5 Percent Cost Of Living Increase Approved For All Full-Time County Employees
All full-time Hopkins County employees and elected officials will benefit from a 5 percent cost of living increase in pay in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
The pay increase was factored into the 2019-2020 county budget, which was approved by Hopkins County Commissioner Court at their regular meeting Monday morning.
Commissioners first approved the 5 percent increase for elected officials, then the budget and tax rate. The increase for elected officials includes $75 a year for longevity pay, and an additional supplement for the sheriff this year, according to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom and Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook.
Newsom noted that at a conference he attended last week, a map of Northeast Texas showed areas with growth. Hopkins County was among the communities experiencing growth in development. Some other areas further east are losing population and industry, he said.
The county judge said the current budget should put the county in a better position next year to face challenges imposed by the tax cap passed recently by legislators. The tax cap won’t impact the county this year, but will next year.
The commissioners court unanimously approved the same tax rate of $0.624892 per $100 property value. Of that, $0.5396355 will be applied to maintenance and operations and the remaining $0.085237 toward the principal on bonds repayments and other indebtedness.
While unchanged, the county property taxes are expected to generate 6.39 percent ($752,789) more revenue in FY 2019-202 than it did this year. This is due to largely increases in property values and $272,117 from new property added to tax roles in the last year.
Brinker VFD Recognized For Dedication Service
Hopkins County Commissioners Court and County Fire Chief Andy Endsley Monday morning recognized Brinker Volunteer Fire Department members for their dedication and 25-years of service to the community.
“This is part of the ongoing celebration of not only Hopkins County Fire Department’s 20th anniversary but celebrating all the VFD’s in our county. It’s a great honor to be able to do this,” said Endsley.
“I would just like to thank the commissioners. Without you, we wouldn’t be. I look forward to working with you and appreciation your support. I’m honored to do this,” said Wade McDaniel, captain for Brinker VFD.
McDaniel said that he was a volunteer in Sulphur Springs previously. So, when he moved to Brinker he approached the fire chief and was allowed to continue his passion of serving his community as a member of the volunteer fire department. He also expressed appreciation for all who helped lower the ISO rating for the area, which has allowed him to save a lot of money on his house insurance.
“We love our community, and do anything we can for them. We appreciate you and Andy as well,” said Jamie Foster, chief of the Brinker VFD.
“The thing to emphasize to anyone listening is that they are volunteers, that servanthood that’s beyond the call of duty. They are not getting paid anything. It’s just because you want to serve. That’s huge. In the past it’s been used, today it’s even more. So thank you very much,” Newsom said.
Mack Pitts, who was present during Monday’s court session, said he lived behind Brinker VFD. When his mother-in-law lived with them, his family called upon Brinker for a couple of times for assistance when his wife needed help getting her mother up. He commended the firemen on the professional manner in which the members do “exactly what they need to do.”
Pitts complimented Endsley, who served as Brinker’s chief prior to accepting to position as HCFD chief, and noted the current officers are following in his footstep, establishing an “excellent reputation” for the volunteer fire department.
The department was formed on March 24, 1994, as Brinker Volunteer Fire Rescue by Carl Nix, who served as chief; with Lee Huff as president and Teresa Hugg as secretary treasurer; and members Brian Knowles, Allen Story, Harrell Hettich, Max Bradford, Glenn Smith, Dusty McIllwain, Jerry Horton, Bobby George, Don Brooks, Beth Gilpin and Ronald “Squirrel” Wells.
Brinker’s first fire truck was attained due to the efforts made by area fire departments outside Hopkins County and the Texas Forestry Service. The volunteer department’s first service call was to a grass fire on County Road 3341 on Aug. 8, 1994.
In 2001, the department suffered a catastrophic fire in the station’s bay area, and had to rebuild. In 2004, The Brinker Volunteer Fire Rescue was awarded a FEMA grant for a custom pumper. Another grant from the Texas Forestry Service allowed funds for a tanker.
The department prospered from 2005 to 2011 with Herb Scott as fire chief, followed by the leadership of Chief Andy Endsley and the Fire and EMS Academy – Fire In Texas.
The current members of Brinker VFD are Chief Jamie Foster, Assistant Chief Austin Corley, Captain Wade McDaniel, Carl Nix, Conner Nix, Jeff Strickland, Brady Crouse, Mike Corley, Brandon Foster, Brody Sproles and Brenden Clark.
“The Hopkins County Commissioners Court urges all citizens to applaud the outstanding efforts of the Brinker Volunteer Fire Department, to recognize the dedication in their perseverance to provide protection to all people and their property and, offer heartfelt appreciation for the servanthood of each one. Thank you very much,” County Judge Robert Newsom read from a proclamation, which was framed and presented to Brinker VFD officers Monday morning during Commissioners Court.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report for Sept. 2-Sept. 8, 2019
Arrests
- Dean Marks, age 52, of Quitman, was arrested on 09/06/2019 on Possession of Controlled Substance PG1>=1G<4G.
- Sean Earle, age 29, of Yantis, was arrested on 09/07/2019 for on multiple Hopkins County Warrants.
Accidents
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a 3 vehicle accident on 9/05/2019 in the 800 block of North Main. No injuries reported.
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a 2 vehicle accident on 9/6/2019 in the 200 block of North Main. No injuries reported.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 155 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 48 citations and 51 warnings during this reporting period.
2 Dallas Area Women Arrested In Sulphur Springs On Marijuana Charge
Two Dallas area women were arrested Saturday night in Sulphur Springs for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Sulphur Springs police reported stopping a Chevrolet Cobalt around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 7 on Oak Avenue at Hinnant Street for an equipment violation. On contact with the 25-year-old DeSoto woman driving and the 25-year-old Lewisville passenger, the officer alleged he could smell a marijuana odor emitting from the car. A search of the car allegedly yielded less than 2 ounces of suspected marijuana, resulting in both women being arrested on for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in a drug-free zone.
The passenger also allegedly initially identified herself by name, but claimed not to have any ID on her. An ID card with a different name and photo that was identical to the woman was allegedly found in the passenger’s purse. The woman claimed the ID belonged to her twin sister, and insisted her name was the name she’d told him. When she was placed into handcuffs, however, she admitted she’d lied about her name and admitted the ID found in her purse was in fact hers, officers alleged in arrest reports. For her dishonestly, the woman was charged with the Class B misdemeanor offense of failure to identify with intent to give false information, according to arrest reports.
Both women were released from jail Sunday, Sept. 8. Bond on the marijuana charge was set at $2,000 each; the passenger’s bond on the the failure to ID charge was set at $1,000, according to jail reports.
4th Annual “Fruit of the Spirit Awards Banquet” Brings Cowboys’ Everson Walls to Town as Speaker
Pastor C.J. Duffey of Colorblind Ministries invites the community to be present as nominees are honored during the Fruit of the Spirit Awards and Banquet set for Saturday September 14, 2019 at 3pm in the Sulphur Springs High School Cafeteria, 1200 Connally Street. Nominees in nine categories of public service and ministry in Hopkins County were compiled during 2019, and recipients were selected for recognition. The event will also include a banquet meal by Duffey’s BBQ, musical entertainment by Charles and Kenya Chaffer and a motivational program by featured speaker Everson Walls, a Dallas Cowboy 4-time Pro-Bowl player and Hall of Fame nominee. Walls will also hold a book signing for ‘A Gift for Ron” recounting memorable experiences on and off the field. It was written for his friend and teammate, the late Ron Springs, to whom he had donated a kidney. Attendees can also meet Walls, one of the most prolific and decorated defensive backs to ever play the game of football, as well as get autographs and snap a photo with him free of charge.
Tickets to the awards banquet are $25 advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Good News Christian Bookstore, at Jay Hodge Chevrolet and at Legacy Choice Hospice in Sulphur Springs. Or you can phone for tickets to be delivered this week, by calling 903-335-4764. Proceeds will go to benefit the Lord’s Work Food Pantry to help continue feeding the citizens of Hopkins County.
Sam Tatum Family, Friends Celebrate his 80th Birthday
Sammy Lewis Lee Tatum was born in September 1939 in Chitra, Oklahoma, the second among five siblings. His 80th birthday was observed at Sulphur Springs City Hall on Sunday September 8, 2019 with pulled pork sandwiches and picnic sides served buffet-style to the many dozen friends who came to wish him well. Afterward, a beautifully decorated birthday cake was sliced and shared with everyone. Sam’s sons Darrin and Lewis and their families helped host the party.
Sam greeted everyone with a handshake as they came through the door, and a memorable time was had as friends reminisced and shared stories, laughter and fellowship. Sam’s brother Dub Tatum and his wife Peggy of Holdenville, Oklahoma were in attendance as were fellow members of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse. Many long-time friends from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association were also present to wish him well.
In addition to Dub, they have another brother, Billy Joe Tatum, and two sisters Jewel and Carolyn who were not able to attend. According to Dub, their father was an Oklahoma farmer and rancher, and at one time, a deputy sheriff. Sam, Dub and siblings were raised in the country and rode a bus eight miles to school at Gertie, near Allen, Oklahoma. As a youth, Sam learned to work their team of mules, and the family raised corn, peanuts and cotton. Like many of their neighbors, the family made part of it’s income by raising a big crop of cucumbers which they could sell to a pickle canner in a nearby town. According to Dub, their two acres of cucumbers had to be picked all the time, it seemed. They could fully pick half the entire field in one day when cucumber production was highest, and the other half the next day, then start over, and so on. They stacked the cucumbers in vats near the railroad tracks and the vats would be picked up and taken by train to Calvin, not far from McAlester.
Sam married Linda Collier in Sherman 1960 and moved with their two sons to Hopkins County in 1981. Darrin Tatum and wife Michelle and family also live nearby. Lewis Tatum became Hopkins County Sheriff in 2017. Lewis married Michelle Orrick in Denison in 1981 and they have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Sam’s career was with TXU, and when he retired 1993, he began working for FEC Electric in Greenville. He is still working there and also has a yard service. Besides his more than 25 years of volunteer service in the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse, Sam also does leather repairs and likes to make saddle accessories and tooled leather goods.
At Least 5 Arrested Over Weekend On DWI Charges
At least five people were booked into the county jail over the weekend on driving while intoxicated charges, including one man accused of felony DWI, one who ran into a ditch and two on warrants.
Joe Daniel Adams, 33, of Marshal was arrested at 7:53 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 30 by troopers for a third or more driving while intoxicated offense. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers Chris Sorley and Rebekah Saathoff responded with county officers at mile marker 115, where they stopped a motorist reported for driving at more than 100 miles per hour on I-30, according to arrest reports.
The driver was allegedly identified using a Texas Department of Criminal Justice card as 33-year-old Joe Daniel Adams of Marshal. The officers reported smelling alcohol on him; he also had red eyes, slurred speech and dilated pupils, troopers alleged in arrest reports. He allegedly told them he was not going to do standardized field sobriety tests. When he was asked to at least try to do the tests, he agreed he would, according to arrest reports. The man swayed while in the instructional position for horizontal gaze nystagmus tests and refused to do the HGN test.
The man allegedly admitted to officers that he’d consumed two 24-ounce beers. He agreed to do the walk and turn test and one-legged stand sobriety tests. However, when placed in position for them, he fell off balance. When asked to start over, he fell off balance again and put his hands behind his back. He refused further testing and was taken into custody for suspicion of DWI.
The 33-year-old Marshal man refused to provide either a breath or blood sample for analysis, so a warrant was sought from and signed by Judge Clay Harrison, according to arrest reports. He allegedly warned officers he would resist the blood draw. Deputies transported him to the hospital for the sample. True to his word, troopers alleged in arrest reports, Adams resisted when it was time for him to be stuck with a needle. Troopers Saatthoff and Sorley, and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies Tanner Steward and Drew Fisher had to hold Adams down to restrain him so the sample could be taken. Afterward, Adams was transported to jail, where he was booked at 11:40 p.m. Sept. 7 for DWI, third or more offense.
He remained in custody Monday morning, Sept. 9, on the third-degree felony charge. Bond was set at $25,000, according to jail reports.
In a separate incident, a 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested at 10:25 p.m. Sept. 7 on Fuller Street for surety off bond on a driving while intoxicated. Sulphur Springs police officer responded to a call of a possible murder in the 800 block of Fuller Street.
Upon arrival, they found the man inside the residence, where he was reported to be highly intoxicated. A records check showed a warrant for his arrest for surety off bond on a second offense DWI charge. Officers were unsuccessful in locating the girlfriend. He was jailed on the warrant; the offense was alleged to have occurred on Sept. 5, according to arrest reports.
He was released from jail Sunday, Sept. 8, on $2,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
At 5:01 a.m. Sept. 7, sheriff’s deputies arrested a 30-year-old Sulphur Springs man for driving while intoxicated.
Deputies were dispatched to a complaint of a possible drunk driver on State Highway 11, west of FM 1870, where a Dodge Dakota reported ran off the road and was stuck in a ditch.
A deputy conducted field sobriety tests on the Sulphur Springs man, on whom he alleged a strong alcohol odor was smelled. The man allegedly claimed he’d fallen asleep driving. He failed standard field sobriety tests and was taken to jail for further investigation of DWI, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
The man allegedly agreed to a blood draw for analysis; the sample was taken at the hospital and he was booked into jail on the DWI charge, according to arrest reports.
He was released from the county jail Sept. 8 on a $1,000 bond. His arrest Sept. 2 marked the second time this year he has been jailed locally on an intoxication charge. He was jailed and later released from Hopkins County jail on Feb. 15 on a public intoxication charge, according to jail reports.
A 29-year-old Wills Point man was arrested in Winnsboro and released to Hopkins County deputies at 10:43 p.m. Sept. 7 on Hopkins County warrants for DWI and not taking care of failure to maintain financial responsibility, unsafe speed and driving while license invalid, according to arrest reports.
He was released from jail Sept. 8 on $1,000 bond on the DWI charge, according to jail reports.
A 21-year-old Sherwood, Arkansas man was arrested at 10:31 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, by DPS troopers for driving while intoxicated. He was reportedly stopped on I-30 at mile marker 120 for speeding. While talking with the driver, the trooper alleged he could smell alcohol on the man. The Arkansas man allegedly showed numerous clues of intoxication on arrest reports and tested 0.118 on a portable breath test, which his well over the 0.08 limit. The driver was arrested. The Toyota Camry was released to the passenger. The man reportedly voluntarily provided a blood sample for testing. He was arrested for DWI and issued a speeding ticket, troopers alleged in arrest reports.
He remained in the county jail Sept. 9. Bond was set at $1,000 on the DWI charge, according to jail reports.
Sulphur Springs ISD To Hold Hearing On Targeted Improvement Plans For 3 Primary Campuses
Security, HR, Campus Updates To Be Presented During Sept. 9 School Board Meeting
A public hearing regarding targeted improvement plans for three primary campuses will be conducted during Monday evening’s regular meeting of Sulphur Springs Independent Shcool District Board of Trustees.
The public hearing is required due to Bowie, Lamar and Travis Primary campuses’ state ratings, and will be conducted by Assistant Superintendent Kristin Monk. Community members are encouraged to attend the meeting to voice any questions, comments or concerns they may have regarding this targeted improvement plans for three of the four primary campuses; Barbara Bush was not rated based on STAAR scores because the campus did not have house students in the grade levels in which the state tests are administered.
Superintendent Michael Lamb is slated to discuss the district’s accountability ratings during the administrative reports portion of the 6 p.m. school board meeting.
Monk and Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams will present program updates about elementary and secondary programs during the school board meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Rusty Harden is slated to present a human resources and security update during the administrative reports and information portion of the meeting. A report will be given by representatives from Sulphur Springs Elementary regarding campus highlights.
During the action items portion of the meeting, District Business Manager Sherry McGraw is expected to discuss and present for approval a contract with Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP, for administrative and any judicial appeal of property value study findings conducted by the Comptroller’s Office. A study of property values in the past has resulted in the Comptroller reducing their assigned value, which in turn resulted in additional state aid for the district.
Williams is expected to present for board approval an a revision to FMG (Local) policy, which has to do with school-sponsored field trips in general, out-of-state trips and/or overnight trips, and additioanl guidelines regarding school-sponsored travel. Proposed is extending the limit on absences from school for school-sponsored travel from two to three days.
Also submitted under the consent agenda are 7 items: tax credits and supplements, delinquent tax collections, financial statements and bills payable, all for August 2019; quarterly investment report; organizational flow chart for Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center; and Head Start Mission Statement and statement of philosophy, and personnel policy summary. Unless requested by a board member for an item to be removed, these matters will be considered for approval under one action.
Trustees then have the option to enter into executive session to discuss any personnel or real property matters fitting Title 5, Chapter 551, Section (.072) and (.074) of Texas Government Code. If any items are pushed forward from the closed session for action, the board will reconvene in open session to take vote on them.
SSISD Board of Trustees meets regularly at 6 p.m.the second Monday of each month in SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally St. The Board Room is located at the back of the building.
Lady Cats Volleyball Gets Edged Out By Edgewood
Lady Cats Volleyball Team Takes Loss in Rematch With Edgewood on Friday
The Lady Cats Volleyball Team had a second chance to beat Edgewood but the home team Lady Bulldogs got Another Win on Friday (September 6). After two sets it was anybody’s match to win with each team capturing a set. Edgewood opened play with a 25-20 set one win. The Lady Cats bounced back with a solid 25-13 victory in set two. But then the Lady Bulldogs rallied to win the next two sets, 25-15 and 25-19 to take the match, 3-1. Edgewood also defeated the Lady Cats, 2-0 in a third place game in an Edgewood tournament back on August 24. The Lady Cats got another incredible performance Friday from junior Sadie Washburn who had 20 kills and 22 digs. Setter Peyton Hammack had 14 digs. Sydney Washburn and Brooklyn Burnside had 9 kills each. The Lady Cats are now 16-9 for the season. They will play Emory Rains Tuesday in the main gym at Sulphur Springs High School. Game time for the varsity is 5:30 p.m. Each fan that brings a can of food to the game will get free admission. The food will be donated to the local food bank.
