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A Young County grand jury this month no-billed the case of an inmate death that occurred in March 2023 at the Young County Jail. The determination was made following the completion of an investigation from the Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers. Brandon Taylor, 31, of Mineral Wells, was found unresponsive in an administrative segregation cell March 21, 2023.
After work began at the beginning of March to unearth the history of the Oak Grove Colored-William P. Johnston Memorial Cemetery, progress and discoveries were made last weekend by a professor and her students from Texas Tech University. Dr. Tamra L. Walter, historical archaeologist and associate professor of archeology, along with graduate students worked Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 to scrape graves at the cemetery, which involves taking off a layer of topsoil to inspect the ground for potential graveshafts.
Law enforcement agencies in Young County will be receiving Stop the Bleed kits for officers to have in their vehicles when responding to emergencies. Jarod Cook, of the Texas Department of Emergency Management, shared a plan Monday, March 25 to distribute these kits primarily to law enforcement officers throughout the county. The Young County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the motion to purchase the kits.
Due to inclement weather this week, Hwy. 16 will remain open and available after being scheduled to be closed for six days for the filming of a television show. Last week, Young County approved the closure of a portion of Hwy. 16 between Turtle Hole Road and Oliver Lane for the filming of a scene for an upcoming Paramount Pictures television show “Landman.” The scene the studio was scheduled to film on the Young County road involves a collision between a small airplane and an oil tanker, which would cause an explosion.
Young County will be receiving financial assistance for the Young County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuting attorneys office with grant agreements from Senate Bill 22. The county also approved the creation of a new full-time position in the county attorney’s office. At commissioners court Monday, March 11, County Judge Win Graham presented the grant agreements from SB 22 for the Rural Law Enforcement Salary Assistance Program and the Rural Prosecutor’s Office Salary Assistance Program for ratification by the commissioners.