Government-Henderson County Now

Daily Brief: Jan. 15

I’m still hoping to get some more information on The Ned Show coming to Bel Air this Friday … but here’s the poster while I’m waiting on a call back.

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The Malakoff community is still in pain today following the deaths of 16-year-old MHS sophomore Jamiya Givens Williams and her 11-month-old daughter, Alahna, in a car wreck Sunday.

According to a story by Jayson Larson in the Athens Review:

According to Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Kyle Bradford, a public information officer stationed in Garland, Williams and her daughter were in the backseat of a Chevrolet Cavalier headed east on Hwy. 175 when the accident happened. Reports state the Cavalier, driven by Williams’ mother, Cheryl Givens, 40, had a tire blow out as the car traveled down the road.

Givens slowed to around 10 to 15 miles per hour on the highway preparing to exit off a nearby ramp. Before she reached the ramp, the Cavalier was hit from behind by a Ford F-150 truck.

Services are pending.

A fund has been set up through FBC Malakoff to help the Givens family with funeral related expenses for Jamiya and Alahna, such as the Caskets and funeral directors. The cost of a funeral is normally in the thousands, meaning that some families will need as much help as they can get to fund a funeral service. As their family will want to give Jamiya and Alahna a great funeral, they have allowed a fund to be opened to help them cover the costs. If you’d like to donate, checks can be made payable to FBC Malakoff and designated for “Jamiya Givens Williams.” As they seem to be struggling with the cost of the funeral, it might suggest that Jamiya wasn’t paying for life insurance. Many people seem to disregard life insurance until they’re older as they feel that nothing will happen to them in their younger years. However, life can be unpredictable and events like this can occur. By paying life insurance, families can receive money for the funeral. For those who want to know more about the benefits of life insurance, it might be worth visiting PolicyMe.com or another website similar. That should help people learn more about the insurance option.

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Betty Waters at the Tyler Paper had a cool feature story about Henderson County Tax Collector Milburn Chaney’s sports autograph collection.

It is a fun read. rch

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The Texas House and Senate both filed budget bills yesterday, sparking instant debate.

This debate is also important to us, but this session Henderson County is a little closer to the middle of things. State Rep. Jim Pitts, who now represents a portion of Cedar Creek Lake, is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

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LOOKING FOR A DEAL: Store closing sale … the following is from Jessica Crye of My Favorite Things:

Big sale in Malakoff (one block south of light in the right 202 S Terry St) Store closing!!!!
Kitchen items/tables/chairs, dishes, glassware, china, Christmas, kid items, home decor, furniture, outdoor items, construction materials, commercial kitchen equipment
TOO much to list, 5000 sq ft!!!!
Wed-Fri 9-2 Sat 9-4
Mon-Fri 9-2. Sat 9-4
Will meet evenings if interested in bulk buying
903-340-4921

Eustace City Council fires police chief

EUSTACE — The Eustace City Council terminated Police Chief Troy Tucker Monday night on a 3-2 vote following extended deliberations in open session before a standing-room-only audience.

The discussion was held in open session at Tucker’s request.

Chuck Powers, Marlin Chambers and Robert Pickle voted in favor of the termination. Chris Wood and H.A. Graves voted no.

Mayor Elicia Sanders did not vote, but told council members she was in favor of termination.

The action came based on three separate incidents which occurred between late November and early January. The incidents — which were not clearly described during the meeting — included situations both in the field and in the office.

One thing that was clear was that the council agonized over the decision. Multiple times, council members talked about struggling with the issue.

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” said Chambers.

Wood said, “I am absolutely torn in two.”

Sitting on the front row with his attorney, Tucker admitted to making mistake and said he “could have had better judgement.” But he also pointed to all the progress made by the department in the 16 months he’d been chief.

Many in the audience — and council members — agreed with Tucker, saying he had a significant impact on the drug problem in the city.

But some officials, including the mayor, said they felt irreparable damage had been done to the department, and said they believed if Tucker stayed the department’s other two officers would leave.

“What’s the effect on the department with all of this?” Powers asked. “There’s going to be fallout either way.”

Eustace officers Brian Hetzer and M. Trahern attended the meeting, standing in the back, but did not speak and declined to answer questions.

In the end, the three council members who voted to terminate Tucker seemed to believe there was too much damage to the work atmosphere in the police department, and the city would be too susceptible to a possible lawsuit, to bring him back.

Powers said if the council kept Tucker and another incident occurred, the city could be “down and out, and it’s not Beverly Hills, it’s Eustace, Texas.”

The council did not name an interim police chief at the meeting.

Daily Brief: Jan. 14

Ornament and money found at the door to the Henderson County Courthouse this morning. (MICHAEL V. HANNIGAN PHOTO)

Folks arriving for work at the Henderson County Courthouse this morning made an interesting discovery. Sitting by the door were two $1 bills and a beautiful “Noel” Christmas ornament.

Nobody knows who left the gift or why, but considering the controversy the past two Christmases, it seems at least possible that it is connected to the nativity scene.

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Our hearts are heavy today and our prayers are with the staff and students at Malakoff High School. One of the students at the school was killed in a car accident near Crandall last night.

Jamiya (Givens) Williams and her infant daughter, Alahna, were both killed in the accident.

Officials at Malakoff High School reported that grief counselors were on hand today for those students who needed them.

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It was cold this morning and it looks like it is going to stay that way through the first part of the week.

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Average retail gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 0.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.16/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 13,114 gas outlets in Texas. This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.26/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Texas during the past week, prices yesterday were 4.4 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 12.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has decreased 1.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 8.7 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

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The City of Eustace will be holding a called meeting tonight to discuss the firing of Police Chief Troy Tucker. The meeting will be 7 p.m. in the Eustace Municipal Court.

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The City of Athens will also be holding a meeting tonight, 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The agenda looks to be fairly routine.

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Loretta Humble’s “Around the Town” Facebook page has a cool photo spread about recent improvements to the historic Bartlett House.

In the photo, Cheryl Kietscheraski points out some of the work she’s done with the help of her brother, Dennis Haws, and bricklayer Billy Gray.

Sen. Robert Nichols: ‘My five cents’

Happy New Year! I hope you all had your black-eyed peas and cabbage for luck on Jan. 1 as I did. As I write to you from Austin, the 83rd Legislative Session has just begun and will soon move into full swing. Set to last 140 days during odd-numbered years, the session is the time the Texas Legislature has to pass a two-year budget and any new laws. As a way to help you keep up with important issues during this time, I am writing a column I call “My five cents,” things you might find interesting that are happening at your Texas Capitol each week.

Swearing In

On Jan. 8, I was sworn in for my third term as your state senator. While senators normally serve four-year terms, our House counterparts serve two. Part of the oath of office calls for elected officials to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. This is an excellent reminder as we begin a new session to never stray from the guiding principles in the Constitution and I take this pledge to you very seriously.

Legislation

Though the session began this week, we were able to pre-file bills beginning in November. So far, I have filed legislation to limit the growth of property taxes and to prohibit the use of eminent domain for recreational purposes. I have also signed on as co-author to a bill to significantly reform the state’s welfare system. These bills represent some of the priorities brought to me by the citizens of Senate District 3.

The first bill, Senate Bill 95, is to slow rapidly rising taxable values on Texas homes. The second bill, Senate Bill 96, would prohibit state or local governments from taking private land for recreational purposes. I co-authored the final bill, Senate Bill 11, with Senator Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) to require drug testing for welfare benefits and to restrict the items recipients can purchase with taxpayer-paid benefits. The bill also establishes a 3-year lifetime limit on benefits.

New Counties in Senate District 3

Following redistricting last session, I am pleased to welcome Houston, Liberty, Orange and Trinity Counties to our district. Their addition brings Senate District 3 to a total of 19 counties. This includes 102 school districts, 132 cities and designated areas and 16,198 square miles. That’s larger than 60 foreign countries. Because the 31 State Senate districts of Texas are apportioned by population, there are about the same number of people in each district, but the districts may be very different physical sizes. For example, some more urban districts in Houston and Dallas may be only a few square miles in size, but have the same number of residents as we do in 19 counties! Texas is a broad, diverse state.

Final Sunset Commission Meeting

This week the Sunset Advisory Commission held its final meeting to make recommendations for reforming state agencies. One of our charges involved making policy recommendations regarding the rapidly escalating water and sewer rates for Texans living in rural and unincorporated areas of the state who are supplied by a privately owned utility.

As vice chair of the commission, I advocated to move the rate jurisdiction of water and waste water from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Our workgroup reached this conclusion because the PUC’s structure and expertise are focused on fair and efficient rate-related regulation, whereas TCEQ’s mission is to protect the environment and is not structured to regulate ratemaking.

The Sunset Commission agreed to this transfer of rate jurisdiction to the PUC; the next step is for the change to be put in bill form and sent to the legislature for approval.

DETCOG Reception

On the night before the session began, many residents of Senate District 3 made the trip to Austin to attend the Deep East Texas Council of Governments reception. It was an amazing show of involvement from the people of East Texas who are making their voice heard at the Capitol. I look forward to working with members of the delegation and would encourage more constituents to become involved.

Seeing your faces is an unmistakable reminder of exactly who I represent in the Texas Senate and to whom I am accountable. Of course not everyone can make a visit to the Capitol every session, which is why I want to update you on what is happening each week. As always, feel free to contact your Senate office if my staff or I can assist you.

Pitts looking to end 15-percent Rule

State Rep. Jim Pitts has filed legislation that would end the so-called 15-percent Rule, which would require that 15 percent of a student’s final grade come from their State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) end-of-course exams.

The STAAR replaced the TAKS two years ago. According to the Texas Education Agency: “The STAAR program at grades 3–8 will assess the same subjects and grades that are currently assessed on TAKS. At high school, however, grade-specific assessments will be replaced with 12 end-of-course assessments: Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and U.S. history.”

Continuing uncertainty about the STAAR test, however, has caused the 15-percent rule to be deferred the past two years.

Now Pitts would like to just end the rule permanently. In December, State Rep. Lance Gooden announced that he was going to file legislation that would do the same thing.

Area superintendents have reservations about the STAAR.

In December, Athens ISD Superintendent Blake Stiles said, “The plan for implementation of the end-of-course tests has been very disorganized. Schools did not know what the passing standards would be and there was very little directions from the state as to how we should apply the 15 percent rule to the courses (by semester, by year, retakes, GPA, etc.). The rules and procedures for the end-of-course tests and the 15 percent rule should be crystal clear before we hold our students accountable for their performance on the exams.”