News

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
Trenton Washington, 27, of Linden, was arrested Aug. 14 and charged with sexual assault of a child, according to Hughes Springs Police Chief Randy Kennedy.
 

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Fleet: “I want other cities to mimic us”

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
No injuries were reported in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Linda Drive and Highways 11/49 on Aug. 15, according to Daingerfield Police Chief Tracey Climer.
“A 2010 International truck driven by Raphael Huffman, 49, of Las Vegas, Nev., was traveling east on Watson Boulevard when a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu driven by a 16-year-old Daingerfield girl failed to yield the right of way,” Chief Climer said.
“Neither driver reported injuries nor did they request emergency medical services. The 16 year old was issued a ticket for failure to yield the right of way.”
The accident was investigated by Daingerfield Officer Debra Hunt.

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
The citizens of Daingerfield will decide whether or not the city of Daingerfield goes wet this year. The issue of beer and wine sales will be decided at the ballot box in the November election. The Daingerfield City Council unanimously approved an ordinance ordering a special election in November on the local option to legalize the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only. This action was taken at the council’s Aug. 12 meeting.  
City Secretary Heide Edmonson said she had received a petition from Texas Petition Strategies that contained at least 185 valid signatures from the registered voters of the city of Daingerfield which meets the requirements of the Texas Election Code 501.031.

The Pittsburg Gazette and The Steel Country Bee welcomed a new staff member recently as Jeremy Weber was named Sports Editor. Mr. Weber has more than 10 years of experience covering sports for community newspapers.
He most recently served as Sports Information Director at Northeast Texas Community College. Mr. Weber previously worked as Sports Editor for the Winnsboro News and the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune.
“I am excited about this opportunity to get to know the area communities. There is no better place to cover sports than East Texas and I am looking forward to a great season,” Mr. Weber said.

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By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
 Record keeping for voter registration will now be a free service through the State, according to information at the Morris County Commissioner’s Aug. 12 meeting. The commissioners voted to terminate the professional service agreement with Southwest Data Solutions effective Dec. 31.
Tax assessor/collector Kim Thomasson will be handling the record keeping of the voter registration.
The commissioners approved a list of election judges submitted by County Clerk Vicki Falls.
“The election judges are appointed in August,” Mrs. Falls said. “We have an amendment election this November and will only open four boxes. We should not have a problem.
In other business, the commissioners approved renewal of automobile liability, collision, and general liability insurance with the Texas Association of Counties.

 The AARP driver safety course for drivers ages 50 and older is being offered in Lone Star on Aug. 24. This one-day, four-hour driver safety course will be conducted 9 a.m. at the Lone Star Baptist Church.
Senior citizens may be missing out on significant savings by failing to take advantage of possible auto insurance discounts. Completion of the course qualifies participants for a three-year discount on automobile insurance offered by many insurance companies.
The course covers topics including safe driving strategies for accident prevention, recent changes in traffic laws, , signs and pavement markings and effects of aging and medication on driving ability. The material also updates information on today’s roads and vehicles.
Cost of the course is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. A current AARP membership card is required to qualify for the lower fee. For more information or to enroll, call 903-645-7116.
 

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
The Hughes Springs Independent School District board of trustees approved the proposed tax rate for the 2013-14 year at its Aug. 12 meeting. The tax rate will be $1.119046 per $100 valuation.
Business Manager Derick Sibley gave a budget presentation on the proposed budget and tax rate. Tax rate proposed is the same as the last four years.
Final approval of the tax rate and adopting the budget will be held at the Aug. 29 meeting.
“The budget has an increase of 4.3 percent, but that may go down,” Mr. Sibley said. The proposed budget is $9.4 million. Last year’s budget was about $9.1 million.”

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
Statistics change daily as reports come in about new West Nile Virus deaths throughout the state and the nation. The rain and hot weather combination makes a good breeding ground for mosquitoes. However, not all of them carry the West Nile Virus.
The cities of Avinger and Lone Star are not spraying this year due to the fact they no longer have a licensed person to do the spraying. Those licensed have to attend school and pass tests regarding the chemicals and spraying. Daingerfield has contracted to have their city sprayed.
However, Hughes Springs City Secretary George Fite said the city is taking action to safeguard their residents.