Traffic Stop Nets Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Arrest
A 30-year-old Wolfe City man was arrested at 7:13 p.m. July 3 on State Highway 11 west for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Davis first became aware of the man because he was driving a Chevrolet Malibu without a front license plate on State Highway 11 west Wednesday evening. As the deputy began following the car, he alleged, it quickly turned into a residential driveway.
The deputy contacted the driver and noted he could immediately smell a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and observed a green, leaf-like substance he believed to be marijuana in plain view. Davis reportedly obtained consent to search the car. Suspected marijuana cigarettes were found in the console along with marijuana, several baggies of the kind typically used for packaging of illegal narcotics in both the console and driver’s side floorboard, and a white torn paper bag with a crystal-like substance he believed to be methamphetamine in an open compartment on top of the dash, Davis alleged in arrest reports.
The man in the car, identified in arrest reports as Zaqurious Lamont Armstrong of Wolfe City, was arrested for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. Closer inspection revealed the license plate on the car also belonged to another vehicle, according to arrest reports.
Armstrong was released from the county jail July 4 on $5,000 bond on the controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
License plate violations also resulted in two other traffic stops and two arrests for marijuana possession, according to arrest reports.
A Garland man, 58, was stopped at 2:16 p.m. July 3 by state troopers on Interstate 30 at mile marker 129 for a license plate violation on a Jeep Grand Cherokee and ended up in jail for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. On contact, the highway patrol trooper reported smelling a marijuana odor in the vehicle. A probable cause search yielded marijuana in a glass jar in a backpack, resulting in his arrest Wednesday afternoon, according to arrest reports.
He remained in the county jail Friday. Bond was set at $1,000 on the misdemeanor marijuana charge, according to jail reports.
At about 12:15 a.m. July 4, Sulphur Springs police stopped a Toyota Rav 4 on Oak Avenue for an unreadable license plate and because the vehicle’s third brake light was not working, and arrested the passenger for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.
Police reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle as they contacted the occupants. Officers asked the man to step out of the vehicle. Police alleged they could see a clear bag with what appeared to marijuana inside of it in the 30-year-old Cooper man’s pocket. The man was arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana charge; the driver was released, according to police reports.
He was released from jail July 4 on $1,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
Fabulous Fireworks on Fourth at SS Country Club
Sulphur Springs Country Club continued it’s tradition of an over-the-top Fourth of July fireworks display on Thursday night. Dozens of cars and trucks carrying hundreds of onlookers crowded into the area, from the clubhouse road to Interstate 30 service roads to the roofs of nearby houses and the tops of neighboring hills to watch the fireworks show.
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed For Allegedly Possessing Methamphetamine
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Justin Findley arrested Jair Ugalde Sanchez, 40, of Sulphur Springs Wednesday evening for driving while license invalid and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Findley reported stopping a GMC Sonoma at 8:09 p.m. July 3 for failure to signal a turn 100 feet prior to turning on College Street at Jackson Street. The driver, identified in arrest reports as Sanchez, was taken into custody after it was found he was driving without a valid license.
During an inventory of the vehicle, a glass pipe of the type commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and a plastic bag with less than 1 gram of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine were allegedly found. Consequently, Sanchez was also charged with controlled substance possession, according to arrest reports.
Sanchez was released from jail July 4 on $5,000 bond on the controlled substance charge; the fee for the driver’s license charge was set at $266, according to jail reports.
Police Arrest Man Who Passed Out In Vehicle In Drive-Through Lane
Sulphur Springs Police took a 33-year-old Sulphur Springs man found passed out in the drive-through lane at a South Broadway Street Mexican food business just after 11 p.m. July 3 .
Sulphur Springs police reported finding the man “asleep” in the driver’s seat with a cold, open container of Budweiser in console of a 2014 Dodge Challenger at Taco Bueno.
He was reportedly awakened and asked to exit the car. He allegedly failed horizontal gaze nystagmus tests and was noted to emit an alcohol odor on his breath, was unsteady on his feet, had bloodshot eyes and spoke with slurred speech.
Believing the man to be a danger to himself and others, police took him into custody and to jail for public intoxication, according to arrest reports. The man was released from jail on the misdemeanor charge Thursday, according to jail reports.
Arkansas Man Jailed July 4 For Allegedly Choking Children’s Mother
A 33-year-old Bradford, Arkansas man was arrested July 4 for allegedly trying to choke the mother of his children, with the kids in the vehicle with them.
Sulphur Springs police were dispatched to the 1600 block of West Shannon Road, where an assault was reported to have occurred. Upon arrival at 7 Star, Sgt. Brandon Mayes reported talking to both the alleged victim and the suspect, identified in arrest reports as Robert Michael Jamen.
The woman was alleged to have been involved in a physical altercation with Jamen in a Dodge Ram pickup. During the altercation, the man allegedly wrapped both hands around the woman’s throat, cutting off her airway. Three children belonging to both the alleged victim and suspect reported seeing the same thing occur, while they screamed for his to stop, Mayes alleged in arrest reports.
The woman was reported to have a few visible marks around her neck and collarbone area to support the claim. Consequently, Jamen was arrested at 11:35 a.m. July 4 for assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing or circulation, according to arrest reports.
Jamen was released from Hopkins County Law Enforcement Center Friday, July 5. Bond was set at $10,000 on the third-degree felony charge, according to jail reports.
Paul Jones Named Region 8 Superintendent Of The Year
Paul Jones has been selected as the Region 8 Superintendent of the Year, which puts him in the running for consideration for Texas Superintendent of the Year honors, according to a Texas Association of School Board press release.
Jones has worked at Paris ISD for six years, and prior to that was the superintendent at Saltillo ISD.
The annual program is sponsored by TASB to recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership.
Candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality, ability to build effective employee relations, student performance and commitment to public involvement in education. Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to the state selection committee.
Jones was nominated by the Paris ISD Board of Trustees and selected by a regional screening committee of school board members.
“In our search for superintendent, Paul Jones was the candidate that stood out among many and hiring him has proven to be a great investment for our district. This mild mannered man makes the board’s job easy with good staff around him. It gives us the time to focus on student needs and education. He has an attitude with no hidden agenda and there is a mutual respect for board and superintendent. The board congratulates Mr. Jones on receiving this honor,” Paris ISD Board of Trustees President George Fisher said in a school announcement.
“I’m humbled and honored to have received this recognition,” Jones was quoted in the release. “It is a direct reflection of the hard work of our dedicated teachers, staff and administration. I would not have received this honor without a supportive board that makes every decision based on the needs of the students.”
Regional SOTY honorees are then nominated for consideration for Texas SOTY. The state committee will interview regional winners in Austin Aug. 23-24 and select five state finalists. The Texas Superintendent of the Year will be announced Sept. 21 at the 2019 Texas Association of School Administrators/ TASB Convention in Dallas, according to TASB.
All candidates in the running for Texas SOTY honors include:
- Carlos Guzman, Roma ISD, Region 1
- Sharon McKinney, Port Aransas ISD, Region 2
- Tina Herrington, Wharton ISD, Region 3
- Charles Dupre, Fort Bend ISD, Region 4
- Cody Abshier, Liberty ISD, Region 5
- Walter Jackson, Brenham ISD, Region 6
- Christopher Moran, Whitehouse ISD, Region 7
- Paul Jones, Paris ISD, Region 8
- Tylor Chaplin, Burkburnett ISD, Region 9
- Roosevelt Nivens, Community ISD, Region 10
- John Ramos, Castleberry ISD, Region 11
- Bruce Gearing, Dripping Springs ISD, Region 13
- Duane Hyde, Highland ISD, Region 14
- Carlos Rios, San Felipe Del Rio CISD, Region 15
- Tanya Larkin, Pampa ISD, Region 16
- Keith Bryant, Lubbock-Cooper ISD, Region 17
- Leandro Gonzales, Jr., Grady ISD, Region 18
- Evelyn Loeffler, Sierra Blanca ISD, Region 19
- Lloyd Verstuyft, Southwest ISD, Region 20
Prioritize Garden Activities During Hot Summer Months
By Mario Villarino, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent, agriculture and natural resources
As temperature in Hopkins County remains warm, it is important to prioritize the activities in the garden. Here some suggestions for July/August by Texas AgriLife Extension:
- By August many fall vegetable seeds and even small plants may be set out for later production. Be careful to give extra water, and a little shade, to these young plants while they are becoming established. The result will be excellent cool season garden produce.
- Trim off faded flowers on crape myrtles and vitex to encourage later re-bloom.
- Evaluate the volume of water delivered from lawn sprinklers to ensure healthy, stress-free grass during the heat of the summer. One thorough watering which will deliver one inch of water at a time is better than several more shallow sessions. The amount of water available through flower bed sprinklers may be checked by placing several shallow pans among shrubs or flowers.
- Caladiums require plenty of water at this time of year if they are to remain lush and active until fall. Fertilize with 21-0-0 at the rate of one-third to one-half pound per 100 square feet of bed area, and water thoroughly.
- Prune out dead or diseased wood from trees and shrubs. Hold off on major pruning from now until midwinter. Severe pruning at this time will only stimulate tender new growth prior to frost.
- Sow seeds of snapdragons, dianthus, pansies, calendulas, and other cool-season flowers in flats, or in well-prepared areas of the garden, for planting outside during mid-to-late fall.
- Plant bluebonnet and other spring wildflowers. They must germinate in late summer or early fall, develop good root systems, and be ready to grow in spring when the weather warms. Plant seed in well-prepared soil, one-half inch deep, and water thoroughly.
- Picking flowers frequently encourages most annuals and perennials to flower even more abundantly.
- Pick okra, peas and peppers often to maintain production.
- It is time to divide spring-flowering perennials, such as iris, Shasta daisy, oxeye, gaillardia, cannas, day lilies, violets, liriope, and ajuga.
- Make your selections and place orders for spring-flowering bulbs now so that they will arrive in time for planting in October and November.
- Don’t allow plants with green fruit or berries to suffer from lack of moisture.
- A late-summer pruning of rosebushes can be beneficial. Prune out dead canes and any weak, brushy growth. Cut back tall, vigorous bushes to about 30 inches. After pruning, apply fertilizer, and water thoroughly. If a preventive disease-control program has been maintained, your rose bushes should be ready to provide an excellent crop of flowers this fall.
- It is not too late to set out another planting of many warm-season annuals, such as marigolds, zinnias, and periwinkles. They will require extra attention for the first few weeks, but should provide you with color during late September, October, and November.
- Establish a new compost pile to accommodate the fall leaf accumulation.
House Bill 852 Restricts How Municipalities Set Community Development Fees
Sulphur Springs, like all Texas municipalities, will no longer be able to base permit and inspection fees for residential dwellings on the cost of the project, state officials determined recently.
Ordinance 2749, presented to Sulphur Springs City Council Tuesday evening, would amend Sulphur Springs’ fee schedule for community development so that the city will be in compliance with House Bill 852, which relates to information a municipality may consider in determining the amount of certain building permit and inspection fees.
HB 852 prohibits municipalities from using the value of the dwelling and the cost of constructing or improving the dwelling to determine building permit or inspection fee in connection with construction or improvement of a residential dwelling. Municipalities also are barred from requiring information related to the cost or value of construction or improvement of the dwelling when setting the costs for a building permit.
“Due to these recent changes, staff ha review our fee schedule. We have made the necessary changes to either make the fees based on square footage or a flat fee. So, for the most part our ordinance was in compliance, except for the trades; we decided to go with a flat fee. For residential remodel we want to go with square foot,” Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski told the council.
The proposed ordinance was given approval on first reading, and will be presented again at a later meeting for final approval.
City Proposes Rezoning of 2 Recently Annexed Business Parks
Sulphur Springs City Council Tuesday during their regular session discussed a number of proposed ordinances, including two to rezone two business parks.
Ordinances 2747 and 2748 call for rezoning of Pioneer Business Park and Heritage Business Park to heavy industrial zones. Basically, Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski told the council, this is a standard action following annexation of business parks, which “come in” as agricultural zones.
There areas were intended as industrial zones when annexed, to allow for growth and development within them, according to the community development director.
Pioneer Business Park is 103.05 acres and spans from the west side of CMH Road between Business 67 and the Interstate 30 frontage road. Heritage Business Park is 117.33 acres and includes adjacent properties located east of Loop 301 on Heritage Parkway, north of the railroad tracks, west of County Road 3501 and south of County Road 3502.
The council gave approval on first reading to both rezoning ordinances.
The Edge Next Week Will Be Two Days Only
The next to last week of The Edge conditioning program next week will be an abbreviated one. Instead of the usual Monday through Thursday, The Edge will only take place on Monday, July 8, and Thursday, July 11, next week.
The UIL has declared next Tuesday and Wednesday as dead days saying that no athletes are allowed at athletic facilities on those days.
On Monday and Thursday next week, The Edge will continue for athletes entering ninth through the twelfth grades from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. with skills work allowed from 10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
The Edge for students entering Middle School this fall takes place Monday and Thursday next week from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., with skills work allowed from 10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m.
The final week of The Edge for both groups will take place the following week, July 15-18, Monday through Thursday.
