CBP officers seize $1.8 million in methamphetamine at Progreso Port of Entry
August 26, 2024 – PROGRESO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers at the Progreso Port of Entry seized nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $1.8 million in a single enforcement action.
“Our frontline CBP officers remain vigilant on narcotic interdiction. This seizure exemplifies their dedication to CBP’s border security mission and their commitment to keeping dangerous drugs from coming into the country and infiltrating our community’s streets,” said Port Director Walter Weaver, Progreso/Donna Port of Entry.
The seizure occurred Aug. 22 at the Progreso International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a vehicle driven by a 27-year-old male U.S. citizen for secondary inspection. CBP officers conducted a secondary examination that included utilization of a non-intrusive inspection system and CBP canines. Upon further physical examination, CBP officers discovered 108 packages containing 196 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the vehicle. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $1,804,208.
CBP seized the narcotics and vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.
Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on X at @DFOLaredo and also U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.
Dinner Bell for August 28, 2024
Coming to Sulphur Springs, Texas from California in January, 2016, Diversified Storage Systems designs and produces dry power storage transfer equipment and silos. This equipment meets the needs of such industries as construction, mining, import and manufacturing. These silos can be used to store dry powders such as cement, fly ash, grout and more. A rental option, the only one in the U.S., is also available for bulk storage units.
Diversified partners with Dinner Bell feeding ministry quarterly and also sponsors, contributes or participates in: the High School Soccer team, the Healthcare Foundation Annual Gala, the Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, and the Senior Center “wish list” to name several community endeavors of the business. Dinner Bell appreciates Diversified Storage System and Michelle and Tim Dollison for their continued support.
The Hopkins County United Way is a support organization for local non-profit entities. It became a reality in 1955 when concerned citizens decided to do fundraising at one time for all the different organizations that qualified for funding. As in the beginning, the campaign is conducted in October and run by volunteers. The goal for 2024-2025 is $160,000 and will benefit 18 entities. Today we recognize the benefit of the United Way to Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. Dinner Bell has been blessed to be a participating group since 2014.
Grab and Go with a meal from the distribution area under the covered driveway (porte cochere) on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
Chicken Spaghetti
Brown Sugar Tarragon Carrots
Garden Salad
Peach Cobbler Crisp
Take care of YOURSELF by following safe health practices as flu and COVID are lurking in our midst! Wear masks where required! Wash your hands often! Get inoculated and boosted
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH !!!
Hopkins County Lowers Tax Rate, Fails to Move Forward on Latest Tax Abatement
August 26, 2025- For the fourth year in a row, the Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court approved a reduction in the county tax rate of over 9 cents. Hopkins County Tax Assessor/Collector Debbie Pogue Mitchell proposed the lower tax rate of .40022 which is more than 9 and 1/2 cent reduction from the current rate of .49587. The Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court unanimously agreed to the new lower rate.
The calculation of the prevailing tax rate is a complicated matter as Texas Counties are only able to increase the amount of income from tax collections to a maximum of 3.5% over the previous year. With increases in property tax assessments as well as new construction, new equipement, and other factors, the amount Hopkins County would collect would be greater than the 3.5% increase hence the lowering of the overall tax rate to satisfy state-madated ceiling.
Another item on Monday’s agenda was moved up to the beginning of the meeting as the courtroom was filled with concerned parties and spectators interested in the tax abatement request by Sligsol, LLC. Sligsol proposed an agreement to receive a tax abatement on 515 acres in western Hopkins County along County Road 4725. Jeff Snowden, a consultant for Hopkins County, explained the PILOT program (Payment in lieu of taxes) propsed to Sligsol, LLC to “lock-in” revenue for the first ten years of the project. Passionate pleas were heard from neighbors of the project as well as interested parties in the county for the Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court to “pump the brakes” on all tax abatements in the confines of the county limits. A Sligsol representative explained that the long term employment of the project would only produce 2 to 3 full-time jobs once construction of the $108 million project was completed.
After much discussion, the agenda item which had been tabled from an earlier meeting failed to get a motion carried to be moved back to the court for a vote during this meeting. The agenda item of voting on the tax abatement remains in limbo and could be listed on an upcoming agend for another commissioner’s court public meeting.
DPS Welcomes 101 New Troopers to Texas Highway Patrol
August 23, 2024 – AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) commissioned 101 new Texas Highway Patrol Troopers from recruit Class A-2024 during a graduation ceremony at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin. Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivered the keynote address.
A-2024 is the department’s 175th recruit class. 130 Trooper Trainees were originally selected to begin the DPS Academy on January 29, and of those 130 only 101 successfully completed the entire 30-week school to graduate.
“These 101 graduates represent the best and brightest there is,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We are proud to welcome a new generation of leaders into the ranks of DPS, and we look forward to all they will bring to this department and this great state.”
During the 30-week in-resident Academy, Trooper Trainees receive more than 12-hundred hours of instruction. This exceeds the mandatory licensing requirement of 720 hours established by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The comprehensive training comes from experts on various topics, including criminal and traffic law enforcement, crash investigation, crisis intervention, use of force, criminal investigations, communications, cultural diversity, fitness and wellness and emergency medical assistance.
Trooper Trainees also receive components of the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care training to include trauma assessment, bleeding control and treatment of shock. The training prepares them to work as a Highway Patrol Trooper anywhere in the state, including in remote areas and extreme terrains.
Trooper Trainees conclude their rigorous training with what’s called the Joint Field Training Exercise (JFTX) – a culmination of scenarios and training events that simulate a potential day in the life of a Texas State Trooper. Utilizing the skills and knowledge obtained throughout the academy, Trooper Trainees participate in approximately 25 scenarios ranging from vehicle pursuits to compliant driver traffic stops. It finishes with a Legacy Run from DPS HQ to the State Capitol Peace Officer Memorial.
Other class highlights include:
- 86 males, 15 females
- Ages ranging from 21 to 54
- 36 military veterans
The newly commissioned Troopers will report to their individual duty stations across Texas on Sep. 15.
You can see additional photos from today’s ceremony here and watch a replay of the ceremony on the DPS Youtube page.
Harris Co. Fugitive Added to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Immigrants List
August 26, 2024 – AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to Zelaya-Ponce’s arrest. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.
Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce, 20, a criminal illegal immigrant from Honduras, has been wanted out of Harris County since July 2024 for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14. In April 2021, Zelaya-Ponce was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and charged with alien removal. He was subsequently given an order of recognizance and released. In June 2024, Zelaya-Ponce was issued a final order of removal.
Zelaya-Ponce is 6 feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He has ties to Harris County, including the city of Houston. More information about Zelaya-Ponce or updates in the event of his arrest can be found here.
The addition of Zelaya-Ponce to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List follows the capture of another fugitive from the list late last month.
Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2024, DPS and other agencies have arrested 29 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including 10 sex offenders, 10 gang members and 3 criminal illegal immigrants.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
COMMISSIONER MILLER PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE 2024 RELEASE OF GO TEXAN MAGAZINE
AUSTIN—Today, Commissioner Sid Miller proudly announced the release of the 2024 edition of GO TEXAN magazine, produced in collaboration with Farm Flavor Media. This annual publication truly celebrates Texas agriculture from A to Z, featuring stunning photography and engaging stories highlighting the people, places, and products that make the Lone Star State a powerhouse in agriculture. From the hardworking farmers and ranchers to the unique products that define our state, the 2024 edition captures what makes Texas an agricultural leader.
“Working with Farm Flavor Media on the GO TEXAN magazine allows us to showcase the best of Texas agriculture in a way that resonates with everyone,” Commissioner Miller said. “As you flip through the pages of the latest edition, you’ll see the heart and soul of Texas—our farms, food, and forests. This wonderful partnership with Farm Flavor brings to life stories of agritourism, agribusiness, crops, and local food, giving readers a true taste of what makes Texas agriculture the backbone of America.”
Highlights from the 2024 GO TEXAN magazine include:
- “History, Heritage, Home” – Discover how Texas family farms thrive across generations, balancing tradition with innovation.
- “Texas Made, Texas Proud” – Celebrate 25 years of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN program, which champions independent Texas businesses.
- “All’s Fair” – Explore the iconic State Fair of Texas and its role in promoting Texas agriculture to millions.
- “Farm to Tray” – Learn how the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Farm Fresh Initiative brings locally grown products into school cafeterias, supporting Texas farmers and promoting healthy eating.
“Farm Flavor Media is honored to partner with the Texas Department of Agriculture to tell the vibrant and varied stories of Texas agriculture. Our passion is educating consumers and stakeholders about the exceptional people who produce their food, fiber and fuel, and GO TEXAN magazine highlights the many compelling ways that agriculture connects us all,” Farm Flavor Media Senior Editor Hannah Hill said.
The year’s edition was produced in cooperation with Farm Flavor Media and with the support of various agricultural and rural advocacy organizations, businesses, and associations, including the Texas FFA Association, Agworkers Insurance, Texas Electric Cooperatives, and Tarleton State University. This enabled the magazine to be published without the use of public funds.
The 2024 GO TEXAN magazine is now available online here.
For more information on the GO TEXAN program and other Texas Department of Agriculture initiatives, visit Texasagriculture.gov.
Governor Abbott Announces Over 1 Million Ineligible Voters Removed From Voter Rolls
August 26, 2024 – Auistin, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today announced that since signing Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021, Texas has removed over one million people from the state’s voter rolls, including people who moved out-of-state, are deceased, and are noncitizens. That removal process has been, and will continue to be, ongoing.
“Election integrity is essential to our democracy,” said Governor Abbott. “I have signed the strongest election laws in the nation to protect the right to vote and to crackdown on illegal voting. These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state. The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have an ongoing legal requirement to review the voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, and refer any potential illegal voting to the Attorney General’s Office and local authorities for investigation and prosecution. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting.”
Since Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021, Texas has removed over 1 million people from the voter rolls, including:
| Over 6,500 | noncitizens |
| Over 6,000 | voters who have a felony conviction |
| Over 457,000 | deceased people |
| Over 463,000 | voters on the suspense list |
| Over 134,000 | voters who responded to an address confirmation notice that they had moved |
| Over 65,000 | voters who failed to respond to a notice of examination |
| Over 19,000 | voters who requested to cancel their registration |
| Total | Over 1.1 million |
Of the over 6,500 noncitizens removed from the voter rolls, approximately 1,930 have a voter history. The Secretary of State’s office is in the process of sending all 1,930 records to the Attorney General’s Office for investigation and potential legal action. To better crackdown on illegal voting, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 1243 into law last year, increasing the penalty for illegal voting, including voting by noncitizens, to a second-degree felony.
In 2021, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 1, Senate Bill 1113, and House Bill 574 into law. Senate Bill 1 elevated lying while registering to vote to a state jail felony, criminalized ballot harvesting, required the Secretary of State to conduct randomized audits of elections every two years, banned distribution of unsolicited mail-in ballot applications and ballots, and required ID for mail-in ballots. Senate Bill 1113 empowered the Secretary of State to withhold funds from counties that fail to remove noncitizens from their voter roll. House Bill 574 made it a second-degree felony to knowingly count invalid votes or refuse to count valid votes.
In 2017, the Governor signed Senate Bill 5, which increased the penalty for election workers who knowingly permit noncitizens and other ineligible persons to vote.
EDC Executive Director Chris Brown sat down with John Mark for an Update on this Second Cup Of Coffee
Sulphur Springs EDC Executive Director Chris Brown saw down with John Mark Dempsey on the latest episode of A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey. John Mark and Chris Brown talked about Paris Junior College and the role Colleges play in preparing the workforce, the construction of two facilities for growth in local industry, an upcoming visit with some international business personal, and much more. Be sure to check out the video below and see what’s going on!
Hopkins County Court Set to Grant Another Tax Abatement for Another Solar Power Plant
August 25, 2024 – During a regular meeting of the Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court set for August 26th, one agenda item will be for the court to consider a tax abatement for Sligsol, LLC on a 515 acre solar farm to be built on County Road 4725. A public notice with limited information was posted on the Hopkins County website in early July, but detailed information about the project has been difficult to obtain for KSST News. The one-page public notice listed the value of the project at $108,000,000 in improvements on a 515 acre tract of land “located in western Hopkins County, north of Cumby and Interstate 30.” The public notice also stated that “the draft abatement agreement and a list of corresponding property owners, parcels, and legal descriptions are provided in the attachments to this public notice” The above referenced documents were, in fact, not attached to the public notice and were not available on the Hopkins County website. Obtaining copies of this information turned into a scavenger hunt for KSST News as several phone calls to county officials resulted in being told to call someone else. KSST News, was finally able to get the supporting documentation from Jeff Snowden, a consultant who has negotiated the tax abatement with Sligsol LLC on behalf of Hopkins County.
The 26-page 312 agreement shows Sligsol, LLC plans to build a solar facilty capable of producing 81 Megawatts of electricity. The agreement also shows Hopkins County agreeing to accept a PILOT or “payment in lieu of taxes” of $2,153 per Megawatt production. By KSST News calculations, the net effect of abating 100% of the taxes owed on the $108 million in improvements and accepting the PILOT results in Hopkins County forgoing collecting the difference of more than $350,000 for the first year of the abatement. The PILOT agreement is slated for the first ten years of the project.
Other supporting documentation for the project received by KSST News only shows one land owner involved in the project. The two tracts of property involved in the project include one 248.0 acre tract and one 266.67 acre tract, both owned by BK HIll Real Estate, LLC. A records check show the same owner owning property north of Highway 11 where another solar facility has been constructed as well as commercial propery in Sulphur Springs that houses the Fix and Feed Hardware Store.
The project, one the tax abatement is approved, is expected to start construction right away. The terms of the agreement dictate that the project would need to be finished and operating by 2026 to qualify for the tax abatement.
The regular meeting of the Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court start at 9:00am, Monday August 26, 2024.
Pruning Pepper Plants From Master Gardener David Wall
August 25, 2024 – We’ve all heard about early and later season pruning of tomato plants, but pruning pepper plants? Actually, though, trimming can improve pollination, with the increased air, water and sunlight resulting in increased plant and fruit growth.
Examine your pepper plants by bending over to look at the plants below canopy level. Can you easily see through the plants to those in the next row? Is the foliage so dense, it’s difficult for honeybees and other pollinators to get to plant flowers? When you allow branches and leaves to grow without limitations, it makes pollinators’ jobs much harder. Selectively pruning opens the plant and improves pollinator access while strengthening the remaining limbs.
As for where to begin pruning, start below the top canopy level. Quite simply, you don’t need foliage at the bottom. For small pepper fruit varieties, trim up to 8-10 inches. For larger fruit varieties consider 12-18”. Make sure your cutting tool is sharp and has been sterilized to prevent transferring disease. It’s too late this year, but next year, when the plant reaches 12” in height, trim the bottom 4-6”.
Light trimming in the middle plant areas can also help. Again, just make sure you’re opening up the plant to air flow. The objective is to keep the plant from becoming overgrown with foliage. Middle plant trimming can help, but the main emphasis on trimming is at plant bottom.
Also, consider is removing early first fruits. When pepper plants are young and growing, any initial fruit that forms should be removed. Plants at this stage need to put their energy into growing. Having to nurture fruit takes plant energy that should be put into plant growth and more flowers.
Finally, make sure you support each plant by staking or caging to contain and help support fruit laden branches.
