Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 37, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 8, 2011 Page: 2 of 20
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PAGE 2A • POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE • SUNDAY, MAY 8,2011
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY AUSTIN GODDARD
Livingston firefighters work to cool down the remnants of a home on Loop 116 near
Leggett that was destroyed by fire April 29. The occupants lost all their possessions but
are thankful that a passer-by woke up the one resident who was home at the time the
fire broke out._
FIRES
From Page 1A
if you can help in any way.
Neither family had insurance
to help recover from the fire.
The home on Hwy. 146
South owned by Brandy
Vickery where a fire started at
about 6 p.m. Tuesday suffered
extensive damage, according
to Fire Chief Corky Cochran.
“We were able to stop the fire
basically in the rooms where it
originated,” Cochran said.
With no rain in the forecast,
emergency officials are urging
residents to avoid any type
of outdoor burning, even in
screened barrels.
Polk County Judge John Thompson proclaimed May to be Elder Abuse Prevention
Month at a signing ceremony attended by workers with Adult Protective Services.
The proclamation cites alarming statistics from Texas APS. Caseworkers com-
pleted 82,802 investigations in Texas in 2010 confirming 56,053 cases of abuse,
neglect or exploitation of elderly or disabled Texans.
TDCJ
From Page 1A
to place a shot and I fired
four times,” Griffis said at
Thursday’s ceremony.
Hearren fired a shot at anoth-
er inmate who had his hands
on the top strand of razor wire
above the exterior perimeter
fence.
“When I arrived 1 saw four
or five (inmates) on the fence
that had already been shot from
the tower. I saw one more that
was just about to escape. When
1 shot him he stopped moving
and then the cavalry came,”
Hearren said.
The entire incident took
place in about 30 second, but
Hearren said the incident felt
like it was happening in slow
motion.
“I kept thinking ‘Is this real-
ly what’s going on?’,” Hearren
told fellow employees at the
ceremony. “Action movies just
don’t do it for me any more.
I’ve got to rent comedies.”
Hearren added that the 2010
incident is the first time he’s
ever had to fire his weapon
while on duty.
“Hopefully, it’s the last.
Maybe that gave them fair
warning that we mean busi-
ness,” Hearren said.
Griffis and Hearren each re-
ceived a check for $500 and
two airline tickets to the desti-
nation of their choosing in the
United States.
Both men said the honor
came as a total surprise.
This is the ninth year
Polunsky has presented
Employee of the Year Awards.
On this occasion, the two offi-
cers also received special Texas
Ranger coins from Polunsky,
who now serves on the Texas
Public Safety Commission
which oversees DPS.
Both Polunsky and Warden
Tim Simmons had high praise
for the two correctional of-
ficers. Griffis has been with
TDCJ since November 1993.
Hearren joined the security
force in April 2002.
“Through their quick deci-
sive actions, they were able
to take control of a potentially
catastrophic situation, thus ful-
filling the core mission of the
Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, which is to provide
public safety,” Polunsky said.
Warden Simmons arrived at
the fence line near the rear of
the unit just after the shots had
been fired.
“1 saw the offenders on the
ground and I was checking the
area for any signs that anyone
had got out,” Simmons said. “1
interviewed the offenders and
tried to make a quick determi-
nation whether everything I
was seeing in front of me was
all I was going to be dealing
with.”
May 13th ■ 7:30 p.m. • May 14th ■ 9:30 a.m.
Pentecostal Preaching'- Anoi„te j Si„ging?;
Adonna Otwell
Guest Speaker
Nursery Provided
Refreshments served Friday after service ’ Country Breakfast Saturday Morning
Hosted By:
Beech Creek Assembly of God
Pastors: Don & Lori Goodwin
5250 US Hwy 190 E • Livingston, TX 77351
Phone: 936-327-3441 • Fax: 936-327-9344
beechcreekag@beechcreekag.com
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Reddell, Valerie. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 37, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 8, 2011, newspaper, May 8, 2011; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth656352/m1/2/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.