Onalaska Man Finalist in TV Show Competition
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Family owned and operated, dedicated to providing top-notch Air Conditioning “Proudly serving East Texas since 1983.” and Heating services, always with a smile. Call the pros that have been serving our (936) 967-4444 community since 1983. Payment starting at $60/month* AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK Call for details. WIC, on new systems. www.bestairandheatllc.com POLK✯ COUNTY LIVINGSTON, ONALASKA MEET ON THE COURT ENTERPRISE 7A THE DOMINANT NEWS AND ADVERTISING SOURCE IN POLK COUNTY SINCE 1904 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 Visit us online at easttexasnews.com • PolkCountyEnterprise • Subscribe to our e-edition• 75 CENTS POLK COUNTY COVID CASE COUNTS: OVERALL 1,084 CONFIRMED/809 PROBABLE; RECOVERED 1,471; DEATHS 46; ACTIVE 358 AS OF 12-15. County’s ‘Secret December shopper’ sales tax suspect revenue caught Out-of-towner takes declines $42K from victims in scam, including LIVINGSTON — After Livingston woman experiencing five straight months of double-digit growth, in December Polk LIVINGSTON — A woman County’s monthly sales tax is behind bars after scam- income declined from the ming a Livingston woman previous year for only the and other people for a second time in 2020. grand total of The $238,931.25 receive $42,000. in December was down On Nov. 27, of $713.04 or 0.3 percent law enforce- when compared to the Photo by Jason Chlapek ment authori- $239,644.29 collected in From left, Livingston city manager Bill Wiggins, Tanya Dora and Nancy Windham of the Texas Forest Country Partnership, ties with the December 2019, according Ilir Gjoka of Joe’s Italian Grill, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy and State Representative James White celebrate Joe’s Los Angeles to a report issued by Texas Italian Grill receiving the 2020 “Do-Gooder” of the Year award for Polk County Tuesday morning. County Sher- Comptroller Glenn Hegar. Hongwen iff ’s Depart- It is also the second highest Zhang ment arrested December sales tax payment 32-year-old ever receive by the coming, ‘Do-Gooder’ of the Year award Hongwen Zhang, who was only exceeded by the 2019 recently indicted by a Polk figure. County grand jury for her The December decrease presented to Joe’s Italian Grill role in a “secret shopper” followed an 18.6 percent scam that swindled a Liv- gain in November, a 10.2 ingston woman out of nearly percent growth in October, LUFKIN — Joe’s Ital- of the TFCP by Robert of the TFCP, noted Joe’s and New Year’s Day. In $10,000. a 11.7 percent increase in ian Grill of Livingston Allen, president & CEO Italian Grill, owned by Ilir addition, free meals are According to law enforce- was awarded the 2020 of the Texas Economic Gjoka, was established in provided to military veter- ment reports, in March of “Do-Gooder” of the Year Development Corporation; 2009 and has 12 employ- ans every year on Veteran’s this year, the victim was See SALES TAX ➩ Page 5A Award for Polk County Adriana Cruz, executive ees, who assist in giving Day and free meals are contacted by the defendant, during the 2020 Texas For- director of the Office of back graciously to the also provided to the Polk or someone conspiring with est Country Partnership Economic Development community. County Special Olympics See SECRET ➩ Page 5A (TFCP) Virtual Economic & Tourism, Office of the A few of Mr. Gjoka participants. LISD receives Development Summit on Governor; and Bryan and his staff ’s selfless acts “Mr. Gjoka also makes Wednesday, Nov. 18. Daniel, chair of the Texas include opening his grill a special effort to take care The award presenta- Workforce Commission. to feed the homeless every clean financial tion was made on behalf Christi Sullivan, chair Thanksgiving, Christmas See JOE’S ➩ Page 4A C-CISD audit report to form From Enterprise Staff soccer The LISD School Board heard a financial audit report Onalaska man Finalist and information on a college program entrance exam Monday at Creekside Elementary. By Casey Sizemore The December meeting opened with a report by in TV show competition CORRIGAN — The Corri- school auditor Eric Carver By Brian Besch gan-Camden ISD Board of with Axley & Rode. Carver [email protected] Trustees approved establish- reported how the last six ing a high school boys and months have been challeng- Over three decades ago, a motorcycle crash girls soccer program during ing in a difficult year. He nearly killed Robert Rolin. it regular scheduled meeting issued a clean, unmodified However, the Onalaska resident is now Monday. opinion, the highest level surviving several rounds of voting and close to Superintendent Rich- that can be given. winning a custom motorcycle from the televi- ard Cooper said the future Most of the district’s rev- sion show Orange County Choppers. teams would play an “out- enue increased, as well as the “Paul Teutul and his son started a show law” season for the 2021-22 expenses. There was a $3.5 called American Chopper,” Rolin said of the school year, meaning the million increase in revenue television show’s beginnings. “It was him and teams would not play in due to the increase in prop- his son building motorcycles in their garage. UIL schedule until the erty values and increased They built some really nice custom bikes. They 2022-23 season. He also state funding. The increase built showcase bikes. They started building for said UIL does not offer a went into payroll expen- celebrities and superstars. 3A division for soccer so the ditures, most of which, for “I was on Facebook one day and saw this teams would likely compete teacher salaries. thing that said “dream chopper.” It said enter in the 4A division. Carver said that the gen- a contest to win a dream chopper. It also helps The board also approved eral fund has good liquidity the Hudson Valley SPCA in New York.” allocating $30,000 from the and will enable the district Rolin said when he signed up, there were district’s non-designated to handle anything that 70,000 other people who did the same. He fund balance to cover the comes up. A total of $10 won the first round and the group shrunk to initial investment of goals, million will be held in the 9,000. He won a five more rounds and has soccer balls, uniforms and fund balance for capital just three more competitors in his way of the other equipment required to projects. The general fund grand prize. Courtesy photos establish the teams. budget was in line with Also included in the grand prize is an ap- Robert Roliin is a finalist to win a custom motorcycle from the “This will not come out expectations. Expenditures pearance on the television show and a feature show Orange County Choppers. He currently owns a Harley- of our 2020-21 budget as were short due to the CO- on the cover of Cycle Source Magazine. Davidson trike (below). it is a one-time expense,” VID shutdown in March A vote is free, but additional votes can also Cooper said. and payroll. The fixed as- be purchased to accumulate more. The money Additionally, Cooper said sets reflected the $1 million donated goes to helping animals. the district would not be spent on buses last year. The The competition runs until 10 p.m. Thursday adding a salary position to COVID 19 expenses have evening. fill the coaching position, already been handled, but Rolin says he has many groups voting for but rather search internally the revenue might not be re- him, with numbers in the hundreds. However, for someone. The teams alized for 18-24 months. the other contestants have similar backing. will practice on the existing “The LISD business of- “It’s very humbling. I am kind of a private football practice field and fice and district staff is to be guy and I keep to myself. Me and my son have compete in home games on commended for their efforts a company; we build houses. It is my son’s the football field. See LISD ➩ Page 5A See ONALASKA ➩ Page 5A See C-CISD ➩ Page 5A VOLUME 139 • ISSUE 101 THU 12/17 FRI 12/18 SAT 12/19 SUN 12/20 MON 12/21 TUE 12/22 INSIDE MEMBER To subscribe (936) 327-4357 Classified ................ 9-10A 2020 or visit etypeservices.com/ 3A Polk County EnterpriseID474/ Life Tributes ................. 78/58 69/54 64/40 57/34 57/39 61/45 Official Records ........... 8A TEXAS PRESS Sunny Rain Few showers Showers Sunny Partly cloudy 8A Winds S 8 mph Winds SSE 9 mph Winds NW 7 mph Winds NW 8 mph Winds NE 4 mph Winds SSE 8 mph Public Notices ............. ASSOCIATION Chance of rain 5%. Chance of rain 75%. Chance of rain 30%. Chance of rain 40%. Chance of rain 15%. Chance of rain 24%. 7A USPS 437-340 Humidity 92% Humidity 100% Humidity 92%. Humidity 80%. Humidity 83% Humidity 84% Sports ......................... easttexasnews.com CMYK 2A | POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE | Thursday, December 17, 2020 Saturday Christmas Happenings Photos by Amanda Barker | PCE MISS EFFIE’S COTTAGE — Little Cindy-Lou Who (Braycie Pucket) gets her Letter to Santa read by Santa as the Grinch (Westin Pucket) poses for a pho- to op. Santa visited Miss Effie’s Cottage Saturday and enjoyed free cookies and juice while children dropped off their letters to Santa. The event was hosted by member of the Livingston Garden Club (pictured right) and the ladies were dressed to impress. Courtesy photo ALMA’S DOWNTOWN WHISTLE STOP CAFE — Santa waves from Al- ma’s Whistle Stop Cafe where he visited Saturday.