Home Care In Cherokee, TX

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department hosted a town hall as an outreach to test deer in the surrounding area for chronic wasting disease.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — East Texas hunters have been enjoying deer hunting season, but a disease among the species has made an appearance in Cherokee County and has some concerned. Chronic wasting disease impacts the neurological system in deer species and was first detected in the state in 2012.

It has since been showing up in breeding facilities and on Nov. 17 a positive test was found in a facility southeast of Jacksonville. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department experts hosted a public meeting in the city to spread the word about the dangers this could pose to other animals.

TPWD reported that a 4-year-old buck tested positive for the disease and officials said there’s no major threat that comes with this finding. Their main goal during the Monday meeting at the Jacksonville Public Library was to inform neighboring farms and hunters to ensure the disease doesn’t spread.

Jody Phillips, owner of P Bar Whitetails in Bullard and the president of the Texas Deer Association, said the disease is comparable to Alzheimer's disease in humans. Her farm's goal is to build a deer herd that is resistant to CWD.

"There's not been very many deer actually recorded to die from CWD," Phillips said. "They normally die of some other natural cause."

Philips said having this town hall with TPWD so close to the detection of the case is very important.

"I think the reason for the town hall today is probably more about the surveillance zone," Phillips said. "That is the two mile radius around that specific facility and explaining to people what it's about."

TPWD was handing out a map of the zone they are monitoring which includes several county roads off of Texas Highway 204 southeast of Jacksonville. Currently, Ryan Schoeneberg, big game specialist with TPWD, said they are hoping to collect samples from deer in those surrounding properties.

"Right now, we only have one positive in the 4-year-old deer in that deer breeding facility contained within a high fence," Schoeneberg said. "We want to make sure that that is the only positive that we have."

Schoeneberg said the visit's goal is to ensure the disease is isolated because once it spreads, there is no getting rid of it.

"We got the hunters and landowners that are trying to learn more about the disease and trying to understand what their role and responsibilities are for it," Schoeneberg said.

Phillips said as a deer farm owner she’s going the extra mile in ensuring the game she sells to her customers are resistant to the disease.

"What we've done is we genetically test all of our deer for their 96 codon and breeding value," Phillips said. "It's been shown that the s codon is resistant to CWD. So what we're doing is we're breeding more durable deer."

Schoeneberg said it is possible to breed deer to be resistant to the disease but that it does not mean they can't still get it.

"It just means that when they get it they live a little bit longer with it," Schoeneberg said. "We don't know what these genetics of the deer are, especially the deer in the wild and so we're trying to make sure that we test every deer as many days as we can get our hands on for CWD."

If you happen to live and own deer in that southeastern region outside of Jacksonville, then TPWD wants to hear from the public.

They also say that this disease only impacts deer and similar species. It does not affect humans or carry on to the meat, which means even if people hunt a deer with CWD it is still safe to consume.

MERTZON, TX — Residents of Mertzon were shaken on Sunday morning upon learning of a plane crash north of the town, off County Road 411. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) crash database identified the aircraft as a 1964 Piper PA-28 Cherokee, equipped with a 180 hp Lycoming engine. This fixed-gear, general aviation aircraft can accommodate four people, including the pilot. Initial reports of the crash surfaced on Sunday morning, but recent information indicates that the tragic event actually occurred on Saturday evening, November 25, 2023, approximately 40 minutes after sunset.

The aircraft's ADSB flight data revealed a busy schedule on the day of the crash. Departing from Las Cruces at 10 a.m., it arrived in Fort Stockton at 1:58 p.m. After refueling, the plane headed to Reagan County Airport in Big Lake, landing there at 3:39 p.m.

Remote airfields and low-altitude flights often pose challenges for consistent flight following by air traffic control. In this case, it is uncertain whether the pilot had established contact with Midland Approach or Fort Worth Center for flight following, given the known limitations of radio signals at low altitudes in this region.

The first recorded signal from the plane's transponder after takeoff from Reagan County Airport was detected on the upwind side of Reagan County's runway 34 at 6:20 p.m., after nightfall. The aircraft was at an altitude of 3,500 feet above mean sea level, merely 1,000 feet above the ground in an area with an elevation of about 2,500 feet. The final signal received from the plane's transponder that night was at 6:35 p.m. about 10 miles northwest of Mertzon over County Road 410 at 1,000 feet AGL (410 and CR 411 are close together, generally).

Nighttime flights in single-engine aircraft inherently carry risks, such as engine failure. Unlike multi-engine planes that can fly with one engine, single-engine aircraft like the Piper PA-28 rely solely on glide distance in case of engine failure. With a glide ratio of about 7:1, the PA-28 had limited options for an emergency landing, especially in the dark, unlit terrain with potential ground obstructions like power lines, guy wires, and ditches. The fixed landing gear of the PA-28 also increases the risk of snagging and breaking up upon ground contact.

Assuming the aircraft was refueled at Reagan County, it likely had over 40 gallons of high-octane 100 LL gas onboard at the time of the crash, given its 48-gallon capacity and a burn rate of 12 gallons per hour. This full fuel load would add weight, reduce glide distance in an engine-out scenario, and increase the risk of fire upon impact. Conversely, if the pilot did not refuel the plane in Reagan County, each wing tank holds about 2 hours of fuel. If the pilot did not switch to the other tank and the engine quit due to fuel starvation, the pilot had seconds to react.

The flight path suggested that the destination was San Angelo’s Mathis Field. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the heartbreaking loss of three lives in this crash on Monday.

Ownership records from the FAA aircraft registry reveal that the plane was part of a partnership, with Alyse Marie Sanchez of San Antonio listed as one of the partners.

The Neches River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2010 and currently features 7,000 acres of wildlife in Cherokee County.

“What happens is the river produces for the land, and the land produces for the wildlife,” said Michael Banks, board member of the Friends of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge and co-chairman on the Friends of the Neches River. “And so we have an excellent habitat here of bottomland hardwood forest that provides a habitat for the wildlife. Just about any wildlife that you could find in East Texas, you [could] be able to find on the 7,000 acres in the National Wildlife Refuge here.”

“I would encourage people to come out here to Neches River Refuge and, and just enjoy the outdoor experience that can be offered here in East Texas,” said Leo Gustafson, manager of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. “I think it’s important for people to come outside, enjoy the outdoors. They can come out here and get some sun. They can come out here and get fresh air. They can get back down to their natural roots and enjoy wildlife, enjoy the sounds of nature. It’s wonderful.”

So what is there to do on the refuge? Well...a lot!

Hiking Trails:

“The main attraction [at the wildlife refuge] is the hiking,” said Banks. “We have 20 miles of hiking trails, and you never know what you’re going to see. It is a wonderland of wildlife.”

There are a variety of trails on the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, and they’re many of them are different lengths so they’re great for all skill-levels and ages.

“So for some people that want to come out and hike a quarter of a mile, I’ve got a quarter mile trail in which they can hike,” said Gustafson. “For some people that are a little bit more adventurous, I have trails that are 12 miles long and they can hike 12 miles if they want.”

If you don’t know which trail is right for you, you can see the list below with information, including length, difficulty level and estimated time it will take to hike.

Songbird Trail

Enjoy sounds of songbirds as you hike to the river. This trail will take you to the Neches River and pass by some unique plants and habitats. The Neches River is connected to the floodplains next to them. During extended rainfall, the rivers rise to their banks and then overflow into these floodplains. The floodplains create a diverse habitat full of life.

Dead Water Trail

Take a hike on the far side of the lake. The trail will take you on the east side of Dead Water Lake. As you look around, you will see the overflow from the river into the floodplains. The floodplain reduces high flows in the river, so that less flooding occurs downstream. Watch for otters that live here.

River Trail

Enjoy a stroll down to the river. This trail will take you to the Neches River and its associated wetlands Buzzard Slough and Twin Lakes. These wetlands improve the water quality of the Neches River by acting as natural filters to remove sediment and nutrients from the water.

Rocky Point Trail

Prepare for our longest trail on the refuge. This trail will take you through forested savannah and pass through wetlands on the east side. Here you will see areas where fish spawn in the backwater habitats and serve as nurseries for fish which are caught in the main river by fishermen and women.

Pine Tree Trail

Enjoy the sounds of songbirds as you hike under the shade of pine trees. This trail takes you up to 430 feet through the piney woods of east Texas. Large trees are extremely important in removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it for the long term in these pine forests.

Crayfish Trail

This trail will take you through floodplains of improved wildlife habitat. Because nutrients were deposited in the surrounding floodplains, small organisms like crayfish, eat the detritus and can reach incredible numbers in their population. These crayfish are then eaten by predators such as fish, snakes, birds, and mammals that live here.

Wood Duck Trail

This trail will take you beside floodplain areas that are very popular for waterfowl. Wood ducks spend most of their lives in or near forested areas. They often perch in trees during the spring and summer; females use tree cavities as nesting sites; during winter all wood ducks feed heavily on the mast of bottomland hardwood trees.

Woodpecker Trail

Keep looking up as you hike. This trail will take you through forested floodplains in which life abounds in the trees above you. Look for dead trees, known as ‘snags.’ A snag harbors many insects that are food for wildlife. The outer surface of the bark is where birds such as brown creepers, nuthatches, and woodpeckers eat bark beetles, spiders, and ants. The inner bark is where woodpeckers eat larvae and pupae of insects.

Click here to view a map of the trails.

Click here to learn more about the hiking trails at the refuge.

Paddling Trail:

[caption id=”attachment_13914″ align=“alignright” width=”450″] Courtesy: Texas Parks & Wildlife[/caption]

“We have a state-designated paddling trail over here on the Neches River,” said Banks. “The Cherokee Neches Paddling Trail goes through part of the wildlife refuge.”

The trail puts in at FM 747 (River Run Park) and goes 6.6 miles down the Neches River and ends at Highway 79.

Here’s more info on getting to-and-from the trail, from the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s website:

Put-in:

FM 747/River Run Park: (DD) 31.94579, -95.44468 (Click here for Google Map)From Hwy 79, 1.6 miles west of Jacksonville, Texas, take FM 747 north.Continue 10 miles to Neches River Run Park (address is 2001 CR 3315).Check in at the office for directions to the put-in.

Take-out:

US Highway 79: (DD) 31.89266, -95.43121 (Click here for Google Map)The take-out is on the North Side of Hwy 79 at the Neches River. There is an access road to the take-out off of CR 3212 at Hwy. 79.

“Everybody that loves the outdoors and needs to put this on their bucket list because there’s no telling what you’re going to see going down the river,” said Banks. “It’s just fantastic.”

Hunting:

“Good stewardship means that you manage the wildlife,” said Banks. “Part of a management program is having a hunt program to keep things in balance.”

So, can you expect hunting on the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge soon? Yes!

“There’s a process that we have to go through before we can open public hunting, and I’m going through that process right now,” said Gustafson. “In the hunt season of 2021-2022, so not this fall but next fall, [we’re planning] to have the refuge open for hunting.”

They’re currently collaborating with Texas Parks and Wildlife to open up hunting next year.

“It will be very similar to apply for a hunt on the refuge as you would apply for a hunt on Texas Parks and Wildlife lands,” said Gustafson. “So you’ll go to a website, you’ll pick the site that you want to pick, [in our case the] Neches River Refuge, you’ll send in your application for hunt permit, and then it’ll be a random draw.”

You can expect a youth hunt, archery hunting and firearm hunting.

“As far as the big game species are concerned, feral hogs and white tail deer will be the huntable species,” said Gustafson. “And then besides that, there’ll be some fur-bearing species and waterfowl hunting here on the refuge.”

Rules and Regulations:

The refuge was established for the protection of habitat along the Neches River, the local wildlife that visits that habitat and so that the public can enjoy the areas. But in order to keep the refuge open, there are specific rules and regulations you must adhere to when visiting.

Here are the rules listed on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s website:

The Neches River National Wildlife Refuge is located on Highway 79 between Jacksonville and Palestine.

The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset 7 days a week.

Directions from Jacksonville:

Travel 12 miles southwest on Highway 79, to County Road 3207.The entrance to the refuge and visitor kiosk is on the south side of the road.If you cross over the Neches River, you have gone too far.

Directions from Palestine:

Travel 15 miles northeast on Highway 79, to County Road 3207.The entrance to the refuge and visitor kiosk is on the south side of the road.The entrance is just after the Neches River.

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The Progress will publish arrests in the Saturday edition each week.

Oscar Alejandro Briones-Veja, 23, Euless, ROS-criminal trespass with deadly weapon; FTA-criminal trespass with deadly weapon; bail jumping and failure to appear; FTA-possession of a controlled substance; two counts ROS-possession of a controlled substance; resisting arrest, search or transport;

Kayla Renee Burch, 22, Jacksonville, speeding (11-15 mph over), three counts of no drivers license, three counts of failure to maintain financial responsibility, two counts counts of displaying expired license plates, MTR-assault causing bodily injury;

Jerry Dion Carpenter, 55, Jacksonville, parole violation failure to registers as sex offender;

Cayron Evette Christopher, 25, Jacksonville, two counts of theft of property;

Russell Edward Coffey, 36, Rusk, prohibited weapon, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, failure to control speed, failure to maintain financial responsibility;

Kristina Collins, 32, Jacksonville, assault causing bodily injury;

Rhegan Nacole Cummings, 23, Jacksonville, criminal mischief;

Ellgin Jerome Davis II, forgery of a financial instrument;

Martin Joseph Francis, Jr., 26, Jacksonville, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon;

Miguel Angel Garcia, Jr., 36, Mineral Wells, FTA-assault causing bodily injury to a family member, FTA-violate bond/protective order;

Michael Garza, 29, Jacksonville, parole violation burglary of a habitation, possession of marijuana;

Trevor Gilbert, 37, Alto, public intoxication;

Stephen Clark Gillespie, 36, Jacksonville, MTR-assault causing bodily injury (warrant), MTR-driving while intoxicated – second (warrant);

Candace Lynn Goff, 31, Jacksonville, bail jumping and failure to appear felony, FTA-possession of a controlled substance;

Jamie Albert Gore, 57, Fort Bend, driving while intoxicated;

John Allen Gore, 28, Troup, FTA-driving while intoxicated;

Richard Graham Hale, Jr., 66, Jacksonville, public intoxication;

Johnny Delano Hart, Jr., 65, Tyler, evading arrest and detention with vehicle;

Lauren Faith Horton, 24, Jacksonville, possession of drug paraphernalia;

Ronnie Charles Howard, 68, Jacksonville, FTA -possession of a controlled substance;

Mercedes Jimenez, 42, Bullard, criminal trespass;

Aaliyah Ashanti Johnson, 19, Rusk, abandon or endanger a child, assault on family/household member;

Mitchell Dyshun Johnson, 55, Jacksonville, possession of a controlled substance; resisting arrest, search or transport; evading arrest and detention; possession of drug paraphernalia; theft of property, criminal trespass;

Christina Marie Jones, 26, Alto, two counts of theft of property;

John Wayne King, 40, Rusk, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon, no drivers license, tampering with identification numbers, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful carrying of a weapons with felony conviction;

Bobby John Lammons, 35, Eustace, driving while intoxicated – third of more;

Mac Laroy Lopez, 35, Palestine, burglary of a building;

Tarence Terrell Martin, 30, Jacksonville, parole violation;

Ever Martinez-Olguin, 28, Jacksonville, public intoxication;

Johnny Martinez, 19, Jacksonville, evading arrest and detention;

Luis Martinez, 28, Jacksonville, unlawful carrying of a weapon, no drivers licesne;

Tina Martinez, 45, Jacksonville, hindering secured creditors;

Travis Dakota McGowan, 24, Rusk, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of marijuana;

Corey Taylor Montgomery, 31, Alto, evading arrest and detention with previous convictioni;

Michael Andre Moore, Jr., 35, Jacksonville, possession of a controlled substance;

Noe Ponce, 35, Rusk, assault causing bodily injury;

Robert Pond, 56, Troup, assault causing bodily injury to family member;

Kevin Shane Powell, 34, Jacksonville, burglary of a building, evading arrest and detention with previous conviction, possession of a controlled substance;

Pedro Daniel Ramirez, 25, Jacksonville, FTA-driving while intoxicated;

Mitchell Edward Renfro, 61, Jacksonville, ROS-aggravated assault date/family/household membrer with weapon;

David Perez Sandoval, 39, Jacksonville, aggravated assault with deadly weapon;

Larry Carl Smith, Jr., 56, Rusk, parole violation;

Lauryn Walsh, 20, Jacksonville, possession of a controlled substance;

Donna Maria Washington, 52, Troup, public intoxication;

Deravion Woods, 28, Jacksonville, possession of a controlled substance, failure to identify, FTA-possession of marijuana, criminal mischief, violate promise to appear;

Gage Michael Wooldridge, 26, Forney, intoxication assault with vehicle (warrant).

The Progress will publish arrests in the Saturday edition each week.

John Calvin Bailey, 25, Alto, speeding;

Willie Joe Baker, 54, Frankston, assault;

Fatima Balderas, 17, Jacksonville, resisting arrest, search or transport;

Amy Teresa Bodman, 46, Jacksonville, failure to ID

Jeronimo Bravo, 43, Jacksonville, disorderly conduct;

Luis Bravo, 26, Jacksonville, disorderly conduct;

Alejandro Loza Cabrera, 44, Jacksonville, FTA-driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated;

John Wesley Carpenter, 42, Rusk, theft of property;

Sergio Castillo, 20, Jacksonville, driving while intoxicated;

Mark Anthony Cedillo-Delarosa, 27, Jacksonville, possession of marijuana;

Ann Marie Helen Clevenger, 47, Rusk, forgery of financial instrument, two counts of leash law;

Gregory Paul “Davenport, 47, Jacksonville, FTA-continuous violence against the family, unauthorized use of a vehicle (Coryell Co.)

Amber Edawn Elmore, 35, Reclaw, evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, theft of property;

Terrious Lashaw Fry, 35, Jacksonville, driving under the influence (Smith Co. warrant);

Francisco Gallegos, 22, Jacksonville, speeding (JPD), expired operators license (JPD);

Jesus Garcia, 19, Jacksonville, public intoxication;

Justin Ray Goff, 40, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, no drivers license;

Brittany N Griffith, 35, Rusk, manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, displaying expired license plate (RPD), failure to maintain financial responsibility (RPD);

Jason Conrad Hall, 39, Jacksonville, failure to pay child support;

Nickalas Terrell Hooper, 21, Jacksonville, MTR-evading arrest or detention (Smith Co.);

Martha Rae Johnson, 33, Rusk, driving while license invalid, failure to maintain financial responsibility, possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of violating promise to appear, driving while license suspended;

Andrew Jared Martin, 33, Fort Walton, manufacture of delivery of a controlled substance (CCSO), unlawful possession of a firearm by felon (CCSO), FTA-manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance (CCSO);

Brandon Carmichale McClelland, 43, Jacksonville, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon;

Angela Renee Payne, 47, Cuney, assault by physical contact;

Rodrigo Salazar, 31, Corsicana, no drivers license;

Anson Chip Smith, 44, McKinney, FTA-possession of marijuana;

Theodore Allen Smith, 86, Alto, 34 counts of lewd act on child under 14, two counts of lewd or lascivious act with child under 14;

Cody Wayne Stanley, 34, Frio, assault of family or household member impeding breathing or circulation;

Lanijah Stewart, Jacksonville, possession of marijuana;

Lacrystal Ann Swann, 33, Jacksonville, expired operators license, diplaying expired license plates, violating promise to appear;

Dorsheria Antaneice Tatum, 34, Jacksonville, criminal trespass;

Andrea Leann Thurman, 19, Rusk, theft of property;

Edward Moses Vazquez, 28, Jacksonville, driving while intoxicated – third or more;

Bryan Andrew Walding, 18, Jacksonville, public intoxication, possession of e-cigarette by minor;

Tawana Brashelle Whitaker, 51, Jacksonville, theft of property;

Brandon Whitmire, 39, Rusk, injury to child, elderly or disabled; assault causing bodily injury to a family member; evading arrest or detention; interference with emergency request for assistance;

Jason Earl Wolf, 44, Alto, failure to maintain financial responsibility;

Aaron John Woods, 26, Rusk, possession of marijuana;

Austin Blake Work, 25, Jacksonville, possession of marijuana;

Alexis Ivan Zamora, 23, Jacksonville, unlawful carrying of a weapon, driving while intoxicated.