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.
Veterans Parade November 9th, 2019 – Calling All Marching Bands!
The 4th annual Veterans Parade will take place November 9th, 2019 at 10:00 AM. This year’s Parade Marshall is Clayton McGraw.
The parade will start at Gerald Prim Stadium and wind it’s way east and south to Brookshire’s. Businesses, Churches, and groups of any kind are welcome to join the parade. Businesses are welcomed to advertise on their parade entry. Tossing candy during the parade is encouraged. No matter the entry type, call 903-634-5673 to register.
The parade is desperately needing more marching band entries! If your school or organization has such, please consider entry in this patriotic event. Bands on trailers are also welcome!
The Veterans Parade is organized by Community SEEDS. Donations are welcome.
4 Jailed In Hopkins County Wednesday On Warrants
At least four people were taken jailed in Hopkins County on Wednesday, three on felony charges and one on a misdemeanor warrant, according to arrest and jail reports.
Latasha Monte Childers, 39, of Como was transported at 1:05 p.m. October 2nd from Plane State Jail to Hopkins County jail, where she was held on a bench warrant for violation of probation on a September 26th, 2017 engaging in organized criminal activity charge, according to arrest reports.
Childers remained in the county jail Thursday morning, October 3rd, on that charge as well as local warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia, expired registration, driving while license invalid and failure to maintain financial responsibility, according to jail reports.
Jason Scott Flowers, 38, was transported at 9 a.m. from another location to Hopkins County jail. He was held for violation of probation, which he was on for manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports.
Flowers remained in the county jail Thursday morning, Oct. 3, on the charge, according to jail reports.
Robert Kent Schepp, 55, of Pickton was taken into custody at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, October 2nd, in Hopkins County District Court by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Baumann, according to arrest reports.
Schepp arrived in court, where the district judge had him remanded into custody on two possession of 4 ounces or more but less than 5 pounds of marijuana charges, the deputy noted in arrest reports.
The Pickton man remained in the county jail on both charges Thursday morning, October 3rd, according to jail reports.
A 22-year-old Mount Vernon man reportedly arrived at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 2nd, and told authorities he believed a warrant had been issued for his arrest. A deputy checked and received confirmation the man was indeed wanted on a misdemeanor charge, according to arrest reports.
The deputy took the man into custody and escorted him into the county jail. He was booked on a misdemeanor warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a possession of 2 ounces or more but less than 4 ounces of marijuana charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
The Mount Vernon man remained in the county jail Thursday morning, October 3rd Bond on the charge was set at $5,000, according to jail reports.
Sulphur Springs ISD Plans For Early Release Friday
Friday, Oct. 4, is an early release day for Sulphur Spring Independent School District.
All students and staff in the Sulphur Springs ISD will be released an hour early on Friday. Buses will also run one hour ahead of their regular schedule
Families reminded to adjust their schedules for the early release time.
Man’s Repeated Calls To Dairy Queen Result In Arrest
A 61-year-old Sulphur Springs man ended up in jail Wednesday for telephone harassment, after he refused to stop calling Dairy Queen, according to police reports.
Sulphur Springs police contacted him at his residence Wednesday afternoon, after receiving complaints that he was constantly calling Dairy Queen from his phone. The officer alleged when he asked him to stop calling the business, the man refused.
When he left the residence, the officer went to Dairy Queen. The man was reportedly still calling the business. The officer alleged when he answered the phone and the man identified himself. The officer had the call on speaker and used his body camera to record while speaking with the man on the phone, according to arrest reports..
Police then returned to the man’s residence and took him into custody for telephone harassment, the officer alleged in arrest reports.
The 61-year-old remained in the county jail on the harassment charge Thursday morning, Oct. 3. Bond was set at $1,000 on the charge, according to jail reports.
