, 29 of Center.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a male subject contacting the victims by telephone and advising the victims that their phone bill had not been paid and would be disconnected if they did not pay it immediately. The caller was so persistent and pressing that the victims provided their pertinent information and credit card/debit card information. The caller has also advised victims that he was with the utility company as well as with the Sheriff’s Office attempting to get victim’s to give money for a widow’s fund.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that LaDarren Antonio Reed had used the victims fraudulently obtained information to set up a landline phone for his parents as well as pay utility bills at an apartment where he was staying with his girlfriend.
Arrest warrants were obtained for LaDarren Reed for (2) counts of Credit Card/Debit Card Abuse Enhanced, Felony 3 and (1) count of Credit Card/Debit Card Abuse, State Jail Felony. Reed was arrested by Officers of San Augustine Police Department in San Augustine on November 22, 2016.
Reed is currently incarcerated in the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office jail with total bond set at $35,000.
Submitted by Leah Chase, SCSO Media Relations
December 17, 2016 - FM 139 was the scene of a single-vehicle fatality crash on Friday, December 16, 2016.
ACE EMS was dispatched to the scene of the crash four miles from State Highway 87 South. When the EMS crew arrived, they determined they were in need of additional assistance and Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department was requested to their location along with Center FD to help extricate the driver and assist with traffic.
The crash was investigated by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Trooper Sean Smith and he was assisted by Trooper Daniel Dellinger. According to the DPS report, at about 5pm a tan 2001 Ford F-150 XL truck was traveling East on FM 139 when the vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left and came back onto the roadway as it overturned.
The driver of the truck has been identified as James Peterson, 57, of Ben Wheeler, Tx. Peterson was pronounced deceased at the scene by Marla Denby, Justice of the Peace Precinct 2.
This crash remains under investigation. No additional information is available at this time.
Peterson was transported from the scene by Mangum Funeral Home.
The truck was towed from the scene by Vail & Son Wrecker Service.
December 16, 2016 - SHREVEPORT, La., Dec. 16, 2016 – AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), today submitted a request to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to increase the company’s Texas rates by approximately $69 million annually. If approved, new rates could go into effect in mid-to-late 2017.
The primary need for new revenue is to cover $34.4 million annually for additional investment in environmental controls at four major power plants. The investments are necessary to comply with new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
“The goal is always to serve Texas customers with a strong electric system that provides affordable, reliable and safe energy,” said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO President and Chief Operating Officer. “After investing nearly $700 million to fulfill new federal mandates, we believe SWEPCO has responsibly met these environmental and financial challenges in order to maintain a diverse energy mix with reliable 24/7 power sources serving our customers.”
The request includes four major components:
- $34.4 million for new environmental controls at four power plants to comply with EPA mandates. Plant locations include Welsh Plant Units 1 and 3 at Pittsburg, Texas; Pirkey Plant at Hallsville, Texas; Dolet Hills Plant at Mansfield, La.; and Flint Creek Plant at Gentry, Ark.
- $8 million for a change in transmission cost recovery to align with actual incurred regional transmission costs in the Southwest Power Pool – to help ensure reliability and access to affordable power through the regional transmission system.
- $2 million for additional vegetation management dollars to clear transmission and distribution lines and to improve service reliability, especially during storms.
- $24.5 million for additional generation, transmission and distribution investment, and changes in operating costs to continue delivering affordable, reliable and safe energy to homes, businesses and communities.
If approved by the PUCT, overall rates would increase annually by approximately $69 million, an average increase of about 12.7 percent. This is the net amount of the proposed annual base rate increase of $105.9 million minus $36.9 million for existing transmission and distribution charges that are currently shown as line items on customers’ bills and will be moved to base rates. Base rates reflect 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 customers’ bills, which pays for fuel and purchased power and is passed through to customers with no profit to the company.
Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month would see an estimated increase of $12.67 per month, or 13 percent. Increases for individual customers will vary depending on each customer’s usage characteristics.
“We work hard to provide high quality customer service while at the same time managing our costs and continuing to make needed investments in generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. We recognize the impact that price increases can have on individuals, families and businesses. We believe our electric rates will continue to provide good value for the money,” McCellon-Allen said.
“Even with this proposed increase, SWEPCO rates will be close to the current state average for utilities serving the regulated parts of the state, and still well below the national average,” McCellon-Allen said.
SWEPCO serves 530,000 customers, including 184,000 in East Texas and the Panhandle, 230,000 in northwestern and central Louisiana and 116,000 in western Arkansas. The company’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. More information is available at SWEPCO.com.
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states. AEP owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a more than 40,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP also operates 224,000 miles of distribution lines. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning approximately 31,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also supplies 3,200 megawatts of renewable energy to customers. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
December 16, 2016 - Loop 500 and U.S. Highway 96 North was the scene of a chicken hauler crash on Thursday, December 15, 2016.
Following the incident, emergency personnel flocked to the location in a flurry where a they located a large number of feathered creatures strewn around the crash scene.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Sean Smith, at 8:50pm Robert Newman, 68, of Sevalia, Mo. was driving a Tyson chicken hauler west on Loop 500 when he didn't notice the stop sign until it was too late. The 18-wheeler entered U.S. 96 and crossed over into a ditch where it incurred major damage.
ACE EMS arrived at the scene and transported Newman to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for treatment of minor injuries.
Center Fire Department was dispatched to the scene, directing traffic until it was clear at 3:50am.
The load of chickens was reported to be traveling to Oklahoma. A Tyson cleanup crew was dispatched to the scene to pickup up the chickens and Hopkins Wrecker Service removed the truck from the scene.
December 15, 2016 - The Timpson Volunteer Fire Department (TVFD) responded a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 only this time, they were involved in the crash.
As two of the firemen were delivering a newly purchased truck to have wiring installed, the new truck arrived at the planned destination; however, the older grass truck was cut short of that destination by the incident.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, at 10:40am .2 miles north of CR 1431 on State Highway 87 North a red 1999 Ford F350 driven by Martin Mikesh, 52, of Timpson was southbound preparing to make a right turn into a private drive. Shasta Miller, 32, of Timpson driving a grey 2003 Volkswagen Beetle behind Mikesh failed to control speed colliding with the rear of the Ford, causing damage to both vehicles.
ACE EMS transported Miller and her passengers including a 7-year-old female and 5-year-old male to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for treatment of minor injuries.
No injuries were reported of Mikesh. Miller was issued a citation for fail to control speed.
The TVFD handled traffic control at the scene until it was clear and they were assisted by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, Constable Precinct 1 Zach Warr and Timpson Police Chief Kent Graham.
DPS Trooper Buster was assisted at the scene by DPS Trooper Keith Jones.
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