Wildcats Assistant Football Coach Jeremy Offutt Has Task of Building the Offensive Line
Wildcats Head Football Coach Greg Owens says a major part of spring football practice is developing the offensive and defensive lines.
Jeremy Offutt is responsible for putting together the Wildcats offensive line. It’s something he enjoys. He says he really likes it when people don’t think his linemen are going to be very good. He says that drives them.
There have been just a few spring workouts so far, but Coach Offutt likes what he’s seeing from his guys. He likes the competition and Coach Offutt says he thinks the guys could be really good up front this year.
They are young for the most part. Coach Offutt says he has four that will be seniors this fall and the rest will be juniors and sophomores.
He likes their mentality that makes them want to get after people. He says they take coaching and they listen. Coach Offutt says they want to find a way to win. He likes the fact that they are always asking him questions.
He says he works hard to notice his linemen when they do things well because he says he sure tends to notice if they foul something up.
Coach Offutt played offensive lineman in high school at North Lamar and in college at Oklahoma State. He was also briefly on an NFL roster. He says he really likes coaching high school kids.
2 Hopkins County Residents Recognized For Heroic Efforts in Fatal Cedar Hill Fire
Two Sulphur Springs residents were among the firefighters and police recognized Tuesday night by Cedar Hill City Council for their efforts to rescue four of the six people reportedly trapped Feb. 28 in a burning two-story home.
Cedar Hill Fire Department Capt. Rusty Brannon and Driver Jake Spataro received a Life Safety Award and Unit Citations for helping to pull four victims out of the fiery residence.
Brannon is quick to point out that they were not the only ones singled out for recognition. Several others who aided in the efforts were recognized; he and Spataro were both in charge of their apparatus, Spataro an engine and Brannon a quint, so they received additional recognition for leading their crews.
“Honestly, we were here that night. We were there to do a job, no different than every other fireman does,” Brannon said.
The CHFD captain said 911 dispatchers received a call from a woman who said she was trapped on the second floor of the building, and she couldn’t get out. Screams could reportedly be heard in the background and the woman reported six people in the house, including children.
Spataro had just made driver at Cedar Hill Fire Department about 2 months prior to the fire and was stepping up to ride the officer’s seat for the first time that shift, Brannon reported. Spataro arrived in the engine and Brannon, a Sulphur Springs resident with about 24 years experience in firefighting, arrived behind in the quint.
“As we arrived, two people were jumping out the second floor window. They said the kids were still inside,” Brannon recalled to KSST.
Brannon explained the police department had pulled at least one squad car up to the window. The man and woman jumped out the window. The woman landed on the window of the police car. The man and woman were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and transported the hospital, according to the CHFD captain.
“You have moments to go through it. It doesn’t set in until it was over. You don’t feel fear until after the fact,” Brannon said.
The firefighters mobilized and went into the home, which Brannon said had heavy fire at the back of it, to try to rescue the four other people inside.
“Jake pulled one out just inside the front door,” Brannon said.
Brannon said he lead a crew upstairs, guided by a thermal imaging camera, because it was so dark and the smoke was so heavy they were unable to see in front of them.
Three additional victims were also located inside the home. A 17-year-old was found near a door and a woman was found on the stairs and were carried from the burning structure, Brannon said.
“We were pretty exhausted by then. We went upstairs. It was high heat, dark, smoking,” Brannon said.
The crews had planned to conduct a search to the left of the structure upon arrival upstairs, but made a decision to go the other way
“God protected us. We did a right search, where someone is in contact with the wall. In the first bedroom was the 15-year-old by the door. We later found out, if we’d gone to the left, about a 20 feet a hole had burned through the floor on the left side. If we’d gone that way a firefighter would have gone through and fallen to the floor below. God looked after us,” Brannon said.
The victims pulled from the home by firefighters included a man, woman, 17-year-old and a 15-year-old. The 17-year-old was were transported to the hospital. CPR was administered in the front yard; the three others reportedly died at the scene. The 17-year-old died after about a month in the hospital. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, according to Brannon and news reports.
Brannon said the blaze made him appreciate the work firefighters in his hometown of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County do. In Cedar Hill, firefighters have considerably more resources. When a call of that nature is dispatched, numerous trucks filled with trained on-duty firefighters are paid to respond.
“If this call happened in Sulphur Springs, there’d be a whole lot less. You don’t realize how blessed you are to have the support we have here. They do what they do for less and with less manpower. They are good guys for sure,” Brannon praised.
Cinco De Mayo Celebration Set for Saturday May 4 in City of Sulphur Springs
According to Oscar Aguilar, a committee has arranged for music, food and the flavor of Mexico to be enjoyed and celebrated in downtown Sulphur Springs on Saturday May 4, 2019 starting at 12 noon. At least one dozen musical acts will be entertaining throughout the local 12-hour Cinco de Mayo festival.
Man Served With Controlled Substance Warrants Allegedly Found In Possession Of Methamphetamine
Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies went to serve Christopher Don Williams, 30, of Sulphur Springs with controlled substance warrants at his State Highway 11 residence and ended up adding an additional controlled substance offense to his list of charges.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Greer and Reserve Deputy Mark Poindexter placed Williams under arrest on two warrants for manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and one warrant for manufacture or delivery of less than 1 gram of Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
While searching his clothing, Greer reported finding a crystal-like substance the deputies believed to be methamphetamine in a small plastic bag in the liner of Williams’ baseball cap, resulting in Williams being charged with possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, the deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Kelly Wiser and Investigator Wade Sheets also were credited in sheriff’s reports with responding at the location.
Williams remained in Hopkins County jail late Thursday morning, April 25. Bond was set at $20,000 on the two manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a controlled substance charges, $15,000 on the other manufacture or delivery charge and $15,000 on the possession charge, according to jail reports.
Truck Driver Accused of Stealing Company Vehicle After Being Fired
A Florida truck driver was arrested Wednesday afternoon for allegedly stealing a vehicle belonging to the company from which he’d just been fired.
Jonis Ales Sendra, 36, of New Port Richey, Florida was taken into custody by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Sgt. Shea Shaw and Deputy Kevin Lester at 5:43 p.m. April 24 on the north service road for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
According to sheriff’s reports, the incident reportedly began with Deputies Tanner Steward, Kevin Lester and Sgt. Shea Shaw being dispatched at 5:28 p.m. Wednesday to an Interstate 30 west trucking business in Brashear to a disturbance; an ex-employee was reported to be causing a ruckus and being combative. The complainant told dispatchers Sendra, a disgruntled employee who had just been terminated, was the aggressor in the disturbance, deputies wrote in arrest reports.
While en route to the trucking business, deputies were told the man had just stolen one of the company’s commercial vehicles, a white Volvo with a missing front bumper, according to the arrest report.
Deputies reported seeing a man driving a vehicle matching that description on the north Interstate 30 service road and detained him. When asked why he stole the vehicle, the driver identified as Sendra , told them he didn’t steal it, that he “was not going to be treated like a dog and was not going to be left on the side of the road, ” deputies alleged in arrest reports.
A deputy at the roadside conferred with officers at the trucking business. The deputies were reportedly told by company representatives the man had been fired, but was offered a ride to the bus station. The ex-employee allegedly became irate and was asked by company representatives to remove his items from the vehicle, deputies wrote in arrest reports.
The company representatives reportedly told deputies the man did not have permission to have the vehicle he was driving, and attempts had been made to stop him from leaving in it.
The man was taken into custody for unauthorized use of a vehicle. When a deputy checked the vehicle, he reported a GPS-style device in it was “attempting to notify the driver his travel was not authorized and to stop the vehicle.”
Jonis Sendra remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning. His bond was set at $10,000 on the unauthorized use of a vehicle charge, according to jail reports.
“Caring for Aging Parents” Seminar on May 2 at SSCC to Offer Info and Resources
The public is invited to a free educational symposium themed “The Process of Care – A Guide to Caring For Your Aging Parents”, set for Thursday May 2, 2019 at SS Country Club. The evening will consist of a sit-down dinner and program and is free to attend, however you must register to attend. Visit HowToCareForAgingParents.Eventbrite.com. CHRISTUS health and social professionals Michelle Jackson and Dana Adams and CHRISTUS physician Dr. I.L. Balkcom will speak during the panel discussions. Additionally, there will be numerous healthcare, estate management and insurance vendors which you can visit and network with for valuable information. Also, the Ark-Tex Council of Governments will make available a ‘Dementia Experience’ hands-on simulator to better acquaint attendees in what a day in the life of a dementia sufferer is like. This information and more will better equip persons currently facing a time in their life of caring for aging loved ones. The event is offered through a partnership between CHRISTUS Mother-Francis Hospital Sulphur Springs and the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce.
13 Charter Propositions On Sulphur Springs May 4 Special Election Ballot Explained
Sulphur Springs voters will be asked, when casting ballots, to consider granting approval to 13 propositions for changes to the Sulphur Springs Home Rule Charter.
Essentially, the propositions allow for the language to be updated to reflect changes to state law, which the city follows, clarify a few points, designate a time by which a committee must review the charter for updates and plan for the future, City Attorney Jim McLeroy explained.
McLeroy explained the city charter hasn’t been updated since the early 1980s and not substantially for even longer.
“State laws have changed. We can no longer do as in the charter. We have to follow state law. This updates language with state law, mandates. We will continue to comply with state law,” McLeroy said.
In most cases,the propositions will mean no change to the way the city and council runs; it it will just update the charter to reflect current practices according to state laws, according to the city attorney.
McLeroy recommends any voter who is unfamiliar with the propositions or doesn’t understand the proposal to read the “effect” section on the ballot, which explains the impact of the charter change, before casting a ballot.
The propositions are at the recommendation of a Charter Review Committee, chaired by McLeroy, a couple of other city council members, and nominations made and approved by the city council. McLeroy described the approximately 12 member group as diverse, representing all walks of life, ages and areas of the city.
The group met several times, going through two to three sections of the charter per meeting, then proposed the recommended changes based on a consensus from the committee, according to McLeroy.
The city attorney took time to go over the propositions, to help voters better understand them.
Proposition A — Meetings of Council would allow the city council to continue meeting as usual on the first Tuesday of each month, unless the meeting falls on a holiday such as New Year’s Day or Independence Day. The meeting would then be scheduled to a different date to avoid the conflict. The change clarifies in the charter the procedure for rescheduling council meetings or calling special meetings in simpler language so the charter complies with state law.
Proposition B — Passage of Ordinances and Resolutions would change where notices of proposed ordinances are published. Instead of being published once weekly for three weeks in the newspaper, the full text of a proposed ordinance would be posted continuously on the city’s website. This would make it accessible continuously to more people online, according to the city attorney.
“The way ordinances are adopted would be the same. What would change is publishing in the newspaper,” McLeroy said.
Proposed ordinances or resolutions would still be read twice at the council meetings, and the emergency procedures would be updated to reflect current practices based on state law.
Proposition C — Municipal Election Dates and Procedures would not change current practices, but update outdated language in the charter, to note that all municipal elections are held according to state law, according to McLeroy.
Proposition D — City Manager would allow the city manager to be paid on the same schedule as other city employees. Currently, all city employees are paid twice a month except the city manager, who is paid once a month because of the charter. This would be an efficiency and cost saving measure for the city and would put the city manger on the same pay schedule as other employees, eliminating the need for two sets of books, the city attorney explained.
The city has not had to seek a new manager for about 25 years. However, Proposition D would also put the city in a better position to attract top talent at a competitive rate if at some point in the future a new manager is sought, McLeroy explained.
Proposition E — Finance Department would update the charter to the current structure, in which the city manger is not the finance director. The city manager appoints the finance director, provided the council approves the appointment. The duties of the finance director in collecting taxes according to state law will be more simply defined in the charge, if the proposition is approved.
Proposition F — City Budget wouldn‘t change the current practice of setting the budget, just where it is published on first reading. As is the case with notices, the proposed budget would be posted on the city website, and adopted in September, according to state law.
Proposition G — Emergency Appropriations would repeal a section of the charter so that the city is in compliance with state law limits regarding emergency appropriations, if needed.
Proposition H — Depository would not change any current practices, just update the charter to reflect changes in the Public Funds Investment Act, the city attorney explained.
Proposition I — Taxation also would not change current practices of the city, but update the language to reflect state law. It does not mean a change in taxes, just clarifies and removes outdated provisions, according to the city attorney.
Proposition J — Annual Audit again would amend the charter to reflect how the annual city audit is published. It would continue to be published on the city website, and would no longer be published in the newspaper.
Proposition K — Franchises would still make all franchise agreements available as public records on request at the city. Agreements would just no longer be published in the newspaper. While franchise agreements are reached about once every quarter century, McLeroy explained, the change could allow the city to enter into franchise agreements to provide necessary services for residents.
Proposition L — Non-substantive Revisions would allow the city to update the charter to reflect any legislative decisions impacting city operations moving forward as well as correct any grammatical errors or update language to modern terms, and things of that nature, as needed, if any are identified.
Proposition M — Charter Review would require the city council to appoint a Charter Review Committee to revise the charter at least as often as every 10 years, with any significant proposed charter changes submitted to voters, as are the 13 propositions on the May 4 ballot. In the past, numerous decades passed without substantive reviews or updating of the charter; this measure would help keep it current, according to the city attorney.
Tira News for April 24, 2019
BY JAN VAUGHN
Robert and Yvonne Weir were blessed with a new granddaughter on Saturday, April 20. Her name is Everly Rose Weir and she is the child of Dustin and Natalie Weir.
Yvonne reports, “We are so happy to welcome her into our family.”
Yvonne adds, “Shanna Parkinson and her sons, Aaron and Caleb, visited and we all attended Oasis wrestling. It was a hoot. The boys won a really nice Easter basket with t-shirts and caps in it.”
The Tira Volunteer Fire Department is having an Open House on Sunday
afternoon, April 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. Please make plans to come let the firefighters show you around.
Joyce Dodd shared, “Food angels blessed our little pantry again.” Donations are always greatly appreciated.
William and Joyce Dodd had 17 at their home for Easter lunch on Sunday. Guests included Michael McNiel; Jerry and Tonja Lucas; Alyssa and Ethan Shelton; and Junior, Brad, Tanya and Matthew Dodd; Stuart, Tiffany, Tristen, Emery, Ellianna and Eadon McPherson. After lunch, they had an Easter egg hunt for the kids.
Tiffany’s fiancé, Perry Gilbert, came in from Malvern, Arkansas on Thursday, April 18. Tiffany, Perry, Jaidyn, Chip and I went to Big Smith’s that evening, to celebrate Perry’s birthday. On Friday, we moved some of Tiffany and Jaidyn’s furniture to Malvern. Chip and I visited William McCauley, while there, and the three of us went out for lunch.
Joining us for Easter lunch on Sunday were Grace and Linda Ellen Vaughn and Tiffany, Perry and Jaidyn. Landon, Laiken, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin celebrated with Laiken’s family. They came to our house later that evening and Jaidyn and the boys hunted Easter eggs and played in the yard. The weather was nice for sitting outside and watching them play.
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 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected]
Lady Cat Mariam Tran Plays At Regional Golf Tournament Monday and Tuesday
Lady Cats’ sophomore golfer Marian Tran finished in 17th place in the Class 5A Region II Girls Golf Tournament played Monday and Tuesday, April 22-23, at the Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club.
Tran shot an 81 on Monday and a 91 Tuesday for a two-day score of 172, 28 strokes over par, and not quite strong enough to qualify her for the State Golf Tournament.
