County Closes Out Fiscal Year 2018-2019 With Budget Amendments, Adjustments
Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday morning approved a few budget amendments and transfers so that the books on fiscal year 2018-19 can be closed. The year ended on Sept. 30.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook asked the court to approve an amendment for an increase in the fire department budget of $54,284, obtained as a loan from City National Bank for personal protective gear for Hopkins County Fire Department.
Aulsbrook also reported the county received a $23,500 check for unclaimed property credits, which the court previously agreed to split between equally between CASA and the library, with each receiving $1,750.38. The change needed to be noted in the budget.
Among line item transfers presented by Aulsbrook and approved by the court were for transfers for road and bridge 2 and 3;the risk management budget; and from the contingency fund $22,474 for body cameras for the sheriff’s office and $30,256 for scanners for the jail.
Also approved at that 9 minute meeting were minutes for five past meetings and a request from Farmers Electric Cooperative, Inc., to construct electrical power distribution facilities, which will cross County Road 4120, approximately 645 feet west of County Road 1127 in Precinct 4.
Wildcats OC Matt Young Comments on Bye Week and Forney Defense
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young said the Wildcats bye week last week was very productive. He said the Wildcats had a great attitude. He said the offense was able to add a couple of wrinkles and to improve some of the things they were not doing a good job of. Coach Youing said some offensive players also got healthier. He said he hoped they created some steam to carry into this week. Next up for the Wildcats are the Forney Jackrabbits in Forney Friday night. Coach Young said the Forney defense gets better every week. He said he could see them going through their personnel every week looking for players they can count on. Coach Young said he has been impressed by a couple of the Jackrabbits’ outside linebackers. He said they have some players they can trust in the secondary and he added they are big and physical up front. Last year the Wildcats had to outscore the Jackrabbits, 56-47. Coach Young said the goal of the offense is to score a touchdown on every drive. He said he doesn’t want the team to bog down when they get near the goal line.
Lady Cats Volleyball Team Has Second District Match Tuesday Evening as Lindale Comes to Town
The Lady Cats Volleyball Team plays their second district match of the season on this Tuesday (October 1) game day. They play Lindale at home. There will be freshmen and JV matches at 5 p.m. with the varsity match at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are 1-0 in district play. The Lady Cats defeated Royse City at home Friday, 3-0 while Lindale won at home over Mount Pleasant, 3-0. The Lady Cats have a season record of 19-11 while Lindale is 19-12. KSST Radio will bring you the Lady Cats and Lindale match beginning at around 6:30 p.m. The game will also be videotaped for replay later on Ch. 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
United Way Campaign Off To Great Start With $35,000 of $165,00 Goal Collected During Week 1
Hopkins County United Way President Mike Jumper Tuesday morning that this year’s campaign is off to a “great start.” Overall, $35,721.80 had been collected as of the first campaign workers report meeting.
That’s about a quarter of the overall $165,000 goal to benefit 20 local agencies already raised as of Oct. 1.
Campaign Co-Chairs Bill and Beverley Owens reported the city had already turned in their donation of $5,532 this year.
HCUW Executive Secretary Susan Berning submitted at least two grant applications which were approved for HCUW: a $2,500 FEC Charitable Foundation Grant and a $500 Brookshire’s grant.
UPS Office contributed a $11,545.80 donation.
The local Holt had 70 percent participation from among employees, who contributed $3,844. Holt pledges a corporate match, which will double the amount collected from the business to $7,688.
The Lions Club nearly double their goal and the CANHelp Thrift Store exceed the goal set for the group as well. Sulta Manufacturing contributed $4,087.
Among those named to the 100 % Club for meeting or exceeding the goal set for the organization or business on Oct. 1 include:
- Plain and Fancy
- City of Sulphur Springs employees
- Wilk’s Car Wash
- Discount Wheel and Tire
- Town and Country Cleaners
- Rick’s Oil Depot
- Preuss, Flecker, and Associates
- Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce,
- Edward Jones-Chris Voorheese
- UPS
- Texas Farm Credit
- Lion’s Club
- Hometown Auto
- Texas Art and Frame
- CANHelp Thrift Store
- Belle Amie Day Spa
- Gloria Mitchell Insurance Agency
- Farmers Electric Charitable Foundation
- Brookshire’s
“We are grateful for every single one,” Berning said of the donations made to HCUW.
HCUW’s Tuesday meeting was moved to the Chamber of Commerce due to renovations at the Texas AgriLife Extension Building. HCUW will hold its next report meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, with the third meeting scheduled at 9 a.m. Oct. 15 at the Dairy Museum.
Pair Arrested After Stolen Vehicle Stop On Interstate 30 In Hopkins County
A 24-year-old Midland man and a 26-year-old Michigan man were reportedly jail following a traffic stop of a stolen vehicle early Saturday morning, Sept. 28, according to reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Cleve Williams reported stopping a GMC Sierra that came back as stolen. Upon contact with driver Isaac David Provencio of Midland around 1 a.m. Sept. 28, at the 139 mile marker on Interstate 30 Provencio was taken into custody for unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was escorted to jail by Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Jack Gillentine, according to arrest reports.
Arrested around 1:45 a.m. Sept. 28, was Taijavee Dean of Traverse City, Michigan, for failure to identify and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and on a Midland County warrant for escaping custody. She was accused of initially giving officers a false name, then later was found to be wanted on the Midland County warrant. She was taken to jail by Trooper Aaron Hanna, and also alleged to be in possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine, according to arrest reports.
Provencio remained in the county jail Oct. 1; his bond was set at $5,000 on the unauthorized use of motor vehicle charge.
2-1-1 Texas is Vital Part of Emergency Preparedness
September was National Emergency Preparedness Month, and during all four Fridays, local speakers shared information with KSST listeners as to Hopkins County’s level of preparedness.
On Friday September 6, Hopkins County Emergency Management Coordinator Andy Endsley, who is also Hopkins County Fire Chief, spoke on the various “annexes” or plans provided by the Texas Department of Emergency Management and adopted by a city or community, and how these annexes are followed to direct assistance on behalf of persons or property threatened during an emergency situation. On Friday September 13, Fire Safety was discussed by Endsley and by Assistant Hopkins County Emergency Management Coordinator Kristi Springfield, who has 17 years in Emergency Medical Services and brings experience in Emergency Management to her job. Establishing a fire escape plan for your own home was discussed, with practice sessions for family members to stay sharp on what to do in case of fire. Also that same weekend, the Red Cross was in Sulphur Springs offering a program to homeowners for free smoke alarms. And on Friday September 20, Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson, who is also Sulphur Springs Emergency Management Coordinator, explained the 18 different outdoor emergency sirens and their placement around the city. He also spoke about how situations like flash flood or other storm damage can quickly affect unsuspecting persons on public property or in their homes, and how our City’s Emergency Management teams are prepared with a plan to act upon.
On the final Friday, September 27, Kristi Springfield and Jessica Pope, 2-1-1 Lead Community Specialist, talked about the 2-1-1 Texas system and how it does it’s part in emergency management. 2-1-1 located in Sulphur Springs also acts as one of the Call Centers for the entire state, and can step in when other areas experience call overload. In her daily job, Pope also follows guidelines set out by NIMS and FEMA. For example, when Hurricane Harvey flooded Southeastern Texas a few years ago, over 80,000 calls were taken statewide by 2-1-1. Pope related how Call Specialists in Sulphur Springs fielding 2-1-1 calls received some from stranded individuals in flood zones seeking rescue from rising waters. “We gave them instructions on how to attract rescuers, and ways to stay calm and keep themselves safe until rescuers arrive. That was what our phone specialists could do, but we knew that the sincere help and comfort by a real person at 2-1-1 centers across the state was appreciated by them”.
4 Men In Custody, Another Sought In Connection With Home Invasion, Robbery
Four men are in custody on charges stemming from a Sept. 25 home invasion. Authorities were still looking for a fifth man implicated in the aggravated robbery and home burglary Tuesday morning, Oct. 1, according to police.
“This was not a random home invasion. The subjects knew each other, some of the alleged victims and some defendants,” said Sulphur Springs Police Sgt. Detective David Gilmore.
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, four masked men were reported to have entered a property in the 600 block of Lee Street. The property contains two residences and the men were accused of forcing entry to the second residence, located behind the first, according to police.
The men then allegedly robbed the three occupants at gunpoint, taking cell phones, a rifle and cash. Three pistols were reportedly used. One round was allegedly fired from one firearm during the commission of the offenses, but no one was injured, according to Gilmore.
Zavier Ahamad Rollerson 
Dequenek Timothy Craig Shepard 
Zavarion Caymond C. Swain
Police were alerted just before 11 p.m. of the reported offenses. A short time later, police patrol officers located three men on Main Street and took them into custody as suspects. Recovered were three pistols, the stolen cell phones, a rifle and about half of the amount cash reportedly stolen from the Lee Street residence; one of the pistols recovered had been reported stolen during an earlier break-in at an address across town, according to the police detective.
“Patrol did a very good job. They had three in custody and most of the stolen property recovered within an hour,” Gilmore said.
Zavarion Caymond Christopher Swain, 19, and Zavier Ahamad Rollerson, 17, both of Paris; and Dequenek Timothy Craig Shephard, 20, of Brashear were all taken into custody on Main Street just after 11:40 pm. Sept. 25, and booked into the county jail Sept. 26 on two aggravated robbery charges and one burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony charge each.
The trio remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, Oct. 1, in lieu of $300,000 bond each, $100,000 per first degree felony charge, according to jail reports.
Dominick Maxwell Trigg, 29, of Paris was apprehended late Friday, Sept. 27, in Lamar County and transported Monday to Hopkins County jail on three Hopkins County warrants, two for aggravated robbery and one for burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony offense, according to Gilmore.
Trigg was transported by a sheriff’s deputy to Hopkins County jail Monday, Sept. 30. He remained in the county jail Oct. 1. Bond was set at $50,000 per charge on each of the three warrants, according to arrest and jail reports.
One additional suspect, identified by police as Tyreese Tupac Shukar Williams of the Sulphur Springs area, is also wanted in connection with the alleged burglary and robbery cases. A reward is also being offered by Crime Stoppers for tips leading to Williams arrest, according to Gilmore.
Anyone with information as to Tyreese Williams’ location is asked to contact the Sulphur Springs Police Department at 903-885-7602 or call Crime Stoppers at 903 885-2020.
St. James Gala Fiesta Dinner and Auction is October 5 at Hopkins County Civic Center
Oscar Aiguilar’s siblings and his mother Mrs. Aguilar began serving a handmade Mexican feast for charity 28 years ago. All the family pitched in with the cooking and the serving, making it a massive personal mission annually for their church. At first it was held in the small Parish Hall before it was outgrown, then it moved to the First UMC Fellowship Hall downtown, and now fills the Civic Center Banquet Hall. This Saturday night, October 5, 2019, diners coming through the doors will follow their noses, led by the enticing aromas of authentic Mexican foods being served plate by plate by smiling servers. The serving for the meal will begin at 5:30 and continue until 7pm, or until all the food is gone. For dessert, there will be a variety of homemade pastries, cakes and cookies offered by members of the Women’s Guild.
The Mexican cooking traditions of the Aiguilar family was brought to Sulphur Springs by his mother who followed his father here decades ago. Until her death in 2018, Mrs. Aigular remained loyal to raising money for her church using her cooking skills and her giving heart. Now, her children and grandchildren continue the family tradition in order to raise money for St. James Catholic Church needs, providing funds for the Building Fund to other needs such as expanded Sunday School space to Youth Group and Women’s Guild activities. According to Oscar, many of his ten siblings plan to travel home to Sulphur Springs to be part of the cooking team.
An Auction also raises money. If you want to bid on unique items, get a seat early before 7pm, sign up and get ready to raise your bid paddle. There will be specialty cakes, trips and vacation, homemade wines by Loren Seely, handmade bows of exotic wood by Lannie Filak, dinners for two at local eateries and catered family dinners by the Aiguilars, as well as many more items.
