FBI Seeks Victims in Investor or Other Financial Scams
August 11, 2023 – With the recent indictment of a local resident for what the Federal Bureau of Investigations is calling an investment scam, the Dallas FBI office is still looking for victims of this or any other scam from local residents. George Lewis Parsons, Jr. was indicted on July 12, 2023 on six counts of wire fraud totaling $3 million. Parsons and his attorney are set to respond to the federal court on August 14, 2023...
Construction Work Begins At Old Fairfield Lake State Park
August 11, 2023 – After a tumultuous year for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Park in Freestone County, work has now begun on turning the old State Park into a residential development. A gated golf course community is planned for the land, after the previous owner sold the property to Todd Interests from Dallas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department voted in June to allow the agency to condemn the 5,000-acre property and seize it...
Hopkins County – No Burn Ban, But Caution Advised
August 10, 2023 – The latest Drought Map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows Hopkins County to have a “No Drought” rating as of August 8th, 2023. As surrounding counties, mostly to our South and West are showing to start increasing in their drought rating, some are beginning to enforce burn bans in their counties. Officials in Hopkins County have not yet announced a burn ban for local residents but do advise county...
Smokey Bear Turns 79
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service encourages Texans to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 79th birthday today by being extremely cautious with all outdoor activities that create heat or sparks. As a national icon and the longest-running public service campaign in the United States, Smokey Bear has been teaching millions of people how to prevent wildfires since 1944. “With increased wildfire activity across Texas, Smokey...
Jimmy David Goldsmith
Jimmy David Goldsmith, age 79, passed away Monday, August 7, 2023, surrounded by his family at Carriage House Manor. Jimmy was born on July 2, 1944, in Sulphur Springs the son of Jimmy Lee Goldsmith and Juanita Elizabeth Brown Goldsmith. He married Linda Horne on April 19, 1963, in Sulphur Springs and she survives. Jimmy was a truck driver for over 50 years retiring from Ballard Trucking. He also owned a dairy at one time and raised...
Hopkins County Chamber Connection August 8th
New Intern at Chamber The Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome home a native son who has a distinguished and decorated military career for more than three decades. We welcome Joel Newsom to the team here at the Chamber, where he will serve as an intern for the next three plus months. A native of Hopkins County, Joel graduated from Como-Pickton High School in 1990 and joined the US Army. After serving as an infantry officer in...
2023 Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend Aug 11-13
Sales Tax Waived On Qualifying School Supplies, Clothes, Shoes and Student Backpacks Priced Under $100 This Weekend in Texas If you’re planning to buy school clothes or supplies, waiting until this weekend to do so could prove monetarily advantageous as this weekend is the annual sales tax holiday in Texas. State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks — priced below...
EDC Executive Director to Retire
Roger Feagley Announces Retirement – Chris Brown Chosen As Successor The Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County EDC will see a passing of the torch after almost 2 decades of success with Roger Feagley at the helm. Roger has announced he will retire in January, 2024, which will mark 19 years of service, providing assistance and resources of over $14m to nearly 40 local companies and projects. “It has been a pleasure to serve the Sulphur...
Travis Edward Riley
Travis Edward Riley, of Commerce, entered eternal rest on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at the age of 63. He was born in Sulphur Springs on April 22, 1960, to the late Betty Jo (Carr) and William Travis Riley. He is preceded in death by his wife, Andrea Riley, and his brother Charlie Skeen. Survivors include daughter, Bethany Riley; brothers, Ricky Skeen, Clifton Riley (wife, Darla Riley), and Jerry Riley (wife, Angie Riley); nephews,...
Juan Hernandez-Ruiz Charged with Murder
A Sulphur Springs resident was arrested at 4:40am early Sunday morning, August 6, 2023 after a report of a man covered with blood in the 700 block of Texas St. Sulphur Springs police officers responded to the scene at 4:10am to find Giovanni Lopez in the street bleeding from his injuries. Juan Hernandez-Ruiz, 2023 During the investigation, officers learned that the victim had been in an altercation earlier in the evening with a...
