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Fire burns log house near Styx
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
STYX–A father and his three sons lost their log house and everything inside Saturday to a fire.
The cause of the Styx area blaze at 5992 County Road 4057 A, just before the CR 2613 cutoff was still undetermined Tuesday.
Rodney Hosch and his three sons were attending a ball game at the time of the fire.
“The first dispatch call was at 5:36 p.m. to the Kemp Fire Department,” Kaufman County fire marshal Larry Ewing said.
Kemp, Mabank, Scurry and Kaufman fire departments responded and 32 firefighters fought a roaring blaze until 10 p.m.
“One fourth of the log home was already in flames and the fire was blazing through the roof when the first firefighters arrived,” Ewing said.
“Those logs kept everything inside burning. The heat was too much for anyone to get inside,” he added.
Although a dog died in the fire, another dog in the garage was rescued, along with some equipment and all-terrain vehicles before the heat became too much for those trying to save the contents of the garage.
The house is located in a rural area.
Although it is policy to investigate every fire for the possibility of arson, Ewing said any monetary motive was ruled out, as the family had no insurance on the property or its contents.
He said inspectors returned Monday to take necessary samples.
Hosch grew up in Kemp and is the son of Jean Ann McDougald Hosch and Billy Hosch.
An account to help the family has been set up at First National Bank of Kemp.
Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 587, Kemp, TX, 75143 or deposited at the bank.
For more information, call (903) 498-8541.

Man indicted in shooting standoff
Shady Oaks fire chief, president charged with theft and fudiciary misapplication
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–A Henderson County Grand Jury recently indicted Seven Points resident Myles Christopher Gray, 27, on four counts of Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant with a Deadly Weapon.
Last May 31, Gray was involved in a shooting confrontation with Gun Barrel City police officers and as a result received multiple gunshot wounds. The incident began at Big Chief’s Landing and ended at Forest Oaks Street in the Loon Bay subdivision.
According to the indictment, he intentionally tried to strike officers Patrick Johnson, Roger Collum, Cody Dickerson and Steve Whitten with a motor vehicle and exhibited a deadly weapon.
At the time, police responded to a “man with a gun” report. Upon arrival, Gray was told to show his hands and exit the vehicle, according to investigator Monte Mansfield. After repeated instructions, he refused to comply. That’s when Gray attempted to drive away, which would put him on a collision course with surrounding officers, who fired on the vehicle.
Gray was later found in the nearby Loon Bay subdivision with multiple gunshot wounds.
The indictment was one of 199 true bills returned Jan. 18-20.
Among those were also indictments against Shady Oaks fire chief Timothy W. Jones, 44, and the fire department president Betty J. Wilson, 67, both of Athens.
The fire department leaders were indicted for Misapplication of Fiduciary Property, and Theft which includes a 2001 Chevy truck equipped to operate as a fire truck valued between $20,000 and $100,000.
Jones was also indicted for Tampering with Physical Evidence.
According to the indictment, the charge against Jones covers a time period of January 2008 through November, 2010.
Descrepencies in the bookkeeping were uncovered during an audit conducted by Henderson County, prior to the release of annual funds, meant to help compensate fire departments that serve the county to defray fuel costs.
Also, Gene Malloy Dotson, 46, from Gun Barrel, was indicted for Arson.
The defendant is charged with intent to damage or destroy a house in Rolling Oaks addition with a Kemp zipcode.
According to the indictment he purposely ignited gasoline with a match to property belonging to Jerry Dotson. The accused also suffered injury as a result of his actions.

Vases stolen from cemetery recovered
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Akin to grave robbers, police are seeking two white males in connection with the theft of 40 brass vases from two local cemeteries.
The vases are part of flat metal grave markers, designating the final resting place of the community’s dead. They were reported missing from the Eubank’s Cedar Creek Cemetery, located on State Highway 198 and from the Oaklawn cemetery on US 175, Jan. 24.
Mabank Lt. Keith Bradshaw investigated the theft, calling several metal recyclers in the area and was able to locate 32 vases, which were safely returned to the Eubank cemetery.
The funeral home is working with Oaklawn Cemetery to replace eight more stolen vases. The estimated cost is $160 each, police chief Kyle McAfee said.
From the Mabank recycler, Bradshaw learned that receipts were issued to two men on three separate occasions for the vases.
In addition, an unknown number of vases are also missing from a cemetery in Elm Grove, Eubank funeral home general manager J.D. Jennings said. The Van Zandt Sheriff’s Office is also investigating these cases.
Theft from a corpse or grave is a state jail felony and each defendant may be facing multiple charges.
“We appreciate the thorough investigation and quick action to recover the vases,” Jennings said.