DEPUTIES SHOT

LOCAL NEWS

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IT STARTED EARLY THIS MORNING, WHEN AROUND 5, DEPUTIES WITH THE LIBERTY COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO A DOMESTIC DISPUTE WHERE SHOT’S WERE FIRED IN THE WOODLAND HILLS AREA OF DAYTON. WHEN DEPUTIES ARRIVED, AN AS YET UNIDENTIFIED MAN, SAID TO BE IN HIS 40’S, SURPRISED THE THREE DEPUTIES AND FIRED AT THEM. INJURED IN THE INCIDENT WERE LIBERTY COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPUTIES REX EVANS AND JEREMY MARCANTEL. WE BELIEVE BOTH WERE TAKEN TO HERMANN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON BY GROUND AMBULANCE WITH INJURIES TO THE UPPER BODY. DEPUTY REX EVANS WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOUSTON HOSPITAL. JEREMY MARCANTEL WILL BE KEPT AT LEAST OVERNIGHT. ONE DEPUTY WAS NOT HURT. THE SHOOTING INCIDENT WAS IN AN AREA OF WOODLAND HILLS, IN THE AREA OF COUNTY ROADS 6473 / 6474. THIS SITUATION IS FLUID AND REMAINS CHANGING, AS OF THIS REPORT, THE LIBERTY COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH BAYTOWN SWAT TEAM, TEXAS DPS, AND THE DAYTON, LIBERTY AND KENEFICK POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE AT THE SCENE OF THIS SHOOTING. ONE INJURED DEPUTIES, REX EVANS WAS TREATED AND RELEASED, JEREMY MARCANTEL, SAID TO BE IN STABLE CONDITION WILL REMAIN HOSPITALIZED AT LEAST OVERNIGHT. THE ALLEGED GUNMEN, IS SAID TO HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE. LIBERTY COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER STEVE GREEN, SAID IT WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING THE SHOOTER KILLED HIMSELF. OTHER INFORMATION INDICATES THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT IS CALLING THE SCENE "SECURE".

COMMISSIONERS COURT

LOCAL NEWS

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YESTERDAY, LIBERTY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSED, AT LENGTH, A NEW PROGRAM FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES TO DONATE SICK TIME TO A POOL. THE PROGRAM WHICH HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN PUT INTO PLACE, ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO DONATE SOME OF THEIR ACCRUED SICK TIME, UP TO 24 HOURS, TO A POOL FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES TO DRAW FROM IN THE CASE OF CATASTROPHIC INJURIES OR ILLNESS. CASE IN POINT WOULD BE THE DON NEYLAND AND BARBIE VAVRA SITUATION AT THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT. WHILE LIBERTY COUNTY EMPLOYEE INSURANCE COVERS ALL THE MEDICAL COST OF BOTH THE RECIPIENT, DON NEYLAND, AND THE DONOR, BARBIE VAVRA, IT DOES NOT ALLOW FUNDS FOR LOST TIME. THE COUNTY EMPLOYEE SICK TIME POOL, ALLOWS BOTH OF THEM TO DRAW FROM THAT POOL, SHOULD THEY SURPASS THEIR OWN ACCRUED SICK TIME. TIME DRAWN FROM THE SICK TIME POOL MUST BE REQUESTED AND APPROVED PRIOR TO ITS USE. COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSED INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF TIME AN EMPLOYEE CAN DONATE TO THE POOL, BUT TABLED THE ITEM. WHEN AN EMP0LOYEE OF THE COUNTY RETIRES, THE COUNTY IS OBLIGATED TO PAY ACCRUED VACATION TIME, BUT NOT THEIR UNUSED SICK TIME. SPECIFICALLY, THE QUESTION WAS HOW MUCH OF THAT ACCRUED TIME WHICH CAN GET EXTENSIVE UPON RETIREMENT, CAN BE DONATED TO THE POOL. THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OF THE COUNTY COMES INTO PLACE ACCORDING TO WES HINCH, COUNTY ATTORNEY, WHEN THE TIME IS IN THE POOL; IT IS TIME THAT COULD BE CONCEIVABLY PAID. LIBERTY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ASKED TREASURER KIM HARRIS TO GATHER AN APPROXIMATE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT COULD BE DONATED, THUS OBLIGATING THE COUNTY FOR, IF DONATED BY THOSE WHO ARE RETIRING. COMMISSIONERS INDICATED FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST YEAR, IN ORDER TO BUILD UP THE POOL HOURS, THEY WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THE CAPPED AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT CAN BE DONATED ABOVE THE 24 HOURS CALLED FOR NOW, BUT DID WANT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE CHANGING THAT CAPPED AMOUNT. IN OTHER ACTION, COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A CONTRACT WITH PUBLIC MANAGEMENT OF CLEVELAND TO ADMINISTRATOR THE FEDERAL DISASTER RECOVERY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THAT FIRM, OPERATED BY JAY RICE WILL BE HOLDING 4 APPLICATION DAYS THIS MONTH FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR THESE HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS. WE WILL HAVE A SEPARATE STORY ON THAT ISSUE IN ANOTHER NEWSCAST.