Shelby County Today

March 14, 2016 - A Shelby County viewer reported receiving a call from the IRS this morning from (907) 306-7138 and was instructed to pay taxes or be penalized or arrested. Always use caution when receiving phone calls were the caller is threatening and demanding payment of money owed.

According to a consumer alert on irs.gov - Note that the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

Sheriff Willis Blackwell would like the citizens of Shelby County to be aware of several scams going around including an IRS scam.

The people are from the Middle East and they call stating you owe the IRS some money and wanting you to send it to them by credit card or bank card and saying if you don't, you will be arrested.

The IRS does not operate this way at all. Do not send them anything. These people are very persistent. If they call, just hang up.

March 13, 2016 - Due to weather conditions, traffic along certain areas of the Sabine River is highly discouraged. According to Nathan Skeen, Texas Game Warden, local authorities highly discourage boat traffic between U.S. Highway 84 boat ramp and Swede Johnson Boat Ramp/Lovick's Landing. Hazardous wake and wash could occur and boaters can be held liable, both criminally and civilly for damages

Patrols have been increased in this area by game wardens and Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies to ensure the safety of those in the area in efforts to prevent loss of life.

March 16, 2016 (Update) - The Boil Water notice for the Sand Hills Water Supply customers that were out of water on March 12, 2016 has been lifted.

March 12, 2016 - Due to a water line break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required our water System, Sand Hills Water Supply, to notify customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption. This notice is only for the customers that were out of water on March 11th and March 12th, 2016.

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and boiled for 2 minutes.

In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. When it is no longer necessary to boil water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice.

If you have any questions you may call Derek at 936-332-7683

March 11, 2016 (Toledo Bend Reservoir) - Spillway releases from the Toledo Bend Reservoir are being reduced as lake levels lower in the aftermath of the major rain event which dropped 18 inches of water directly over Toledo Bend. Toledo Bend Reservoir, operated by the Sabine River Authority of Texas and the Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana reached a record level high of 174.36 feet mean sea level (msl) at 6:00 a.m. on March 10, 2016 due to the rainfall event. The current gauge reading at 4:00 p.m. Friday afternoon is 173.69 feet msl.

Releases through the spillway gates, which protect the integrity of the dam, follow the Guide for Spillway Gate Operation specifically designed for operation of the Toledo Bend Reservoir. Currently 9 gates are open to 20 feet and one generator is running 24 hours per day for a total release of 189,764 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Toledo Bend Reservoir is not a flood control reservoir and reaches full pool at 172.0 feet msl. There is no truth to the rumors that the Toledo Bend dam could break due to the water releases. The integrity of the dam is intact and is operating as designed.

Although rainfall from the major rain event has decreased, impacts from the event will include downstream flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting a record flood event for Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. Their latest forecast shows gauge heights to go over flood stage in Burkeville, Bon Weir, Deweyville and Orange.

The Burkeville gauge reached a peak flood stage of 53.82 feet at 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon which is over 6 feet above the flood stage recorded in 1989. The gauge at Bon Wier is forecasted to peak at 39.9 feet on Saturday, March 12th which is 2 feet above the flood stage recorded in 1989. NWS forecasts show a slow decrease for both gauges through next week.

The Ruliff (Deweyville) gauge is forecasted to peak at a new record of 34.4 feet Tuesday, March 15th which will be 5.2 feet above the flood level recorded in 1989. The water surface is forecasted to reach moderate flood stage (26 feet) on Saturday afternoon and major flood stage (28 feet) on Sunday morning climbing to the record peak by Tuesday. The Orange gauge is forecasted to rise above the flood stage of 4 feet on Monday, March 14th and climb to a peak of 6.7 feet by Wednesday, March 15th. This forecast is 9 inches above the flood level recorded in 1989. The Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA-TX) and the Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana (SRA-LA) want to emphasize the importance of keeping informed and staying safe during this flooding event. Although SRA-TX and SRA-LA are coordinating with local Emergency Management Departments throughout the Lower Sabine River Basin, County and Parish officials handle any evacuation orders. Please contact your local county and parish offices for more information.