Court approves ARPA allocations for projects
The Hardin County Commissioners Court approved more than $6.669 million of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funding for an array of projects. The action was taken at their March 28 meeting.
The largest allocation of ARPA funds is $2 million for matching funds for Phase II of a hurricane safe room.
For updates and remodel to county jail, $1.1 million is allocated for HVAC, water conservation and control and $1 million for the courthouse, Courthouse Annex and Floodplain Office.
The court approved the allocation of $960,000 for records management software implementation and support to the district and county courts. Also, $750,000 was allocated to the demolition of the old Hardin County Hospital, including asbestos abatement.
More than $265,790 is allocated for digital scanning of records for preservation and shredding of files for all departments and $244,000 for matching funds for multiple grant projects (drainage studies).
Other allocations are:
• $90,000 to increase storage facility capacity for PPE and other equipment (includes HVAC).
• $75,000 to increase funding for county grant coordinator position.
• $75,000 to advance technology courtroom upgrades for three courtrooms.
• $60,000 to regional broadband infrastructure planning, design and professional services
• $50,000 to Hardin County ESD No. 5 cardiac monitor and Lucas CPR device.
County Judge Wayne McDaniel stated that the county has received the funds from the U.S. Treasury and is in a separate bank account for the county.
He also noted the next step of the projects is to solicit bids and it could be three months of longer before work begins on any of the major projects.
Hardin County man found dead along U.S. 69
The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) reported a man from Hardin County was found dead lying on U.S. 69 on March 23.
According to Sheriff Bryan Weatherford, deputies, along with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, responded to the scene just south of County Road 1065 and discovered the man in the southbound lane next to a truck parked on the northbound shoulder.
The man was identified as Loren Bywaters Clay II, 71, of Village Mills.
The sheriff added that multiple items of evidence were collected at the scene. The body was transported to the Jefferson County Forensic Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Weatherford noted no evidence of criminal activity was found and cause of death was believed to be by a passing vehicle.
Two fatalities reported in separate crashes
Two people were killed on Hardin County roads last week, according to information from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The latest was March 21 on State Highway 105 near Batson.
According to DPS, The preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 7 a.m., a 2008 Ford pickup was traveling east. It is reported that the driver left the road and entered the north ditch, where it overturned multiple times.
The driver, Michael Guillory, 47, of Cypress, was pronounced deceased on scene by a Justice of the Peace.
Another driver was killed when his vehicle collided with a horse on March 20, near mile marker 420 on FM 92, north of Silsbee.
DPS reported the preliminary investigation indicates at approximately 5:05 a.m., a 2007 Chevrolet passenger car was traveling south and struck a horse that entered the road. The vehicle then traveled into the west ditch where it struck a fence.
The driver, David Bryant, 52, of Warren, was pronounced deceased on scene by a Justice of the Peace.
LISD holds ribbon cutting, time capsule ceremony
Lumberton ISD held a ribbon cutting and time capsule ceremony on March 24, with senior culinary student Tin Vo holding the honor of cutting the ribbon on the district’s new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Building.
The CTE time capsule was placed in the building to be open the first school day in 2072.
Student volunteers from both Lumberton Middle and High School guided community groups through the new CTE building, the renovated CTE areas, middle school fine arts facility, and renovated middle school.
False alarm on missing Beaumont woman
The family of a missing Beaumont woman received a false alarm.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reported an alleged sighting of Margaret Kay-Alana Turner, 27, of Beaumont, on March 22 in the Clear Creek Forest Neighborhood in Magnolia. It was later confirmed it was not Turner.
Earlier this week, Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported seeing Turner in the in the area of Holly Creek Trail Subdivision (Harris County) and Decker Prairie Rosehill Road (Montgomery County) at which time she fled on foot after nearly crashing her car.
MCSO reported an alleged sighting of Turner, was March 10 in the 18000 block of Country Hill Drive in Tomball.
March 9, Turner left her Beaumont home and a Ring doorbell video showed her at a friend’s house in Silsbee, law enforcement reported previously.
Her family has reported Turner may be in a state of mental health crisis.
TDCJ van involved in crash
March 27, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice van carrying nine prisoners was involved in a crash with a truck on State Highway 365 in Jefferson County.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the van was transporting prisoners from Navasota to the Stiles Prison Unit in Jefferson County.
DPS reported all nine prisoners and the driver of the van were transported by ambulance to St Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. The Port Arthur Fire Department had to use the Jaws of Life to extract the van’s driver.