Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 1, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 1, 2006 Page: 1 of 30
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olume 124 Number 1
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ENTERPRISE
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County I
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Filing ends Monday
LIVINGSTON - The deadline
for filing for candidacy in the
March 7 primary elections is Mon-
day.
Although Monday is a county
holiday, there will be someone in
the County Clerk’s Office ail day
Monday, until the 6 p.m. filing
deadline, to serve last-day filers,
according to County Clerk Barbara
Middleton, who asked that candi-
dates use the west entrance of the
county courthouse.
In the March 7 primaries, voters
will be choosing nominees for a
variety of local, district and state-
wide positions.
Local races on the ballot will in-
clude criminal district attorney,
currently filled by John Holleman;
county judge, currently filled by
John P. Thompson; district clerk,
currently filled by Kathy Clifton;
county clerk, currently filled by
Barbara Middleton; county treas-
urer, currently filled by Nola Re-
neau; county commissioners for
Precincts 2 and 4, currently filled
by Ronnie Vincent and Tommy
Overstreet respectively; and all four
justices of the peace, currently
filled by Darrell Longino, David
Johnson, Larry Whitworth and
Steve McEntyre.
Races on the district level will
include state senator for District 3,
presently filled by Todd Staples;
state representative for District 18,
presently filled by John Otto; two
justices on the Ninth Court of Ap-
peals, presently filled by David
Gaultney and Henry Hollis Horton
III; and judge of the 258th Judicial
District, presently filled by Eliza-
beth E. Coker.
On the ballot statewide will be
the positions of United States sena-
tor, presently filled by Kay Bailey
Hutchison; United States represen-
tative, presently filled by Kevin
Brady; governor, presently filled by
Rick Perry; lieutenant governor,
presently filled by David Dewhurst;
attorney general, presently filled by
Greg Abbott; comptroller of public
accounts, presently filled by Carole
Keeton Strayhom; commissioner of
general land office, presently filled
by Jerry Patterson; commissioner
of agriculture, presently filled by
Susan Combs; one position on the
Texas Railroad Commission, pres-
ently filled by Elizabeth A. Jones;
chief justice of the Supreme Court,
presently filled by Wallace Jeffer-
son; three six-year terms on the
Supreme Court, Places 4 and 6,
presently filled by David Medina
and Nathan Hecht respectively, and
Place 2, presently open; one unex-
pired two-year term on the Su-
preme Court, Place 8, presently
filled by Phil Johnson; the presid-
ing judge of the Court of Criminal
Appeals, presently filled by Sharon
See FILING pg. 3A
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ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY GORDON LEBARRON
ky Holbrook, regional fire coordinator for the Texas Forest
fire danger sign to his pickup truck. The Polk County
Groundwater board
to meet Thursday
LIVINGSTON - The Board of
Directors of the Lower Trinity
Groundwater Conservation Dis-
trict will meet at 10 a.m. Thurs-
day in the commissioners’ court-
room on the third floor of the
Polk County Courthouse.
An agenda for Thursday’s
regular meeting was unavailable
at press time.
BURN BAN IN EFFECT - Ricky
Service, is shown attaching a
Commissioners’ Court initiated a countywide bum ban during an emergency called meeting
Thursday. The order enforcing the bum ban may be enforced ty any duly-commissioned peace
officer.
Former constable killed
GROVETON - A former Polk
County constable was killed
Wednesday night in a one-vehicle
accident on FM 355, 4.8 miles
south of Groveton.
Lester Dewayne Tatum, 42, of
Livingston, who was employed by
the Trinity County Sheriffs De-
partment, was driving a 2002
county-owned Ford Interceptor
truck southbound when the vehicle
left the roadway, struck a tree,
caught fire and burned, according
to the Texas Highway Patrol.
Tatum was responding to a report
of a burglary in progress at a resi-
dence, according to Trinity County
Chief Deputy Michael Seale. The
Hurricanes dominated third quarter
(This is the third of a four-part
series reviewing the top local news
.events of2001.).................................
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
LIVINGSTON - When Polk
County Judge John P. Thompson
and Polk County Emergency Man-
agement Coordinator Kenneth
Hambrick acknowledged Hurricane
Awareness Week in mid-May -
and even when hurricane season
officially began June 1 - no one
had any idea just how much ‘hurri-
cane season’ would affect Polk
County.
Hurricanes, a fugitive from jus-
tice and the City of Livingston’s
legwork as a ‘Main Street City’
dominated the third quarter of 2005
in Polk County.
July
Polk County celebrated Inde-
pendence Day in style with a Red,
White and Blue Parade in down-
town Livingston and a Kids Fun
Fest, followed by the annual coun-
tywide “Proud to be an American
Rally” which included a patriotic
musical performed by the Commu-
nity Choir and Livingston Area
Community Band and a fireworks
display over Lake Livingston.
Local bank president John Slo-
comb agreed to purchase 150 new
American flags to be displayed on
the streets of Livingston. The City
of Livingston agreed to put up, take
down and store the flags.
During a memorial flag program
ceremony, a plaque installed on the
wall of the Livingston City Hall
was unveiled in memory of Pfc.
Stuart W. Moore, who was killed
Dec. 22, 2003 while serving in the
military in Baghdad.
The Scenic Loop Volunteer Fire
Department responded to 23 calls
during the long July 4th weekend.
Faced with overcrowding, the
Polk County Animal Shelter got
some help from a team from the
Houston Humane Society when the
society agreed to take all of the
shelter animals to their 14-acre
facility in Houston, where they
would be checked and evaluated by
a team of veterinarians, given nec-
essary shots and medical treatment
and then be put up for adoption.
The team transported over 200
animals from the Polk County site.
In a rather surprise move. Memo-
rial Medical Center-Livingston
Administrator Jay Dickson was
terminated from his position on
July 13 by the Board of Directors
of Memorial Health Systems of
East Texas. Dickson learned of the
termination while on a family vaca-
tion fly-fishing in Wisconsin.
Attorney General Greg Abbott
announced that court-appointed
trustees would assume operations
of Crestview Villa in Corrigan, one
of 13 Texas nursing homes that
were controlled by corporations
headed by parent company Fore-
most Care Inc. A federally-
appointed bankruptcy trustee de-
termined in June that the nursing
home did not have sufficient funds
to pay staff that was entrusted with
the care of residents or suppliers of
goods and services critical to main-
taining the facilities.
In staff changes at the City of
Livingston, City Attorney Connie
Slocomb stepped down from the
position to take a position with a
private firm. Gaffney Phillips, who
served as city attorney from 1996-
2003, was hired to be the assistant
city manager, a newly-created posi-
tion, and also to serve as city attor-
ney. *
Just hired in May, Big Sandy
ISD Superintendent Travis W. Ed-
wards resigned, citing “personal
reasons.” Former Principal Kenneth
Graham was hired to serve as su-
perintendent of the school district.
Jo Ann Battise and Cheryl
Downing were sworn in after being
elected to the Alabama-Coushatta
Tribal Council.
International Paper announced
restructuring plans that included the
potential sale or spin-off of its
Wood Products division, which
included the mills at Camden and
Corrigan.
Investigation also continued into
the June 28 drowning, death of 2-
year-old Jake Wayne Boone at his
residence on Second Street.
Investigation continued into a
fire that destroyed a residence in
Lake Livingston Village the morn-
ing of July 18. The first units ar-
rived on the scene and found a mo-
bile home ablaze and the home-
owner standing outside, threatening
to do bodily harm to himself with a
sword.
The 45th annual Polk County
Youth Rodeo was held July 20-23.
Youngsters from throughout Texas
competed, with the states of Lou-
isiana, Oklahoma and Iowa also
represented.
Local nolice filed a charge of
burglary of a building and issued a
warrant for 37-year-old Ray
Charles Colquitt of Livingston after
the First State Bank was broken
into July 27. Colquitt was arrested
at his home on July 29.
MannaFest added another service
to its multi-faceted operation, with
the addition of a lending library in
which clients were able to check
out Christian books.
GODTEL celebrated the 30lh an-
niversary of its founding.
Polk County Judge John P.
Thompson was elected to the posi-
tion of president-elect of the Na-
tional Association of Regional
Councils during the association's
39th annual conference and exhibi-
See POLK pg. 6A
caller stated that weapons were
involved and that a female victim
was alone with two young children
in the residence.
Tatum was pronounced dead at
the scene by Trinity County Pre-
cinct 1 Justice of the Peace Randy
Barrett. His body was taken to the
Jefferson County Medical Exam-
iner’s Office in Beaumont for au-
topsy.
The cause of the accident, which
occurred at 6:55 p.m., is still under
investigation.
Tatum served as Precinct 1 con-
stable in Polk County from 2001 -
2004.
“This is a solemn reminder of the
danger that our deputies and police
'fiTficCtSTiavSTo f&ctreachdyy that-
they put on the uniform and go to
work,” Seale said. “Mr. Tatum was
the K-9 deputy of Trinity County
and he strived each and every day
to make this county a better place
for us all to live. He will be greatly
missed and leaves behind a wife
and two children.”
A benefit fund account is being
established for the deputy’s family
at Groveton First Bank in Groveton
and First National Bank in Trinity.
Donations may be deposited in the
name of Lester D. Tatum.
Funeral services will be held at I
p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1, in the Cochran
Funeral Home Chapel.
Body found
LIVINGSTON - A hit and run
accident that occurred early Friday
and left one dead is under investi-
gation by the Livingston Police
Department.
“We got a call of a body on the
side of the road,” Detective Ken
Bohnert said, adding that the call
was received at approximately 8:15
a.m.
The body was discovered on the
U.S. 59 Bypass southbound feeder
about halfway between Pedigo Park
and Wal-Mart, Bohnert said.
Although the victim has not been
identified, Bohnert said it appears
to be a white teenaged boy.
Debris found at the scene has en-
abled investigators to identify the
make of the vehicle.
Online
survey
promoted
LIVINGSTON What additional
businesses does Polk County need?
Where do most people shop in
town? What kinds of recreation are
needed in the community? What
types of goods and services do
people seek elsewhere?
These are questions being asked
in the Polk County Enterprise’s
online business survey, which can
be found at the Enterprise’s web
site at www.easttexasnews.com.
Click on the link for the Polk
County Enterprise’s home page and
then click on: “Online Business
Survey.”
The survey is quick and easy,
and can be completed in a few
minutes. After answering four basic
questions, participants cari also give
their comments on ways the local
business community can be
improved.
For authentication purposes,
survey participants must include
their name, address, phone number
and e-mail address. Some of the
comments from the survey may be
chosen for publication.
Results from the survey will be
published in the upcoming 2006
Business Review, which will be on
newsstands Jan. 29.
nM
_____ POLK COUNTY Ft BUSHING COMPANY PHOTO
DEPUTY KILLED - A Trinity County sheriffs deputy and former Polk County constable was
killed Wednesday night wheji this patrol vehicle he was driving struck a tree and caught fire
off FM 355 west of Groveton. Lester Tatum, who was responding to a report of a burglary in
progress at the time of the Occident, was pronounced dead at the scene. Funeral services are
pending at Cochran Funeral Home in Livingston.
Candidate
announcement
deadline Jan. 9
LIVINGSTON - The Polk
County Enterprise will publish
political announcements from
those who have filed as candi-
dates in the March 7 Republican
and Democratic primary elec-
tions.
Announcements must be re-
ceived in the Polk County Enter-
prise office no later than 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9.
Announcements may be pre-
pared by the candidate in ad-
vance and submitted to the
newspaper or a candidate may
contact the Enterprise for an in-
terview.
These one-time political an-
nouncements are considered
news stories. There is no charge
and the announcements are sub-
ject to editing.
We prefer to run a picture of
the candidate with the an-
nouncement. For editorial pur-
poses, we will picture only the
candidate, although pictures that
include the candidate’s family
may be used in paid political
advertisements.
Those who already have a suit-
able photograph may submit it >
for publication with their an-
nouncement. For those who do
not have a photo, the Enterprise
staff will be available to take
photos of candidates for use in
announcements and advertise-
ments that are to run in any Polk
County Publishing Co. publica-
tion.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 1, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 1, 2006, newspaper, January 1, 2006; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787922/m1/1/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.