City Manager’s Report to Council November 6, 2018
CROSSTOWN TRAIL – The flashing lights for the Main Street crossing have been installed and are now operational. The capital construction division installed 596 linear feet of sidewalk divided among Coleman Dam, Peavine Pinion Pond and the high school. SUNSET STREET – We opened bids for materials for this project on October 24th. Of the 5 bid packets, we only had successful bids on 2 of them. We will have to rebid the remaining 3.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT Phase 2 is well under way. Construction of the first aeration basin continues to progress on schedule. The second aeration basin will be constructed next. Once these basins are operational, the existing basins will be taken offline and they will be refitted with diffused aerationjust like basins 1 & 2. Once all of this is completed our aeration capacity will be greatly enhanced. This is the heart of our wastewater treatment process. CONNALLY STREET – Work on Connally Street will begin soon. The first phase will be new sewer mains. CLAIMS – We had two minor workers compensation claims in November. We did not receive any liability claims.
EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Lesa Smith will give a year-to-date report of revenues and expenditures. Elsewhere around the city, employees: Patched 82 potholes. Made 19 street repairs following utility repairs. . Replaced various stop signs. . Installed school zone lights on Houston Street at the high school. . Changed out the flower beds downtown. . Finished cleaning up after the Cantex project. Hosted 45 softball teams for a Texas A&M Commerce showcase tournament. Prepared Buford Park for the Hopkins County Stew Cook-off. . Mowed acres and acres of parks, athletic fields, airports, dams, etc. Checked out 3,268 items from the library. Sold 1,710 gallons of AvGas and 8,438 gallons of JetA fuel. Installed video cameras at the airport. Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids count of 1. 32 mg/L. Repaired 18 water mains. Replaced 12 water meters. Unstopped 14 sewer mains. Repaired 8 sewer mains. Treated 141 million gallons of potable water. Responded to 169 fire/rescue calls including 2 structure fires and a vehicle fire. Performed preventative maintenance on 70 fire hydrants. Performed 52 fire inspections and reviewed 52 pre-fire plans. Responded to 222 animal control calls while achieving a 37% adoption rate. Made 4 felony arrests in the special crimes unit. Made 94 arrests on the Patrol Division, wrote 546 citations, recorded 71 offenses and responded to 41 accidents. Conducted 66 building inspections, 42 electrical inspections, 27 plumbing inspections, 13 mechanical inspections and issued 22 building permits.
North Hopkins ISD Now Former Employee Arrested for Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student
In a press release from the office of North Hopkins ISD Superintendent Darin Jolly the district announced that a now former employee has been arrested for “commuicating with a student through electronic media in violation of NHISD policies and regulations. The district instituted an investigation with both Child Protective Services and the Hopkins County Sheriff’s office into allegations regarding Ms. Janie Perez, 30. Perez was arrested for Improper Relationship between Educator and Student. She was booked into Hopkins County Jail and bond set at $20,000.
The press release states:
“Late in the afternoon of Friday, November 2, 2018, the District received a report that a North Hopkins ISD employee had been observed communicating with a student through electronic media in violation of NHISD policies and regulations. The North Hopkins ISD immediately instituted an investigation into the allegations that very evening. Due to the nature of some information that was brought to their attention, the NHISD administrators reported the alleged behavior to both Child Protective Services and the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. The NHISD administration then met with the accused employee on Sunday, November 4, 2018, notified her of the investigation and the allegations and concerns that had been brought forth, and also notified her that she was being placed on suspension without pay. The employee submitted her resignation, instead.
“The District has now been notified that the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation and, based on that investigation, has arrested the now-former employee, Ms. Janie Perez. It is NHISD’s understanding that Ms. Perez has been charged with Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student. NHISD is deeply troubled by this situation. The safety and well-being of NHISD students is, and always will be, our primary concern.
We commend the observant individual who made the initial report to NHISD administrators. We also commend the NHISD administrators for investigating the matter without delay and for notifying the appropriate authorities of the allegations that had been made. And, of course, we are grateful for the diligence and professionalism of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and its commitment to the protection of NHISD students. Rest assured that NHISD will continue to work closely with the Sheriff’s Office and all other agencies involved in this investigation.”
Significant Weather Advisory Until 3 a.m. Wednesday
At 158 AM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northwest of Cooper, or 13 miles north of Commerce, moving east
at 30 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include… Cooper, Deport, Cooper Lake Park Doctors Creek,Cooper Lake Park South Sulphur, Tira and Pecan Gap.
Election Results Show Hopkins County Stronghold for Republicans; Local School and Municipal Races Listed
Red is a popular political color in Hopkins County as 6,977 of the 11,958 ballots cast in the November Mid-Term Election were straight ticket Republican. Only 1,591 ballots were straight ticket Democratic. Votes cast in Hopkins County in selected races:
U S Senator:
Ted Cruz, Rep, 9,298
Beto O’Rourke, Dem, 2,542
U S Representative District 4
John Ratcliffe, Rep, 9391
Catherine Krantz, Dem, 2,312
Governor
Greg Abbot, Rep, 9,525
Lupe Valdez, Dem, 2,216
Lieutenant Governor
Dan Patrick, Rep, 8,906
Mike Collier, Dem, 2,778
Attorney General
Ken Paxton, Rep, 8,995
Justin Nelson, Dem, 2,643
Commissioner of Agriculture
Sid Miller, Rep, 9,120
Kim Olson, Dem, 2,446
State Senator, Dist. 2
Bob Hall, Rep, 8,920
Kendall Scudder, Dem, 2,869
State Representative, Dist. 2
Dan Flynn, Rep, 9,364
Bill Brannon, Dem, 2,421
County Clerk
Tracy Orr Smith, Rep, 9,454
Reiko Alexander, Dem, 2,274
Cumby City Alderman
Mayor: Kathy Hall Carter, 57
Alderman Place 1
Douglas Simmerman, 114
Larry White 41
Alderman Place 2
Kristin Thompson, 96
Johnene McLarry, 44
Cumby ISD Board (two elected)
Kyle Pettit, 276
Jimmy Helfferich, 217
David Temor, 206
Cody Talley, 152
Wesley Thompson, 58
Miller Grove ISD (three elected)
Brandon Darrow, 266
Bret Garrett, 262
Ray Sparks, 247
Douglas Lewis, 95
Brandon Kilpatrick 78
North Hopkins ISD (two elected)
Bruce Allen Joslin, 218
Nicole Vaughn, 207
Robert McPherson, 191
Sherry Smiddy, 185
Lori Timko, 167
In those offices not listed, the Republican candidate won in Hopkins County.
Crum Murder Trial: First Day of Testimony
Following jury selection Monday, testimony got underway Tuesday morning in Hopkins County’s 8th District Court for 26-year-old Aaron Tyler Crum on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of
Joshua Paul Cowling at a residence in the 500 block of Pampa Street in the early morning hours of February 24.
As testimony got underway, District Attorney Will Ramsay called Sulphur Springs Police Lieutenant Eddie Moon as the first witness. Moon told the court he responded to the report of a shooting along with three other city officers and two Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies.
At the residence Moon told of finding a shattered glass patio door and Cowling’s body just outside the door on a patio. Moon also told the jury about finding a .9mm Glock handgun, a spent shell casing and blood around and just outside the door.
Ramsay said the sister of the victim called 9-1-1 as soon as the shot was fired and said that several had been locked out of the house and were seeking to regain entrance to retrieve personal items such as a purse and a jacket. However, Crum was not responding to knocks at the door, phone calls, or texts when Cowling reportedly knocked on the glass door and it shattered.
The first evidence presented in the trial was a video recording from Lt. Moon’s body cam. There was no sound with the video. After a recess to consult with attorneys, Judge Eddie Northcutt allowed defense attorney Martin Braddy to present the same body cam video but with the sound track for the jury to consider.
A second police officer, Derrick Williams, was then called to the stand and told the jury that his responsibility at the scene was to take custody of Crum and transport him to the county jail.
As the afternoon wound down, the district attorney called Kadarius Johnson to the witness stand. Johnson told the jury he had met Aaron Crum at a downtown tavern about two weeks prior to the shooting and the incident occurred during an after-hours birthday party at Crum’s residence.
Testimony is due to resume Wednesday morning as the district attorney continues to call witnesses to offer testimony in the murder trail.
Aaron Tyler Crum has been held in Hopkins County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond on the first-degree murder charge since his arrest shortly after the shooting occurred.
Wildcat Football: Coordinators Review Kaufman Game; Look Ahead to North Forney
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young Looks Back at Kaufman and Ahead to North Forney
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young is seeking solutions to get the Wildcats back into a rhythm so they will play with confidence and with a swagger. The past two weeks this seems to be missing from the Wildcats offense. Coach Young said he has watched last Friday (November 2) night’s loss to Kaufman over and over, especially an abysmal first half, looking for answers. He has concluded that just when the Wildcats were on the verge of getting on a roll, something would happen. The cliché calls it shooting yourself in the foot. Coach Young said the problem is not overall poor execution but rather just one negative thing during a play. He noted that the Wildcats did have a better second half than the first one. North Forney is next for the Wildcats. Coach Young said their defense features two long defensive ends and physical play inside. He said the Falcons have a safety, Tre Barksdale, who is very active. Coach Young said North Forney’s linebackers react to plays in a hurry. He said they are a good team adding the Wildcats need to take care of their business and meet the challenge.
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra Comments on Kaufman and North Forney
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra said he was pleased with the effort from the Wildcats’ defense in last Friday’s (November 2) 30-21 loss to Kaufman at Prim Stadium. He said the Wildcats defense got turnovers and scored on defense. Coach Guerra did express disappointment in the defense allowing a late touchdown by Kaufman that gave them a nine point lead. He said fatigue is no excuse. Coach Guerra said he told the defenders they have got to be ready to play defense regardless of the situation. He said he was proud of the defense for keeping the score somewhat close in the tough first half. Coach Guerra said the defensive linemen stepped up adding the linebacker play was also good. He said nose guard Ignacio Nacho Guerrero is getting better every week. He said inside linebackers Bryce McQueen and Daniel Moreno are triggering really well during plays. He said the outside linebackers are also doing a good job. Concerning this week’s opponent North Forney, Coach Guerra said the Falcons’ current quarterback is accurate and throws short routes very well. He said he doesn’t make mistakes. Coach Guerra said the North Forney offensive line does a good job. He said they also have good running backs and receivers. He said they would create a challenge for the Wildcats defense this week
Wildcat Golf Wins With 10-Stroke Victory in Tournament Play
The Wildcats’ golf team completed a most successful fall golf season with a 10-stroke victory at a tournament at Mount Pleasant Country Club Monday (November 5). Wildcats Golf Coach Chris Owens said they were fortunate to get the tournament in due to rain. He said a 90% chance of rain Monday ended up being a 100% chance. Coach Owens said an hour and a half to two hours into their round, the Wildcats had to stop playing due to hard rainfall. The Wildcats were delayed for about an hour. Despite the delay and the wet conditions, Coach Owens said the Wildcats played well and shot their best team score of the fall, a 319. The Wildcats top two golfers tied for first place in the medalist race. Both Carter Lewis and Andrew Escobar shot 78. Lewis won medalist based on his performance on the highest handicapped holes. Both players shot a 5 on the highest handicapped hole. Lewis had a 4 to Escobar’s 5 on the second highest handicapped hole. Also for the Wildcats Colten Bench shot 81, Grant Mohesky had 82 and Kip Childress came in with an 84. Coach Owens said he was pleased with the scores. The Wildcats played three fall tournaments. They finished second at Sulphur Springs Country Club and then won tournaments at Tempest Golf Club in Gladewater and at Mount Pleasant Country Club. Coach Owens said the golfers would continue to play golf and would resume play as a golf team at the end of February.
Wildcat Basketball Won Three at Elite 14 Scrimmage
The Wildcats’ basketball team won three scrimmages and lost none at the Elite 14 Scrimmage Saturday (November 3) at Wichita Falls Hirschi. The scrimmage featured top teams from Texas, Oklahoma and around the nation. The Wildcats won handily over Lubbock Estacado, a ranked Class 4A team, defeated prep school Millwood, Oklahoma by four points and edged by Norman, Oklahoma by one point.
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta said all three teams were very athletic. He said the Wildcats saw a lot of different defenses and presses include the run and jump press, man defense, 2-2-1 defense, zone and pressure man on man. Coach Cipoletta said his team’s offense is ahead of its defense. He said this year’s team has a special chance to be very good.
Coach Cipoletta said he expects his teams to hang their hat on defense so he is eager for them to get better on the defensive end. He said the entire team impressed him Saturday. Coach Cipoletta said Keaston Willis did a good job creating his shot. He said Day Day Hall was impressive with his offensive rebounding. He said Cameron Kahn will be a big surprise for teams this season. Coach Cip said Kahn made 4 of 6 three pointers and also drove to the basket. Big man Xavier Cork did a good job with his big post presence. Coach Cipoletta also had praise for Grayson McClure and Kai Taylor. He was also enthusiastic about the play of guard Jeremiah Roland. Coach Cipoletta said Roland knocked down shots and played with energy and athleticism on defense.
Two of the teams the Wildcats scrimmaged Saturday started the games pressing the Wildcats. After a slew of early points quickly by the Wildcats, the teams abandoned the press. The Wildcats have their second and final scrimmage Tuesday (November 6) in Longview. Cedar Hill was expected to scrimmage also but they have changed their plans.
HCGS Wins Multiple Awards at State Conference
The Texas State Genealogical Society Conference was held at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio, Texas on November 1-4, 2018. Hopkins County Genealogical Society (HCGS) had several members in attendance. HCGS also won awards including first place quarterly with the Hopkins County Heritage.
The weekend was culminated with an awards banquet on Saturday night. The key note speaker was Andrew Carroll. Andrew is currently the director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University. In 1997, he created the Legacy Project, an all-volunteer initiative to honor veterans, active duty troops, and their families by preserving their wartime correspondence. The project has collected over 100,000 letters and emails from every war in U.S. history beginning with the Revolutionary War. These letters not only reflect historic events but also tell the human side of the story. They are archived at Chapman University where they are preserved for future generations. Andrew has written several books related to these heartwarming and historic letters. He brought many actual letters with him including one written during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and two WWII letters written by everyday Americans describing the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.
During the banquet statewide awards were announced. HCGS entered its quarterly, website, and two books into the statewide competition. The HCGS quarterly Hopkins County Heritage, published by Editor Carol Ann Dixon, won first place. Carol Ann previously won 2nd place for the quarterly in 2015 and 2017.
The HCGS website HCGSTX.org, created by Bethany Ferrell of Lonestar Web Group and assisted by HCGS Archivist Earl Pogue & HCGS Librarian Jan Stovall, won first place.
HCGS publication Known Only to God, written by Rhonda Bechhold and Carole Ann Smith, finished second in the category “books published by partner societies”. Known Only to Godis the story of the mystery man who died tragically in a car accident on Hwy. 19th just north of Sulphur Springs in August of 1954. It details the two-year search to recognize and honor this World War II veteran named John Everett Phinney. A Celebration of Life Ceremony was held at Sulphur Springs City Cemetery in June 2018 to honor this soldier and unveil the military marker that the author helped to procure. He is now known thanks to the efforts of authors Rhonda and Carole Ann.
HCGS, also, entered Wandering and Wondering by Larry Harman. Larry was a local historian and former board member of HCGS. Larry grew up in Sulphur Springs and enjoyed traveling the back roads researching area history. Several of his stories appeared in the HCGS quarterly. Larry passed away in 2012. His wife Sharon and sister Carol McKeever compiled and published his research in this book. While Wandering and Wondering did not place, Awards Chairman Bill Buckner of Waco Public library, singled it out saying that “this book touched my heart’.
Both books can be obtained by contacting the HCGS library.
In addition to enjoying and learning from excellent speakers, the members manned a successful booth selling books and local publications.
