Saltillo’s Collins Placed First at Tiger Invitational
Saltillo’s Sienna Collins has been magnificent as a runner for the Lady Lions. Collins added to her cross country resume with a first place finish at the Commerce Tiger Invitational at Commerce High School last Saturday (August 25). Collins covered the 3200-meter course in a time of 12:40. The Lady Lions, coached by Colton Smith, finished ninth as a team.
Other Lady Lions finishers included Raegan Speir in twenty-fourth place at 14:38, Kristina Wade in forty-eighth at 15:24, Ofelia Cabrera in seventy-fifth at 16:28 and Chandler Bain in ninty-fourth at 17:37. Coach Smith said the
Lady Lions would compete next at an Avery cross country event on Thursday (August 30).
Wildcat Band Ready for First Game of 2018 Football Season
The Wildcats Marching Band is a big part of any Wildcats’ football game. The band will hit the field for the first time this season during the Wildcats and Frisco Wakeland football game Friday night (August 31) at Frisco Memorial Stadium. New Wildcats Band Director Spencer Emmert says it will be an exciting time for band students, especially for the freshmen who have never performed before on Friday night.
Emmert recalls his first Friday night performance as a freshman with the Quitman High School back in 1994. He says the band did an Aaron Copland show that included Hoe Down (the beef it’s what’s for dinner song) and also Appalachian Spring. Emmert says he was the only snare drum performer in that band. He says tapping the band on and off the field were very big moments for a freshman.
Emmert says the Wildcats Marching Band is ahead of schedule and will be marching and playing their entire first number of their electronic music show at halftime. They will also march and play quite a bit of their second number. At some point they will stand and play the end of the second tune. The band will also be playing in the stands during the game.
Emmert says during the band’s performance at the first home game at Prim Stadium on September 7, the band will be adding props and perhaps even a grid that will be go on top of the Prim field.
PJC Board of Regents Approve 2018-2019 Budget
The 2018-2019 Paris Junior College budget approved this week by the Board of Regents reflects an increase from the previous year due to a projected increase in the federal financial aid pass-through.
After learning of the financial aid increase, the Board of Regents gave final approval to a budget totaling $34,543,871.
“We anticipate more Pell grants to students, and that is the major increase over last year’s budget,” said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin.
Prior to the regular board meeting, the Regents held a hearing on the proposed tax rate of $0.085, unchanged from the previous year. No public comment was received. A second public hearing will be held at noon on September 10.
In other business, the Regents:
- Approved a policy requiring a property deposit fee of zero. Procedures to collect damages for destruction of property continue to work well.
- Received formal introductions to new Vice President of Academic Studies Stanton Gartin, who came from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., and Dean of Health Occupations Dr. Gregory Ferenchak, who came from Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Accepted the Certified Tax Rolls of $3.4 billion for property taxable by Paris Junior College, as presented by the Lamar County Chief Appraiser.
- Approved the transfer of up to $1.5 million to the Facilities Renewals and Replacements Fund, depending on the amount remaining at the fiscal year end.
- Approved an updated Emergency Response Plan. The changes were largely updates to personnel.
- Accepted the employment of English and Developmental Writing Instructor Donald Bates, Student Activities Coordinator Taylor Cooper, Criminal Justice Instructor Howard Day III, Licensed Vocational Nursing Instructors Casey Escobedo and Rebecca Swanstrom, Cosmetology Instructor Shelby Mazerolle, and Payroll and Benefits Coordinator Ashley Turk.
- The board also accepted the resignations of Computer Information Systems Instructor Ryan Jarrell, Art Instructor Melinda Laszczynski, Cosmetology Instructor Necah Posey, Radiology Instructor /Coordinator Karen Powers, and History Instructor Ty Welborn.
ICE Raids Load Trail in Sumner; Construction Continues on Sulphur Springs Facility
ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raided the Load Trail facility in Sumner, Texas near Paris Tuesday. Over 160 individuals were detained. According to reports, more than 100 people detained were suspected of using fraudulent identification. The Sumner, Tx facility raided manufactures small trailers. It is a separate manufacturing line than the one being built in Sulphur Springs. The Sulphur Springs facility will build 53-foot dump trailers.
According to the Sulphur Springs/Hopkins County EDC, the local facility under construction is a separate entity within the parent Load Trail Company. Construction work at the local facility continues as of Wednesday morning, August 29th 2018.
The company has paid just under one half million dollars in fines for hiring undocumented workers.
Load Trail has faced penalties in the past for hiring undocumented workers. The company has paid just under one half million dollars in fines for hiring undocumented workers.
The ICE raid included 300 agents transported by helicopter and other means. Local law enforcement in Lamar County were not notified prior to the raid. According to local law enforcement, law enforcement will always be unaware of any ICE raid until the raid begins. According to reports, this is the largest raid by ICE in the past 10 years.
Load Trail is known world-wide for the manufacture of trailers and dump trailers. It is considered one of the fastest growing companies in trailer manufacturing. The facility being built in Sulphur Springs will be located in Heritage Business Park, off Loop 301 near Raven Industries and Armorock Polymer Concrete. The local facility will be housed in a 150,000 square feet building and new jobs at the facility will total 150 once it is in full production.
Fascinating Local History Characterization of Henry Stout…Catch Part Two on September 27 at Heritage Park
The annual joint meeting of the Hopkins County Historical and Genealogical Societies was held August 23rd at the Genealogy Library inside the Sulphur Springs Public Library. Paula Altenbaumer, a member of both societies, presented an entertaining & informative life history of Henry Stout, an early Texas and Hopkins County pioneer, as seen through the eyes of his first wife, Sarah Mary Talbot Stout. Local historian John Sellers introduced the program. More than 50 persons attended the lively presentation which was Part One of the local tale.
“Henry Stout; the Wandering Man, Part Two” will be presented on Thursday September 27th in the Chapel at Hopkins County Museum and Heritage Park, an 11-acre living history park located inside Sulphur Springs at 468 South Jackson Street. The historical presentation will be told through the eyes of another family member, so you will not want to miss this to see what happens with Henry and Sarah. Attendance is free. Light refreshments will be served inside the Atkins House.
Membership in the Hopkins County Historical Society is open to interested adults. Dues are $15 per year. The next time Heritage Park and Museum will be open to the public will be Saturday October 6 for Indian Summer Day and Dutch Oven Cookoff. Heritage Park is also available for family reunions, school tours and company picnics. Volunteers are welcome for upkeep in the park. For details, contact 903-885-2387 or 903-945-3308 or Facebook:hopkins county museum and heritage park
Grand Jury Indictments August, 2018
A Hopkins County Grand Jury handed up 43 indictments late Tuesday afternoon, August 28, 2018. The names of the 32 who have been arrested for the charge have been released.
Christopher Shane Freeman was indicted for Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant.
Terance Raymon Beachem was indicted for Aggravated Assault Date/Family/Home with Weapon and for Criminal Mischief more than $2500 but less than $30,000.
Jeremy Kenyaan Gipson was indicted for Aggravated Assault Date/Family/Home with Weapon and for Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair. Hopkins County Deputies responded to a disturbance on County Road 2437 where Gipson, 26, of Dallas, had brandished a firearm and had discharged it. While in route, deputies were advised that Gipson had fled the residence in a white SUV. Deputies located him on FM 2966. The vehicle came to a slow stop and deputies initiated a felony take-down. Gipson was detained and the driver of the SUV gave consent to search the vehicle. A box of .380 ammo was located under the passenger seat and several rounds were missing from the box. On the side of the roadway where the vehicle had begun the slow roll before stopping, deputies found a .380 handgun and magazine.
John Ralph Stark was indicted for Assault Family/House Member Impede Breath/Circulation. Officers at the scene of the assault reported Stark’s wife showed signs of the assault that included choking and restricting her airway until she blacked out. The victim had visible injuries. When Sulphur Springs police were called to an altercation in the 1000 block of North Davis Street, the aggressor in an assault had left the scene. However, one officer soon found Stark, 35, of Sulphur Springs, westbound on Houston Street. When found, Stark exhibited sign of intoxication on alcohol and it was obvious he had been in an altercation.
Alvin Virgil Ward, III was indicted for Injury Child/Elderly/Disable with Intent SBI/Mental.
Michael Shane McCormick was indicted for Burglary of a Habitation. Sulphur Springs Police arrested McCormick, 27, of Dike, for burglary of a habitation on Martin Luther King Drive in Sulphur Springs. The burglary occurred sometime or August 13 or 14, 2018. The resident was not at home at the time of the burglary. When McCormick gained entry into the residence, he took keys and money. He also left personal items behind that identified him as the suspect in the case, according to Sulphur Springs Criminal Investigator David Gilmore. Gilmore stated that at the time of the arrest, McCormick, who was at work in the 1300 block of Mockingbird Ln., had some of the stolen items in his pocket. Those items included a Dallas Cowboy lanyard with numerous keys and accessories.
Johnny Lyle Bench was indicted for Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair and Criminal Mischief Damage/Destroy Worship/School. Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum said his Criminal Investigators received leads from members of the community that have also been working vigilantly trying to solve the destruction of the Weaver Cemetery. Davis, 17, of Saltillo, and Bench, 18, of Saltillo, were arrested for Tampering with Evidence and Davis was also arrested for Criminal Mischief. Davis additional charge relates to damage done to a church building in the Pine Forest/ Pickton, area and damage to mail boxes. The two were arrested and charged stemming from their throwing an item, a cross, taken from the cemetery into a local pond after they learned authorities were looking for them, according to Tatum.
Canyon Ray Davis was indicted for Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair and Criminal Mischief Damage/Destroy Worship/School.
Jerry Dale Farquhar was indicted for Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair.
Adonna Janelle Upchurch was indicted for Theft Property less than $2500 two or more previous convictions.
Archie Ray Jackson was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams and for Fraud/Use/Possession Identify Information less than 5 items, elderly. Failure to show proof of insurance and a hesitation to locate his driver’s license in his wallet were only the first signs of his nervous reaction that raised questions for the Hopkins County Deputy that made a traffic stop on Hillcrest Drive just South of Main St early Monday morning, June 4, 2018. Jackson, 69, of Jefferson, Texas, also refused consent to search the vehicle. A K-9 unit was called. When Jackson presented his driver’s license, it showed the name, not Jackson’s, on the Divers License to be his older brother, who is deceased. Identified by his Social Security number, it was found that Jackson also had an active parole warrant out of Gregg County. He was arrested on the parole warrant and a K-9 search of the vehicle revealed a pill bottle that contained suspected methamphetamine weighing 4.1-grams.
Chadwick Jaquane Anderson was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. While speaking with the driver of a 1993 Lexus stopped for a traffic violation, the Hopkins County Deputy noted a yellow plastic baggie containing alcoholic beverages near a passenger, Anderson. Anderson, 36, of Sulphur Springs picked up the bag and revealed a small plastic baggie containing a white powder like substance. Anderson admitted it was cocaine. He also admitted to having another baggie of cocaine in his right sock.
Jeffery Allen Coplin was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Angel Hernandez, Jr. was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. A tip to Crime Stoppers initiated the investigation and subsequent arrests. The tip identified a female, wanted on a felony warrant, and her location at 420 West Park Street in Sulphur Springs. A Hopkins County deputy arrested the female, Strawn, 23, (see below). Hernandez, Jr, 25, of Sulphur Springs, then showed the deputy the room in which she was staying. After searching the room, a small case with a lock was found. The key was located and when opened, suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, and paraphernalia was located inside. When deputies arrived at the scene, Hernandez was located attempting to exit the rear of the residence. He confirmed that Strawn was inside. Deputies waited until the homeowner arrived before entering the residence.
Maegan Deleyn Strawn was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Matthew Scott Munden was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. A Hopkins County Deputy responding to a person acting suspiciously on County Road 4649 where contact was made with Munden, 30, of Sulphur Springs. When the deputy noted an open container in the center console, Munden said he knew better and that he did not have his driver’s license with him. That was just the beginning. Munden was asked to pour out the alcoholic beverage and when he opened the door to do so, the deputy noted a loaded syringe and metal container in the driver’s side door. In the syringe and the plastic baggie in the metal container was a total of 1.01-grams of a controlled substance.
Dorinda Marshall Ochoa was indicted Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Samuel Colten Stidham was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Stidham, 30, of Sulphur Springs admitted that the contraband was his when he and others were stopped for a traffic violation. The stop occurred 10:44 p.m Tuesday night, May 29, 2018, at the intersection of College Street and Industrial Drive. Stidham had appeared nervous during the stop and a records check was conducted. Stidham was wanted on one speeding warrant and one failure to maintain financial responsibility warrant. The suspected methamphetamine was found in a small pink plastic baggie in the vehicle.
Elijah Don King was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Following a traffic stop on Highway 11 West at County Road 4786, King, 22, of Brashear was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams, and other charges. When King appeared nervous, the Hopkins County Deputy asked him to exit the vehicle and for consent to search. A pat down revealed a pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine in a black pouch along with two clear baggies containing a crystal like substance believed to be meth.
Jonathan Tyler Lee was indicted for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Joshua Kenny Mandell was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. A Hopkins County Deputy responded to a possible assault in the 1500 block of Shannon Road Sunday evening. When the deputy arrived, he ensured the individuals were separated and asked Mandell, 33, of Dallas, to empty his pockets. A baggie containing a clear chrystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine fell from his left pocket. He also removed a black container from the same pocket. A search of the container revealed another baggie containing a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine. A K9 officer performed an open air sniff of Mandell’s vehicle and the K9 gave a positive alert on the vehicle. A pill bottle with Mandell’s name on it was found. However, inside the bottle was a baggie containing a white powder like substance believed to be cocaine and a baggie containing possible methamphetamine .
Brian Lynn McPike was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Alisha Jean Parker was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Parker, 38, and a Bullard, TX resident, was a passenger in a 2003 Ford Focus. The driver and passenger denied consent to search the vehicle when stopped at Brookshire’s in Sulphur Springs. Parker showed signs of bruxism, which is consistent with methamphetamine use. A K9 unit was contacted and during a free air search, the K9 to alert on the vehicle. Various drug paraphernalia including used syringes, a cut pen used to ingest narcotics, a small amount of marijuana and methamphetamine were found in the auto. The methamphetamine was found in a small glass bowl in Parker’s bag. Parker claimed ownership of all the narcotics.
Brenda Raley Davis was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. When the 2005 Chrysler 300 was stopped by the Hopkins County Deputy on FM 69 south of the Black Oak Church Davis, 63, of Como, showed signs of involuntary jaw movement. The movement appeared to be the caused by the influence of a narcotic. Consent to search the vehicle was given, and the officer located a black zippered sunglasses case on the passenger side floorboard. Inside the case was a clear glass pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine. A usable amount of the substance was located in the stem and bowl of the pipe. After her Miranda warning, Davis told the officer she had smoked meth as recently as the previous day and that the passenger in the vehicle had no involvement with the suspected meth.
Rigoberto Juarez was indicted for Possession of Marijuana more than 50lbs. but less than 2,000lbs. A traffic stop by Sulphur Springs Police at the 130 mile-marker on I-30 found Juarez, 51, of Laredo in possession of 95lbs of Marijuana. While being booked into jail, a $1 bill with suspected cocaine residue and a clear plastic bag of suspected cocaine was also found in his possession.
Darrel Wayne Box was indicted for Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or More.
Local Man Arrested on Warrants and Possession
When Sulphur Springs Police stopped Kerry Olin Kirkpatrick, 56, of Sulphur Springs, for failing to stop at a designated location, Kirkpatrick was identified and found wanted on Gregg and Kaufman County warrants. Also in his possession was contraband believed to be methamphetamine.
Kirkpatrick is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams, bond forfeiture Fraud Use/Possession Identifying Information, Accident Involving Damage (Gregg Co.) and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram (Kaufman Co.).
Local Woman Arrested for Abandon/Endanger a Child Due to Methamphetamine Investigation
August 29, 2018 – Child Protective Services began an investigation after Jessica Elizabeth Bender, 27 of Sulphur Springs and her year old child tested positive for methamphetamine. Special Crimes Unit was contacted and began an investigation as well. SCU obtained an arrest warrant for Bender.
Bender is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Abandon/Endanger a Child, a state jail felony. She is being held on a $25,000 bond.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Lady Cats Lose to Paris
If Lady Cats’ volleyball against Paris Tuesday in Wildcat Gym were movies it would have been a triple feature horror film. Also all three films would have looked the same.
It started as the Lady Cats’ freshman team lost to Paris frosh, 2-1. The Lady Cats won the first set easily, 25-9 and then endured frustration as Paris won sets two and three, 25-22 and 25-22. The battle of freshmen teams matched two teams that had only lost one match all season.
The second feature was eerily similar as the Lady Cats’ JV won the first set, 25-19 but then dropped sets two and three, 25-21 and 25-20.
The third film featured more of the same. The Lady Cats’ varsity, 20-4 for the season and ranked #13 in the state, won their first set against Paris, 25-21 and then lost three straight sets, 25-21, 25-21 and 25-18. The Paris teams the Lady Cats lost to were quite good.
The Paris’ varsity is ranked #15 in the state in one poll according to Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness. After the final match, Coach Maness had a hoarse voice because of his encouraging his team to play better. He said the Lady Cats varsity played flat while Paris played lights out. Coach Maness said a team is going to have nights like that when they can’t get into a rhythm.
In stats for the Lady Cats, Madi Vickery had a team high 14 kills, Autumn Tanton had 11, Abbi Baier had 7, Sadie Washburn 6, Sydney Washburn 5 and Lexi Whisenhunt 1. Whisenhunt had 39 assists. Tanton had 2 service aces and Sadie Washburn had 1. Sadie Stroud had 19 digs, Tanton had 14, Baier had 10, Whisenhunt had 6, Maddie Millsap, Sydney Washburn and Taylor McElfresh had 4 each, Sadie Washburn had 3 digs and Vickery had 1. Whisenhunt had a block solo and Sydney Washburn and Whisenhunt had 2 block assists. Tanton, Baier and Vickery had 1 block assist apiece.
The Lady Cats are now 20-5 for the season. They look to rebound against Liberty-Eylau on the road Friday at 4:30 p.m.
John and Deborah Gillis Foundation to Provide Scholarships for Students and Grants for Hopkins County School Districts
John and Deborah Gillis announced today the largest private educational initiative ever undertaken in Hopkins County with the formation of the John and Deborah Gillis Foundation which will provide scholarships for students and grants for school districts.
The John and Deborah Gillis Foundation will provide 10 annual Bright Stars Scholarships to seniors graduating from any of the seven high schools in Hopkins County, beginning in Spring 2019. The scholarships will be in the amount of $4,000 per semester, renewable for up to eight semesters — making it the largest single scholarship program in the county.
In addition, a total of $100,000 in grants over a three-year period will be awarded annually to qualifying schools to support instructional programs, staff development and other initiatives that align with the foundation’s mission.
The foundation, which was unveiled Tuesday at a luncheon at Sulphur Springs Country Club, was developed and supported by the Sulphur Springs couple and will be managed by former teacher and educational consultant Robin Shrode. All three are Sulphur Springs High School graduates.
Gillis, who is Chairman/CEO of Gillis Holdings, Inc., is a fifth-generation Hopkins County native. The couple, who married in 1985, have one son and one granddaughter. John and Debbie are both graduates of East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce).
“After almost 160 years of family farming and business interest in Hopkins County, I am compelled to give back to the community that has given us so much,” he said. “Education is the future of any society and we believe that is the best place to start.”
The 10 annual scholarships will be aimed at students who are economically disadvantaged and who may be first-generation college students.
Mrs. Gillis said the couple had been discussing the formation of a foundation for at least a decade.
“We felt like we needed to give back, and education would be a great place to give back to the community,” she explained. “Especially in the rural communities, the access to scholarships might not be as accessible as it is in larger cities.
“We’ve been blessed and we’d like to bless others in return.”
She said it all came together when they united with Shrode, who is the co-founder and former owner of The American Alliance for Innovative Systems, an educational consulting firm.
“It’s been a perfect blending of minds with Robin coming aboard and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” Mrs. Gillis said. “We had been talking about this for 10 years, but it wasn’t until Robin got involved that we knew what steps to take to get this off the ground.”
For all three, it is the prospect of changing the lives of local students that makes it all worthwhile.
“I am so very excited to serve as the Executive Director of the John and Deborah Gillis Foundation and to be a part of something that will exponentionally change the lives generationally for Hopkins County families!” said Shrode. “As a former educator I am still in a position to support what I truly believe to be the backbone of any society and that is an education system that prepares ALL students for life as adults. The John and Deborah Gillis Foundation supports students who need financial support to go on to post-secondary learning institutions beyond high school while supporting schools in ensuring all their graduates are college and career ready! And that process begins in Pre-K and continues all the way through 12th grade.”
School campuses and students from the seven districts in Hopkins County which are eligible for the Bright Star Scholarships and Grants to Schools program include Cumby, Como-Pickton, Miller Grove, North Hopkins, Saltillo, Sulphur Bluff and Sulphur Springs.
The first Grants to Schools will be issued in February 2019, while the deadline for the Bright Star Scholarships is March 30, 2019.
Information regarding the process of applying for the Grants to Schools and Bright Star Scholarship programs are on the foundation’s website: www.jdgillisfoundation.org
The foundation will consistently work closely with Hopkins County school districts to ensure a strong alignment between their own educational goals and the foundation’s mission and goals of college and career readiness. The grant funding’s intentions are ultimately to increase Hopkins County graduates’ chances of competing in a global society for college entrances of their choice and competitive career opportunities.
