1 Replat, 1 Preliminary Subdivision Plat Approved
Hopkins County Commissioner Court during a regular meeting earlier this week gave approval for a replat of Rynn Estates and an application for a preliminary land subdivision plat for Colbert Oaks.
Margaret Rynn asked to be allowed to replat Rynn Estates, located in Precinct 1. The property has been surveyed. The request is to combine several lots into one, according to County Clerk Tracy Smith.
“It kind of an odd shaped property. It’s just a redesigning of the existing,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker said.
The replat was unanimously approved on a motion from Barker, seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin.
Ron Colbert, property owner, submitted an application for a preliminary land subdivision plat for Colbert Oaks – Unit 1.
The 41-acre property is located on FM 275 south. Colbert asked to be allowed to plat approximately 12 acres in front to the highway, less than the required 200 foot front on each of those two pieces. Colbert said the owners have had a surveyor do the platting for them and have been working with attorneys to meet all requirements.
Colbert said they have talked to a road maintenance agreement, with the owners of those three tracts agreeing to maintain the road. He said the county fire marshal has also been consulted regarding road access to ensure the road is sufficient for should emergency vehicles need to respond on it.
It’s is an open public road way, with 60 foot wide utility easements within that line, and Miller Grove Water will have access to run a water line.
The two properties on either side will be sold and own out to the center of the line, for a dedicated roadway specifically to that track in the back so that it’s not land locked in any way, Colbert told the commissioners. That would pass with the deeds moving forward.
Coblert told the court he does not anticipate extending the road out nor dividing the property any more, as an entity is buying 28 acres, with all of those being single family residences.
Cooper Man Jailed For Having 1.5 Grams Of Methamphetamine
A 38-year-old Cooper man was arrested at early Saturday morning after deputies found a bag of suspected methamphetamine in his possession during a traffic stop.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputy Drew Fisher reported conducting a traffic stop on a Ford Ranger on Interstate 30 west at mile marker 124 (near South Broadway Street in Sulphur Springs) at 12 a.m. Nov. 30. Sgt. Richard Greer assisted with the traffic stop, according to sheriff’s reports.
Fisher alleged, upon contact with Billy Joe Thomas, the 38-year-old Cooper man showed signs of nervousness and avoidance toward him. After further questioning, Fisher reported asking for and receiving permission to search the read pickup.
In the bed of the truck, the deputy alleged finding a tool box with a cigarette carton empty of everything except a bag containing a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine and a syringe.
Consequently, Thomas was taken into custody and transported to jail. The truck was impounded. The suspected contraband was also transported to the jail, where it tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.5 grams, Fisher alleged in arrest reports.
Thomas remained in the county jail late Saturday morning; his bond on the possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge was set at $30,000, according to jail reports.
He has two previous controlled substance convictions, according to jail reports.
2 Companies Issue Recalls On All-Purpose Flour Due To Possible E. Coli
Two companies have issued voluntary recalls for bags of all-purpose flour due to potential presence of E. coli.
UNFI announced Nov. 27, a voluntary national recall of five-pound bags of its Wild Harvest® Organic All-Purpose Flour, Unbleached, with a Code of AA BEST IF USED BY 010820 CC 15:58 and UPC Code 711535509158.
During routine FDA sampling of the five-pound bag product, results were found to be positive for E.coli.
To date, UNFI has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product, according to the company announcement.
Consumers are asked to check their pantries and dispose of the product affected by this recall. Consumers with questions may contact UNFI at 855-423-2630 (customer support is available seven days-a-week between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST). Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Hodgson Mill of Effingham, Illinios also announced on Nov. 27 a voluntary national recall of specific lots of its five-pound Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour.
“We are taking this voluntary precautionary step because of the potential presence of pathogenic E. coli which was discovered through sampling raw uncooked flour. Hodgson Mill has not received any confirmed reports of illnesses related to this product,” the company announcement stated.
The only product affected by Hodgson Mill’s recall is Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour (5 lb.) UPC 0-71518-05009-2Best By Date 10-01-2020 and 10-02-2020 with lot codes listed Lot# 001042 & 005517.
Use By and Lot Code information can be found on the bottom back panel of the 5 lb. Bag. Used By date and Lot Code, along with their location on the bag, must all match in order to represent flour affected by this recall.
This lot of flour was milled at an ADM Milling Facility in St Louis, Missouri and repacked at Hodgson Mill, Inc. facility in Effingham, Illinois, and was distributed by Hodgson Mill through retailers and distribution nationwide and sold through our website www.hodgsonmill.com
Consumers who have purchased 5 lb packages of Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour with specific lot codes are urged to stop using the product immediately and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company customer service M-F 9am to 3pm at 1-888-417-9343 x 1.
Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
E. coli can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections in infants, older people, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. The most common symptoms of E. coli are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, which develop within three or four days of eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts about a week and most people recover without treatment.
Guidance from FDA and the Centers for Disease Control continues to warn that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour and that all surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour or dough.
Hopkins County Records For Nov. 29, 2019
Applications for Marriage Licenses
- Kaci Lynn Allen and Justin Lee Shackelford
- Dorothy Ann Kinnamon and Bobby Joe Wilson
- Azucena Pulido Lopez and Luis Herrera Pulido
- Nicole Suarez Alvarez and La Christopher Osborn
- Melanie Torres and Jesus Manuel Torres
3 Women Arrested By DPS On Marijuana Charges In Separate I-30 Traffic Stops
Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers arrested three women on a misdemeanor marijuana charge each following three different Interstate 30 traffic stops Nov. 27.
Troopers stopped a Lexus ES 300 at 9:22 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 30 at mile marker 133 for following too closely behind a commercial vehicle hauling an over-sized load.
Upon contact with the driver, the trooper reported smelling a strong marijuana odor emitting from the car. The driver, a 50-year-old Dallas woman, hesitated when asked the last time she had smoked marijuana, then admitted to smoking a marijuana cigarette, the troopers alleged in arrest reports.
A probable cause search allegedly yielded less than 2 ounces of marijuana in her luggage bag, resulting in her arrest. The vehicle was impounded and the Dallas woman was jailed for possessing less than 2 ounces of marijuana, according to arrest reports.
The Dallas woman remained in the county jail until Friday morning, Nov. 29. Her bond was set at $1,000 on the misdemeanor charge, according to jail reports.
The second arrest, of a 25-year-old Dallas woman, followed a traffic stop at mile marker 134 on I-30 at 4:25 p.m. Nov. 27.
Troopers reported stopping the woman’s Toyota Camry after it passed him due to an exhaust pipe completely separated from the muffler and hanging under the passenger’s compartment of the car. The car stopped next to a guard rail, so the trooper asked the driver to pull up past it. When she did, the trooper reported hearing a loud exhaust on the car.
Upon contact with the driver through the passenger’s side of the Camry, the trooper alleged he immediately detect a marijuana odor. He advised the Dallas woman she would receive a warning for the exhaust issue, but asked her to step toward his vehicle.
When asked how much marijuana was in the vehicle, the 25-year-old allegedly claimed none, that her boyfriend had smoked marijuana in the vehicle an hour prior to the stop. The trooper, in arrest reports, alleged when the woman was told he’d be conducting a probable cause search of the car to check for marijuana, she admitted to having marijuana in her purse, which was on the passenger’s side floorboard. The trooper checked and reported the woman was true to her word; two bags of marijuana were found in her purse.
The woman was jailed for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana; the car was impounded, according to arrest reports. She was released from jail Thursday, Nov. 28, on $1,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
The third arrest was of a 23-year-old Ladonia woman about 6:15 p.m. Nov. 27, on I-30 at mile marker 127. Troopers reported stopping a Dodge Avenger for a violation involving a high mount brake light.
On contact with the woman, a trooper alleged he could smell marijuana. He reportedly asked her to step out of the car and, while talking with him, the Ladonia woman admitted she’d smoked marijuana and having more of the substance under the driver’s seat. A probable cause search showed the woman to be truthful, resulting in her arrest for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, according to arrest reports.
She also was charged later with failure to report a change of address. She spent Wednesday night in jail and was released on $1,000 bond on the marijuana charge Thanksgiving Day, according to jail reports.
Sulphur Springs Man Allegedly Caught With Drug Paraphernalia, Suspected Methamphetamine
A 55-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed early Thanksgiving morning after deputies found suspected marijuana, methamphetamine, pills and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Marney and Sgt. Scott Davis stopped a Nissan Altima at 12:15 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, on SH 19 south at County Road 1106 for a traffic violation.
The driver allegedly showed signs of bruxism and the passenger exhibited signs of nervousness. Both to the deputy seemed to avoid eye contact and didn’t answer questions directly, as if they were trying to be deceptive, the deputies alleged in arrest reports.
When the driver refused to let officers search the car, the deputies called for Deputy Colt Patterson to bring his canine partner to the location. The police canine gave a positive alert on the car, so the deputies conducted a probable cause search of it, according to sheriff’s reports.
The sheriff’s officers alleged finding a glass container with a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana in it between the passenger’s seat and the console; a chip bag with a small clear bag containing a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana inside of it and a small cardboard box with another small bag with different colored pills and a bag with a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine inside of it , all in the passenger’s side floorboard; and a bag with a large amount of white crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine and a small pipe of the kind commonly used for smoking marijuana in a container of food in the passenger’s seat. Allegedly found in the trunk was a syringe that appeared to be loaded with methamphetamine ready for injection. One syringe each was found outside of the car in the grass next to the passenger’s door and in the passenger’s jacket pocket, the deputies alleged in arrest reports.
The passenger, identified in arrest reports as 55-year-old Timmy Dean Scott of Sulphur Springs, reportedly claimed ownership of all of the contraband and was taken into custody. At the jail, the suspected methamphetamine was reportedly field-tested and weighed. The crystal-form of the substance weighed over 10 grams, including packaging, and also tested positive for meth; the suspected meth in the syringe also field-tested positive and weighed more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams, including packaging, Marney and Davis alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Scott was booked into Hopkins County jail at 3:53 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28, for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports. He was also found to be wanted on two warrants for not taking care of open container charges, and one warrant each for not taking care of failure to maintain financial responsibility and no driver’s license charges; those charges were added to the list of offenses he was charged on, according to jail reports. He remained in the county jail Thursday evening, Nov. 28; his bond was set at $30,000 on the controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
KCS Holiday Express: No Stops in Texas
The 2019 KCS Holiday Express will not stop in Texas this year. This holiday favorite will instead travel north along the Texas Louisiana border. The closest stop for Hopkins County folks would be Shreveport LA KCS Yard, 4500 North Lake Shore Drive, Gate 5. The train will arrive there on December 9th at 4 p.m.
The full route table is available here.
North Pole of Texas Begins Holiday Run This Weekend
Santa’s helpers in the heart of dairy land have been busy for the last few months, getting things ready to welcome about 4,000 school children and thousands of families this holiday season to the North Pole of Texas.
Aside from a few minor details which are being finished up this week, the Christmas display at is ready to go at 227 County Road 3378 in Pickton.
. The North Pole will be ready to go, barring inclement weather, this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30. The train will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. nightly, each Friday and Saturday through Dec. 14, and Christmas week, Dec. 19-23.
All train rides are free. the route starts in Alan and Kim Screws’ front yard and continue across Happy Birthday Jesus bridge, through Santa’s Toy Shop, where they’ll be greeted either by Santa himself or one of his helper elves. Then, train riders will get a glimpse of the elf pond, where they just might spot a few of Santa’s helpers taking a break, the three crosses, a Live Nativity manned and numerous cutouts and lights. There’s even a place for kids to deposit their letters to Santa.
Those waiting are invited to stop by Kim’s Hot Chocolate Stand for a free cup of hot chocolate too. Kids will enjoy having a story read to them by Mrs. Claus in the Christmas Cottage. Families can stop by and have takes personal snapshots in the sleigh.
The entire experience is the brainchild of the Screws family, started with a community hayride and grew to a public event. With community support, the North Pole of Texas has become a holiday tradition for many, with more than 100,000 people visiting over the last 21 years.
“We humbly do this because God gave us the greatest gift of all, his son Jesus. We want everyone to know the real reason we celebrate Christmas is the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. We made the decision, as a family, to give Jesus first place and priority during the Christmas season and all throughout the year. We have purposed in our hearts to make Jesus the primary focus of Christmas and we want to help others do the same,” the Screws family notes.
The event is staffed entirely with family and community volunteers, including members of the Pickton-Pine Forest Volunteer Fire Department, and typically a few school and church groups too. Various area businesses also help sponsor costs of maintaining the holiday extravaganza, so that it can be offered as a Christmas gift from the Screws family and Pickton-Pine Forest communities to families.
For additional information about the North Pole of Texas, including directions, visit their website. Be sure to check the North Pole of Texas’ Facebook page for notices of weather cancellations.
While there is no charge, donations are accepted in the designated containers to benefit Fruitful Harvest Ministries and to help offset costs such as electricity, hot chocolate and replacement lights.
Woman Arrested Twice In Two Days On Intoxication Charge
A 38-year-old woman was arrested by police Wednesday afternoon for the second time in two days for allegedly being intoxicated in public.
Sulphur Springs police officers first encountered the woman shortly after 2 p.m. Nov. 26, while responding to a request for assistance in the 100 block of Airport Road, where a psychiatric patient was reportedly causing a disturbance, the arresting officer noted in police reports.
Upon arrival, the officer contacted the woman, who was reportedly unable to speak clearly. She then allegedly began taking off her clothes and running down the road. At one point, she attempted to run into a gas station, where several people, including children, were present, police alleged in arrest reports.
A Sulphur Springs police patrol officer reported using “the least amount of force necessary to secure” the woman into handcuffs. She was transported to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, where she was reportedly given clothing, according to reports. Hospital staff reported the woman to be intoxicated. After being medically cleared, the woman was released to police, the arresting officer alleged in arrest reports.
Police transported the woman to jail, where she remained until Wednesday, Nov. 27, on the public intoxication charge, according to jail reports.
SSPD officers reportedly came into contact with the woman a second time about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. An officer responded on Church Street at East Park Street, where several people told 911 dispatchers a person was acting strange, according to arrest reports.
Upon arrival, the officers contacted the 38-year-old woman to check on her well being. The officer alleged the woman had slurred speech; when asked if she had consumed any kind of alcoholic beverage recently, she admitted she did, police alleged in arrest reports.
The officer believed the woman to be intoxicated, and following horizontal gaze nystagmus testing, took her into custody again for public intoxication. She spent the night in jail and was released on the charge Thursday, according to arrest and jail reports.
PJC Board Of Regents Look At Reducing Textbook Costs
At their meeting on Monday, Nov. 25, the Paris Junior College Board of Regents learned of a potential reduction in textbook costs for students.
“For several years we’ve been looking for ways to reduce textbook costs for our students,” said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin. “We’re learning that nationwide, because of the rising cost of textbooks, about 45 percent of students will go through a semester without books because they can’t afford them.
In other business, the Regents:
• Received the financial report from Controller Keitha Carlton, who said that audit field work had been completed.
• Were shown the Texas Pathways 2019 Award received recently from the Texas Success Center and congratulated hard work by staff and faculty.
• Recognized students who were in the Drama Department production of “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical.”
• Accepted the employment of Instructor of Associate Degree Nursing Courtney Mills, effective Jan. 2 and the registration of Database Administrator Randy Ginther, effective Dec. 31.
