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Halbert named MDT Member of the Year

Investigator Jessica Halbert, second from left, was named the Multi-disciplinary Team Member of the Year last month. (COURTESY PHOTO)

HELP Center press release

The Child Advocacy Center awarded the Multi-disciplinary Team Member of the Year Award to Investigator Jessica Halbert with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. The award was presented on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the HELP Center during a Multi-disciplinary team meeting.

The Henderson County Multi-disciplinary team is a collaborative group of all law enforcement agencies, victim service groups, Child Protective Services, County and District Attorney, medical staff and other organizations that meet monthly. This group meets to discuss and improve the investigation and prosecution of crimes against children of Henderson County, and to ensure that the victims of these crimes are offered the services they need.

The Team Member Award is voted on by the Multi-disciplinary team members throughout the year. Recipients have shown an aggressive stance in responses and actions taken with child abuse cases. Quarterly awards that were presented during the year for 2012: Investigator Jessica Halbert, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; Sue Hinson, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner; Laura Holder, County Attorney’s Office; Lynett Anderson, East Texas Medical Center, SANE.

From this group Jessica Halbert was selected by the Multi-disciplinary team as being the team member of the year for 2012.

Investigator Halbert worked over 100 cases in 2012.

The Child Advocacy Center facilitates the Multi-disciplinary Team that involve multiple agencies throughout the county. The Child Advocacy Center is a program of the Henderson County HELP Center.

For more information call the HELP Center 903-675-4357 or visit our website www.thehelpcenter.org.

Obituary: Edith Owens Mayfield

Services for Edith Owens Mayfield, 94, Brownsboro are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Barton’s Chapel Assembly of God Church with Rev. Terry Thomison, Rev. Sherman Mayfield and Rev. Jon Parker officiating.

Burial will follow in Oaklawn Memorial Park under the direction of Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home.

Mrs. Mayfield died March 28, 2013 in Chandler.

She was born Aug. 26, 1918 in the Barton’s Chapel Community to the late Cicero Witt and Lillian Eliza Cantrell Corley. She was a graduate of Brownsboro High School and a member of Barton’s Chapel Assembly of God Church. Edith formerly was a devoted volunteer at the Department of Human Services in Tyler.

In addition to her parents, Edith was preceded in death by first husband Vernon Owens; late husband Herman Mayfield; daughter Karen Owens Duensburger; son Billy Clyde Owens; sons-in-law Bobby Masters, Dudly Newbill’ brothers Warren Corley, Drayton “Buck” Corley; and sisters Elvie Carroll and Mary Lovy.

Survivors include daughters Ann Newbill, Jan Masters, Tami Mason and husband John, all of Murchison; son Mickey Owens and wife Brenda, Brookland; stepson Sherman Mayfield, Whitehouse; 14 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, numerous nephews and nieces.

Pallbearers will be Chance Collins, Justin Mason, Collin Mason, Landon Mason, Aaron Arthur, John Mason and Ben Owens.

Visitation for family and friends will be 6-8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

You may leave a message of condolence or light a memorial candle for the family at www.carroll-lehr.com.

Athens man sentenced to 35 years for multiple thefts

District Attorney’s Office press release

On Monday, March 18, Dale Forbus Reynolds, 38, of Athens was sentenced to 35 years in the Texas Penitentiary after admitting his guilt to multiple thefts in the Lake Athens and Baxter areas as well as a possession of a controlled substance offense that occurred on Sept. 14, 2012 and an evading arrest charge from Oct. 19, 2011. District Attorney Scott McKee prosecuted the case in Judge Mark Calhoon’s 3rd District Court.

Reynolds committed numerous thefts just outside Athens in November and December of last year. The cases were investigated by Investigator Michael Shelley of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office after numerous victims reported items stolen from their properties. During his investigation of the thefts, Shelley received information that Reynolds was a potential suspect. Reynolds was eventually arrested on other outstanding warrants. Sheriff’s investigators recovered about $10,000 in property as a result of the investigation. Among the items recovered were hand tools, power tools, trailers, an ATV and various firearms.

Investigator Nick Webb along with Shelley interviewed Reynolds after his arrest and eventually confessed to at least part of the thefts.

Reynolds possession charge stemmed from a traffic stop of his vehicle by Captain Bryan Tower of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. During the traffic stop, Tower discovered that Reynolds had an active warrant for illegal dumping. After being searched incident to his arrest, deputies discovered methamphetamine in his pants pocket. Reynolds was subsequently indicted for possession of a controlled substance less than one gram.

McKee credited the work of Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt and his team for solving these burglaries.

“Although much of the property stolen was recovered and returned to the victims, their sense of security cannot be returned,” said McKee. “I’m glad he is behind bars and out of our neighborhoods.”

Cardette group honored for dance skills, academic excellence

The Cardette Showgirls were recently recognized both for their dance skills and for excellence in academics at a recent competition in Denton. Pictured are (front) Cree Harrell, (second row, from left) Brittany Isenhower, Jaimee Bowles, Bria Molock, (back row)Aly Peterson, Megan Perry and Victoria Corley. (PHOTO COURTESY TVCC)

By Jennifer Hannigan/TVCC Public Information

The Cardette Showgirls were recognized both for their dance skills and for their academic excellence at a recent competition in Denton.

The Showgirls are a group of elite Cardettes who perform at special events separate from the main Cardette dance team. The group of seven dancers competes against other schools each spring at the American Dance Drill Team School National Competition.

This year, the group took third runner up in the dance portion of the competition. For that part, said director Darla Mansfield, the group competes in Division III with other schools of similar size.

The Cardette Showgirls chose a routine this year comprised of several songs, all of which carried a theme about candy.

For the second part of the competition, the ladies are rated based on their GPA. The TVCC group’s cumulative 3.41 GPA was the highest in the group.
That GPA earned the Cardettes the distinction of being named the competition’s National Collegiate Academic Champion. This is the second year in a row the TVCC dance team has earned that title.

“Not only are these girls talented dancers, but they are also able to maintain a high collegiate GPA while being involved in so many events as Cardettes and Showgirls,” said Mansfield.

“To carry this title two years in a row is such an honor for the team and a testimony that these girls know when to be serious and know when to have fun. Saying that I am proud of them doesn’t express the half of it.”

The group also took the title of academic champions for Division III.

Athens Ribbon Cutting: Williams Pest Control

The Athens Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting today for Sunnystate Pest Control Brisbane. Their services have been of immense value to the local community over the past 25 years.

Williams Pest Control, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this month, is a full-service pest control company with highly-trained personnel to address any of your pest control needs. They have an extremely large service area to accommodate the many communities of Cedar Creek Lake. They’re even looking into using an app, as other pest control businesses are using software to increase their brand awareness.

Owner Larry Williams is a graduate of the Texas A&M Philip J. Hamman Termite Control Training School. As a 1977 Graduate of Mabank High School, growing up in the area has greatly impacted the amount of knowledge he has with the pests that plague the Cedar Creek Lake area.

However, if you fall outside of their catchment area of service then it might be worth taking the time to learn about pest control companies closer to you.

For assistance with your pest problem in Minnesota, you could enlist the help of Adam’s Pest Control, Inc. for a range of pests including weeds, insects, bedbugs, mice and spiders – https://www.adamspestcontrol.com/.