Wood County commissioners approved the sale of six lots at Clear Lakes for $4,311 to Elegment LLC. According to Patrick Woods of Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins and Mott LLP, these lots have sat vacant for 12 years, and this sale will put them back on the tax rolls for various Wood County entities.

Commissioners approved a request from Sandy Cabe for an indigent burial. The deceased was found in a trailer at the Oasis RV Park in Hawkins. Efforts by Cabe and the sheriff’s office exhausted all means of finding any known relatives. 

Commissioners approved hiring Debra Carpenter and Gerald Peace as temporary employees in Precinct 3. Carl Middleton was also approved for temporary hire in Precinct 3 but resigned the following day. In the district clerk’s office, Sunshine Everett and Shelia Jones were hired full-time as deputy district clerks. In the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Sarah Williams changed positions from dispatcher to records clerk.

Commissioners acknowledged the assignment of Judge Lauren Parish from the 115th District Court to the 402nd District Court in a child custody case.

A workshop was held after the meeting to discuss the Union Pacific Railroad project on Wood County Road 3780 near Jarvis Christian College and Upshur County. The project is at the CR 3780 crossing at Highway 80 and will be closed for additional right-of-way by Union Pacific.

The project will include relocation of CR 3780 and the creation of two new county roads which are to be CR 3781 and CR 3782. A new crossing and access to CR 3780 from Highway 80 will be installed. New access will be added from Highway 80 across from Jarvis and built to TxDOT and Wood County specifications. The project extends into Upshur County and Big Sandy.