Update: 1 Dead Following Officer Involved Shooting
A 61-year-old Hopkins County man was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon in what was reported as an officer involved shooting in Como.
The deceased was identified by authorities as Jimmy De Odell, 61.
According to Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum, deputies were dispatched to the Como area around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to look for Odell, after receiving information the man might be disgruntled.
Officers continued to patrol in the area until they located Odell during the noon hour. When they attempted to make contact with him on Bethel Road in Como, Odell was alleged to have brandished a weapon. Shots were fired. Odell was pronounced dead at the scene by Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace B.J. Teer, Tatum said.
“The officer is currently on leave and will be allowed more time if needed,” Tatum said Wednesday.
The investigation into the shooting is being handled by the Texas Rangers, Tatum said.
Odell was known to local authorities from prior dealings, which included being booked into the county jail on at least six different occasion between July 2, 2017 and May 17, 2018.
Odell was reported to have recently been released from prison. He was sentenced May 17, 2018, to 10 years in Texas Department of Criminal Justice after his probation was revoked on a stalking charge and transferred from Hopkins County jail to a state facility on June 28, 2018, according to jail and court records. He was released from TDCJ April 18, 2019 according to officials.
More SSISD Coaching Changes After Tuesday Evening School Board Meeting
There are more Sulphur Springs High School coaching staff changes to report after Tuesday (June 11) night’s meeting of the school board. Coach Chris Owens, who was also a Social Studies teacher, has a new job. He will now take over the high school SAC or Student Assignment Center, an in school suspension program, and he will also continue to be a high school coach. Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta lost another assistant coach. Brandon DeLorge, also a Government teacher, resigned to take a head coaching position at Sanger. Recently Cipoletta assistant Phillip Manning resigned to take an assistant coach position at Plano. The school board has already approved the hiring of an assistant basketball coach for Coach Cipoletta, Joe Garcia. Tuesday night the board approved the hiring of boys basketball assistant Austin Fleming. Fleming is a Special Ed Teacher and comes from Zephyr, where he was head basketball coach. Coach Fleming is currently helping Coach Cipoletta with his SSISD Boys Basketball Camp this week. Kevin Hatcher, who was a PE teacher and Boys Coach at Sulphur Springs Middle School, is coming to the high school as a history teacher and coach. Tuesday night the school board also approved the hiring of Ashley Bagwell as a high school math teacher and possible coach.
Meet Dairy Festival Contestants #4, #5, #6
Deep into late-night rehearsals for the exciting Queen’s Pageant on Saturday June 15, 2019, the nine Dairy Festival contestants also turn out for early-morning radio interviews on KSST’s Good Morning Show. These activities follow a busy first week which had them milking cows, going up in hot air balloons and riding in the parade on a float she helped to build! On Wednesday June 12, we met charming Contestants #4, #5 and #6 !
Sable Erdmeir became a Hopkins County resident as a fifth grader, and credits her grandmother Debbie Young for introducing her to the excitement of Dairy Festival early on. At Sulphur Springs High School, Sable participates in Volleyball, Track and Cheerleading and was named 2019 MVP in Powerlifting. After high school, Sable wants to attend the Police Academy and seek a career in Emergency Management Dispatch. For her talent presentation at the Pageant, Sable will present a monologue on powerlifting and demonstrate a 350-lb. deadlift. You can also watch for her in a very feminine purple iridescent mermaid-style evening gown.
Ashlynn Bimmerle moved to Sulphur Springs during her Middle School years. She has also been a dance student for most of her life. She now participates in competitive dance and teaches part-time at Sulphur Springs Center for Dance. Ashlyn’s talent presentation will be a musical theater dance to ‘Forget About the Boy’ from “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. At Sulphur Springs High School, Ashlyn serves as Vice President in National Honors Society and takes Health Science Technology classes. Her career goal is to be a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Look for her in a stunning white sparkling gown when she is presented at the Dairy Festival Pageant.
Callie Harvey became a student at Sulphur Springs High School when she entered ninth grade. She was drawn to Dairy Festival because it is fun, and offers her new experiences within the community. She plans to become a Veterinarian, getting her degree through Texas A and M University at Commerce and College Station. Callie has been an artist since childhood, having shown her paintings in acrylic during student contests at the Tyler Museum of Art. During the talent portion of the Dairy Festival Pageant, she will demonstrate her talent by speed-painting a portrait of a Brown Swiss cow to the music of Chris Tomlin’s ‘Whom Shall I Fear’. Callie will model a classic fitted dress in sparkling maroon during the evening gown competition.
New Solar Energy Project Proposed for Dike area
Another solar electric generating facility is being considered for the Dike area of northeastern Hopkins County.
Sites in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, as well as other “locations across the world and other parts the United States” are being also reportedly being considered for the Alpin Sun solar project.
Alpin Sun is the same company responsible for Solemio Solar farm SSISD granted a limited value agreement for tax reduction. Alpin Sun is headquartered in Germany, with locations and projects around the world. The company specializes in the development and management of solar power plants. They got the Solemio project started; Solemio is now Pattern Development’s project.
The proposed Hopkins Energy LLC project would encompass 2,962 acres in northeastern Hopkins County and be a 320 MW-AC solar electric generating facility, with 1,625,000 photovoltaic panels, and 140 central inverters. Of those, an estimated 1,184 acres is expected to be in Sulphur Springs ISD; that would include 128 MW-AC of capacity, 650,000 photovoltaic panels and 56 central inverters in SSISD. The rest would be located on land within Sulphur Bluff ISD.
An application is expected to be submitted June 20 to Sulphur Bluff ISD, where 60 percent of the Hopkins County LLC project would be located, according to the Chapter 313 Application for Appraised Value Limitation to Sulphur Springs ISD presented to SSISD trustees Tuesday night.
By agreeing to accept an application, SSISD trustees agrees only to start the process to review and consider an agreement, but in no way commits the district to anything, explained Rick Lambert with Powell, Youngblood & Taylor LLP, the attorneys hired to help the district with the review and processing of the application from Hopkins Energy LLC. Region 12 Education Service Center will be serving “as a consulting expert to
perform a school finance impact study.”
Action Monday simply authorized SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb to review the application for completeness. It’s then submitted to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for review, to determine all requirements for a 313 tax break are met; it also is sent to the appraisal district for verification of all information. After what Lambert described as a “a lot of due diligence” to ensure everything meets the tax code, a special agreement can be drafted and presented to trustees for consideration.
Costs associated with the application process are covered using the application fee paid by the submitting company, so the school districts are not out any money on the process, according to Lambert.
Garrett Peters with K.E. Andrews Valuation Tax Solutions, the firm representing the solar business, reported representatives had been out talking with all of the property owners in the area impacted. He reported 80 percent of the landowners had options to sign, but a few others had yet to decide, which could require a shifting if the project has to be moved to other nearby land. These and other factors would need to be worked out, as well as agreements with the various taxing entities before the project could move forward.
If the project moves forward, reinvestment zones including the property impacted would also have to be approved by the district.
Overall, the project is expected to create three “qualifying” jobs, two for the portion of the project in Sulphur Bluff ISD and one in Sulphur Springs ISD, according to the letter Mike Fry, KE Andrews Director of Energy Services, submitted June 3 to SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb for a Hopkins Energy LLC Chapter 313 Job Waiver Request as part of the Application for Section 313 Value Limitation Agreement. Approval would have to be given for a waiver of the 10 jobs requirement for the agreement. The documents noted that while many full and part-time positions would be needed during construction, three would be the industry standard for a solar project of that size.
Taking Aim at Snacking Myths
By JOHANNA HICKS B.S., M.Ed., Family & Community Health Agent
Who snacks? Just about everyone! A nutritious snack can give you an energy boost when you need it. A planned snack can prevent overeating and actually can be healthy when replacing empty calories. Empty calories (those lacking nutrients) include soft drinks, sugary beverages, candy, sweets, some chips, and other high-calorie, high-fat foods.
Here’s a quiz to see if you need to plan your snacks a little better:
- Do you reach for anything close at hand to eat when you are stressed?
- Do you know exactly what is in the vending machines at work?
- Do you seldom have time to sit and eat a meal?
- Have you eaten three or more “empty calorie” snacks, such as cake, candy, or soft drink this week?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these, a little snack planning may be in order!
Many people can benefit from eating snacks. Growing children with tiny appetites may not be able to fulfill their energy needs with only three meals a day. Snacks can provide what may be missing from their meals. Teens are well know for their snack attacks, because they have high energy and nutrient needs to support their growing bodies. Carefully chosen snacks can help fuel their growth. Older adults who can eat only small portions of food at a time my find it easier to maintain their health by eating snacks in addition to their meals. Athletes of all ages have increased energy demands. They especially need energy in the form of carbohydrates, which help power exercising muscles. Snacks such as sandwiches, cereals, pasta, fruit and milk can help give athletes the additional energy they need.
Snacks can offer some disadvantages as well. This depends on the types and amounts of nutrients they contain. Mindless nibbling can lead to trouble in the form of unwanted calories. Some snacks, such as potato chips, candy, and other sweets, can add a lot of fat. A high-fat diet is clearly linked with chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers.
Despite the benefits that snacks can offer, many people think of snacks as something extra they should not eat. Here are five common myths:
Myth: Snacks are fattening.
Fact: Eating a snack during a long stretch between meals can take the edge off hunger. Of course, specific snack food choices will make a difference.
Myth: Snacks spoil your appetite before meals.
Fact: Eating a small amount of food (a piece of fruit, for example) two or three hours before a meal will not spoil your appetite. By eating a snack, you can be more in control of your food choices and less inclined to overeat at your next meal.
Myth: Snacking can cause cavities.
Fact: While smacks expose the teeth to food and decay-producing bacteria more often, choosing foods that are not sticky and rinsing your mouth afterward can help prevent cavities. Better yet, brush after snacking, if you can.
Myth: Snacking is the same as eating junk food.
Fact: Making better choices can help fill in the gaps in meals to complete a healthy diet.
Myth: Healthy snacking means that I can never eat potato chips again.
Fact: It is possible to eat un foods and still follow a diet that is low in fat, but it requires a little planning. If you have a high-fat shack, you need to balance that out with lower-fat choices at other meals.
Remember, one snack, one meal, or one day of eating cannot make or break your health. It is what you eat consistently over time that counts.
Here are some on-the-go portable snacks to consider to fit a hectic schedule:
- Fruit – apples, pears, etc.
- Carrots
- Juice boxes (make sure it is 100% juice, and not “juice beverage”)
- Pretzels
- Popcorn (avoid high butter, high salt)
- GORP – good old raisins and peanuts! Use whatever combo sounds goods to you – dried fruits, seeds, nuts, cereals, etc.
For more ideas on snacking, go to www.bmbhc.org (“Snack Attack! Take Action!”) or www.nutrition.com (“Snack Attacks or OK”)
Upcoming Events
- Diabetes Support Group: 4th Tuesday of each month, noon, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Hopkins County Office (next meeting is June 25)
- Skills Camp: Monday thru Thursday, July 29 thru August 1 (we still have a few openings) Hopkins County Extension Office, 9 a.m. to noon
- Back-to-School Fair: Friday, August 9, 3-6 p.m., Civic Center
- Get a Taste for Reducing Food Waste series: Monday and Thursday, August 12 & 15, 10 a.m., Hopkins County Extension Office
- Twogether in Texas Marriage Education workshop: Saturday, August 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Hopkins County Extension Office
For more information on all these event, call 903-885-3443.
Closing Thought
Tomorrow is the longest day of the week. It has to be because of all the things we are going to do – anonymous
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Camo Pudding
Ingredients:
1 ½ ripe avocados
2 ripe bananas
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
4 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup milk (can substitute almond “milk”)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon extract
Directions:
- In food processor or blender, mix all ingredients until the consistency is smooth and velvety.
- Refrigerate overnight for best flavor, or for at least hours. Serve topped with fresh bananas or berries.
Nutrition information: (1/4 recipe)
210 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein
Source: Dinner Tonight Healthy Cooking School
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Nurse Aide Assistance
Kristi Schultz, coordinator of nursing home training at Paris Junior College, assists Rickerius Williams and other students enrolled in her Nurse Aide class at the Paris Junior College-Sulphur Springs Center. To find out about other continuing education classes offered at the campus, call 903-885-1232.
Lady Cats Softball Coach David Carrillo Calls First Day of Softball Camp Awesome
At the end of day one of the three day Girls Softball Camp Monday (June 10) in the Multipurpose Building, Lady Cats Softball Coach David Carrillo pronounced it awesome. He said numbers were good from the youngest first grader to those who will attend high school this fall. Coach Carrillo said he saw some good things from the campers. He said he saw lots of enthusiasm and a passion for the game. Coach Carrillo said he really enjoys the youngest campers noting they are fun to watch. This is his thirteenth camp and he said he has seen some players attend his camp quite a few years in a row. Sierra Smith is a senior who graduated this past school year. Coach Carrillo said he still remembers her as one of his young campers. He said he can spot some girls’ talent early. He credits parents for helping those girls develop skills early. Graduating senior Lady Cat Brinklee Driver assisted Coach Carrillo with camp Monday. He said Driver was very good with kids. Softball assistants Chris Valdovinos and Bailey Dorner also are helping out with the camp that runs through Wednesday afternoon.
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta Attracts Lots of Boys to Basketball Camp
Boys of all ages turned out Monday afternoon (June 10) to take part in Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta’s four-day Boys Basketball Camp in the main gym at Sulphur Springs High School. One camp was designed for boys entering kindergarten through five grade and another for boys entering sixth through the ninth grade. Coach Cipoletta is entering his sixth year as Wildcats Head Coach and his eighth year overall here. He has seen interest in basketball grow and his camp attendance reflects the interest. Coach Cipoletta also has noticed quite an increase in the skill level of his campers. Monday evening, after the first day of camp, Coach Cipoletta said it’s cool to see a large number of kids come out with a hunger to learn and grow in basketball. He credits area youth coaches for the developing skill level of camp players he sees. Coach Cipoletta said he likes the skills on display by his incoming ninth graders. He said he really likes developing players’ skills. He is a coach who admits to liking practice sessions perhaps even more than games. Coach Cipoletta said he likes to develop not only skills but also relationships with the campers. Three of the Wildcats’ graduating seniors helped Coach Cipoletta with camp Monday: Xavier Cork, Keaston Willis and Jeremiah Roland. Graduating manager Dylan Jester was also around to assist.
State Validation For Heifers and Steers Is Saturday, June 22, at Cattleman Veterinary Services
By Mario Villarino , DVM, Ph.D., Hopkins County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources
The mission of the youth livestock validation program is to promote a positive youth development environment focused on ensuring rules for livestock exhibition are being followed under the supervision of county Extension Agents and agricultural science teachers. This helps to foster integrity, virtues, and values of youth and families.
The purpose of validation is to encourage positive relationships with county Extension agents, agricultural science teachers and local stakeholders, create a level playing field for youth livestock projects, maximize youth experience, life skill development, and facilitate youth engagement with livestock projects.
Validation allows youth to build on life skills such as responsibility, respect, teamwork and communication. By participating in the livestock project, youth exhibitors learn daily care, nutrition, reproduction, and production practices specific to livestock projects.
For Hopkins County to successfully complete these requirements, working in cooperation with NETLA, the State and County Steer and Heifer Validation has been scheduled for June 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cattleman Veterinary Services.
If you have plans to show steers or heifers during 2019-2020 showing year, I encourage you to contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 (for 4-H exhibitors) or your agricultural science teacher (for FFA exhibitors) for more information.
