Commissioner Under Investigation

RUSK — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department is going through records of Precinct 3 Commissioner Katherine Pinotti — and the results may be brought before a grand jury. According to KETK, the questions begin with Patterson Road. The commissioner says after much research, she discovered it’s mislabeled as private on county maps — that it’s actually County Road 3427. So at the request of residents, she had the road resurfaced.

But County Attorney Craig Caldwell is questioning the move, so an investigation is underway. And Sheriff’s Captain John Raffield, who’s leading the investigation, says, “The deeds have been pulled and all the documentation from the county. And the information we’ve gathered so far indicates that it is not a county road in Cherokee County.” A warranty deed for the developer of that subdivision says the road is private — and if residents want the county to maintain it, they must file for formal approval from the commissioners court. The investigation should reportedly take a couple more weeks and be ready for the DA in early October.