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October 9, 2024 - Governor Greg Abbott today issued a proclamation declaring October 2024 as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month to raise awareness and educate Texans about the dangers of fentanyl to save more lives.
“Fentanyl is a clandestine killer that rips away loved ones forever," said Governor Abbott. "Texas continues to take significant action to combat the growing fentanyl crisis that is plaguing our state and our nation. Last year, I signed a law designating October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in Texas to ensure all Texans, particularly our children, know about the dangers of deadly fentanyl. As part of Texas’ ongoing ‘One Pill Kills’ campaign, we are raising awareness about the deadly consequences of fentanyl and educating Texans on how to prevent, recognize, and reverse fentanyl poisonings to protect a family member, friend, and neighbor. Working together, we can fight back to save countless lives from this deadly threat.”
View the Governor's proclamation here.
Fentanyl is the No. 1 killer of Americans ages 18-45. Fentanyl-related deaths in Texas increased over 600% from 2019 to 2023, taking the lives of more than 7,000 innocent Texans in just 4 years. This crisis affects the lives of everyone, tearing away friends and family members from their loved ones. Knowing how to recognize the signs of fentanyl poisoning and having open conversations about the dangers of fentanyl can help save a life.
WATCH: Texas Is Fighting The Fentanyl Crisis
Last year, Governor Abbott signed four pivotal laws to combat the growing national fentanyl crisis:
House Bill 6 (Goldman/Huffman) creates a criminal offense of murder for supplying fentanyl that results in death, enhances the criminal penalty for the manufacturing or delivery of fentanyl, and requires deaths caused by fentanyl to be designated as fentanyl toxicity or fentanyl poisoning on a death certificate. Current law does not require such classification on a death certificate, with most fentanyl-related deaths currently classified as an overdose.
House Bill 3144 (Lujan/Campbell) establishes October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month to help increase awareness of the dangers of fentanyl.
House Bill 3908 (Wilson/Creighton), also known as Tucker’s Law, requires public schools each year to provide research-based instruction on fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students grades 6 through 12. The bill also requires the Governor to designate a Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week.
Senate Bill 867 (West/Rose) allows the distribution of opioid antagonists, including life-saving NARCAN, to Texas colleges and universities to prevent opioid poisonings.
October 8, 2024 - As the Poultry Festival was nearing its end on Saturday, October 5, 2024, an assault took place within the vicinity of the carnival rides and law enforcement was 
alerted of what happened. Center Police Department officers converged on the square and ended up with several individuals at the intersection of Cora and Shelbyville Streets.
Officers were seen speaking with several individuals there, and with two young men in handcuffs, as well as an apparent victim of a stabbing. Officers located another individual just inside the fence and escorted him out to a patrol unit.
Many people from within the confines of the fenced area were seeking to go home, while others were arriving seeking friends and family members at the event, but it was quickly apparent the area was locked down until the officers could be sure there was no immediate threat to anyone else. More units with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Shelby County Sheriff's Department and Texas Game Wardens then arrived to help surround the fenced area of the event.
According to a press release from the Center Police Department, a physical disturbance occurred around the ferris wheel [at the Poultry Festival], at approximately 8:30pm. Initial 911 calls received by the Center Police Department communications center, stated a large group or people were fighting, and weapons were involved.
Officers responded to the area and observed a large group of individuals actively fighting. While officers were breaking the disturbance up, a large number of people began to flee from officers on foot. Officers quickly pursued the individuals and were able to apprehend the parties involved in the initial disturbance.
The press release continues, During the investigation, officers learned that one person had been stabbed, he was identified as Or' Larryian Moore, 18, from Center. EMS was notified and Moore was transported to the Center Emergency Department for treatment of his wounds.
It was then learned that a firearm was brandished, but never shot. Officers attempted to locate the firearm, and it was learned that a juvenile female involved in the incident took the firearm and handed it to another person who was successful at exiting the festival with it.
During the investigation, a suspect was identified as Jikei Cartwright, 17 years of age from Shelbyville. On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Cartwright was arrested for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, felony 2.
The press release ended by stating, Center Police Department thanks the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Department of Public Safety for their fast response and assistance with the investigation. Center Police Department also thanks the citizens who assisted with crowd control and provided information that aided in the identification of parties involved in the disturbance.
The Center Police Department knows that the actions of others and the criminal offense that took place inconvenienced some festival goers, the response and actions of the Police Department and Festival Committee were made with the safety and well-being of everyone involved in mind. Safety is the highest priority to both the P.D. and Festival Committee.
October 7, 2024 - Sheriff Kevin W. Windham reports the in custody death of Jose Goevava, 24, of Center.
On Saturday, October 5, 2024, Center Police Department transported Goevava to the Shelby County Jail on the charge of Assault Family Violence (M-A). Goevava was placed into a holding cell awaiting booking. During a face to face observation by jail staff, Goevava was found to be unresponsive. Jail staff immediately began life saving measures. Goevava was transported by EMS to the Center Emergency Department where he was pronounced deceased by Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Donna Hughes.
The preliminary autopsy report reveals suicide was the cause of death. No further information will be released. The case has been handed over to the Texas Rangers.
October 7, 2024 - Unfortunately there was a disturbance Saturday night at the Poultry Festival. Weapons were involved with one person injured.
Law Enforcement handled the incident quickly, keeping the Poultry Festival safe and secure.
Thank you to our local law enforcement and to everyone for their cooperation Saturday night. The safety of everyone at the Poultry Festival and all community events is the number one priority.
October 5, 2024 - The 2024 Shelby County Poultry Festival Broiler Show Sale brought in over $161,000. The unofficial results are listed below.
Grand Champion - Cori Lawson, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $10,500 to Farmers State Bank
Reserve Champion - Kenley Ramos, Center FFA, birds sold for $9,500 to Shelby Savings Bank
3rd place - Lizzie Poindexter, Center FFA, birds sold for $5,000 to East Texas Poultry and ACE Hardware of East Texas
4th place - Eli Weir, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $4,000
5th place - Karlee Sowell, Shelbyville FFA, birds sold for $4,000
6th place - Avery Metcalf, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,500 *Correction
7th place - Charlcie Metcalf, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,250
8th place - Chance Shuemaker, Joaquin FFA, birds sold for $4,000
9th place - Addison Boyd, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,500
10th place - Caroline Ramos, Center FFA, birds sold for $4,000
11th place - Hannah Wages, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,500
12th place - Rance Lawson, Joaquin FFA, birds sold for $3,500
13th place - Fallon Sullivan, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $4,500
14th place - Kiptyn Phelps, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,500
15th place - Easton Latham, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,250
16th place - Addison Whiteside, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,250
17th place - Baylin Phelps, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,500
18th place - Sa'Riya Solomon, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,000
19th place - Luke Harbison, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,000
20th place - James Ford, Center FFA, birds sold for $2,750
21st place - Conner Nutt, Center FFA, birds sold for $5,000
22nd place - Jaxson Hankins, Joaquin FFA, birds sold for $3,000
23rd place - Kayson Hendricks, Shelbyville FFA, birds sold for $4,250
24th place - Gracie Boyd, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $3,000
25th place - Addison Lloyd, Shelbyville FFA, birds sold for $4,250
26th place - Laura Anne Scull, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $4,500
27th place - Kaylee Sigler, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,000
28th place - Caesyn Lee, Timpson FFA, birds sold for $3,250
29th place - Katelan Massey, Shelbyville FFA, birds sold for $4,000
30th place - Taegan Dawson, Center FFA, birds sold for $4,500
31st place - Wyomie Meyers, Joaquin FFA, birds sold for $3,500
32nd place - Keaton Sigler, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,000
33rd place - Rain Smith, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,250
34th place - Elijah Poindexter, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,250
35th place - Eli Sanford, Timpson FFA, birds sold for $3,500
36th place - Avery Lawson, Shelbyville FFA, birds sold for $4,000
37th place - Grayson Hightower, Center FFA, birds sold for $3,750
38th place - Evan O'Rear, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $4,250
39th place - Baylee Whiteside, Shelby Co. 4-H, birds sold for $4,250
40th place - Adeline Alford, Joaquin FFA, birds sold for $4,250
October 5, 2024 (Photo Album) - There was a great turnout for the 2024 Chicken Trot 5K with 150 participants overall. In the Chicken Trot, the overall male runner was Fabio Rubeck, an exchange student from Germany, with a time of 20:20.26 and the overall female runner was Anna Hagler of Center with a time of 25:07.51.
Due to technical difficulties with race equipment, run results have been corrected following the awards after they were verified.
Below are the Chicken Trot 5K race corrected results by age division. Click here to view the overall race results.
Overall Male
1st place - Fabio Rubeck
2nd place - Israel Cadmona
3rd place - Jacob Garcia
Overall Female
1st place - Anna Hagler
2nd place - Pam Crawford
3rd place - Wanda Mathews
Male 0 - 11
1st place - Jackson Dromgoole
2nd place - Christian J. Tello
3rd place - Denver Murphy
Female 0 - 11
1st place - Vivienne Lane
2nd place - Kole Steptoe
3rd place - Stella Crawford
Male 12 - 19
1st place - Fabio Rubeck
2nd place - Jordan Parker
3rd place - Alan Valdez
Female 12 - 19
1st place - Anna Hagler
2nd place - Jasiel Chavez
3rd place - Bethany Kilpatrick
Male 20 - 29
1st place - Jacob Garcia
2nd place - Omar Leon
3rd place - Michael Bayley
Female 20 - 29
1st place - Bethany Petty
2nd place - Lorena Gonsalez-Palacios
3rd place - Yadira Reyes
Male 30 - 39
1st place - Allen Woodfin
2nd place - Martin Barcenas
3rd place - Steve Chavez
Female 30 - 39
1st place - Pam Crawford
2nd place - Promise Wall
3rd place - Kasey Golden
Male 40 - 49
1st place - Israel Cadmona
2nd place - Michael Kay
3rd place - Zach Crawford
Female 40 - 49
1st place - Mindy Bragg
2nd place - Kim Wulf
3rd place - Laura Kilpatrick
Male 50 - 59
1st place - Tim Sanders
2nd place - Bill Nieberding
3rd place - Randy Collard
Female 50 - 59
1st place - Wanda Mathews
2nd place - Sabrina Smith
3rd place - Sharon Santifer
Male 60 - 74
1st place - Jim Sawyer
2nd place - Cayetano Beatriz
3rd place - Howell Howard
Female 60 - 74
1st place - Deborah Chadwick
2nd place - Tonya Andrews
3rd place - Debrah Worsham
Male 75+
1st place - Jesse Basham
Female 75+
1st place - Nina Barnett
October 7, 2023 - The East Texas Poultry Festival Broiler Show has held Saturday morning and after the dust settled at the Rodeo arena, Judge Micah Osburn named Cori Lawson’s chickens to be the Grand Champion birds for 2024. This is the third consecutive year for Lawson's birds to be selected!
Reserve Champion was awarded to Kenley Ramos for her set of birds. Congratulations!
The sale will take place this evening under the big tent on the Center square at 7pm.
October 5, 2024 - The Poultry Festival Chicken Fun Run/Chicken Trot is now has reached completion Saturday, October 5, 2024 and the top runners were men’s overall Fabio Rubeck and women’s overall Anna Hagler.
Additional results are pending.
October 5, 2024 - The Poultry Festival Chicken Fun Run/Chicken Trot is now off and running Saturday, October 5, 2024 from Portacool Park. There’s still time to show up and cheer friends and family across the finish line! As of 8:13am.
October 4, 2024 - The photography contest is located at the team of the first Baptist Church.
People’s Choice voting is in process for today, Friday only please be sure to come by and make your selections of the photograph you like the best.
The quilt show and the art and craft show is also located there. Please come by.
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