Announcements
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NOTICE
The CSCD will CLOSE at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2nd for mandatory training, and will re-open at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 3rd.
CLOSING FOR THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2014
THE CSCD WILL BE CLOSING AT 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, due to inclement weather, as will County offices, by order of the County Judge. On Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, PLEASE CALL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO COME IN TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE OPEN!
BAD WEATHER CLOSING
NOVEMBER 22, 2013. The CSCD closed, along with County offices and the courthouse, at 1:00 p.m. today by order of the County Judge. Road conditions had deteriorated to a point that driving them was hazardous. As conditions are not expected to improve by tomorrow, all CSCD functions scheduled for Saturday, November 23rd have been cancelled. That means there will be no community service or substance abuse classes tomorrow. Also, the final class of the Drug Offender Education Program that was scheduled for this evening has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 26th.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FOOD PANTRY
Located at 301 NE 1st Street, Mineral Wells, TX. Open from 9 a.m. to Noon on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday each week, and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings. Contact Rev. Lianne Turner for more information.
PTSD COUNSELING
Post Tramatic Stress Disorder Group Counseling is held at 1:00 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of each month at the VFW Post 2399, 1400 SE Veterans of Foreign Wars Street, Mineral Wells, TX. Group sessions are presiced over by the Fort Worth VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service. For appointments, call Mike Coulter at 817-921-9095.
MINERAL WELLS CENTER OF LIFE
The Mineral Wells Center of Life is currently having sign ups for four classes, including: “Jobs for Life:, Grocery Shopping on a Budger”, “Financial Management”, and “Computer Skills”. Call (940) 327-8700 or visit www.mwcol.org for more information.
GED REMINDER
Finish the GED Test this year, A reminder from Weatherford College Testing Center. The current version of the GED test is expiring at the end of 2013. Persons testing for the GED must make the required passing scores by the end of testing year 2013 or will be required to start over. For more information, contact the Weatherford College Testing Center at (817) 568-6383 or testing@wc.edu
WORKFORCE SOLUTION
The Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas mobile unit will be in Mineral Wells every Wednesdaay at the Boyce Dittoew Public Library parking lot, located at 2300 SE MLK Jr. Street.
APPLY FOR TEXAS BENEFITS
Catholic Charities Fort Worth will provede application assistance for Food Stamps (SNAP), Financial Assistance (TANF), CHIP and Children’s Medicaid every first and third Wednesday at Addiction Recovery Ministries, 112 S. Oak Ave, Mineral Wells. Call to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins welcome. Call (940) 325-7466.
CLOSING!!!
The CSCD offices will close at 3:00 p.m., Friday, February 1, 2013 by order of the Palo Pinto County Judge. The closing of the CSCD and County offices is being done to comply with the notice given by Encore that they will be shutting down all electricity in this area to conduct major repairs to their equipment that serves the courthouse and immediate area.
The CSCD and County offices will reopen for business on Monday, February 4, 2013.
Palo Pinto Challenge, Inc.
One of the community agencies that benefits from the CSCD’s Community Service Restitution Program is Palo Pinto Challenge in Strawn. Palo Pinto Challenge is a sheltered workshop for adults with mental and developmental impairments that trains, among other things, these persons to be more independent. One of their major projects is the production and sale of Hale Center Salsa. The van that is used to transport the participants at the center was well past its usefulness, and the non-profit agency, which operates only on donations and the sale of their product, was in dire need of a newer van.
The CSCD allowed probationers with community service to donate to the agency’s fund to raise money for a newer van back before Christmas, in exchange for community service hours. Because of the number of probationers who donated, the agency was able to purchase a newer van. Shown below is the van with some of the agency’s participants.
In a letter received from Ms. Jennifer Elmore, President of the Board of Directors for Palo Pinto Challenge, she stated, “Your generosity made it possible for Palo Pinto Challenge to continue its mission of providing our associates with the opportunity to work with pride. Thank you…”
For those of you who donated, you can take pride in your participation, and, perhaps, now understand what community service is all about.
OFFICES REOPEN
The CSCD, along with County offices reopened on Thursday, April 21st, but will be closed on Friday, April 22nd in observance of Good Friday, a County-designated holiday.
WILDFIRE EVACUATION OF PALO PINTO
tODAY AT 3:30 P.M., County Judge David Nicklas ordered the evacuation of County buildings in Palo Pinto, due to the wildfires approaching Palo Pinto from the west and north. As result, the Palo Pinto County CSCD (adult probation) will be closed for the rest of the day. Until a decision has been made on when we may return to our building, the CSCD will remain closed. PLEASE CALL BEFORE TRYING TO COME TO THE CSCD TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE OPEN!
February 10, 2011
DWI Education Program
The DWI Education Program scheduled for this month has been rescheduled to allow more people needing to take it to enroll. The winter closings prevented many people from being able to sign up. Please check the calendar on this website for the new class dates (scheduled in March).
February 2, 2011
Makin Up Bad Weather Closings
Because of the recent cycle of bad weather which has made travel treacherous and resulted in the closing of County offices, the CSCD offices have also been closed. If you had an appointment or program scheduled during this period of closure, please contact your probation officer when the CSCD reopens on Monday, February 7th, 2011, to reschedule.
January 25, 2011
DPS Announces DRP Amnesty Programs Detail
Texans whose driver licenses have been suspended for failing to pay state-mandated surcharges are urged to take advantage of a one-time payment amnesty from Jan. 17 to April 17, 2011.
The Texas Department of Public Safety will offer lower payments to individuals who have been suspended and are in default on their surcharges. The goal of the amnesty period is to bring drivers into compliance with the surcharge law, and allow them to become licensed and insured drivers. The amnesty reduction does not apply to any other fees that you may owe the Department.
Those eligible for the Amnesty Program are anyone who had a surcharge assessed between Sept. 30, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2008, and were delinquent on those payments. The surcharges meeting the above criteria must be in default before the amnesty period.
Those who qualify for the Amnesty Program will pay 10 percent of the original amount owed for all surcharges combined, for a maximum amount of $250. Service fees will still apply. Any payments already made will be applied to the reduced amount, and if prior payments are more than the reduced amount due, no payment will be required. Prior payments more than the reduced amount due will not be refunded.
To apply for the Amnesty Program beginning January 17, 2011, see our surcharge website at www.txsurchargeonline.com or call 1-877-207-3170. No requests will be accepted by mail, email or fax.
Once the online or telephone application is approved, the surcharge suspensions will be cleared on the applicant’s driving record within three business days. Applicants will be provided the reduced amount to pay, and they can begin making payments after three business days.
Applicants for the Amnesty Program can pay in full or make payments, but the full amount must be paid by April 17, 2011. If payment in full is not received by April 17, 2011, the reduction is voided and the suspensions are put back on the driving record.
The Department does not have plans to offer another amnesty period.
An Indigency program will be offered after the amnesty period ends in April. The Indigency program will apply to individuals at or below 125 percent of poverty level, using a sworn affidavit; will reduce the amount to 10 percent of total surcharges owed, not to exceed $250; and will rescind suspension for those who receive indigency while payments are being made. Anyone assessed a surcharge since September 30, 2004 will be eligible for the Indigency program.
The Driver Responsibility Program, which assesses fees for a variety of driving-related offenses, was passed by the Legislature in 2003 and directed the Department to administer the program. Traffic offenses that carry an automatic surcharge for three years, include DWI-related offenses, no insurance, driving while license suspended, driving without a license and point accumulation. (For example, the fee for a first-time DWI offender is $1,000 per year for three years.) The revenue generated by DRP goes to trauma centers, emergency medical services and the general revenue Fund.
Surcharges are in addition to all other reinstatement fees required for other administrative actions and do not replace any administrative suspension, revocation, disqualification or cancellation action that results from these same convictions.
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