Arkansas Pair Accused Of Tossing 13 Pounds Of Methamphetamine From Car
April 12, 2019 – An Arkansas pair was arrested Thursday night after allegedly throwing more than 13 pounds of suspected methamphetamine out a car window while trying to evade Sulphur Springs Police Lt. Eddie Moon.
Lt. Moon reported noticing a Honda Accord pass him on Interstate 30 east at mile marker 122 around 11 p.m. Thursday. Moon said it caught his attention because the license plate light bulb was so dim it was barely glowing, and not providing enough light to illuminate the license plate from 50 feet away.
Moon said he drove east to catch up to the car, but it took the 123 exit onto Shannon Road, and continued east, signaling a right turn, even though there was nowhere to turn. Moon wasn’t able to exit I-30 due to traffic, but continued alongside the car on the interstate. The Honda continued at 65 miles per hour on Shannon Road, a 50 mile per hour speed zone that decreased to 45 mph speed zone just past the 124 exit, the officer reported.
Moon reported seeing the brake lights on the Honda light up as he exited I-30 onto Shannon Road on that exit. Moon alleged radar showed the car to be traveling at 54 miles per hour entering the 45 mph speed zone, so he activated the lights and siren on his patrol vehicle to initiate a traffic stop for the two traffic violations.
The officer alleged the car slowed for approximately 1 second, then accelerated through the South Broadway Street and Shannon Road intersection, where the traffic light was red. The car then switched lanes, narrowly avoiding striking a large van.
“While pursuing the vehicle with lights and siren activated, I observed a large amount of contraband being thrown from the vehicle,” Moon alleged in arrest reports.
The officer alleged the contraband that went out the passenger’s window appeared to be narcotics, and alerted other officers via radio to the location of the tossed items.
SSPD Sgt. Josh Shufeldt responded at that location to recover what was reported to be at least three 1-gallon Ziplock bags and two other baggies with a crystal-like substance he suspected to be methamphetamine, police reports noted.
Moon,meanwhile, continued to follow the car, which continued to the 125 entrance ramp, entering the interstate at Mockingbird Lane and continuing to the top of the Bill Bradford Road overpass before stopping on the right shoulder.
The pair in the car was placed into custody. Officer Derrick Williams arrived to aid Moon in safely talking to the pair. He stayed at the location while the car was being impounded. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Colt Patterson arrived to transport the driver, identified in reports as 21-year-old Francisco A. Guillen-Campos of North Little Rock, Arkansas, to jail and Moon transported the passenger, identified in police reports as as 28-year-old Mary Wooten of Hensley, Arkansas, to jail.
The woman was found to be wanted in Tarrant County for possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance, arrest reports read.
The substance recovered from Shannon Road by Shufeldt reportedly weighed approximately more than 13 pounds, and field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Consequently, both Guillen-Campos and Wooten were charged with possession of 400 grams or more of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and tampering with evidence. Guillen-Campos was also charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
Wooten remained in the county jail late Friday morning; her bond was set at $100,000 on the possession of more than 400 grams of a controlled substance charge and $250,000 on the tampering with evidence charge, according to jail reports. Guillen-Campos also remained in the county jail late Friday morning. His bond was set at $100,000 on the possession charge, and at $25,000 each on the evading arrest and tampering with evidence charges.
Saltillo One-Act Play to be Performed Monday April 15 at Main Street Theater, 7pm
According to Saltillo ISD’s Music and Theater coach Darin Bilyeu, the One Act Play cast/crew will present their play in a public performance on Monday April 15 at 7pm at Main Street Theater, downtown Sulphur Springs at 225 Main Street. The crew got a “1” at District with “The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds”, a Paul Zindel play. They advanced to Bi-District, garnering 11 individual and technical awards and then qualified for Area competition, a history-maker for the Saltillo school theater department. Attendance to the play is free, however, you must have a ticket, available at the Saltillo School. Donations will be welcomed.
“Volunteer Week” Puts Spotlight on Good Works at CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital, Sulphur Springs
At work, Sherry Moore is currently Volunteers Co-ordinator , one of many roles she has fulfilled over her almost-25 year career with the local hospital. And, in addition to serving as Marketing Director, Sherry also wears the hats of Patient Experience Co-ordinator, Representative for Government Advocacy, and Co-ordinator for the Volunteer Chaplaincy. During a KSST Morning Show interview, Sherry talked about the role and the history of the Volunteer Auxiliary.
“The local hospital first got a corps of volunteers in February of 1961, when a local doctor, Byrd Longino, was the speaker at a ladies club meeting at the former Women’s Building. In that talk, he made the ladies aware of the need which the hospital had for caring, capable volunteers, and how the goal was to cultivate a “hospital auxiliary” group from the community. Well, that group of ladies volunteered their services and told their friends too, and soon after, the first uniformed”Pink Ladies” were at work, assisting from the Nursery to clerical duties and in dozens of other necessary behind-the-scenes tasks. When a gift shop was opened, they helped there too, and still do today. In fact, today’s beautiful gift shop is named for one of the first volunteers, Mrs. Johnnie Masters. The current Auxiliary is made up of about 40 men and women who sign up for and graciously work half-day shifts. Wanda Galyean serves as Auxiliary President”, commented Sherry.
From the start, the Volunteer force served as a kind of Foundation which raised money and helped the hospital save money. As funds became available, the Auxiliary would help with purchasing items needed for the hospital, from buying office furniture to donating to the Lights of Life campaign. In fact, the Auxiliary was the original underwriter of Lights of Life, and to date, has donated over $100,000 for hospital needs. Now, a Scholarship program is in place for hospital employees, and Auxiliary donations help fund scholarships for qualified applicants who make request. The Auxiliary also spawned a Jr. Volunteer program, available to interested students who are high school freshmen and older.
According to Sherry, a Volunteers Luncheon will be held on Thursday April 18, 2019 as a thank you for their donated hours of service. A meal of home-cooked foods and homemade desserts is planned.
Saltillo High School Earns First Place Honors At District Academic UIL Contest
Saltillo High School UIL won first place honors at the District Academic UIL Contest in Union Hill. At least 14 students are advancing individually, along with four teams, to the Regional Academic UIL Contest this weekend at Keller Central High School.
Also notable is the fact that at least seven students placed in more than one event each at the March 29 contest, and at least four scored high enough individually to advance in more than one event as well.
Students earning the top three places individually in each category at the district meet qualified to advance to the regional contest. However, only teams placing first at district competition advance as group to region, unless the top team is unable to go. That is the case for the second place Saltillo literary criticism team.
Individually, Sienna Collins won second place honors and Hannah Wartenbee third place honors at district, qualifying each to advance individually. Their scores only earned a second place overall team rating. However, because the first place team will be unable to go, as the next in ranking, the Saltillo literary criticism team now has the opportunity to advance, according to Saltillo UIL coach Johnna West.
The first place accounting team consisted of Christy Marqueez, Brianna Tawil and Jocelyn Ochoa. Individually, Marquez won top honors, Tawil second and Ochoa third, advancing all three individually and as a group to region.
The first place spelling and vocabulary team consisted of Garrett Tarver, Lorena Castro, Lindsay Butler and Reagan Speir. Individually, Tarver won first place honors, Castro third, and Butler fifth.
The journalism team also won first place honors at district based on the composite of their scores in several journalism events.
In editorial writing, Garrett Tarver earned first place honors, Cheyenne Neal second place honors and Chandler Bain was recognized for placing sixth.
In feature writing, Cheyenne Neal won second place honors and Chandler Bain won third place honors, while Graycie Hodges placed sixth.
Maddie Smith won first place honors and Chris Boekhorst third place honors in headline writing.
The Saltillo team shut the competition out of the top three slots in news writing: Paisley Kastner won first, Maddy Smith second and Anna Reeder third place honors. Reeder also was recognized for placing fifth in calculator applications at district.
Matthew Gurley won first place honors and Edi Olayo finished fifth in copy editing. Gurley was also recognized for his third place win in current issues competition.
Saltillo students also did well in ready writing: Garrett Tarver went home with first and Maddy Smith third place honors, and Graycie Hodges placed fourth.
Also recognized for their sixth place finishes at the district contest were Ofelia Cabrera in persuasive speaking and Bianca Castro in social studies.
Chamber Connection: April 11, 2019
Chamber Connection-April 11th
April is a busy time in Hopkins County! There is always something wonderful to do!
Forgotten, presented by Community Players
Community Players presents Forgotten, A Peter Pan Story at the Main Street Theatre, 225 Main Street in Sulphur Springs, on Thursday, April 11th at 7 p.m., Saturday April 13th at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 14th at 2 p.m. Seats are limited, tickets are $10. Visit www.communityplayersinc.com for more information.
Danna’s Buffalo Girls’ Flea Market Style/Swap on April 11-13
Danna’s Buffalo Girls’ will be having a flea market style/swap event April 11, 12 and 13 at BackStory Brewery, 211 Magnolia Street in Sulphur Springs. Shopping will be held on Thursday April 11th from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, April 12th from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday, April 13th starting at 10 p.m. The Highway 11 Treasure Trails, a garage sale stretching from Linden to Sulphur Springs, will be held in conjunction with the Flea Market that same weekend. Visit www.dannasfleamarketstyle.com or call 903-439-7091 for more information.
CANHelp prepares for their annual tennis tournament
CANHelp is preparing for their Fifth Annual Play It Forward Tennis Tournament and fundraiser. The event was scheduled April 13, however, due to the rainy forecast, CANHelp Director Shanna Martin reports the Tennis Tournament fundraiser has been rescheduled for Saturday May 4, at the Sulphur Springs High School Tennis Courts, located at 1200 Connally Street in Sulphur Springs. Entry forms are available at CANHelp, 613 Gilmer Street in Sulphur Springs, or online at www.canhelponline.org.
Heritage Park opens new facility
Heritage Park is hosting a ribbon cutting celebration for the grand opening of Winiford Place, their new multi- purpose facility, on Tuesday, April 16th at noon. Heritage Park is located 416 Jackson Street in Sulphur Springs. Please make plans to attend this ribbon cutting and tour this beautiful new venue.
Texas Farm Credit hosts a Business After Hours
Texas Farm Credit, located at 1305 Shannon Road East in Sulphur Springs, is hosting a Business After Hours to celebrate their completed remodel on Thursday, April 18th from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us for this networking opportunity!
Chaffer’s Place presents their monthly concert
Chaffer’s Place, located at 410 Main Street in Sulphur Springs, is hosting a live concert called Motown, Soul, & Country A’ la Mode. Concert will be held on April 18th , and doors will open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 pre-sale
and $15 at the door. This includes dinner and a show! For more information, call 470-848-2246 or visit www.ckproductions.info.
Gypsy Salon to host ribbon cutting
Gypsy Salon, located at 101 Bill Bradford Road, Suite 20, in Sulphur Springs, is hosting their ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, April 23 rd at noon. Please join us to congratulate Gypsy Salon!
Rotary hosts Claws for a Cause
The Rotary Club is hosting the 6th Annual Claws for a Cause on Saturday, April 27th on Celebration Plaza, downtown Sulphur Springs. Tickets are $30 for all-you-can-eat crawfish with all the fixins. Proceeds will benefit
local charities and scholarships.
Workforce Solutions is hosting a Career & Community Resource Expo on May 7th
Workforce Solutions of Northeast Texas is hosting a Career & Community Resources Expo at the ROC, 120 Oak Street in Sulphur Springs, on Tuesday, May 7th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are accepting vendors on a first come, first served basis with a deadline for vendors of April 30th. Exhibitor space is free of charge but limited. For additional information, please call Workforce Solutions at (903) 885-7556, extension 414.
New US Marshals Service Director Donald Washington, Part 2: Career, Marshals Service
Part 2
Donald Washington is scheduled to be recognized April 11 in a special ceremonial installation service in Washington as the new director of the US Marshals Service.
The new director of the U.S. Marshals Service, during a recent visit with family in Sulphur Springs, stopped by KSST radio on his way back to Lafayette to pack for the move to Washington. He toured the station, talked about the career which has helped prepare him for this new appointment, the Marshals Service and his family and Sulphur Springs, which he still thinks of as “home.”
Donald Washington being sworn in as the director of the U.S. Marshals Service in a March 29 ceremony at the Tom Stagg U.S. District Court in Shreveport, Louisiana, with Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. presiding and Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals administering the oath of office.
CAREER
Instead of going into law enforcement like his younger brothers, Donald Washington chose to serve his country in a different capacity. He graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 1973, and went to West Point.
“I went off to school, for boys at the time. I was senior when we added girls. That was an interesting experience. I went of to the military,” Washington said.
After graduating from West Point in 1977, Washington served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve until 1987.
In 1989, he received his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in Houston, and worked as an attorney for Conoco Inc.
“I became a practicing engineer and lawyer. At one time, I did apply to the FBI. I got accepted. Then, I had a conversation with Barry. Barry at that time was a state trooper. He said you know Donald, we have a law enforcement officer in the family, we don’t have a lawyer in the family. So, I ended up continuing to practice law as a result of that sage advice,” Washington laughed.
His career took him to Louisiana, where he’s lived and worked as an attorney since 1993. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 to served as U.S. Attorney for Western Louisiana, a position he held until his return to private practice in 2010 in Lafayette, Louisiana.
He has also served on several U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committees, as well as subcommittees on Civil Rights, Controlled Substances, and Native American Issues; and served as the Chairman of the Southeastern U.S. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
While heading up that region of Organized Crime Drug Task Force for a couple of years, Washington participated in Operation Choke Point
“The idea was that after 9/11 we the government had been highly successful in shutting down the access by drug traffickers to rail, air and sea. But we hadn’t done all that good of a job with cars and buses. So I thought the southeastern region — that went up to the Carolinas and down to Texas, excluded Florida, included all the states there and all the districts -I thought we would do that,” Washington said.
He said the Bush Administration saw the drug trafficking as business, and focused on ways to take away their capital, to have a bigger impact.
“We believe that we were pretty successful at it because, in that regard, we also created this list called CPOT List – Critical Priority Operational Target List – the world’s biggest drug trafficking organizations: in Afghanistan, Russia, South America, the United States. We began to pick them off one by one. El Chapo was the probably the latest and probably most notable that was on the list for a long time,” Washington explained.
Unfortunately, that lead to a leadership vacuum which spawned fighting, which spilled over into communities, according to Washington.
“You help them get equipped, trained and attitude appropriately. US attorneys and federal agents, DEA, FBI, US Marshals worked toward whatever functions they were involved in. in doing that,” Washington said.
US MARSHALS
The Sulphur Springs native was nominated by President Donald Trump on Oct. 2, 2018, to lead the U.S. Marshals, a nomination that was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 14, with family and friends from Texas in attendance.
Washington was sworn in March 29 as the director of the U.S. Marshals Service in a ceremony at the Tom Stagg U.S. District Court in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“We are thrilled to have Director Washington return to the Department. He brings a wealth of experience as a former U.S. Attorney and lawyer in various private and corporate capacities. We look forward to formally welcoming him to the U.S. Marshals Service at a ceremony April 11th,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr was quoted on the U.S. Marshals Service website following the March 29 swearing-in.
The US Marshals Service is one of four law enforcement agencies in the Department of Justice; the FBI, DEA and ATF are the other three.
“Marshals serve at the pleasure of the President. I really admire and I like this president. I think he’s got a lot of guts, doing some of the tings he’s attempting to do. I’m going to do my best to certainly not let him down in carrying out the law enforcement mission over at the marshals service. Of course, we’ll be at his service. At the end of the day, the marshals service is an executive agency,” Washington said.
The service has four primary missions: to protect federal judges, staff and facilities from any threats; leadership in a number of task forces; prison and inmate transportation; and witness protection. They also help lend resources to help find missing children, and felon apprehension, including internationally wanted people, according to Washington.
He anticipated being sworn in by the US Attorney General, then attending a number of briefings to become better acquainted with the operation.
“I have a tone of briefings on the various aspects of running the marshals service, what we’re into, where the issues are. At least one senator wants to see some action regarding whistle-blowers, that type of thing. We have our work cutout,” Washington said.
He plans to travel to meet with the various marshals and deputy marshals.
“I plan to be very hands on, try to get out and see,” Washington said.
Huge Weekend for SSHS UIL Academic Team
The Sulphur Springs High School UIL Academic Team has an important weekend coming up. Friday and Saturday (April 12-13), the Region UIL Academic Meet will be taking place at Prosper High School. Top individuals and teams will qualify for the State Meets coming up in May. SSHS will be sending 25 students including six teams to Region competition. The six teams are: Accounting with Felipe Alba, Alex Plumley, Daniel Soto and Caleb Yanez, Computer Science with Brayden Fisher, Dakota Soles, Kevin Orozco and Blake Talmage, Current Issues with Brandon Hodges, James Draper, Dakota Soles and Bracken Sant, Literary Criticism with Carissa Carter, Lainey Whittle, Andrew Westlund and Matthew Harper, Social Studies with Brandon Hodges, James Draper, Bracken Sant and Tatum Williams and Spelling and Vocabulary with Dawson Carpenter, Cameron Beard, Gisselle Garcia and Mariam Tran. Other students qualifying are Carissa Carter in Calculator, Angela Brown in Editorial Writing and News Writing, Andrew Westlund in Number Sense, Annmarie Gunn and Breana Wooten in Ready Writing, Peyton Baugh in Science and Rachel Bramlett in Prose Interpretation. The Wildcats were second at the District Meet scoring 462 points.
Como Community Easter Bash Now Set for April 20!
According to Mayor Darla Henry, the City of Como’s Community Easter Bash set for Saturday April 13 is now re-scheduled for Saturday April 20. It will be held in and around the Como City Hall and Ballfields area. Food, entertainment, games and vendors are planned, and the Easter Egg hunts will also be held, with a start time of 10am. The Bash is also an opportunity to get your Como, Texas t-shirts which sport a logo of “My City, My Home, Como, Texas” on the front.
New US Marshals Service Director Donald Washington, Part 1: Hometown
Donald Washington is scheduled to be recognized April 11 in a special ceremonial installation service in Washington as the new director of the US Marshals Service.
The Sulphur Springs native was nominated by President Donald Trump on Oct. 2, 2018, to lead the U.S. Marshals, a nomination that was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 14, with family and friends from Texas in attendance. Washington was sworn in March 29 as the director of the U.S. Marshals Service in a ceremony at the Tom Stagg U.S. District Court in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The new director of the U.S. Marshals Service, during a recent visit with family in Sulphur Springs, stopped by KSST radio on his way back to Lafayette to pack for the move to Washington. He toured the station where he once interned in high school, talked about the career, the Marshals Service and his family and Sulphur Springs, which he still thinks of as “home.”
Hometown
US Marshals Service Director Donald Washington
Raised along with two brothers and a sister by parents Troas and Virginia Dunlap Washington, Donald Washington credits his grandfather George Carter Washington, an educator, for pressing upon him the “need to keep my face in the books rather than looking at the girls too early.” He said he also had some great teachers in school at Sulphur Springs too.
While he talked some about his accomplishments, he was quick to show his pride in his family as well.
He describes his sister as a “captain of industry,” for at least 30 years in the insurance industry before her retirement. His twin brothers both went into law enforcement, one retiring from Texas Department of Public Safety within the last 8-9 years, the other from Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office; both “have made significant marks on the law enforcement profession, both of them primarily in the drug interdiction world, in different ways though,” he said.
“Sulphur Springs has, I think, always been a very unique place, but over the last decade in my mind, it’s become even more unique. The kind of people that are moving here, that come through here are extraordinary. This little town, what has happened to the square, is just magnificent. I can’t pass by the square without taking a photograph,” Washington said.
Donald Washington enjoys stopping by the square during his return visits to see family and friends in Sulphur Springs.
He grew up in Sulphur Springs, and still thinks of it when he hears a song or talks about “home” and hometowns.
“Sulphur Springs has, I think, always been a very unique place, but over the last decade in my mind, it’s become even more unique. The kind of people that are moving here, that come through here are extraordinary. This little town, what has happened to the square, is just magnificent. I can’t pass by the square without taking a photograph,” Washington said.
He said he often describes Sulphur Springs to his friends as a “Norman Rockwell town.” He’s especially complimentary of the downtown square, which he says “was created by some folks with vision.”
“It is just a unique place to walk around and see what has been created down there,” Washington said.
He was complimentary of the different types of cuisine offered at restaurants just off the square, and noted the Tesla stations a block away that serve vehicles that come from quite a distance away. He described the coffee shop off as “one of the fascinating coffee shops in the country.” The glass restrooms off the square are an interesting conversation piece; he said he shows his friends pictures of the glass restrooms and asks them to guess what they are.
Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport is another area Washington had praise for, noting the runway is equipped to handle the air traffic if he were to decide to hold a regional meeting for the Marshals in Sulphur Springs.
“It’s a nice runway, nice airport, and the aviation community is pretty nice as well. Mr. Baker out there has been very kind to me. Whenever I need some accommodations, they’ve just been really, really nice,” Washington said.
