Hopkins County Court-at-Law Judge Appointed to Mental Health Task Force
Clay Harrison, who took office on January 1, 2019, as the Hopkins County Court-at-Law Judge, was recently appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on a task force created by Senate Bill 362 to address emergency mental health issues across the state. The order appointing Judge Harrison
was signed on October 1, 2019, by the nine justices of the state’s highest court.
“Our county works hard in these tough cases. District Judge Eddie Northcutt has an extensive background in the field of mental health and County Judge Robert Newsom currently serves on the state’s Judicial Commission on Mental Health. Sheriff Lewis Tatum and Lt. Tanner Crump, our County Attorney Dusty Rabe, and our Justices of the Peace Brad Cummings and B.J. Teer have reinvented the way we do emergency mental health detentions,” Harrison continued.
Emergency mental health issues have recently taken center-stage in the national debate on mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and one in twenty five experience serious mental illness. Last year, 19.1% of
U.S. adults, or 47.6 million people, experienced mental illness.
The Judicial Commission on Mental Health was created by a joint order of the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The mission of the Judicial Commission on Mental Health is to engage and empower court systems through collaboration, education, and leadership,
thereby improving the lives of individuals with mental health needs and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“These issues are complex and we all have a lot to learn,” Harrison said, “but I’m confident we’re going to keep making it better as we go.”
- Links/Sources:
- https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/07/trump-considers-red-flag-laws-texas-lawmakers-have- blocked/
- https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers
- http://texasjcmh.gov/
Helpful Programs for Seniors Coming Up October 8 and 10
A free Health Expo for Senior Citizens is planned on Tuesday morning October 8 at League Street Church of Christ.
“Medicare Choices for Seniors” on October 10 at the Seniors Center is a free educational program which will offer information necessary for making choices about 2020 health care coverage.
‘Walk to Remember’ Reaches Terrific Tuesdays Goal!
For the first time, Celebration Plaza hosted the annual “Walk to Remember” which annually raises money for the Terrific Tuesdays program in Sulphur Springs. What is Terrific Tuesdays? It is a Respite Care Program for anyone with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Senility, Stroke and any other type of Brain Injury. Director Tammi Reardon and her group of volunteers take care of these participants between 9am and 2pm on Tuesdays while their caregivers can have a day off to run errands or just have time for themselves. Terrific Tuesdays is held each Tuesday inside First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs.
The goal of the series of ten mini-walks during September 2019 and the big “Walk to Remember’ in October is to pause and remember friends and loved ones affected by Alzheimers or other types of brain-related illnesses. Participant T-shirts were purple, a color that popularly represents awareness of the devastating effects of the disease. Vendor tables by health care and hospice care workers also carried a purple theme. Emcee Enola Gay Mathews of KSST welcomed the crowd, and DJ Gary Spraggins furnished music for walking. A prayer was offered by Reverend Ed Lantz. Hillis Bass read a testimony moving listeners to never ignore the early signs of Alzheimer’s in a loved one. A purple carnation from Danna’s Florist was given to each walker. Grilled hot dogs were provided by City National Bank.
The final total of this year’s fundraiser was over $13,000. Because health care facilities in Sulphur Springs join in so readily to promote Alzheimer’s awareness, a “Spirit Award” was created for the facility which raised the most money. This year, there were three top facilities which brought large contributions of funds to the program. They are Wesley House Assisted Living $2,965.00 and Sunny Springs Nursing and Rehab $2,080.00 and the Senior Citizens Center $1,948.00. The Community Spirit Award goes to the business or industry which raises the most money for Terrific Tuesdays, and once again, that was Saputo, Inc. which donated $1,000 in employee contributions and matching funds. A Volunteer Appreciation Award, voted by peers, went to Karen Strickland. The winning entry in a drawing for a handmade quilt made by Linda Taylor was Sandy Reardon.
Walkers made leisurely laps around the sidewalks encircling Celebration Plaza and the Veterans Memorial in front of the Hopkins County Courthouse. According to Tammi Reardon, the purpose of the Walk to Remember is ‘to pause and remember friends and loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease and any of the other brain-related illnesses’.
Winnsboro Woman Accused of Assaulting Hopkins County Jailer
One of two Winnsboro women arrested in Como on a drug paraphernalia charge ended up with three additional felony charges after methamphetamine was allegedly found in her mouth by a member of the jail staff, who she also was accused of assaulting.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Russell, Deputy Chris Baumann and Investigator Wade Sheets reportedly stopped a Nissan Sentra at 4:04 p.m. on State Highway 11 east in Como for a traffic violation.
The car was reportedly driven by a 44-year-old Winnsboro woman. The passenger, identified in arrest reports as 61-year-old Marlene Abbott Johnson, reportedly showed signs of nervousness and possible criminal activity, the Baumann and Russell alleged in arrest reports.
The driver reportedly gave the officers permission to search the car. The officers in arrest reports reported finding drug paraphernalia in the car. Consequently, both women were taken into custody and transported to jail for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Upon arrival at the jail, a white, crystal-like substance was reportedly found in the seat of one deputy’s vehicle and on the floor of the sally port at Hopkins County Law Enforcement Center.
Johnson was reported escorted by a jailer into the jail, where she reportedly found to have a bag with a crystal-like substance in her mouth and assaulted the jail staff member while being searched. The jailer was checked out at the hospital following the incident, according to arrest reports.
The substance was seized as evidence. It later tested positive as methamphetamine and weighed 1.44 grams, Baumann alleged in arrest reports.
Johnson was also charged with possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and assault on a public servant, according to arrest reports.
Both women remained in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, Oct. 4, according to jail reports.
Hopkins County Agencies Mobilize For Huge Diesel Spill In Miller Grove
Hopkins County agencies, including Fire, Precinct 1, and several state agencies were busy Thursday evening trying to contain a huge diesel spill in the Miller Grove area.
The following is a press release from Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office.
Hopkins County- At approximately 1844 hours on October 3, 2019, the Hopkins County Fire Department was dispatched in the area of County Road 1130 in Miller Grove for a six inch rupture in a pipeline that occurred after diesel was pushed through the pipeline after a two month maintenance program. While the diesel was being pushed the pipeline burst causing the diesel to run into the nearby waterway. The pipeline was shut down and mitigation was started to contain the diesel. The creek bed was dry and contained before getting into any other water way.
The State of Texas State Operations Center (SOC) was notified of the initial report of a petroleum pipeline incident. An estimated 8,000 barrels of petroleum was released into Turkey Creek before the leak could be stopped. A remediation company was contracted to place a boom to prevent the spill from traveling downstream. Local community volunteers under the direction of the Hopkins County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) built a temporary earthen barrier in the event the boom is insufficient. Cleanup of approximately 1.25 miles of Turkey Creek is underway along with active air monitoring, however the terrain, vegetation and darkness is impacting the speed of remediation operations. The Office of Emergency Management will remain on scene till all the product is removed and the cleanup of the area is completed.
Responding agencies: Hopkins County Precinct 1, Hopkins County Fire Department (FD), Hopkins County OEM, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). (DC 22 Sherman) DDC 5 Mt. Pleasant.
Hopkins County Man Sentenced for Child Sexual Exploitation Violations
PLANO, Texas – A 53-year-old Sulphur Springs, Texas man has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Russell Dean Hill pleaded guilty on May 3, 2019, to distributing child pornography and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on Oct. 2, 2019. Upon his release from the Bureau of Prisons, Hill will serve 8 years on federal supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information presented in court, in September of 2018, law enforcement in Hopkins County, Texas received a tip that Hill, who had previously been convicted of child exploitation offenses, had uploaded child pornography onto an online social media platform. A team of law enforcement officers from Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, Sulphur Springs Police Department, and the FBI executed a search warrant at the residence where Hill was residing in November 2018. Law enforcement discovered that Hill was trading child pornography on multiple platforms, using a digital device that he owned and possessed. During the investigation, Hill also told law enforcement that he was in the process of trying to privately adopt what he believed to be an 11-year old boy in order to teach the child about sex. Through further investigation, and with the assistance of FBI-South Bend, Indiana, law enforcement determined that even though Hill had been communicating with someone he believed to be the child, the person with whom he had been communicating was not actually a child, and in reality, there was no child at risk.
“The level of depravity we discover never ceases to amaze,” said United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “Thankfully, there are law enforcement officers watching for these types of things, and doing everything they can to prevent these crimes.”
“The defendant was not only a prolific collector and distributor of child pornography, but also a registered sex offender who posed a threat to the community he lived in and individuals he interacted with online,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Division. “The FBI will continue working with our state and local partners to actively identify and pursue sexual predators who endanger the safety of our children.”
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tyler Resident Agency, and the Sulphur Springs Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller.
KSST News posted the following information in November 2018 about the arrest.
Aaron Woods Is Head Football Coach Of Forney, Wildcats’ Opponent Friday
The head football coach for the Forney Jackrabbits is Aaron Woods, in his second year. Forney is his first head coaching gig.
Before coming to Forney, Woods spent a year as an assistant coach at Waxahachie under former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, who is now working as a Dallas Cowboys assistant. Woods was at Cedar Hill for 14 years before that as an assistant to Head Coach Joey McGuire, who is now the Baylor Bears Assistant Head Football Coach.
This year, Forney is 1-2 in district play with a win over Terrell and losses to Royse City and North Forney. The Jackrabbits split their two non-district games winning over Richardson Berkner and losing to Lindale.
Coach Woods said this Forney season has been one of a lot of growth. He starts four sophomores on both offense and defense.
Coach Woods said Forney has struggled on offense. He said they have had a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball. He also said the Jackrabbits have played good teams.
Coach Woods said he is excited about playing Sulphur Springs in Forney Friday, Oct. 4. He admitted it’s going to be difficult to get into the playoff picture. He said Ennis, Corsicana and Royse City have all started out with strong seasons. Right now he thinks North Forney might be the favorite for the fourth spot. However, Coach Woods added you just never know. He said he has to make sure his young Jackrabbits show up ready to play every game.
The Forney quarterback, senior Campbell Anderson, returns. Coach Woods said he struggled a little with a new offense at first but, he said, he has been a great leader. He said Anderson runs the ball well.
Coach Woods said the offensive line has been solid this year but has had some injuries. He said the primary Jackrabbit running backs are Jayln Phillips and Josh Stephens, whose brother Sean was a 1,000 yard rusher for Forney last year.
Coach Woods said his top receivers are Riley McMurren and Braden Benjamin.
On defense, Coach Woods said the Forney scores do not reflect how well his defense has played. He said defensive leaders include safety Keshon Johnson, inside linebacker Dalbrett Ndzishangong, defensive line overachievers Cade Crawford, Curtis Kitchen and Jorge Tello, and outside linebacker Westin Beeman. Coach Woods said Beeman and Johnson are so small he calls them ankle biters.
Coach Woods said he is surprised the Wildcats have struggled but, he said, he knows how hard it is to get a win. He said he has great respect for Coach Greg Owens.
He said watching the Wildcats on tape, he noticed they play hard. Coach Woods said the Wildcats have the potential to really be good on offense. He liked the way Wildcats quarterback Kaden Wallace throws the football. He noted last year’s game was a high scoring affair and he said this year’s game might be one too.
Wildcats, Lady Cats Cross Country Teams Have Final Tune Up Thursday Before District Meet Next Week
The Wildcats and Lady Cats Cross Country Teams have their final competition before next week’s district competition in Lindale on this game day Thursday, Oct. 3. The Wildcats and Lady Cats will be running on a course at the Garden Valley Golf Course. District competition takes place next Wednesday at Mount Pleasant.
Wildcats and Lady Cats Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks said the teams recently cut down some on the mileage they were compiling to increase endurance. He said the tapering down is geared toward increasing a runners speed.
The teams are both being led by seniors: Sydney Washburn for the Lady Cats and Christian Palomino for the Wildcats. Lots of younger runners are making a big impact on both teams as the district meet approaches.
The Lady Cats are expected to battle Mount Pleasant for the district championship while the Wildcats expect to compete with Royse City and Mount Pleasant.
Identifying, Treating Take-All Root Rot In Grass
Submitted By Mario Villarino, Agriculture and natural resources Extension Agent for Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Service
Take-all root rot is a fungal disease that causes weak, brown, dead patches in turfgrass. In Texas, the disease severely affects St. Augustinegrass and bermudagrass, in which the disease is known as bermudagrass decline.
Take-all root rot is caused by a fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, that lives in the soil. The fungus lives in many parts of Texas and is commonly found in both diseased-looking and apparently healthy-looking turfgrass. It lives in thatch, which is a layer of plant roots, stolons (shoots that grow horizontally along the ground surface), and decaying plant matter.
The fungus can produce spores but spreads mainly through the roots and stolons. The disease is not usually transported by mowers or foot traffic; it is more likely to be spread when infected grass, thatch, or soil is moved elsewhere.
The symptoms of take-all root rot often appear in spring or early summer when the turfgrass emerges from winter dormancy. However, they may appear anytime during the growing season when the grass is stressed by heat, drought, shade, alkaline soil or high-sodium water.
The most obvious initial symptom is yellowish foliage that eventually turns brown and wilts. The turf thins out, leaving brown, irregular patches from 1 foot to more than 20 feet in diameter.
As a field diagnosis, look at the roots of infected grass, which are usually short, blackened, and rotten, making it easy to lift the stolons from the soil. The nodes, or stem joints, may be discolored. On St. Augustinegrass, take-all root rot may be easily mistaken for large patch, which is caused by Rhizoctonia solani (Fig. 4), or chinch bug injury.
If you suspect that your grass has take-all root rot, first eliminate the possibility of these other two common problems. The treatments for them differ greatly from those for take-all root rot.
Chinch bugs are about the size of a sesame seed and move fast, which makes it difficult for the untrained eye to recognize them. To confirm the presence of chinch bugs on your turfgrass:
1. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent in 1 gallon of water.
2. Use a watering can to pour the mixture evenly over a 1-square-yard area of the affected turf.
3. Look closely for chinch bugs. Within minutes, they will begin scurrying about. The adult bugs are black and about 3/16 inch long, with distinctive shiny, white wings; the immature nymphs are smaller and reddish, with a whitish band across the back. If many chinch bugs appear, they are probably the main cause of the turf problem.
In some cases, the turfgrass may be afflicted by both chinch bugs and take-all root rot. If so, you must act against both culprits, and you may need to apply both an insecticide and a fungicide.
Large patch: An easy diagnosis method is to pull a few plant leaves out. Unlike those infected with take-all root rot, grass blades with large patch can be slipped easily from the stolon because the fungus has rotted the stems. Infected leaves often have a slimy, dark brown lesion at the base of the leaf.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903 885-3443.
Coming Up
Field Day for Producers and Grassland Managers: Oct. 18, 2019- free. Register by calling 903-885-3443.
Northeast Texas Dairy Producers Conference (DOPA) Oct. 30, 2019, $10. Register by calling 903-885-3443.
PAT CEU Credits: Nov. 6, 2019, $30. Register by calling 903-885-3443.
Pesticide Applicator Certification (new licensee only): Nov. 13, 2019. $30, Lunch included. Register by calling 903-885-3443.
