TxDOT Road Work in Franklin and Hopkins County Next Week
Paris — Here’s a look at work planned in Franklin and Hopkins Counties during the week of Oct. 29, 2018. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Motorists are advised to remain alert and pay special attention to all signs, barricades and traffic controls, and reduce their speed as they approach and travel through work zones. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems.
Sulphur Springs Area (Hopkins, Franklin Counties):
SH 154/SH 19, Hopkins County: From SH 11 to Loop 301. Watch for night-time lane closures and short traffic delays as crews perform concrete repair and surfacing operations. Flaggers will direct traffic.
SH 37, Franklin County: From Mt. Vernon to Winnsboro. Watch for lane closures and short traffic delays as crews prepare for surfacing operations; flaggers will direct traffic.
Game Day: Wildcats at Greenville
The Wildcats’ football team will make the short road trip to Greenville for a big district football Friday night (October 26) at Greenville’s Cotton Ford Stadium. The Wildcats come in with a 4-1 district record and they are tied for second place with Kaufman. The Wildcats are 5-1 for the season. The Greenville Lions are 1-4 in district plan and they are tied for seventh place with North Forney. The Lions are 2-4 this season.
Since 1956, the Wildcats lead the series between the two, 17-15-1. Wildcats Coach Greg Owens’ teams are 5-1 against Greenville and they have won the last two. Greenville last won in 2015. Greenville’s Head Football Coach is Darren Duke, in his third season as Lions’ head coach. Coach Owens is in the thirteenth season as Wildcats head football coach.
Coach Duke says his team has been inconsistent this season and they’ve had some key injuries. The most significant injury was to their quarterback Caleb Jarvis, who is expected to play Friday but he’s not expected to be very mobile.
Coach Owens says his coaching staff is warning the Wildcats about a possible letdown after their first loss of the season in a big emotional district battle for first place with Corsicana last week. Coach Owens notes that recently Greenville and Wildcats games have been emotional and hard fought. He says the reason has been because the last two games were battles for playoff spots. This year’s game also has playoff implications. Coach Owens says he believes that one more district win by the Wildcats will put them into the playoffs. On the other hand, Coach Owens says Greenville will be fighting to stay alive in the playoff chase.
KSST Radio will have Wildcats Football at Greenville Friday night beginning at around 7:30 p.m. The game will also be videotaped for replay later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
Wood County DA Resigns Following Integrity Investigation
According to sources, Wood County District Attorney Jim Wheeler has resigned following an investigation by the Texas Rangers and the integrity unit. Wheeler’s term was to have ended 2022. He entered office in January, 2007 following his election in 2006. Update to story found here: http://www.ksstradio.com/2018/10/wood-county-da-resigns-following-integrity-investigation-2/
Wheeler, a Republican, graduated Rockwall High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from U T Austin and a Master of Arts in English from Baylor. He received his law degree at Baylor. He was a prosecuting attorney in Waco before joining his father in private practice. He previously served as a prosecutor in the 54th and 19th Judicial District Courts as well as county courts-at-law in McLennan County.
The Wood County District Attorney’s office represents the State in all criminal cases in the county and district courts of Wood County, as well as representing the State in contested matters in the Juvenile and Justice of the Peace courts. Additionally, the office handles asset forfeitures, bond forfeitures, hot check/check fraud cases, child abuse and domestic violence matters.
The Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s office consists of elected Criminal District Attorney, three Assistant District Attorneys, a Special Assistant District Attorney who handles appellate matters, an Investigator, a Victim Witness Coordinator and four full-time staff members.
Thursday, 600 Vote Early
Six Hundred (600) early votes were cast in person Thursday in Hopkins County. The total for early voting through the first three days is 2919 ballots cast in person at the Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Courtroom. The courtroom serves as the early voting place for the county.
Early voting continues through November 2nd from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each weekday with the exception of Tuesday, October 30th and Thursday, November 1st when early ballots may be cast from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Early voting will also be available Saturday, October 27th from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 28th from noon until 5 p.m.
Debbie Shirley reminds voters to, please, when you enter early voting, you will receive a ticket with a code that brings up the correct ballot style for the voter’s precincts on the voting machine. Do not leave the early voting place until you have cast your ballot on a voting machine. Your vote will not be valid until you see a flag at the end of your voting time, according to Shirley. When you have voted, a review ballot summary will appear. Pressing the button to verify the summary will then bring up a second verification, “Yes, I want to cast my ballot.” When you have pressed that button, a flag will appear than that will verify to you that the vote has been counted.
Two Arrested for Meth in Traffic Stop
October 26, 2018 – Failure to stop at a designated stopping point created cause for a traffic stop by a Hopkins County Deputy at Connally and League Streets in Sulphur Springs. During the stop, the driver, Colton Heath Golightly, 29, of Arthur City, Texas, appeared nervous. Both driver and passenger, Jessica Nicole Allen, 30, of Paris, were found in possession of methamphetamine.
Due to Golightly being nervous, the deputy conducted a pat down for officer safety. Golightly consented to a search of his pockets where a digital scale with a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine was found. A probable cause search of the vehicle produced a needle commonly used to inject meth. The needle was in a tan purse belonging to Allen. Both were arrested and taken to Hopkins County Jail. At the jail, Allen told the deputy she was in possession of two needles and some “stuff” later found to be methamphetamine.
Golightly is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams and with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He is held on a $20,000 bond.
Allen is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams and with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She is held on a $20,000 bond.
“Mature Drivers” Educational Program Held at Senior Citizens Center
According to Karon Weatherman, a few local seniors took advantage of the Mature Driver Program Class that was given at the Senior Citizens Center on Thursday, October 24th. The classes are Traffic Safety Educational Programs for the Adult Driver, 55 and older. Ravonne McCray with Baylor Scott and White was the instructor for the informative program, which is a collaboration with the Texas Department of Transportation. Here’s tips and some of the information discussed.
Tips for Mature Drivers:
1) Always Buckle Up
2) Don’t drive when you are angry or tired
3) Maintain a safe distance between you and the Car in
from of you.
4) Plan your route before you drive.
5) Pay Attention
6) Be cautious when making left turns and intersections
7) Drive the Speed Limit. Driving too slow is as dangerous
as driving too fast
8) Left lane is for passing only
9) Be aware and acknowledge the effects of aging on your
driving abilities. Have your vision and hearing checked
on a regular basis.
10) Check with our doctor for possible side effects of any of
your medications that could affect your driving.
11) Schedule a CarFit and Roadwise Review.
12) Visit website: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/older…/tipsforsafedriving/01.htmlfor more safe driving tips.
Ravonne brought a lot of gadgets to show the seniors that they can purchase and any car or retail store. These gadgets
make driving and getting in and out of the car easier. She also gave several tips for safe driving and how to check your tires, mirrors etc for safety.
In the near future, the program will be offering a day to come to Sulphur Springs and check Seniors’ cars for Safety. These checks will be FREE for all seniors age 55+. Karon will announce a date and sign up sheet with time slots in the near future.
Here are some websites for you to check out:
Roadwiserx.com – is a FREE website. It helps you learn what prescriptions and over the counter drugs affect driving abilities. You just go and plug in your drugs and get a report.
MyCarDoesWhat.org – Shows you what all your car has for
safety information.
www.safecar.gov This website shows all of the Recalls
and safety defects for vehicles.
Tira News: October 26th, 2018
By Jan Vaughn
Michael McNiel was in Tira on Saturday visiting with his family. Joyce reported, “We went to Paris for lunch at Magel’s and back to Sulphur Springs for ice cream at The Magic Scoop.” They shopped a while, and then returned home for a nice visit, before Michael returned to Richardson.
Our neighbor, Billy Moss, came by for a visit on Thursday evening and was
commenting on the large size of the horse apples on his property. He shared a picture, which showed them in comparison to a bowling ball.
Several descendants of the late Alfred and Fannie Vaughn gathered at the Tira Community Center on Saturday, October 20th , for their family reunion. Everyone enjoyed the food and fellowship and the kids had a good time playing outside.
Our son, Delayne Vaughn, of Waco, came in on Friday evening and attended the Vaughn reunion with us on Saturday. We had a good visit with him and he took care of the problems with our technology devices!
Chip’s mother and sister, Grace and Linda Ellen Vaughn, joined us for lunch on Sunday. Our daughter and granddaughter, Tiffany and Jaidyn, were here, too.
After lunch, Tiffany and Jaidyn went to pick up a couple of Jaidyn’s friends,
Maygan and Bella, and they went to the Nazarene Church in Sulphur Springs for their fall carnival. Kenden Joslin, and his friend Whitney, were helping with the event. From there Tiffany and the girls went to The Villages on Lake Palestine, where they enjoyed the amenities and activities at the resort. The highlight of their trip was horseback riding on Monday.
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]
Duke In Third Year as Greenville Lion Head Coach
The Wildcats travel to Greenville Friday (October 26) for another big district football game. The Lions head football coach is Darren Duke, in his third year. Coach Duke was promoted in 2016 after his mentor Marvin Sedberry retired.
Coach Sedberry hired Coach Duke as an assistant twice in Greenville and also at Dallas Carter and at Bryan. Coach Duke was also the first head football coach at Dallas Conrad. This season Greenville is 2-4 overall and 1-4 in district play. Coach Duke says the Lions have been up and down so far this season.
He says they have battled some injuries including at the quarterback position impacting senior veteran QB Caleb Jarvis. Coach Duke says he’s working to get his team to be more consistent. He says on offense the Lions like to get the ball in the hands of wide receivers senior Nick Mapps and sophomore Miles Denson. Coach Duke says they use two junior running backs: Kye Walker-Heard and Lester Turner. He says the Lions’ offensive line has been one of Greenville’s best units this season utilizing three or four seniors.
One of Greenville’s leaders on defense is junior Jeremiah Abrego, all-district last year at defensive end. Coach Duke says the Lions’ linebackers have been solid and he says the secondary is improving. He says Lions junior cornerback Tyrecus Davis has several interceptions in district play. Davis also returned a missed field goal for a touchdown against Terrell. Coach Duke says a rivalry is beginning between the Lions and the Wildcats. He says the Lions need a few more wins in the series for the rivalry to really get going. He remembers during his first stay at Greenville during the 90’s when the Lions played against some of the greatest players in Wildcats history: Damione Lewis, Kwaesi Palmer and Caleb Miller. Coach Duke says the Wildcats seem to be getting better every week this season and he likes their balance running and passing on offense. He says the Wildcats’ defensive line is as good as anyone they have played this season. Coach Duke says the Wildcats linebackers are play makers.
Wildcat Football: Coordinators Review Corsicana; Preview Greenville
Wildcats OC Matt Young on Corsicana Game and With Greenville Preview
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young assessed the offensive play in the loss to Corsicana last week and he also previewed Greenville Tuesday morning. Coach Young said it was a good ball game. He said the Wildcats did a lot of good things but not enough of them. Coach Young said the Wildcats got inside the ten a couple of times without getting points. He said that was the difference in the game. Coach Young said the Wildcats offensive line was extremely physical, the running backs ran hard and quarterback D’Corian Young did a good job making decisions. He said the receivers made plays adding that Landry Tyson had one of his best games of the year or perhaps in his high school career. Tyson caught 7 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Coach Young said Austin Dodd made his big plays. He said receiver Chase Haney has been quietly doing his job this season but last Friday stepped out a little and had a couple of big catches. Haney caught 3 passes for 61 yards. Coach Young said the score did not end up the way the Wildcats wanted it but he said the Wildcats were able to move the football. He said there were only 2 punts and no turnovers. The Wildcats gained 402 yards and made 20 first downs. Coach Young said emphasis this week has been if you get close to the end zone, score. He said D’Corian Young did a good job scrambling away from trouble. D’Corian Young completed 21 of 34 , 61.8%, for 290 yards. Concerning Greenville’s defense, Coach Young said the Lions are extremely quick and athletic adding they close gaps quickly. He called Lions’ defensive end Jeremiah Abrego the best defensive end the Wildcats have faced this season. Coach Young noted that if the Wildcats win, they will wrap up a playoff spot. He said the Wildcats may be challenged emotionally after the loss last week. Coach Young expects the Lions to play with great intensity this week.
DC Coach Guerra Discusses Defense Against Corsicana and the Greenville Offense
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra said the Wildcats defense did alright for three or three and a half quarters last Friday night in the 42-28 home loss to Corsicana, He said he figured Tigers QB Blake Hoffman might break some long runs and he said he did twice on the fourth quarter. Coach Guerra called Hoffman a great athlete. Coach Guerra said the Wildcats defense had some busted assignments and missed tackles against Hoffman. He said outside linebacker Rio Becerra came in and did well and also made some tackles on special teams. Becerra made 11 tackles. Coach Guerra also said safety Landry Tyson had a good game. Tyson had 7 tackles and 5 assists for a total tackles and assists of 12. Coach Guerra said the Wildcats defensive linemen had quite a back to back challenge facing offensive linemen from Ennis and Corsicana. Concerning Greenville, Coach Guerra said the Lions are explosive and can make plays at any time. He said they remind him of Terrell with their athleticism. Coach Guerra said if Wildcats’ defenders don’t mind their assignments on Friday they could get burned.
