Henderson County, Texas

This interview was recorded Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex.

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Henderson County Commissioners Court approved the tax rate and 2022 budget Tuesday morning. Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney discussed the budget and provided a COVID-19 update in this week's County Report.

I. Budget and Tax Rate (:28)

Tuesday, Henderson County Commissioners approved the 2022 budget of $46,723,499. They also approved the a tax rate of .446487 per $100 valuation.

That tax rate is .0156 -- or about a penny and a half -- lower than last year.

"We keep our rate flat and steady to better serve the public," said Judge McKinney.

Commissioners Court did look to add funding to law enforcement during this budget cycle.

"Not only investing in facilities but also investing in the personnel," said Judge McKinney.

The new budget calls for nearly $1.8 million in additional spending at the Sheriff's Office by adding two new investigators, two new deputies, and four jailors as well as increased pay for current employees.

The additional money is to help retain good officers in Henderson County and to make becoming a peace officer more attractive.

The County will also be investing money into the facility, particularly the jail.

"To have quality law enforcement, quality facilities, you have to make these investments," Judge McKinney said.

In addition, Commissioners approved adding a crime victims coordinator to the Henderson County District Attorney's Office.

II. COVID-19 Update (18:34)

COVID-19 statistics continue to go up across the board in the region that includes Henderson County. Testing, hospitalizations, and fatalities are all on the rise.

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our region went over 800 patients for the first time this past weekend. (Henderson County is part of Trauma Service Area G (TSA-G), which serves Tyler/Longview and includes about 968,000 people.)

"It's really never been higher," Judge McKinney said.

The one bright spot is that vaccinations have stayed steady with more than 1,000 shots given each week in Henderson County over the past six weeks.

The following interview was recorded Wednesday, Aug. 11, at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex.

==

This week's County Report with Judge Wade McKinney focuses on COVID-19.

I. Current Stats (:38)

As of this recording, there were 438 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in TSA-G. Henderson County is part of Trauma Service Area G (TSA-G), which serves Tyler/Longview and includes about 960,000 people.

Hospitalizations in the region have increased by 158 patients in the past six days. Prior to this, the fastest increase in hospitalizations in our region was a 141-patient jump in the 14 days from Dec. 24 to Jan. 7.

"When you look at the accelerated rate of hospitalizations across the region, it is arguably worse in that aspect than it ever has been," said Judge McKinney.

In addition to the COVID-19 surge, hospitals are also dealing with staffing shortages and an increase in non-COVID illnesses.

II. Emergency Management Committee (9:30)

The Henderson County Emergency Management Committee has been meeting weekly about COVID-19 issues. These meetings have at times included representatives from UT Health East Texas and State Rep. Keith Bell's office.

Judge McKinney said there is very little the County can do in direct response to the current surge.

"The Governor's Executive Order ties the hands of any local government or official from imposing restrictions of any type to help meet the needs of the pandemic," said Judge McKinney.

The Judge said the County can help by working with UT Health East Texas regarding personnel retention.

"To be sure that our hospital system here stays very strong," he said.

The County has also started working with the Hospital Authority Board to make sure there's a system in place for the County to be able to send some of the federal ARPA money to the hospital for personnel.

In addition, Fire Marshal Shane Renberg has been in contact with local VFDs to ensure they have access to masks and gloves.

III. Governor's Actions (16:30)

Gov. Greg Abbott did announce a series of actions this week aimed at COVID-19.

• Using staffing agencies to find out-of-state medical personnel to help hospitals
• Asking hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures
• Opening more antibody treatment centers
• Increasing vaccine availability

IV. Vaccinations (21:04)

While the idea of COVID-19 vaccinations has become controversial, political and medical leaders around the state are urging Texans to get the vaccine.

During a NET Health press conference on Monday, officials from both UT Health East Texas and Christus Mother Francis both said that 95 percent of the COVID-19 patients in their hospitals were unvaccinated.

Here in Henderson County, there has been a jump in the number of people getting vaccinated with more than two thousand getting their shot in the past two weeks. That's at the highest level since March.

Judge McKinney said that vaccinations have become readily available. By far the favorite vaccination source in Henderson County is the local pharmacy.

FEMA is updating its National Flood Insurance Program pricing for the first time in 50 years, "so policyholders can make more informed decisions on the purchase of adequate insurance and on mitigation actions to protect against the perils of flooding."

To explain what that means, we talk with Henderson County Floodplain Administrator Joy Kimbrough.

In this week's County Report, Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney talks about the border dispute with Kaufman County, COVID-19 vaccinations, and ARPA with Michael V. Hannigan.

I. Border Dispute (1:13)

II. COVID Update ( 9:08)

III. ARPA Update (24:20)

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Justice Center on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.

==

This week, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse discusses a murder case, a crack cocaine arrest, and rising COVID-19 numbers in the jail.
I. Stats (:32)

There are 450 currently in the jail with 110 of those contract inmates. The average for the jail hit 400 for the first time.

II. Murder (1:15)

On July 16, Jason Charles Smalley, 46, was arrested following the death of Stoney Conley, 32, and charged with Murder.

The two men were at a residence in the 3800 block of Oakridge Road in Athens smoking methamphetamines in a vehicle. Smalley told police they thought they saw someone near a shed, so he ran into the residence and retrieved a .22 caliber firearm. He then began shooting several rounds towards a person he said he could only see from the waist down.

As he approached the body, Smalley said he realized it was Conley. He tried to hide the weapon and called authorities.

Sheriff Hillhouse said there could be additional charges filed.

III. Crack Cocaine Arrest (5:55)

Sheriff Hillhouse described how Deputy Luke Rachel apprehended a convicted felon with a substantial amount of crack cocaine and a loaded 9mm handgun last week.

The deputy noticed two dark objects being thrown from a window prior to stopping a vehicle for a traffic violation. The objects turned out to be a handgun with nine rounds in the clip and a Nike bag with two plastic baggies containing a large amount of crack cocaine.

A passenger in the vehicle, Hasani Pariall, 32, was arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence for disposing of the items prior to the stop, manufacturing and delivery for the crack cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Sheriff Hillhouse said there was about 150 grams of crack cocaine, which is a substantial amount.

"Our main problem here is meth," he said, "but this just goes to show there's still other drugs out here and in large amounts."

The Sheriff went on to explain how cocaine gets turned into crack.

IV. COVID in the Jail (11:31)

Sheriff Hillhouse reported there are 44 jail inmates and two jailers who have tested positive for COVID. Twelve of the jail dormitories are in quarantine.

To put these numbers in perspective, this outbreak matches the largest during the pandemic.

"It hit us hard here in the jail, all of a sudden, in the past week or so," he said. "Luckily right now everybody is doing OK, but I do have a lot of cases."

Sheriff Hillhouse said many of the protocols put in place during the pandemic are still in place, including having trustees clean the jail twice a day. The only difference is visitation has resumed.

"But there's really no contact between the inmate population and their loved ones," he said. "It's all through a glass."

Sheriff Hillhouse said the focus is containing the virus and getting the inmates over the COVID.

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex on Wednesday, July 14.

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This week's guest on the County Report is Pct. 1 Commissioner Wendy Spivey. She is a sixth-generation Henderson County resident and is the first woman elected to Commissioners Court in 60 years.

County politics run in her family. Her great-great-grandfather Marshall Kinabrew was the mayor of Athens in the late 1880s and her grandfather, Leo Kinabrew, was Pct. 1 Commissioner in the 1960s and 1970s.

Although Commissioner Spivey has only been in office since January, she ran the Pct. 1 barn for a couple of years due to the passing of Commissioner Ken Hayes and an injury to Commissioner Scotty Thomas. Because of that, she has more experience than many first-year commissioners.

"I've learned from two of the best," she said.

I. Learning (4:47)

While she has experience running the precinct barn, being a part of Commissioners Court is a new experience for Commissioner Spivey.

"That is one thing I did not do when I was the administrative assistant," she said, "is come to court and sit up there as Commissioner and do the budgets."

"I'm looking forward to learning," she said.

II. Why Become Commissioner? (6:15)

Commissioner Spivey said she had never considered running for Commissioner until Scotty Thomas suggested she'd do a good job.

"I prayed about it and prayed about it for eight months before I just felt like the good Lord told me 'You can do this,'" she said. "And I'm so glad I did because I feel like this is something I am supposed to be doing."

III. Biggest Precinct (7:47)

Pct. 1 is physically the biggest precinct in the county. It is more than double the size of the smallest precinct, which is Pct. 2.

"Pct. 1 has 201,845 acres," she said, "and Pct. 2 has 87,000 acres."

The physical size of the precincts can be so different because they are drawn to balance the population.

One of the ways the precinct deals with such a wide area is by identifying which roads handle the most traffic.

"We're trying to redo those roads first," Commissioner Spivey said.

The precinct has also purchased a new piece of equipment -- a Bomag -- to get longer-lasting roads.

IV. Broadband (14:14)

Commissioner Spivey identified internet infrastructure as one of the challenges facing Henderson County.

"Out in the rural part of the county we don't have very good reception," she said, "and that's a challenge."

V. Protecting Taxpayer Dollars (16:03)

Commissioner Spivey also highlighted fiscal responsibility as an important challenge for the county.

"We want to spend the taxpayer's dollars wisely," she said.

Commissioner Spivey also talked about the importance of connecting with her constituents and listening to the voters.

Commissioner Spivey finished the interview by highlighting her staff.

"They do a splendid job and I couldn't ask for a better group to represent Pct. 1," she said.

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Justice Center on Wednesday, July 14.

==

This week, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse talked about the Deputies of the Quarter; the Cops and Kids picnic; and the need for jailers.

I. Stats (:40)

There are currently 429 in jail with 108 of those being out-of-county inmates.

II. Deputies of the Quarter (1:42)

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse recognized the outstanding work of three employees as Deputy of the 2nd Quarter for 2021. Investigator Kenneth Slaton was named Deputy of the Quarter, Sgt. Maria McCarley was named Detention Officer of the Quarter, and Wendy Rollins was named Communications Officer of the Quarter.

"They work really hard for this office and for the county," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "I always know if I need something I can pick up the phone and call one of these three individuals and they just always go above and beyond."

II. Cops and Kids Picnic (3:50)

Sheriff Hillhouse talked about the upcoming Cops and Kids Picnic, which is being planned by Susan Paul.

The event will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at Faith Fellowship Church. There will be hot dogs and drinks, door prizes, and the Sheriff's Office will be there with patrol cars, K-9 units, and the armored vehicle.

"Hopefully there will be a great turnout. I think it is going to be a lot of fun," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "It's an opportunity for the community to bring your kids out and get to know your local law enforcement."

You will be hearing more about this event as it draws closer.

III. Need for Jailers (6:55)

The Henderson County Sheriff's Office currently has openings for detention officers.

"If you are interested in a career in law enforcement, this is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "This is exactly how I started my career."

Those starting out can work under a temporary jailer's license for a year. During that year, the Sheriff's Office will send you to school to get a permanent jailer's license.

For those who want to become a peace officer, there are opportunities for the Sheriff's Office to send jailers through the police academy.

If you are interested, visit the Sheriff's Office to pick up an application or call the office at 903-675-5128 to get an application emailed to you.

"If you want to be a Texas peace officer, you can come to work here and we will get you the training you need to make your goals come true," Sheriff Hillhouse said.

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex on Wednesday, July 7.

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This week's guest on the County Report is County Judge Wade McKinney. He was raised in the Eustace area and is married with four children. His family has been in Henderson County for more than 100 years.

I. Longest Serving on Commissioners Court (1:57)

Judge McKinney has served the most time on Henderson County Commissioners Court. He spent 20 years as Pct. 2 Commissioner before being elected County Judge.

"I have a love for county government," he said. "I believe county government is that portion of our system that impacts everyone in their daily lives."

II. Remembering the Past (5:25)

Judge McKinney looks back at the slower pace of government when he first joined Commissioners Court and how technology has changed that.

"I reminisce a lot about the quote-unquote good old days and the fun we used to have around the table," he said, "but there was very serious business taken care of then just as there is today, it's just done at a faster pace."

Looking at his connection to the past, Judge McKinney said he feels a responsibility as the keeper of Commissioners Court's institutional knowledge.

III. Community Challenges (14:12)

When asked about the challenges facing the county, Judge McKinney spoke about community-level issues like broadband infrastructure and substance abuse.

As an example, he spoke about the new HOPE Henderson County program to combat opioid use.

IV. Taxes (21:16)

A second major challenge for Henderson County is making taxpayer money go as far as possible as the cost of doing business continues to rise. Another factor impacting county spending is unfunded mandates from the Legislature in Austin.

"You have to manage your expenses as compared to your revenues," Judge McKinney said.

The Judge used the county's new radio system as an example of how planning pays off for Commissioners Court.

V. Different Cultures (32:34)

Because of the physical size of Henderson County, it has distinct regions: the west end, or Cedar Creek Lake area; the center, or Athens area; and the west end, or Brownsboro and Chandler area.

"We are as wide as Van Zandt County and Kaufman County combined," Judge McKinney said, "and because of that geographical distance, we actually have three cultures in this county."

The example used in the podcast for this is a burn ban and how often one end of the county is dry while the other end is not.

This interview was recorded in the Henderson County Courthouse Annex on Wednesday, June 30.

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This week's special guest on the County Report is Pct. 4 Commissioner Mark Richardson. He is in his first term. Commissioner Richardson has lived in Henderson County his whole life and his family has lived in the Baxter Community since 1855.

I. Becoming A Commissioner (2:48)

Commissioner Richardson was elected in a special election following the death of Commissioner Ken Geeslin and is in his first term. He is not new to county government, however, and has been a part of Pct. 4 for 21 years.

II. About Pct. 4 (6:42)

Commissioner Richardson discussed the size of the precinct. Because the precincts are drawn to try and balance population, Pct. 4 tends to be larger in area than the other precincts.

"It is a big span," he said, "when you get a call and you're on one end of precinct and a tree falls on the other end of the precinct it can be a good drive."

"In a lot of the rural areas, you don't have a lot of population. You have big acreage and there may be one home to a hundred acres," Commissioner Richardson said. "There are some places out in our precinct that are 2,000 and 3,000 acre tracts of land."

III. Road Challenges in Pct. 4 (14:18)

Commissioner Richardson discusses the specific problems faced by his precinct, including the different types of soil across the county. Pct. 4 has a large section where the predominant soil is sand.

The Commissioner said in the sandy section of his precinct, gophers can cause major damage to roads.

"A gopher can bore under the road and then when we get a big rain, it washes that hole out from the size of a gopher to the size of a basketball," he said. "It undermines the road and when a heavy truck like a trash truck comes across it, it caves in all the way across the road."

IV. Challenges to the County (19:33)

Commission Richardson identified unfunded mandates from the State Legislature as a major challenge.

"We try to do the best we can with taxpayer money," he said.

V. Pct. 4 Staff (25:26)

Commissioner Richardson took time to praise his staff at Pct. 4.

"I've got a great group of guys there," he said.

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Justice Center on Wednesday, June 30.

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In this week's Sheriff's Report, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse discusses a Seven Points murder, a case involving illegal drugs and credit cards, and Narcan training for the Sheriff's Office.

I. Stats (:37)

There are currently 424 individuals currently in the Henderson County Jail; 107 of those are out-of-county inmates.

II. Murder Suspect (1:45)

Joshua Jones, 37, of Seven Points was arrested June 17 after the shooting death of Jason Blake, 44.

The Sheriff’s Office received calls regarding a disturbance at a residence in the 27000 block of West Oak Ridge Road at approximately 8:15 p.m.

When Deputy Luke Rachel arrived on the scene he observed Jones outside the residence and Blake out by the roadway. Deputy Rachel detained Jones and began life-saving measures on Blake but was unsuccessful.

According to the initial investigation, shots were fired with a shotgun by the suspect inside and outside the house before the victim was shot in the back and died on the scene.

There were multiple witnesses to the offense that were interviewed which confirmed what Investigators had learned during the investigation.

There was a child involved in the incident and Sheriff Hillhouse discussed the importance of the Child Advocacy Center in such cases.

III. Mushrooms and Credit Cards (7:13)

A man was arrested for aggravated assault with a handgun and possession of a substantial amount of illegal mushrooms and methamphetamines on June 19.

Earl Kenneth Vess II, 36, was arrested in the 100 block of Arrowhead Street. Earlier, he had brandished a handgun, threatened a woman, and fled from Deputy Jarod Mills on foot.

Vess was taken to the County Jail and charged with:

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamines, possession of illegal mushrooms, evading arrest, possession of a firearm by a felon, and fraudulent usage of identifying information for the credit cards and social security card he had but were not his.

"Identity theft is a big issue," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "People are always trying to seek out your identifying information and use it."

IV. Narcan Training (12:18)

Members of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office received free Narcan training this week thanks to HOPE Henderson County.

"We're glad to be part of this program," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "We're glad they brought this training here for free and are giving us the Narcan for free. It could save a life."

HOPE Henderson County includes:

-- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
-- UT Health East Texas Athens
-- East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ETCADA)
-- Henderson HELP Center
-- East Texas Community Clinic

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex on Wednesday, June 16.

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This week's guest on the County Report is Pct. 2 Commissioner Scott Tuley. He is in his first term as commissioner. He is married to Angie Tuley and the couple has three children.

I. First Term (1:38)

Commissioner Tuley said he ran for office to "give back to the community, to help people with their problems."

The Commissioner said he's learned a lot in his first two years.

"It's not all about roads and ditches and drainage," he said. "It is far more."

In the podcast, Commissioner Tuley speaks about working with Commissioners Court on issues across the county.

"It's all about 26 departments coming in during budget and doing the best thing for the taxpayer," he said.

II. Population Growth (8:45)

Commissioner Tuley talks about the population growth in Pct. 2 (and Pct. 3) and how that with impact both the upcoming redistricting and property values.

"Everybody is migrating," he said.

As an example, Commissioner Tuley points out that about 450 houses were built in the Henderson County part of Mabank since last year and all of them are already sold.

He added that he knows of one house sold in Pct. 2 that wound up with 18 different bidders and when it was finally sold, it went for $125,000 over the list price.

"That's just one house," he said.

III. Pug Mill (15:01)

Commissioner Tuley discusses the impact of the Pct. 2 pug mill purchased in 2018. This piece of equipment gives the county the ability to produce road material, lowering the cost of road construction.

"Just Pct. 2 alone, in our first two-and-a-half years we've saved somewhere about $2.4 million in being able to redirect that funding to be able to do more roads," he said.

Now, the other Henderson County precincts are taking advantage of the pug mill as well.

While talking about roads, Commissioner Tuley also discusses the difficulties facing the county when it comes to road repair. For instance, weather issues currently have Pct. 2 about six weeks behind schedule.

IV. Drainage Issues (29:00)

Commissioner Tuley speaks about the drainage difficulties in some of the subdivisions around Cedar Creek Lake.

He said some of the problems are because of the design of the subdivision.

The County's right of way is basically just from the ditch on one side of the road to the other.

"And that's really all we can do unless the property owner wants to work with us," he said.

Commissioner Tuley also talked about how keeping the bar ditches and culverts clean is the responsibility of property owners.

"We try to do everything possible to move water through the culverts or down the road," he said, "to get to the drainage pipes that are feeding the lake or wherever else (the water) was supposed to go in the 70s or 80s. It's a challenge."

This interview was recorded Wednesday, June 9, at the Athens Partnership Center.

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On this episode of the County Report, we talk with Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library Director Michelle Zenor. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and received her Master's in Library Science (MLS) from Texas Women's University and a Master's in English from the University of Texas at Tyler. She has been the director of the Henderson County Library since 2018.

Last year, the library celebrated its 100th birthday.

The library is located at 121 South Prairieville Street in Athens and serves the entire county.

Topics discussed in this podcast include:

I. Collections (2:47)

The library has about 40,000 items you can check out. That includes books, DVDs, and books on CD. They also have access to about 35,000 items online that can be checked out.

"Altogether, we have about 75,000 items you can access with your library card, which is free to residents of Henderson County," Zenor said.

II. Services (3:28)

The library provides services like making copies, fax, or scanning the hard copy of a document into a digital document. These are just a few examples.

While there are charges for some services, "our goal is to be the cheapest place in town to do this," Zenor said.

III. Programs (4:49)

"A lot of people don't realize that the public library has a busy season and it is summer," Zenor said.

The library's Summer Reading Program has been very popular this year with hundreds of students participating. The program also includes live performances at the Henderson County Performing Arts Center and field trips.

You can sign up for the Summer Reading Program through July.

IV. Joining the Library (8:18)

A library card is still your passport to adventure and county residents can get their Henderson County Library card free.

"We want you to have a library card," Zenor said. "Everybody is welcome to come get a library card."

V. Young Children (11:18)

"Our most important patrons are the littlest," said Zenor, "because reading is fundamental."

The Henderson County Library has programs for children that begin soon after birth.

"It's never too soon to start reading to a child," Zenor said.

VI. Staff (13:35)

There are seven staff members at the library.

"I work with the most creative, most dedicated, most helpful ladies that we have here in the county," Zenor said. "And I am so proud of them and I love working with them every day."

VII. The Steps Project (15:25)

Artist Maddie Hanratty turned the front steps of the library into a work of art recently.

"She spent almost the entire month of May hand-painting, freestyle, the steps to look like a stack of four children's books," Zenor said.

This podcast was recorded Wednesday, June 2, at the Courthouse Annex.

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County Clerk Mary Margaret Wright was the special guest for this week's County Report podcast. She has lived in Athens most of her life. She is in the middle of her second term as County Clerk.

Topics covered in this podcast:

I. What does the County Clerk do? (I:45)

"The County Clerk's Office is basically the record keeper for the whole county," Wright said.

Just a few examples of the type of records handled by the County Clerk are birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, plats for subdivisions, misdemeanor court cases, civil cases, and DBAs.

II. How big is the County Clerk's Office?

There are 13 employees: five in the criminal division and the rest work in the main office.

The County Clerk's Office is constantly busy. For example there are about 600 marriage licenses each year.

III. Cattle Brands (5:45)

The County Clerk's Office maintains the records on cattle brands, which is something that has a particular importance this year.

"The people that have cattle brands will re-register their brands starting August 31, 2021," Wright said. The registration process will end Feb. 28, 2022.

"That keeps what they have on file as their brands up to date," she said.

IV. Challenges and Changes (7:03)

Wright said the pandemic was the biggest challenge she's faced in her time as County Clerk.

"When we had to do everything online, we learned a lot during that time about what we could do," she said.

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse recorded this podcast Wednesday, June 2, at the Henderson County Justice Center.

==

In this week's podcast, Sheriff Hillhouse talks about a safe Memorial Day, a big fireworks heist, a woman who woke up to a stranger in her house, and the First Responders Rodeo.

I. Stats (:42)

The jail booked in 85 individuals in the past week. There are currently 130 contract inmates.

II. Memorial Day (1:14)

"Everybody had a lot of fun. There were a lot of people out," said Sheriff Hillhouse. "There were a lot of events going on all throughout the county, but on our end, it was pretty peaceful which is excellent. It is exactly what we want."

III. Fireworks Stolen (2:46)

The Sheriff's Office is working a Theft over $30,000 case. Monday, May 31, a local fireworks vendor reported that they had an 18-wheeler with about 13 pallets of fireworks stolen from their location.

The value of the fireworks alone was over $60,000.

The truck was recovered on May 31 in the Dallas area. When it was recovered, there was only about $15,000 in fireworks remaining.

"We did get some of the property back, which is always a blessing," Sheriff Hillhouse said. "Now we've just got to figure out who stole the items."

IV. Woman Awoken By Stranger (5:49)

Friday, May 28, a woman reported being awoken a little after 8 a.m. by a stranger patting her.

The subject was still in the yard when Sheriff's Deputies arrived. He was arrested for having methamphetamine and for burglary of a habitation.

V. Rodeo (9:44)

The Rodeo Committee was scheduled to meet at the Fairpark Complex this afternoon to close out the past PRCA rodeo and get started planning for next year.

The PRCA Rodeo is put on by the Peace Officers Association and the Fire Chief's Association.

"We were very, very blessed and very pleased with the turnout we had at the First Responders Rodeo last year," said Sheriff Hillhouse, "and we hope to make this next year bigger and better."

This podcast was recorded Wednesday, May 26, at the Courthouse Annex.

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Pct. 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam was the special guest for this week's County Report podcast. Commissioner McHam is from Chandler and is in his first term as a commissioner. He received an Ag Education degree from Texas A&M University and taught Ag at both Martin's Mill and Brownsboro.

Topics covered in this podcast include:

I. On Becoming Commissioner (2:11)

"I always knew when I retired I wanted to do something with the community," Commissioner McHam said. "This kind of fell into place. So I decided to run for commissioner of Pct. 3."

II. Spending Tax Dollars (4:39)

"People want to make sure their tax dollars are being spent wisely and we try and do that," he said. "I wanted that whenever I was in the public. I think that's our big challenge, to make sure we spend the taxpayers' money wisely."

III. County Budget Cycle (7:10)

"It's a long process," he said, "and I never thought about that when I was running for commissioner. But between the first of July and the first of September, the commissioners will spend a great deal of their time here at the courthouse and not on the roads."

IV. Working With Commissioners Court (9:55)

"Ever since I've been on Commissioners Court, we've had a great relationship," he said. "We get along well together. There are things we disagree on, but we're able to sit down during court and figure out a way to make it work."

V. Roads (12:20)

Commissioner McHam said that the hotmix (asphalt) for a mile of road costs about $85,000.

"That's just in material," he said. "That's if you don't have to base work and you don't have to replace any culverts. That's just the two-inch layer of asphalt is $85,000 a mile."

VI. Weather (16:30)

Commissioner McHam discusses the impact of the February ice storm and recent rains on the roads.

VII. Bridges (18:00)

Pct. 3 is unique in Henderson County because of its bridges.

"The other precincts have anywhere from two to four bridges in their entire precinct," he said. "I have 22."

VIII. Communications Committee (20:57)

Commissioner McHam is on the Communications Committee which is working to bring the new digital system online.

"We've spent a lot of time on it. I think it is going to be an asset for the county," he said.

IX. Growth of the County (26:02)

"People want to move to Henderson County," Commissioner McHam said. "We can see that with the prices of property."

X. Conclusion (27:41)

"I want to tell the people of Henderson County that I appreciate the responsibility they bestowed on us," he said. "I hope that they see and recognize the things that we're doing. We're trying to make Henderson County better."

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse recorded this podcast Wednesday, May 19, at the Henderson County Justice Center.

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In this week's podcast, Sheriff Hillhouse reminds everyone that the annual Peace Officers Memorial will take place at noon Thursday, May 20, on the Courthouse Square in Athens.

The guest speaker for the event is Jimmy Cotton of Cowboy Heritage Church in Freestone County.

"He is outstanding. He's motivating," said Sheriff Hillhouse. "We are looking forward to what he has to say."

The event is hosted by the Henderson County Peace Officers Association and is open to the public.

"You are remembering your fallen heroes that have served and tragically lost their lives here in Henderson County," said Sheriff Hillhouse. "There are more of them than people realize."

Other topics in the podcast include:

-- Weekly stats (:37): As of Wednesday morning, there were 408 inmates in the jail, including 127 contract inmates.

-- High-Speed Pursuits (1:27): There have been two pursuits this week. One happened Monday morning and went through Athens, Malakoff, and finished in Trinidad. The other saw the driver try and get away in reverse, something the Sheriff said he has never seen before.

-- Jail Vaccinations (6:31): NET Health provided a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the jail, giving vaccinations to 38 inmates.

-- Facebook (15:35): The Sheriff's Office Facebook page is still down and it looks like the Sheriff may have to start a new one.

This week's Sheriff's Report was recorded Wednesday, May 5, at the Henderson County Justice Center. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse talks about:

-- A high speed chase down SH 31 that started between Brownsboro and Murchison, went through Athens, and ended in Malakoff.
-- The accidental shooting of a teenager.
-- A search warrant that lead to multiple arrests, drugs, and weapons in Athens.
-- The jail reopening for visitors.

County Judge Wade McKinney talks about disseminating information on new platforms and reaching the community. He also talks about how the complexity of county government in Texas can sometimes be confusing.

You can sign up for the new Henderson County Newsletter here. https://hendersoncountytexas.substack.com/