Monitor Photo/Jody Vincik
Henderson County Commissioners’ Court proclaims April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month during the April 9 meeting, with those present including Ken Strawn (back row, from left), Kevin Halbert, Commissioner Mark Richardson, Chad Harris, Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, County Judge Wade McKinney and Commissioners Wendy Spivey, Scott Tuley and Chuck McHam, as well as Sheila Davis (front row, from left), Karen Bertoni, Krystal Tackett, Casie Darter, Breanna Rogers, Cayce Shue, Leslie Saunders, Cathy Arnold, Della Cooper, District Attorney Jenny Palmer, Ginger Ford, Patricia Whitley, Susan Randall, Kim Williams, Maria Rameriz and Debbie Stanley.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Henderson County Commissioners’ Court voted April 9 to proclaim April 2024 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Henderson County District Attorney Jenny Palmer noted the presence of members of East Texas Crisis Center, Henderson County HELP Center, the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team (one of whom is Sheriff Botie Hillhouse), Athens Police Chief Chad Allen and County Attorney Clint Davis.
Palmer read from the proclamation, which calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts every person in Henderson County, according to its recited text, and that it “occurs far too frequently” and “far too often” goes unreported.
County Judge Wade McKinney credited nonprofit organizations for their work helping victims of sexual assault, as well as the county’s Crimes Against Children Task Force for their investigations and referrals for prosecution.
The court also heard a presentation from East Texas Emergency Communications Service (ETECS) and Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club (CCARC) related to the Feb. 28, 2023, use agreement at Central Tower location.
County Network Manager Jody Vincik said the project expands Henderson County’s amateur radio service using the smaller, county-owned central tower that serves its radio system. Vincik said the county provided three antennas and cabling and ETECS provided equipment.
ETECS Director John Newman said he works with Texas Department of Emergency Management providing emergency through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), of which he is regional director for 38 counties, as well as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).
Newman talked about how those two organizations work together during an emergency. “We kind of wear that hat when, more or less, there is a local situation happening,” Newman said, unless the state activates their system.
As for the antennas on the tower and repeaters, one will link with Skywarn, part of the National Weather Service, Newman continued.
CCARC Past President Charles Wells said using the tower will solve problems of communicating with wide-ranging spotters, who Newman said are in line of sight of the repeaters.
McKinney said the agreement helps provide these communications services and that HC is in one of the “largest weather radar gaps in the country,” which in certain instances has been filled in by use of the spotters.
In other business, the court:
• Approved a request from the Henderson County Tax Assessor-Collector to refund tax overpayments, issuing five checks totaling $26,517.79.
• After a public hearing, approved setting a 30 mph speed limit County Roads 3413, 4101 and 41514, located in Precinct 4.
• Approved a Notice of Election for a May 28 Republican Party runoff, which involves the State Board of Education’s District 10, according to County Elections Administrator Paula Ludtke.
• Approved reappointing Ronny Lawrence as a member of the City of Chandler Tax Increment Finance Board of Directors.
• Approved recommending Coy Ellis as a member for the City of Chandler Tax Increment Finance, to be appointed by that city.
• Approved a two-year contract with Republic Services to haul county precincts’ waste debris directly to the company’s Royal Oaks Landfill in Jacksonville.
• Approved paying fiscal year 2024 bills of $546,493.84.
• Approved a bid by Lee Construction & Equipment to provide Precinct 3 with a used water truck for $42,900.
• Approved a bid to provide Precinct 3 with a used haul truck and end dump trailer for $40,000.