PJC Fall Registration Underway
Jonathan Cedillo of Sulphur Springs receives assistance from PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Assistant Director Iris Gutierrez, right, and Secretary Joselyne Sanchez Ambriz as he begins registration for classes at the Center. Early registration for the fall semester is underway. The fall semester begins August 26.
1 Man Jailed For Violating Probation, 2 For Bond Forfeiture Wednesday
Three men were taken into custody Wednesday morning, Aug. 14, by local officers on unrelated felony warrants, according to sheriff’s reports.
Justin Dean Cowart, 32, of Yantis was taken into custody at 10:30 a.m. at the adult probation office by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Shing on warrant for violation of probation, which he was on the second-degree felony offense of online solicitation of a minor, according to arrest and sheriff’s reports.
Cowart was arrested Jan. 28, 2018, and indicted June 26, 2018, on that charge as well as for attempted trafficking of a child. Hopkins County sheriffs investigators, following Cowart’s arrest, said they received a call alleging Cowart had contacted a 9-year-old child’s father and offered money for oral exchanges and another sexual act to the child, as well as acts on the father too. Cowart allegedly requested the father to meet him in a public location in Sulphur Springs in order to carry out aggravated sexual assault of the child. Investigators alleged an undercover officer met Cowart and took him into custody at that location.
Cowart remained in the county jail on the charges Thursday morning, according to jail reports.
Makeze Adrian “Zeke” Carruth, 21, of Little Rock, Arkansas was taken into custody at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 14 at Hopkins County Courthouse by officer Melvin Jackson for bond forfeiture on a possession of 5 pounds or more but less than 50 pounds of marijuana charge, according to arrest reports.
He was arrested on the marijuana charge on Sept. 12, 2018. Sulphur Springs police found it in a large box with several vaccum-sealed bags during a routine traffic stop on East Industrial Drive at East Loop 301. The officer, in reports following Carruth’s arrest in 2018 alleged they were tipped off by the strong marijuana odor when talking with the occupants. Carruth allegedly claimed the substance and was jailed on the charge, according to police reports.
Carruth remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning. His new bond was set at $20,000 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Scotty Ray Price turned himself in at Hopkins County Law Enforcement Center at 3:10 a.m. Aug. 14 and was escorted by HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis into the county jail, where he was held for bond forfeiture on a family violence assault that impeded breathing charge.
Price was arrested on the felony assault charge on May 26, 2019. Police, in reported following his arrest in May, alleged he punched his girlfriend in the face and body numerous times, and placed her in a choke hold, which impeded her breathing and resulted in numerous injuries. Price admitted to police that he put the woman in a chokehold, police alleged in the May arrest report. Price was indicted on the charge in June, according to court reports.
He remained in the county jail Thursday morning. His new bond on the charge was set at $30,000, according to jail reports.
Sheriff’s Officers Arrest Campbell Man In Cumby On Controlled Substance Charge
August 2019 – A suspicious person complaint resulted in discovery of methamphetamine and a 30-year-old Campbell man’s arrest Wednesday morning.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Brantley and Investigator Wade Sheets responded at 9:37 a.m. Aug. 14 to a report of a suspicious person on FM 275 north. Deputies located and contacted 30-year-old Kenneth Wayne Busby of Campbell. A records check reportedly showed Busby to be wanted for outstanding expired driver’s license, driving while license invalid and speeding charges. The original offenses were alleged in jail reports to have occurred on June 16, 2017. He was placed under arrest at 9:42 a.m. on the charges, according to arrest reports.
A pat down by sheriff’s officer revealed a white, folded up piece of paper with a white crystal-like substance in it in Busby’s pocket. The substance reportedly field-tested positive for methamphetamine, resulting in an additional charge for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
He remained in the county jail Thursday morning, Aug. 15, on all four charges, according to jail reports.
Chamber Connection for August 15, 2019
By Lezley Brown, president/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
I’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time! It’s the day I get to tell you that we are officially moving into our new building at 110 Main Street in Sulphur Springs. We are excited to be in the middle of everything on Celebration Plaza. Come see us!
Cook letters and entry forms have been mailed out for the 50th anniversary of the Stew Contest! Your letter, if you cooked last year, should arrive in the mail. If it doesn’t, all forms are on our website at www.hopkinschamber.org, and we have them at the Chamber. So, all of you cooks who have gone into retirement, I have a spot for you! I’d love for you to cook one more time in this 50th anniversary!
Every year, the Chamber allows a non-profit organization to sell drinks at the Stew Cook-off. There are several rules and regulations to follow, but if you are interested in placing your organization’s name in the hat, please call the Chamber. You will be asked to come in and sign an understanding agreement in regard to rules and expectations. Deadline for volunteers is Aug. 30. Once we have all our volunteers in place, we will literally pick one out of a hat and award drink sales to that organization. Please call if you have any questions.
The Chamber is excited to announce our vendor call for the Stew Fest Market! 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.
We are halfway through the 4th Annual Chamber of Commerce Photography Contest! Let me review the basics. Anyone of any age can enter as we have a children’s category. The picture must be newer than January 1, 2017, and must have been taken in Hopkins County. The contest will be open from Aug. 1st to Aug. 31. There are seven categories you may enter: Natural World, Travel, People, The Hopkins County Experience, Altered Images, Mobile, and Children’s Category. Only digital images are accepted (no prints). To submit your photograph, email the picture to [email protected]. Rules and releases will be available on the Chamber of Commerce website. I cannot wait to see your beautiful photos!
Healing Hands Massage and Spa hosted their ribbon cutting
To celebrate the opening of their new location, Healing Hands Massage and Spa hosted a ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at noon. Their new location is 1402 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 6 in Sulphur Springs.
Cumby ISD Trustees Expected To Call For Bond Election At Aug. 15 Meeting
Cumby Independent School District Board of Trustees are expected to meet for three different sessions on Thursday. During on, the school board is expected to call for a bond election to fund facilities improvements.
Trustees, during a community meeting at the school, explained that the district had ordered a facilities inventory and evaluation in 2017, which identified several areas for improvement. A facilities committee of 10 was formed to determine how best to meet district needs and what would be required to fund them. Wants and needs were assessed, with creation of a 20-35 year district facilities plan as the goal.
After considering many different plans proposed, trustees and school administrators feel they have one for the first phase of improvement. To fund the improvements, however, would necessitate calling for a November bond election, which, if funded entirely, would cost an estimated $6,205,920.
The plan, Option 4, would allow the elementary campus to be more secure. That would include an 11,200-square foot elementary addition with eight classrooms at the end of the existing elementary building, drainage improvements and cafeteria expansion behind the elementary. A new playground would be enclosed behind the expanded cafeteria.
“Safety and security are our number one focus, and then we’ll see what there is left for other things,” Cumby ISD Superintendent Shelly Slaughter told the gathering of about 3 dozen community, staff and administrators present at the community meeting.
Additional parking and drives, sidewalks and canopies would be included in the costs as would secure entry points.
The overall improvements planned the elementary are estimated to be $4.01 million.
A new metal shop for vocational technology and career and technology classes would accommodate changes in education to provide more students with opportunities for more industry certifications and as many college and career credits as possible. That is estimated at $480,000
Portable buildings, which are designed to last up to 10 years but have been on the campus since 2001, would be demolished and needed abatement performed at a cost of $150,000. To maintain the buildings would be a significant cost, as repairs are needed for stability, security and functionality, presenters noted.
This too will provide added safety as it means the students aren’t required to be in the open walking to and from classes. Currently, if a fire or tornado drill is held, the only way they know is through intercom or someone physically coming to the campus to notify them. In the event of a tornado, the students have to exit the portable buildings to walk to the safety of the main building. In the event of a real tornado, that would be a serious threat to the children’s safety as they’d be out in the elements, school and planning officials noted at the Aug. 8 community meeting.
Because these improvements would be on the current football field, the field would need to be relocated; it’d be moved west of the current school facilities. It would have a dirt track around it, which would keep students on the school grounds as opposed to running along the roadside in town, which some citizens had expressed concern about. The estimate to relocate the stadium is estimated at $900,000. A paved track is not included at this time due to the significant cost.
One community member asked why, with property values on tax roles going up, wasn’t more funding available to help with some of the projects without having to seek a bond. School officials explained that with changes in House Bill 3 going into effect this year, the amount the district receives from school taxes would actually go down.
The board was also asked if they’d considered moving the elementary students to the new high school building, then building an all new high school or junior high. Official explained that it would take more money than the proposed bond to convert the high school for elementary students and build a new high school. Moving elementary to high school would also still leave the students without a closed, secured play area outside, and would still require them to walk across campus to the cafeteria. Both are security and safety issues the proposed plan address.
The school board is slated to hold a work session at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, in the Meeting Room of the Administration Building. They also may talk during executive session about facilities, student discipline and personnel, before adjourning.
At 7 p.m. Aug. 15, Cumby ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special public meeting in the Board Room/high school library to discuss the proposed budget and tax rate before adjourning.
Then, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the CISD trustees will hold their regular meeting. The agenda includes a time for awards and recognition if any are notable, administrative reports from the various department heads and Texas Association of School Boards Update 113. An executive session is noted for facilities, student discipline and personnel matters. To be presented for board approval are the 2019-20 budget and tax rate, and an order calling for a bond election, discussion on master facilities planning, a board policy regarding addressing board on agenda items, Lone Star Governance updates and board training hours review.
SSISD Tax Rate Will Be 7 Cents Lower; General, Food & Debt Service Budgets Approved
Sulphur Springs Independent School District this week approved a reduced tax rate as well as a balanced if tight general fund budget, with only $776 expected to be left at the end of the year in the general fund budget based on 2019-20 expected revenues and expenses.
The tax rate for the coming tax year will be 7 cents lower than this year’s rate. Overall, taxpayers will owe $1.28048 per $100 property valuation in taxes to SSISD in the coming year. Of that overall tax, $0.97 will go maintenance and operations and $0.31048 going toward debt service (otherwise known as issuance and sinking or I&S) taxes. The 7-cent decrease is in maintenance and operations tax, reduced for $1.04 to 97-cents.
The district anticipates receiving $42,789,274 in revenues in fiscal year 2019-2020, which begins Sept. 1 and continues through Aug. 31, 2020. The district anticipates spending all of those funds except $776. While that doesn’t leave much cushion, the district does anticipate having $13 million in the general fund carried over from previous years. This includes the general operating budget from which daily expenses and operations including staff pay; this fund is expected to generate about $2.6 million more than the projected $39.2 million in expected expenses. Transportation is expected to cost $1.8 million, with no revenues coming in for this one, and the co-curricular fund is expected to cost $733,091 more than it brings in. The needy child and instructional materials allotment functions in the budget are budgeted at no more than the district receives for these funds.
The district also anticipates receiving $3,695,562 in special revenue funding including about $1.3 million for the Head Start program and $1.1 million in Title I funding. The district only budgets for these services the amount they expect to receive in FY 2019-20. Including those funds, the district general fund budget will be $53.46 million.
The business office, when presenting the budget, noted that once certified property values came in last month, projected revenues were high enough that nearly all of the requests identified on budget “wish list” were incorporated into the budget. The amount requested for utilities was only partially funded, and while the maintenance department requested two new vehicles, only one was approved in the budget for the “wish list,” according to SSISD Business Manager Sherry McGraw.
Among the wish list items that were approved was funding to playground improvements at one primary campus this year, replacement of bus cameras at a rate of three per years on a new system, funding for all elementary teachers to attend Capturing Kids Hearts training and funding for a Sky Ranch trip for fifth graders.
The district plans to incorporate funding each year for playground improvements at a different primary for the next 3 years. Superintendent Michael Lamb said district staff will begin evaluating the playground equipment at each of the three older primary campuses to determine which is most in need of improvements, which will be used to determine which primary playground to update annually.
The district budgeted for three new buses, new computers/laptops to replace aging devices, various other training for staff and administrators, eight new aide positions, four new clerical positions and 12 new teacher/professional positions as well.
Also approved were food service and debt service budgets. The district expects to receive $2,275,600 in revenues for food service, which is $13,655 more than the district anticipates spending.
The district anticipate carrying over nearly $648,000 in the food service fund from FY 2018-19 which ends on Aug. 31. The food service budget is expected to finish FY 2018-19 with nearly $2.2 million left in the fund.
The district expects to receive nearly $4.5 million in revenues which will be applied to debt, which should leave about $280,874 in the budget once all owed debt payments are made.
The owed debt does not include payment for the purchase of the Paris Junior College Technical Center building located between the high school and Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. That fee will be paid out of the M&O budget. Lamb noted the school only has two payments left to make on the building, the one factored into the 2019-20 budget and one more.
McGraw told trustees that in their budget book, which is about 1-inch thick, they will not that debt previously was recorded under a facility acquisition function, but at the recommendation of auditors will be moved to a different function in the general fund budget.
Lamb also noted that school officials will likely not be bringing to the school board individuals requests for purchases of buses and vehicles, as most cost less than $50,000. Those items are in the projected budget, but because they fall under the rule requirement, the board won’t have to approve them.
Trustee John Prickette asked if the district would still solicit bids for vehicles. Lamb said it’s not necessary. They do typically contact the three local vehicle dealerships in Sulphur Springs to ask for quotes; bids under $50,000 don’t require bids.
Instead of increasing the pay scale for bus drivers this year, Transportation Director Rob Huizinga proposed an incentive program rewarding them with up to $800 per year, $400 per semester for being at work a 3 p.m. at least 90 percent of the time and not receiving any tickets or being in any crashes during that time, Lamb and Assistant Superintendent Rusty Harden told trustees.
Hopefully, this will help reduce bus driver shortages as well as the number of substitute bus drivers that have to be paid when bus drivers are absent from driving duties on any given school day.
“This has been a very different budget season. I applaud all employees who worked on it as well as other stakeholders who see that it gets done. Job well done,” said SSISD Board of Trustees Vice President Robert Cody.
Tira News for Aug. 14, 2019
By Jan Vaughn
Joyce Dodd reports that the next Bible Study at the Tira Methodist Church will be on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Robert, Yvonne, and Wesley Weir flew to Atlanta on August first and were joined by Tony and Melinda Yantch, who took them to their Lake House in North Carolina at Lake Chatuge. Yvonne comments, “We had a grand time boating and enjoyed the cooler weather. We flew home on the 5th.”
Yvonne got to see “baby-sit sweet Everly [Dustin and Natalie’s Weir’s daughter] on Friday.” She adds, “On Saturday the Weirs traveled to Caddo Mills for Elise’s 11th birthday and Eli’s 9th birthday. Big party!” Elise and Eli are Mike and Dacy (Weir) Campbell’s children.
Malcolm Joslin spent the weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, visiting with his son, Morgan Joslin.
Chip’s mother and sister, Grace and Linda Ellen Vaughn came for a visit on Sunday and had lunch with us.
The quarterly Tira City Council Meeting will be held on Monday, September 9th, due to the first Monday being on Labor Day. The public is always welcome and encouraged to attend.
Declarations of Write-In Candidacy for a place on the Tira City Council will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2019. The election date is Nov. 5, 2019. For more information, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, Tira City secretary, at the number or email address below.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Watch for I-30 Guardrail Repairs in Hopkins County
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today advised motorists that a summer project to improve guardrails along Interstate Highway 30 in Hopkins and Franklin Counties will begin the week of September 3rd, 2019.
DBI Services LLC, Hazleton, Pa., was awarded the contract for this roadway safety improvement project valued at more than $3.9 million. The contractor was granted 182 working days, weather permitting, to complete this project. The target completion date is mid-summer 2020, officials said.
Contractor crews will be working at various locations along I-30 in Hopkins in Franklin Counties, so motorists are advised to watch for temporary work zones in these counties.
Motorists who travel regularly in this area along I-30 should also remain alert and pay special attention to all signs, barricades and traffic controls, and reduce their speed as they approach and travel through work zones. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems.
North Hopkins ISD Holds Inauguration Breakfast For Campus Police Department
Staff, trustees and members of the law enforcement community gathered Tuesday morning in North Hopkins Independent School District cafeteria to officially welcome Kelly Wiser as the new police chief for the school district.
“This is a very special occasion, the official inauguration of North Hopkins police department,” said NHISD Superintendent Darin Jolly.
Dr. Jolly said while school district staff members do everything they can to make the school safe and secure for students, having a trained law enforcement officer on the campus has been an added deterrent and comfort.
The superintendent thanked Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum for seeing a need for county school district to have officers and putting in place a plan to allow off-duty deputies to provide security at county school district the last 2 years.
Tatum said he was glad to see Wiser at the school full time, and said if he calls for assistance, his deputies and officers from Sulphur Springs as well as Department of Public Safety officers would respond.
“We are here to help in any way you need. We’re there for you,” Tatum vowed.
He said after events at other schools, he saw a need for more law enforcement presence at county schools.
Because of how far from Sulphur Springs they are, the response time for an officer to arrive, unless patrolling nearby would be a lot longer that desired if a situation occurred. Allowing off-duty deputies to serve as security officers at the school was one way to help address that, to put a trained officer on campus.
A few different deputies have taken turns sharing those duties at NHISD as they were available during the school year. One of those officers regularly providing security at the school has been Deputy Kelly Wiser, who like others has a personal interest in the community and school. Some officers have children or grandchildren who attend, or family who are employed at the school.
“It’s so fantastic getting to know so many officers. Our relationship has been fantastic with peace officers, ” Jolly said.
He said having the officers on campus daily, interacting with students has encouraged students to “up their game,” and to strive to be and do better.
Seeing the benefit of having one full-time police officer on campus, NHISD Board of Trustees took steps in the spring to begin the process of having their own school police department. They selected Wiser to head up their department as chief.
Wiser is a peace officer for about 10 years, six of which have been as the DARE officer. He also has served as a canine handler.
Wiser offered thanks to Tatum for giving him the opportunity and encouraging his officers to attempt to better themselves. He thanked the officers and others present at the Aug. 13 event and those in the community for believing in him and supporting him.
Secondary Principal Brian Lowe, who Jolly noted had prior experience as a peace officer and has taken on quite a bit of the responsibility to improve safety and security at the school, is excited to have Wiser on board full time as police chief to “lead us in what is facing us safety and security at the campus level.”
Elementary Principal Kodi Wright said Wiser had already proved himself last year, and this summer hit the ground running in his new post as police chief. He assured her that while she may put in hours long after the school day has ended, she won’t be the last to leave. he -She said will continue to work with Wiser as the district takes steps to continue beefing up security at the elementary campus she will continue to work. She said she’s excited to be able to take any concerns she may have to Wiser.
Assistant Principal Tim Henderson also expressed excitement in having Wiser on campus full-time. He said they have already been working together on some things, and Wiser will also lighten some of his duties. Overseeing fire drills and lock-down drills, and having him available to take care of any difficult situation that might arise, including things like parents who interrupt sporing events to argue with coaches, umpires or referees should a parent become difficult.
Jolly thanked the NHISD Board of Trustees for having their back, not only by agreeing to Wiser and a campus police, but other safety and security measures as well.
