Courtesy Photo/Michael Hannigan
4-H Students Amelia Abney (from left), Jack Tyler, Bryce Parish and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension of Henderson County Secretary Angela Hemphill spoke to County Commissioners Oct. 4 about the 4-H program.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County issued two proclamations during its Oct. 4 meeting.
The first proclaims October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month for Henderson County. There also was a reading of the proclamation at the Henderson County Courthouse at noon that day. East Texas Crisis Center-Athens Director of Outreach Della Cooper told the court that from Sept. 2021 to Sept. 2022, the East Texas Crisis Center, which helps people in Henderson, Smith, Wood, Rains and Van Zandt counties, assisted 1,191 victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and provided 27,324 services to those clients.
The Henderson County office of East Texas Crisis Center, Cooper continued, has provided services to 315 of those 1,191 individuals. Cooper also quoted Henderson County District Attorney’s Office statistics, which show that in 2022, the District Attorney received 52 cases of aggravated family assault in different variations. The Henderson County Attorney’s Office has received 60 such cases, Cooper said.
Also, through 2022, the District Attorney has handled 146 intakes for family protective orders, Cooper said. Twenty-four of those were granted while 10 protective orders resulted in bond conditions, according to Cooper. Also, Cooper stated the Henderson County Sheriff's Office has recorded 184 calls and arrests related to domestic violence.
“It takes special people to do this special job, whichever agency it is, they are all special people that can do this,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Scott Tuley remarked.
The court also proclaimed the week of Oct. 2-8 as National 4-H Week in Henderson County. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension of Henderson County Secretary Angela Hemphill, more than 6 million youth are involved in 4-H, with more than 550,000 of those in Texas. Hemphill said she expects 300 youths to take part in Henderson County by the end of the year.
“We are planning on bigger and better things each year,” Hemphill said.
The court also heard from Henderson County 4-H students, including Brownsboro High School student Bryce Parish, who is president of the county’s 4-H Council.
“I’m proud that we have such a strong program here in Henderson County,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam said, “and always have and will continue to have.”
In other business, the court:
• Approved the 2023 holiday schedule for Henderson County employees.
• Approved a request from Spencer Perkins of the AgriLife Extension Office for out-of-state travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Henderson County 4-H Horse Judging team to compete at the 2022 All-American Quarter Horse Congress. 
• Approved a notice of election for the creation of Henderson County Emergency Services District (ESD) No. 12 for Nov. 8.
• Approved setting a public hearing for Oct. 25 on closing a portion of County Road 3420 from its intersection with County Road 3425, covering 1,292 feet of road to an existing gate, located in Precinct 3 in Brownsboro.
• Approved the payment of fiscal year 2022 bills in the amount of $453,056.32.