Mesquite Man Arrested Near Cumby On Reckless Driving, Drug Paraphernalia Charges
A 19-year-old Mesquite man caught a deputy’s attention as he sped past him, stopped near an address for which he’d previously been issued a criminal trespass warning, and was jailed on two misdemeanor charge, according to sheriff’s reports.
A sheriff’s deputy reported seeing a Honda Civic traveling at an excessive speed on FM 275 at County Rod 4792 about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9; stationary radar showed the car to be traveling at 93 miles per hour in the 65 mph speed zone. The deputy turned around and pursued the car. The officer pursued the car for about half a mile with the overhead lights activated. The car turned onto Old Paradise Road before stopping, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
Upon approach, the deputy, in arrest reports, noted the radio on the car to be turned up loud and had to ask the driver twice before he turned it down. The deputy alleged the man began reaching around in the passenger side of the car so he grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the vehicle. The man then began reaching into his pockets, so the deputy placed him against the vehicle and put handcuffs on him, the deputy alleged in reports.
During a patdown of the 19-year-old Mesquite man, the deputy reported feeling a cylindrical object and what to him felt like money. The man allegedly claimed to be unsure what the object was but agreed to let the officer check inside his pockets. The deputy alleged finding several bills of US currency and a clear glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke marijuana, crack cocaine and other substances; it was reportedly clean with no visible residue. The man allegedly admitted to using to smoke marijuana, which made the object drug paraphernalia and resulted in his arrest, according to arrest reports. The car was searched but no contraband was found inside of it, the deputy reported.
The teen was alleged to be “argumentative toward officers and, at best passively compliant with officers attempting to perform their duties” during the traffic stop and search, according to arrest reports.
After the car was searched, its registered owner was contacted to respond at the location. The man reportedly claimed to be headed to the owner’s residence on Old Paradise Road. However, the man was found to have an active criminal trespass notice, prohibiting him from being at the address, the sheriff’s officer alleged in arrest reports. When the man contested the validity of the warning, the officer advised it was valid. Additionally if the owner, a woman, was at the location, he would be arrested for trespassing.
The 19-year-old Mesquite man was taken to jail for reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. At the jail, he allegedly continued to be argumentative with officers throughout the book-in process. He was released from the county jail Thursday morning, Oct. 10, on $1,000 bond on the reckless driving charge, according to jail reports.
Ewton Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Controlled Substance Possession
Anthony Glenn Ewton, 52, of Sulphur Springs was sentenced Wednesday in the 8th Judicial District Court to 20 years in prison for controlled substance possession.
Jury selection was scheduled Sept. 9, with the trial set two weeks later for Ewton on possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance on Jan. 13 and possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance with intent to deliver on July 19, 2018. He was jailed Sept. 24 and sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 9, following a sentencing hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Jodi Cox presented information about Ewton’s “long history of criminal behavior,” then the state asked for the maximum 20-year sentence; that was the sentence Ewton received from the judge, according to 8th Judicial District Attorney Will Ramsay.
Cumby Man Accused Of Hiding Methamphetamine In His Boot
Cumby police allege Joshua Case intentionally brought methamphetamine into a correctional facility in his boot.
Cumby Police Officer Zack Steward reportedly stopped the 19-year-old Cumby man, who he knew did not possess a state-issued driver’s license, about 6:15 p.m. Oct. 9, on West Main Street. Case was taken into custody for no driver’s license.
At the jail, he was asked questions and searched as part of the book-in process, Steward reported. The jailer reported finding a baggy containing a clear crystal-like substance believed to be 0.75 gram methamphetamine in a boot Case was wearing at the time of his arrest.
“After my investigation was complete it is determined that Mr. Case intentionally brought a prohibited substance in a correctional facility,” Steward alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Case was also charged with having a prohibited substance in a correctional facility. He remained in the county jail Thursday morning, Oct. 10; his bond remained at $10,000 on the prohibited substance charge.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
SCU Serve Warrant, Arrest 2 At Sulphur Springs Apartment Complex
An attempt to serve a warrant at a Van Sickle Street apartment complex reportedly resulted in not one but two arrests, according to police reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Special Crimes Unit Lt. Mark Estes Estes and Sgt. Joe Scott went at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 9 to the apartment complex, where 27-year-old Darien Tre Sims was reported to be staying, to serve him with one felony and two traffic warrants. When patrol officers attempted to contact him, 27-year-old Trinay Deshawn Robinson allegedly refused to open the door at the address, Estes and Scott alleged in arrest reports. Upon finally making contact with someone there, they had Sims walk out of the apartment, according to arrest reports.
Sims allegedly refused officers commands and was placed onto the ground using “the least amount of force possible to make the arrest.” Sims was placed into handcuffs and officers checked the residence.
Trinay Deshawn Robinson
Police reportedly saw suspected marijuana in plain view on and around the toilet. They also allegedly found some inside the toilet and baggies beside of it. Sims was taken to jail, where he allegedly admitted the marijuana was his and that he was trying to destroy it by flushing it down the toilet, the SCU officers alleged in arrest reports.
Robinson reportedly claimed she got scared and hid in a closet. She too admitted she knew Sims was trying to flush and destroy the marijuana, the SCU officers alleged.
Sims was arrested on a warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a burglary of a habitation, as well as warrants for speeding and no driver’s license. He also was arrested for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, according to arrest reports. He remained in the county jail Thursday morning, Oct. 10. His bond on the tampering with evidence charge was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
Robinson was arrested for hindering apprehension, a third-degree felony offense, according to arrest reports. She remained in the county jail Thursday morning, Oct. 10, in lieu of $10,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
ITLA Show Underway
Thursday morning the Hopkins County Civic Center was packed with horns and buckets and people tending to their animals. At one end of the arena judges and spectators watch yearling longhorn bulls mill around a paddock.
Pam Kinsel was busy watering and feeding her longhorn steer ‘Birthday’. He is 13 years old (around 65 in human years), and possibly the oldest steer at the show. Pam admits there are younger steers at the show, and ones with larger more dramatic horns as well. But she could not leave ‘Birthday’ at home, “He’s part of the herd.”
The ITLA show will continue through Saturday night. The public is welcome to come and visit the show.
“The Never Ending Story” Fantasy Takes Stage at Main Street Theater October 18-27
You may fondly remember the 1980’s children’s fantasy movie, ‘The Never Ending Story”. If so, you’ll want to take your offspring to see the stage version in Sulphur Springs this month! Community Players has cast more than two dozen local individuals for roles in this play, and a number of parents and their children were selected to play parts. “It’s serving as a kind of a hold-over from the popularity of the movie. If you saw it as a kid, you’ll want your kids, or your grandkids, to experience it too. I think that’s why we ended up with families involved this time. And the neat part of that is, they’re working on sets together too, as well as other essential elements of putting on a play. It is gratifying to see the dedication this play has stirred in this cast”, stated Director David Woody.
In brief, a boy who is being bullied at school is also in anguish over the recent death of his mother. He finds a mysterious book and begins to read it, learning about a world called Fantastica which is a much happier place then his real life! That’s when his own story begins to unfold and parallel the book, and the characters begin to come to life. In the stage adaptation, some of the characters are costumed as puppets, others represent magical animals, and others enact the adults which appear in the story line. The play concludes with a compelling yet magical, positive ending you’ll long remember.
You will have six opportunities to attend, over two weekends. Performances on Friday October 18 and Saturday October 19 start at 7 pm, and on Sunday at 2 pm. The same schedule holds for the following weekend, October 25, 26 and 27. Tickets are $10 each, and reservations are strongly recommended. Main Street Theater, 225 Main Street in downtown Sulphur Springs, has seating for 80 persons. You can purchase tickets online by following the link at communityplayersinc.com. You can also reserve your seats by calling 903-885-0107 and leaving a message. However, reserving your seats with a phone message holds your seats only until 6:55 pm. If you have not claimed your reservation and paid for your tickets at Will Call prior to that time, your seats may be given to others who are waiting.
Following the run of The Never Ending Story, the 2019 season will conclude with a Christmas production called “Christmas Carol, a Radio Play”. Auditions are scheduled at Main Street Theater on the evenings of October 21, 22 and 23 at 6:30 pm. The holiday play will be staged December 12-15, 2019. If you would like to be part of live community theater or support it through donations, you can phone 903-885-0107 or mail to Community Players, P.O. Box 321, Sulphur Springs Tx 75483.
Hay Now: Some Advice On Hay by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas
One of the first considerations when purchasing hay is that it should be based on individual animal requirements. According to Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olsen, forage specialist in Texas A&M AgriLife for optimal production, forage quality should be matched as closely as possible to the nutritional needs of the animal. Low quality forage can result in reduced animal performance and increased supplemental feeding costs. Whereas hay of sufficient quality, little or no supplementation will be necessary to meet the animals’ nutritional needs. Round Bale: Keep in mind that not all forage or hay is created equal. There is great variation between forages and nutrient content can vary dramatically even within a particular type of forage. Several factors influence hay quality, such as maturity (time of harvesting), forage species & variety, fertilization, temperature, leaf to stem ratio and weather at harvesting/baling. Regardless if you are buying hay or feeding the hay you raised it is a good idea to test the hay to determine what if any supplementation will be needed when the hay is fed. When collecting samples a good practice is to sample approximately 10% of the bales from a particular cutting or load using a hay probe. Often times a hay probe can be borrowed from your county extension office. Samples should be taken from bales that would represent hay from the entire field. After taking samples from 10% of the bales combine the samples and remove a portion of the composite to send off for analysis. Crude protein content is the most common thing people think about when testing hay. While crude protein content is important, a good estimate of TDN (total digestible nutrients) is as important and in many cases more important than crude protein. There are a multitude of both commercial and university forage labs around the country. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory does offer forage analysis as a service out of College Station, TX. For additional information on forage testing or available forage labs contact your local beef cattle or livestock specialist or a ruminant nutritionist. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to get a nutrient analysis of all available hay and forage, sort your cattle based on their nutrient requirements, properly match available forage and hay to the different groups of cattle and make sure their nutrient requirements are being met. Feeding cattle is never cheap but producers with information about what they are feeding can be more efficient.
Coming Up:
Field Day for Producers and Grassland Managers: October 18, 2019- FREE Register by calling 903-885-3443.
Northeast Texas Dairy Producers Conference (DOPA) October 30, 2019- $10 Register by calling 903-885-3443.
PAT CEU Credits: November 6, 2019 $30, Register by calling 903-885-3443.
Pesticide Applicator Certification (new licensee only): November 13, 2019. $30, Lunch included. Register by calling 903-885-3443.
Chamber Connection – Oct. 10, 2019
By Lezley Brown, president and CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
The 50th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest will be held at Buford Park on Saturday, Oct. 26. Stew service will begin at 10:45 a.m., and quart sales begin at 11:30 a.m. Stew tickets are already on sale at all local banks and at the Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are for all-you-can-eat of Stew for $6 each. T-shirts will also be available for $15 each.
All cooks signed up for the 50th Annual Stew Cook-off will need to pick up their stew goody bags on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, 110 Main St. Cooks will receive their grocery reimbursement from the Chamber, their goody bags, and a list of rules and regulations for the Stew Cook-off. First time cooks will have a brief orientation meeting at the Chamber at 6 p.m. that day as well. Please make plans to be there!!! T-shirts will be available for purchase that night. Call the Chamber at (903) 885-6515 for additional information.
I have some more very exciting news! The Chamber of Commerce is currently selling our 2019 Hopkins County Christmas ornament. This ornament is the second of our series and features our beautiful Buford Park, the 50th Anniversary Stew Contest, and beautiful oak trees under a starry sky. It is dated with the year, made with 24 karat gold, shatterproof, and VERY limited in number. They are quite beautiful and the perfect addition to a rare collection. They are $40 each and literally flying out the door. If you would like to purchase one, please call the Chamber at (903) 885-6515, or come by soon.
The Chamber is excited to announce our Stew Fest Market at this year’s Stew Contest! The Chamber is currently accepting vendors for the Stew Fest Market, which will be located on the south side of Buford Park during Friday night and Saturday Stew Contest activities. This is a great opportunity to sell goods or to promote your business to 7,000 people who attend the Stew Contest annually. Vendors may rent booth space to sell goods or distribute information about their business. Booths will be assigned on a first-paid basis. Access to electricity is not guaranteed. Generators are permitted. Desserts may be sold, but no other food or drinks may be distributed. Vendors who are interested in purchasing booth space, call the Chamber of Commerce at (903) 885-6515.
Danna’s Buffalo Girls’ Flea Market Style/Swap
Join us for a ribbon cutting celebration at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, for Danna and the Buffalo Girls. Danna’s Buffalo Girls’ will be having a flea market style/swap event Oct. 10, 11, 12 and 13 at 20670 Highway 11 east in Winnsboro. The Hwy. 11 Treasure Trails, a garage sale stretching from Linden to Sulphur Springs, will be held in conjunction with the Flea Market that same weekend. Visit www.dannasfleamarketstyle.com or call 903-439-7091 for more information.
Barbara Bush Primary holds a 5K Fun Run
Barbara Bush Primary in Sulphur Springs is holding a Spooktacular 5K & Fun Run benefiting Barbara Bush PTO on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 5:40 p.m. Registration and packet pickup will begin at 5 p.m., the Fun Run will begin at 5:40 p.m., and the 5K will begin at 6 p.m. For entry information, call Barbara Bush Primary at (903) 439-6170.
Walk ‘n’ Roll to benefit the CARE Center
The future CARE Center is hosting a Walk ‘n Roll for Disability Awareness on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Celebration Plaza in Sulphur Springs. Proceeds from the event will go towards the future CARE Center and to a local charity. For additional info and registration, call Clay Pirtle at (903) 243-1614.
Chaffer’s Place presents their monthly concert
Chaffer’s Place, located at 410 Main St., in Sulphur Springs, is hosting a live 80’s Tribute Concert. The concert will be held on Oct. 17, and doors will open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. This includes dinner and a show! For more information call 470-848-2246 or visit www.ckproductions.info. Chaffer’s Place also offers live music every Friday and Saturday night.
The 12th Annual Help-A-Child Tractor Pull and Cook-off will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, at 9 a.m.
Help-A-Child will host their 12th Annual Tractor Pull with a Chili and Brisket Cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 19, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. All Help-A-Child proceeds benefit the Scottish Rite Hospital and the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center.
John and Deborah Gillis Foundation to host ribbon cutting celebration
The John and Deborah Gillis Foundation is hosting a ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, 110 Main Street in Sulphur Springs. Please plan to attend to learn about all this foundation offers for the students and schools of Hopkins County.
Miss Behavin’ to host downtown ribbon cutting
Miss Behavin’ has officially opened their second location and will host a ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at noon. They are located at 118 Main Street in Sulphur Springs. Stop by to shop and wish them congratulations on this second location.
The Barn of Emory
The Barn of Emory, located at 550 County Road 3325 in Emory, will host their ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. In addition to the ribbon cutting, the Don Woods Jr. Band will host a free concert at the venue at 7 p.m. Please make plans to attend this fun event and explore this new venue.
EDC and ATCOG announce the 4th Annual Northeast Texas Rural Transportation Summit
The Sulphur Springs Hopkins County EDC and the Ark-Tex Council of Governments announce the 4th Annual Northeast Texas Rural Transportation Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Sulphur Springs in Sulphur Springs. For additional information call Roger Feagley at the EDC, (903) 439-0101.
Ribbon Cuttings
One Soul Yoga, located at 521 Main St., Suite 201, in Sulphur Springs, held their ribbon cutting celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at noon. One Soul Yoga is offering classes throughout the day to accommodate all schedules.
Texafied JamFest hosted a ribbon cutting celebration on Thursday, Oct. 3, at noon at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. Texafied JamFest begins Friday, Oct. 11, and tickets are available at https://www.texafiedjamfest.com/.
Treat Street Coming October 31st
Central Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs would like to invite everyone to join us for “Treat Street” on October 31, 2019 from 6-8pm. We will have decorated booths, bounce houses, games, and of course, tons of candy! The event will be held in the Family Life Center located at 840 Connally Street.
Cumby City Council Approves Resolution Calling For Special May 2 Election For Place 2 Alderman
Discussion On Annual Audit, Employee Manual, An Annexation
The resignation of a recently appointed alderman marks the second in recent months, which could necessitate a May 2 special election of fill the Place 2 alderman seat on Cumby City Council.
The city employee manual, rescinding the recent Alderman appointment and a resolution calling for a special May 2, 2020 election, allowing Chris Turner to begin conducting the city’s annual audit, a hearing regarding annexation of property owned by Texas Ranchitos were also on the agenda.
Appointment, Special Election
Initially, the council was slated to consider taking action to rescind their appointment Sept. 21 of Audri Mayo to the Place 2 council vacancy. She resigned, so that was not necessary.
However, because of two vacancies on the council due to resignations at the same time, a resolution calling for a special May 2, 2020 election is required.
Place 1 Alderman Doug Simmerman has stepped up from mayor pro tem to acting mayor when Cody Talley resigned as mayor in August. He will continue serving doing so until the November election.
The Alderman Place 2 seat is also open, due to Kristen Thompson’s resignation. While the mayoral seat is on the November ballot already, the Place 2 resignation was made too late to be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Any time two positions are open at the same time a special election is required to be called for within eight days, a community member and the city’s attorney noted.
Alderman Place 3 Monty Lackey expressed concern about the expense of holding a special May election, whether it would coincide with other elections so the cost for voting equipment could be shared or if the city would have to pay the thousands needed to obtain the equipment. He asked if paper ballots could be used instead of voting machines if the city has to foot the full cost.
Officials said they’d be in contact with the requisite elections administrator regarding costs and options.
Once the mayoral seat is filled, the election could be canceled and the council could appoint someone to the Alderman Place 2 seat. If the election isn’t canceled, the candidate filing period would begin in January. The election would be May 2, 2020, and would be through the current term for Place 2, which ends in November 2020.
Annual Audit
Cumby City Council opted to table discussion and action on allowing Chris Turner to conduct the 2018-19 audit of city finances. When the topic was first broached Simmerman noted he did the city’s audit for the previous year.
A community member asked if the city had sought other bids or potential options for auditor. Alderman Julie Morris suggested tabling the matter until a quote was obtained from Turner for his services.
Property Annexation
A public hearing regarding the proposed annexation of property owned by Texas Ranchitos LLC, was held.
The property is located outside the city limits, but the owner asked the city to provide water and sewer services. City Attorney Edgar J. Garrett Jr. said in talks with the owner’s attorney, he explained that if he wants city services the property must be within the city limits.
Simmerman said in his talks with the property owner, there was a bit of a language barrier. The man told him he’d told the people planning to buy the property that it wouldn’t be in the city, so it wouldn’t be subjected to city restrictions. When told it was on the Oct. 8 agenda.
Garrett said when he talked to the man’s attorney on Friday, he expressed no objects to annexation and they talked about setting up a meeting between the stakeholders involved.
He said he’s not sure how many or if any of the properties have actually sold, so he could potentially be contracting them for deeds.
Morris asked if a mediator had been suggested due to the potential language barrier. Simmerman said a meeting had been held previously between the man’s realtor, Talley (who was mayor at the time) and Simmerman. Garrett has been brought on board as well regarding the appropriate procedure for the matter.
Garrett suggested adopting a policy regarding annexation and extension of city utilities outside of the city limits. Potential costs of extending services to the requested area should also be factored in, the attorney recommended.
Employee Manual
Discussion on a city employee manual was tabled to allow members of the City Council to further review it. Lackey reported he was still looking it over, but did anticipate recommending some changes.
Executive Session
Following an executive session, Simmerman reported the city attorney spoke about litigation regarding substandard buildings. The council will proceed forward with that information. Also discussed during the executive session was development. Simmerman afterward said the city would “leave as is,” and no further attention was needed. No additional information about either item was provided by the council.
