Mineral Wells Area News

PALO PINTO, Texas — The Palo Pinto County Commissioners Court proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Awareness Month and received updates from county departments during their regular meeting on Monday, March 24th.

County Judge Shane Long read the proclamation, which states that “child abuse and neglect is a serious problem affecting every segment of our community” and that “prevention remains the best defense for our children and families.”

Representatives from several organizations including CASA, Children’s Alliance Center, and the Palo Pinto County Child Welfare Board were present to receive the proclamation. The court approved the measure unanimously.

Burn Ban Remains in Effect

Emergency Management Coordinator Chad Jordan reported that the county’s burn ban should remain in effect due to increasingly dry conditions. Jordan noted that the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) had risen to an average of 317, with fire danger ranging from high to very high across the county.

“Not much has changed. You know, we’re drier,” Jordan told the court, recommending the burn ban stay in place. They took no action, keeping the ban in place.

Fire Department Improvements

Fire Chief Danny Watkins provided an update on fire response operations after Judge Long inquired about positive changes he had been hearing about the department. Watkins outlined significant improvements in how the department now responds to structural fires county wide.

“ESD 1 responded to a reported five structural fires,” Watkins said about last month. “Of those five, four out of the five, the volunteers operated in an offensive mode, which basically means that the structure was still saveable.”

Watkins explained that the county has implemented a battalion chief program where volunteers with specialized training are now being paid part-time to be on call at all times, providing expert supervision at emergency scenes.

“What we did was we identified 10 individuals in the county, these are volunteers, that have had some sort of fire background or have been in the county for some time, did additional training with them, and the ESD approved it, and now we’re paying them part time,” Watkins explained. “We have someone on call in the county 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

County Finances

The Treasurer’s report which was for October of 2024 revealed total county funds of $38,787,147.70, with Judge Long clarifying that not all funds are available for general use.

“When you just hear that $38B, my goodness, what are they doing with all that money? Well, not all of it is just at our disposal,” Long explained. “Those special funds have to be used what they were collected for.”

The treasurer noted that $24,593,988.50 is allocated to maintenance and operations, while approximately $14 million is designated for special funds.

Sheriff’s Department Update

Sheriff JR Patterson reported that deputies made 48 arrests in February and responded to 747 calls. Dispatch handled a total of 1,226 calls for the month. Patterson highlighted several successful operations, including a multi-county investigation that recovered stolen cigarettes.

“Your deputies are doing a great job,” Patterson told the court. “Just due to the actions of your deputies, that little extra effort, that hustle in the middle of the night, we are making a difference.”

Records Management

The court heard from County Clerk Janette Green regarding records management. Green requested approval to end services with Data Bank and enter into a contract with Vista DMS for hosting Commissioner’s Court minutes at an annual cost of $2,250, which will be paid from the records preservation fund.

Other Business News

In other business, the court:

• Approved accounts payable and minutes from the previous meeting
• Received the monthly auditor’s report showing a 13.73% increase in January sales tax compared to last year’s January figures
• Approved quarterly reports from the delinquent tax attorney
• Authorized internet connections for county precincts 1, 2 and 3
• Approved road crossing permits for Mt. Zion Road and Blue Flat Road
• Approved a petition to abandon two alleyways in the original town of Orin.